Christmas tunes

We have had a few people ask if we will have a new Christmas mix out again this year, but unfortunately because our computer is still broken we can't make one. However, that doesn't mean you don't get to have any new Christmas music this year... Sufjan Stevens has put out a great new Christmas album "Silver and Gold" which is just $15 for 59 beautiful tracks. If that isn't a Christmas bargain, I don't know what is. On the blogging front, Cesar has a new traditional mix out this year and so do the Gallo's, so check those two out.
Also if you are new around here, you can download our last two Christmas mixtapes here and here.
Only two weeks to go, so get your Christmas music pumping! Kim has been at it since October.
-m&k

See Ya!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well today is the day that we leave for France via America and Iceland. We have been waiting for this day for a long time and have a little bit of every emotion flowing through our blood. I'd say mostly READY!
We hope you enjoy your Christmas day and dont get caught up in the consumerism side of things but enjoy Hope, Peace, Joy, Family and Jesus (if your so inclined).
We're off to 39 hours transit! woo hoo.



We will try keep you updated as much as internet allows us, but stay tuned we have some international guest bloggers the next couple of weeks.

Much Love
-Morgan and Kim.

diy round up

This year, getting ready for Christmas with lots of Christmas crafts has been a little distracted by another exciting event. We haven't even made a new Christmas tree this year, but recycling our one from last year. We are usually pretty good at it, see here & here

I have however been busy finishing off lots of crafts, and working on some tutorials other people have shared online. I thought I would share a little more of my finished products like I did here, to help you if you're in need of some diy christmas present inspiration.


i made a detachable collar from a tutorial from the owls are not what they seem blog


i also made some fabric covers for our bibles loosely based on the blog moonstitches


morgan made a frame to hang our instax photos in, inspired by Talia Christine


and i made some Peppermint Seasalt Foot Scrub for some christmas gifts from Tipnut

ps. I have pinned a whole heap of great diy ideas on pinterest which could make great gifts. Check them out here, here, here, here and here.
enjoy.
-kim

christmas cheer.

These past few days of unemployment have been busy and fun. Today I baked some cookies for all my old colleagues at work. I always like to do something nice for the people I work with at Christmas.

Although we don't have much money to throw around this Christmas, I do have time, so made everyone some gingerbread cookies and dipped them in dark chocolate. We have already packed up the cookie cutters so I had to go with circles. I didn't have any little bags to put the cookies in either so I sowed up some Baking paper into little pouches and tied them up with a ribbon.






They were pretty simple to make, and just used resources I already had, but I think they turned out pretty good, and I hope that everyone who receives one feels pretty blessed.

Have a great day.
-kim

12 Days of Christmas mix! [ROUND TWO]

Last year, Morgan and I made an incredible 12 Days of Christmas mix of all our favourite classic and contemporary Christmas songs. This year we are back with round two, and it sure is a hit.

This years mix is dedicated to Cesar and we hope you like it. Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks for reading our blog.
- m&k

Download 12 Days of Christmas mix! [ROUND TWO] here


1. Sister Winter by Sufjan Stevens from the album Songs For Christmas
2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Bright Eyes from the album A Christmas Album
3. It's Christmas, I Love You by Daniel Ellsworth from the album Music City Unsigned Family Christmas
4. Silent Night by Rosie Thomas from the album A Very Rosie Christmas
5. Christmas Day by She & Him from the album A Very She & Him Christmas
6. Tracks in the Snow by The Civil Wars
7. The Christmas Song by Sleeping at Last from the album Christmas Collection 2010
8. The First Noel by Goodlife from the album Born Is The King
9. Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby from the album I Wish You a Merry Christmas
10. Baby It's Cold Outside by She & Him from the album A Very She & Him Christmas
11. White Christmas by Bright Eyes from the album A Christmas Album
12. Joy by George Winston

ps. Andrew and Carissa have also created a great Christmas mix here

merry christmas

we hope you all have had a fantastic day.
thanks for all your support as we start our blog.
x m&k

our christmas traditions

A few years ago I started a Christmas tradition with my family which has continued in the years that have followed. What we do is each member of the family writes words of encouragement or what they like about the person aka. "Kind Words". This is a great time to refocus with all the present craziness, and remind each other why we like each other. To challenge ourselves to express how we feel and think about the great people we have around us. We now try and do "Kind Words" each Christmas and on each persons birthday (but only kindness for the birthday boy or girl).

