This last year has had many changes, many ups and downs, many happy times and some not so happy. I turn 40 this year and with being older comes being smarter, or at least that is how it should work. I have lost friends and gained new ones. With changes comes new understanding and this new understanding has shown me that I need to put my efforts toward loving others, and helping those in need.

I read on a blog these words and its always stuck with me, “I was always hesitant to start blogging. After all, it seems a *bit* indulgent and narcissistic.” And maybe this person is right in his thinking, I don’t think so though.  I am so thankful for all of you that do writes blogs, because if there were no blogs, I would have nothing to read and I love reading blogs. I will always follow Evan, from A Nerd Like Me, thanks for the lovely initial basket, I use it all the time, even in Africa. Oh and congrates Evan on the pregnancy, I am totally stoked for you two!  And of course, Joy the Baker, thanks for inviting me to your picnic! And Joy don’t stop creating awesome recipes because even if I can’t create them in Mozambique I can still drool over the photos.

I am tired of goodbyes and don’t want to say goodbye to this blog, but I need to.

I love all you lovelies out there that read this blog.

Thanks for all the link love and comments, they mean more than you know.

You all are stars!

Goodbye.

 

We have had a wonderful time here in Portland, Oregon. We have been able to visit many of our favorite restaurants and stores and enjoyed visiting with family and friends again.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and blessings for a Happy New Year!

We still have two weeks left here and so much more to do, see and eat!

Yes I basically eat my way through life, I should have a blog about food.

Check out All Free Holiday Crafts for some easy DIY ideas. Christmas is only a week away, you still have time to make your own Christmas gifts or decor.

They were so kind to feature my New Years Gift Wrapped Party Poppers.

I love these Elegant Christmas Tree Cones that they feature on their site.

Photo courtesy of The Creativity Exchange.

I get updates almost daily from Apartment Therapy and they always have great ides. I am sharing this post with you if you need a quick DIY gift for Christmas. I am leaving for the states tomorrow and will be a bit busy the week up to til Christmas. I hope to hop on here and add some stuff in the weeks after Christmas but don’t know how the internet will be at the places I go. I will get back on schedule after the 20th of January when we get back to Mozambique. Hang in there… I will be back.

But here you go, if you need some inspiration check these out…..

8. Make a pretty and practical reusable lunchbag.

For all the other DIY ideas click here.

 

What you need:

Needle and thread

Material

Bottle caps

1. Cut circles out of your material about 2 inches in diameter.

2. Using your needle and thread, pucker the fabric around the bottle cap.

3. Pull the thread tight and knot.

4. Sew 6 fabric covered bottle caps together like a flower.

5. Cut a 5 inch square.

6. Start folding the fabric under the bottle caps, making a hexagon shape.

7. Sew the bottle caps to the hexagon fabric.

And that’s it! You are done!

Now make 3 more and you have a set!

So some of you tried to guess what I was making, some good ideas too, but no-one got it right …. they are coasters. I got the idea from the pot holders that my hubby brought me back from up north on one of his many trips.

look how cute these are….

Check back tomorrow for the tutorial.

 I’m busy writing stories, editing photos, finishing up Christmas gifts, and creating new ones. I also am trying to fight off these parasites that seem to enjoy using my body for their home.

My husband and I were invited to the Japanese Ambassadors house yesterday to celebrate the Emperor of Japans birthday. There was a full table of lovely looking food and as we stood and listened to the ambassador speak I was checking out the buffet table, excited to try some new food. As the speech was coming to an end and the sushi was being brought out, I was off to find a bathroom. I came back to find the line super long and my husband had not got in line cause he was waiting for me. With my current condition, we thought it best we leave. I did offer to sit and wait while he ate but being the smart man he is, he said “Using the toilet 2 times in one visit to anywhere is acceptable but beyond that it looks suspicious.” So we left and went to the pharmacy for more medicine. I am hopefully on the mend, because we fly back to the states next week.

So on to something not so personal….

Can you guess what these are or what they will become?

 

 

 

On my trip through Mozambique I found some beautiful Capalanas. A capalana is a length of material about 2 metres by 1 metre. It can either be used as a wrap-around skirt or can become a baby carrier on the back for ladies.

I am so excited for this, I think it actually turned out ok. I cant wait to finish it.

All I need now is some flannel for the back.

For the tutorial click on this link: Make Your Own Baby Stuff.

I love looking into the sweet children’s faces. We went to places that hardly see cars, let alone white people, so sometimes me looking at them with a camera in hand can be very scary. We were driving on the dirt road way out in Zambezia province, away from all major cities and a group of kids were taking water home and we slowed down in front of them because there was a big hole and we had to take the car slowly over the hole and I assume, they thought we were stopping for them as they dropped their water jugs and fruit they were carrying and took of running. We felt so bad that we scared them but we also laughed at the fact that we are just too white. Here are some of my favorite photos of children that I took.