Ready to ship

This is a blatant and shameless piece of self promotion, so if you are not into children's clothing but love cats, perhaps you may wish to skip to the bottom of this post.

 At this time of the year, life becomes a little hectic for us all and here at Hot Fudge headquarters the activity has cranked up to breakneck speed.  My work load means that there is a delay of between 1 and 2 weeks on orders to be made up, but take heart - there are alternatives.

I have many items of clothing waiting to find new homes and to make it all the easier for you, I have created a Ready to Ship section in my Etsy shop.  So make yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and relax as you choose a  Christmas outfit for your little princess in the comfort of your home.  Here are a few dresses ready to ship off to you today:

Cape Cod, size 3

Christmas Holiday Party Dress, size 6

Christmas Party Dress, size 8

  

Party Bow Dress, size 3

Back bow detail

Salmon Pink Wrens, size 7

Strawberry Pink Tea Party, size 6 months

Summer Tree, size 5

Back bow detail

This is a small selection of what is available in my shop.  Do drop by and see what else is available.  Remember, Christmas is only a few short weeks away.

And now something for you patient cat lovers.  Have you ever thought of buying your much loved feline a Christmas gift?  How about its very own cat carrier?

Happy shopping!

It's snowing in Sydney

Hard as it is to believe, it did snow in Sydney yesterday, a week before the beginning of summer.  And we were fortunate enough to be in the city to witness it.

I guess we're a couple of big kids, but we love visiting the city at this time of the year, when the excitement and anticipation of the Christmas season is starting to stir in earnest.

The window displays are so colourful and joyous.

 And you don't have to be a child to appreciate it all.

 

Tradition has it that we always visit the David Jones Food Hall to admire the goodies from lands near and far.

Particularly if Italy comes into the equation.

And then there's the traditional gagging at the price of their produce.  Does anyone pay these prices?

Our last port of call was to the Queen Victoria Building, a mecca for all children, young and old.

Here are the most tempting shops spread over several levels.

A word of advice.  If you plan on visiting this toy store, leave the children at home because they will only spoil your fun.

In fact, you will be doing them a favour.  I mean, what child wants to be embarrassed witnessing their parents (let alone grandparents) squealing with delight at every turn?  Not the Fudge kids, that's for sure.

We never cease to wonder at the size of the Christmas tree, which starts at ground level and soars through the centre of the building, finishing under the dome.

So where does the snow come into the story?  Here at the Christmas Tree.  Right on the hour, as we gazed up into the dome, snow flakes suddenly appeared.

It only lasted a few minutes, but it was such a delightful sight.

This little fellow was mermerised.

Even Santa thought it was pretty cool.

Ah, what fun.  I hope we never grow up.

Now that the birthday is behind us, bring on Christmas

Last Sunday the Fudge Clan celebrated our first born's birthday in style.  Three generations, spouses and an uncle gathered for brunch at our favourite restaurant in Centennial Park.

How satisfying it is to see the handmade gene passing down to the youngest family members.  Our seven year-old granddaughter provided her own birthday card for her aunt ...

... and Birthday Girl was equally delighted with the hand-knitted scarf in Spring colours, hot off her sister's knitting needles.

Now that the birthday is behind us, I can at last talk of Christmas.  Usually around the first week of November our middle child (who also answers to The Organiser), sends out the first Christmas Wish List email.  Tradition has it that her sister immediately sends out a response complaining that the Birthday Wish List surely should come before the Christmas Wish List.

A respectful distance has been observed since the birthday, and I can now officially slip into Christmas mode.  Mind you, with strong orders for Christmas dresses and garlands in my Etsy and MadeIt shops, the mode is well and truly worn in.

I've just shipped off the last custom order of clothing, so now it's back to the assembly line for the Christmas Tree garlands.  With a bit of luck I will have caught up with the orders by this time next week and then I can plan the Christmas pudding and cake.  And there lies another tradition.  My late mother's cake and pudding recipes are legendary and she would be thrilled to know that they are now being used by her granddaughter, and in time no doubt by her great-granddaughters.

Back to last Sunday, where Centennial Park never ceases to surprise and delight us with the lovable and sometimes the downright quirky.  This family of pugs (what do you call a group of dogs?  Pride? Herd? Mob? Gang?) comes under the lovable banner.  They were anxiously waiting outside the restaurant, hoping their owners would bring them something tasty for being so good.

And here is the quirky - the pigeon's contribution only added to the quirkiness.

The title, We Won, intrigued us all.  What was this Rugby player from the late 1800s wearing on his head?  Dog turd was the most popular response.  The children loved that idea, but was quickly dismissed.

And what were these cherubs up to?

No matter, it was a fine monument and one that caught the imagination of the children.  Curiosity got the better of me and I did find the explanation here.  Ah, an artist from the past with a delightful sense of the absurd.  Thank you sculptor Tomaso Sani for completing our perfect day.

November celebration

November is a particularly happy month for us, as this is the month that our first-born arrived to show us what had been missing from our lives up to that point.  On Saturday the Sydney clan will gather at our favourite restaurant in the park to celebrate the occasion.  This song came out when our three children were babies, and it never fails to bring such nostalgic memories of the Seventies when we were all so young.  Happy birthday Maz.

Rush

Every year since I was quite young I have made the same promise to myself as Christmas rushes towards us at an alarming clip.  Each year I promise that next year I will be fully prepared.  By the first week of December the Christmas shopping will be completed (the shopping list having been organised a month earlier), the cake and pudding will be sitting smugly in the pantry, Christmas cards will be well on their way, the tree and decorations will astound our visitors with their beauty, and I will be calm.  Right.

Then reality steps in.  This year by late October the Christmas dress orders started to dribble in, and by mid November I predict it will become a little scary.  One woman, one machine, so many dresses.

Yesterday I mailed off a custom order to a sweet young mother who requested a dress for her young daughter and co-ordinating outfit for her as yet to be born baby daughter.

A few days ago I was thrilled to receive the most beautiful images from Boutique Baby Photography and immediately added the dress to my Etsy and MadeIt stores.

Within two days I had several orders to fill and it looks as though it will sell out very quickly.

Not that I'm complaining!

Last week when I stepped onto the balcony off my sewing studio for a breath of fresh air and to clear the cobwebs from my frazzled brain, I noticed something new.

There it was - the first jacaranda sighting of the season.  The city is now dusted in mauve, as the jacarandas take the signal from each other that it's their time to shine.  Ah ... bliss.  

And now back to those orders.  Perhaps December next year my plan will eventuate.  As for this year, we Fudge Seniors will be seen rushing wild-eyed through the department stores at the last minute, grabbing whatever is left which might be in the least bit suitable as Christmas gifts. The cards will be posted possibly by 20 December, the tree and decorations will be flung around the apartment by 22 December, and the cake and pudding will be ready by Christmas morning.  Maybe.