This year, because my brother and his family are heading north to spend Christmas with his wives family, we did Christmas all together a little early. I always love writing encouragement for each person in my family. This year I couldn't find morgan and my stockings, so I quickly sowed our initials onto some santa hats that got left at our house. My sister couldn't find hers either, so she used a paper bag. hee hee.
-kim


Since I've known Kim she has always enforced the rule 'Kind Words' at all major family events...mainly Christmas and Birthdays. Although we are not always in the mood it really brings the family together. Growing up my family and I never shared too many kind word, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my family for a million bucks, but once again it's nice to be apart of Kims family and share new traditions.
- morgan


so tell us.... What are your Christmas Traditions?

christmas cheer.

is there anyone yet to find their christmas cheer? this will get you in the mood...

Some friends of mine, Holly and Grace have been making a video each day in the count down of the 12 days to Christmas. This is todays... Enjoy.



You can find the first and second days here and here.

Updated:

Here is the full list of days so far..

first, second, third, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth....

12 Days of Christmas mix!

We love Christmas music. Kim has been listening to Christmas music heaps for the last couple of months as she has been planning the Christmas promotions at work.

So... today we have some of morgan and kim's favourite christmas tunes for you to download and enjoy. We hope this mix brings you so much joy and can help you get in a festive mood in the lead up to Christmas.

So here is your 12 Days of Christmas Mix...
1. Put The Lights On The Tree by Sufjan Stevens from the album Songs For Christmas
2. By The Christmas Tree by Jeff Pianki
3. Merry Christmas by Mardi Lumsden
4. I Hate Christmas Parties by Relient K from the album Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand
5. I Heard the Bells on Christmas by Johnny Cash from the album Christmas with Johnny Cash
6. Christmas Thanks for Nothing by Slow Club from the album Christmas Thanks for Nothing
7. O Come, O Come Emmanuel by The Civil Wars
8. Splitting Up Christmas by Kevin Devine from the album Make The Clocks Move
9. Christmas Lights by Coldplay
10. Amazing Grace by Sufjan Stevens from the album Songs For Christmas
11. Why Can't It Be Christmastime All Year by Rosie Thomas from the album A Very Rosie Christmas
12. I Wish You A Merry Christmas by Bing Crosby

CLICK HERE to download and enjoy

ps. There are some other great Christmas mixes on the rounds you should check out..
The gluttonous vegan loves You has a lovely gingerbread mix for download. You can also get all old school with the dead format and his very traditional Christmas playlist.
And Kyle and Jen at Our Marriage Project have a list of great itunes christmas buys.

i made: a christmas tree p2.

So this years tree.. is made from FABRIC.


It was morgans idea. We were at finders keepers markets in Brisbane a few months ago, and morgan saw a felted stuffed sowing machine. It was so cool, and he suggested this year our tree would be a fabric stuffed tree...


I didn't have any stuffing to use to stuff the tree so started again, and decided some sticks (or chop sticks) would be great to prop it up. It works so well, and we used some scrap red and white striped fabric my friend jo gave me, to make the baubles. Its pretty small, but so have all our other tree been. I also had a great time with my sister this week making paper chains to decorate the house. Its beginning to look a LOT like CHRISTMAS indeed around our place...
::kim::

I thought a big, green stuffed tree with a brown base and big yellow star would be an amazing Christmas tree this year. However every year since Kim and I have made trees together, they have never turned out as the first original thought. But this years tree is GREAT, made from chopsticks and recycled fabric, I love it. I had alot of fun making the little baubles. Kim is so talented and a whiz on the sewer.
::morgan::

i made: a christmas tree p1.

I am so excited.
It is now officially december, which means I can go Christmas CRAZY!! The wreath is on the door.. and the Christmas tree is now up!

I should start by explaining, ever since morgan and i have been together, each year we make our own Christmas trees.

The first year we were dating, we made a tree out of old phone books. I can't remember why, but my housemate at Tara had a heap of old phone books from work, so we ripped them up, and created this tree.. I looks more like a palm tree..

The next year, morgan found this crazy green wool at the craft store, and so we made a tree using that. It hung awkwardly off the smoke detector in the doorway of my room.


This year, however, our tree is much better than those in the past. This year our tree is amazing.

I love making a new tree each year. I love using scraps and creating something that represents the fun of Christmas..

So, place your bets. What do you think this years tree is made out of?
kim

i made: christmas wreath

Source image

so last week i saw a post as part of Elsie's Ticks and Treats series that got me very excited. This post was by Elise (thats a little confusing to type) who shares a dyi to make an autumn wreath. Well, it's not Autumn here in Australia, but i immediately decided I would make one for Christmas, and last weekend i did!

So i made went through my fabric box to find as much green and red fabric as i could. there wasn't much there, which made me realise how much i like blue and that i don't have many green things.

I did however realise i have heaps of recycle green bags from the grocery store, so i found an old one getting a bit tattered, and cut that up. Worked great to add some more green to the group.

So this is it, my Christmas wreath. I know its super early to be talking about Christmas, but i am so excited and was inspired so ran with it. Don't worry, i promised morgan i wouldn't put any Christmas decorations up till December 1st, so i took it down after we took a picture, hee hee. But according to the iphone app, there is only 50 sleeps till Christmas. wooo hooo..
::kim::

Second hand/ Handmade Christmas

Source besimo

I love Christmas! It is such a great time for me as I get to gather with my whole family and share joy, memories and kindness. I love giving gifts, (and receiving them) but I hate when this becomes such a big thing for people and it just turns crazy.
This year, as a family, we are going a Handmade/Second hand Christmas. This means all our gifts must be either Handmade (by us or others) or Second hand (from markets, op shops or vintage stores). I am so excited about this and the amazing fun things we will give a receive.
Morgan and I have just started planning what we will create and search for to give to our family and close friends. Hopefully I will be able to share some of it here. I love this so much, conspiring together how we can spoil our friends and make them feel great
::kim::

Source wildolive

Ok, so I hate Christmas....I know you you should not say the word hate, but really growing up christmas was such a weird thing. My mum and dad separated when I was 3, leaving christmas an un-family time. Until my dad remarried and I adopted a very a Australian step family (considering my parents are French). But I never liked christmas because there was always this pressure to see who gave the best gift and just a lot of wasted money on pointless gifts we will not use. Of course in time I became a Christian which now forces me to love Christmas as the celebration of the birth of Jesus. But I was still torn. Kim is like the number 2 fan of christmas (right after santa), she has helped me to get that it's about thankfulness and togetherness, and NOW we get to do a second-hand/handmade christmas......which is what I'm all about. So I'm sure in time...i might grow to at least like christmas.
::morgan::

Christmas time!

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I work as a chaplain at two primary schools. I have just sent away 58 shoe boxes filled with with toys, teddy's, toothbrushes, soap, clothes and school supplies. At one school of 200 students we were able to send these 58 boxes to countries going through war, poverty or natural disasters. This is part of a project called Operation Christmas Child by Samaritans Purse. If you don't know who they are, check them out and maybe even make a shoebox next christmas. I was so blown away by how generous my little school was, it brought kids, staff and families together to think about someone else and get that generous spirit of Christmas flowing through the air in October.
::morgan::

I am so proud of my Husband. He has done an amazing job at inspiring his school to participate and think outside their community and has just dropped off 58 shoe-boxes of goodies for Operation Christmas Child. This little school has blown me away, and I'm sure it was because of the fantastic work of my Husband. Shucks he is amazing!!
::kim::