Merry Christmas Everyone!

The gifts are wrapped, the sleigh is packed, and the Northern Mouse is on his way!  

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

from GreyRabbit, Caitlyn Hazelnut, and all the critters in Macadamia Grove & surrounds!

Elementary, my deer...

One of the recent Creative Challenge prompts on the Sylvanian Families Forum was "Sylvanian Eras - Victorian".  Well, we couldn't pass that up, could we?

We thought it would be fun to recreate a Victorian-era literary character in Sylvanian form - but which one??  It was Caitlyn Hazelnut who thought of Sherlock Holmes, and with that, the game was afoot...

After much examination of all our Sylvanians, Mr Buckley was chosen as the best fit for this character, which Husband found intensely amusing, given the name of the famous detective's iconic hat...

I made Sherlock's pants, waistcoat, Inverness travelling cloak, and deerstalker hat (the white shirt is Mr Buckley's own), as well as the magnifying glass.  The rest of the accessories were already owned by various Sylvanians, and just had to be borrowed for use here.

Also thank you to my Dad and his wife, who gave me the beautiful edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes that our Sylvanian Sherlock is standing on!  I couldn't have wished for a better setting for this photo (and incidentally it's rather a good read, too...)  :)

Pippa's Big Idea

When the Patches family moved to Macadamia Grove, Pippa Patches was a little surprised to find that the village did not have a library.  An avid reader herself, she thought it a pity that the villagers did not have the opportunity to borrow books.

As time passed, and the family settled in, the thought came to Pippa that perhaps she could do something about it herself.  After talking the matter over with her husband, her mind was made up.  The next day, on the pretext of collecting Zac from school, she stopped to chat to the headmaster, Mr Buckley.  He was a member of the Village Council, and invited her to put her idea to the Council at their next meeting.

When the day came, Pippa was quite nervous, but she was greeted courteously by the members of the Council (most of whom she knew by now anyway), and took the seat that the chairman, Edward Babblebrook, offered her.

Pippa spoke intelligently about the importance of reading, and about how a library could be a valuable part of the community, and the Council members listened carefully.

"Well I for one agree that it would be a lovely idea," said Amber Hazelnut, "but where would the library be?  And who would run it?"

"Somewhere central would be best," Mr Buckley put in.  "From my point of view, it would be excellent if it was close to the school.  We do have a number of books that the students can take home to read, but a wider selection would be great for them - and for their learning."

"I may have a suggestion," said Brooke Rivertail.  "If we are to go ahead with this idea, there is still a building in the village square that noone has opened a shop in as yet.  The Council could claim it, and employ someone to run it.  It's only small, but it might do."

"As for who is to run the library, I for one would be very happy to volunteer some of my time," said Pippa.  "I think some of the other villagers might, too.  My husband and I have also collected some encyclopedias and other books that we would be pleased to donate, if you like."

In the end, it was settled.  The Council voted unanimously to forge ahead with the library plan.  The Council would own the building, and agreed to finance the purchase of books for the library.  The day-to-day running was to be done by a team of volunteers, headed by Pippa herself.

After that, things moved quickly.  Brooke Rivertail had asked her husband to supply shelves for the library.  He arrived early one morning with Hawthorne Prickles, and began installing them.

"Phew, this is heavy work!"

Next, the books began to arrive.  First, the encyclopedias and books from other lands that the Patches had donated, then the books ordered by the Council, which came in several deliveries by post.  Pippa took charge of them all, and was soon happily stocking the shelves.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and someone poked their head in.  Pippa was thrilled to see who had stopped by - it was Ariane Woolly!

Ariane was something of a local celebrity, as she was a very popular children's author.  Pippa's daughter Sarah, like many Sylvanian children, had spent many happy hours reading her books.  Pippa hadn't met Ariane properly yet, and felt a little star-struck!

"Hello," said Ariane.  "It's Pippa, isn't it?  I do hope I'm not interrupting, but I heard about the library, and I think it is a wonderful idea.  I wanted to stop by and donate some of my books.  Just a couple today I'm afraid, as I had a few extras of this one already, but I have asked my publisher to send copies of all of them to you, and one of my husband's book too.  I do hope that wasn't too presumptuous of me!" she added, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh no, it's wonderful!  Thank you so much!" cried Pippa.  "The Council has been very generous, and have ordered what books they could, but we can always do with more.  It's very sweet of you."

"No problem at all," Ariane smiled.  "Now I must rush off I'm afraid - I've left the twins with Angel, and I'm really a bit concerned that they might be a bit much for him to deal with if I'm away for too long!"

Pippa was pleased to find that there was great enthusiasm among the other villagers for the library too, and several had put their hands up to help her run it.  Willow Thistlethorn was one of the first to volunteer, and her eldest daughter, Celeste, insisted on joining her to help set things up.

"Look Mum, it's Goodnight Honeybee!  This was Ash's favourite when he was little!"

After the Thistlethorns had left, and Pippa was just about to head home for the day, Edward Babblebrook stopped by to check on progress.

"I must say it's all starting to look good, Pippa!" he said cheerfully.  "There's quite a few empty shelves though," he added, looking around.  "I'm sorry we couldn't buy more just now, but books are quite expensive, as you know, and it's all the Council could spare at the moment."

"Oh that's quite alright," Pippa said with a smile.  "This is a very nice start, and the Woollys have offered some of their books too.  It will probably take people a little while to get into the swing of borrowing from the library anyway.  Perhaps we might have a fundraiser or two later on, to pay for some new books?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Edward agreed.  "Have you found anyone to help you run things as yet?  Isabella has a knack for ferreting out volunteers, if you need her to help."

Pippa laughed.  "Oh, that's quite alright.  A few people have volunteered already - I have made up a list for you - and I shall put a sign up on opening day if we still need more.  Really though, everyone has been very kind already - it has all happened more quickly than I expected!"

"Yes, the people here are generally pretty helpful, aren't they?  That's good to hear," Edward said, pleased.  He was very proud of Macadamia Grove, and relieved that even as the little village had grown larger and busier, still it had not lost any of its friendliness, and sense of community.  Not for the first time, he found himself reflecting that he wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

Back To School

Some weeks ago, the Sylvanian Families Forum moderators announced a special "Back To School" themed challenge.  For this challenge, we were tasked with featuring a Treefellow owl in a back-to-school themed story, with a maximum of four photographs.  I can tell you it was VERY hard narrowing it down to just four pictures!  Here is my entry - I hope you enjoy it!

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Sarah Patches was going back to school.

She had been looking forward to this day, ever since her family had decided to stop their travelling lifestyle and settle down in Macadamia Grove.  Her younger brother had never been to school before, as they had both been homeschooled on their travels.  Sarah, however, remembered her first year or two of primary school quite fondly, and had been so excited when she received her letter of acceptance to Bottlebrush Academy.  She had read all the booklets the school had sent – twice – and her schoolbag had been packed for weeks.  Now, she was finally – finally! – walking with her mother up the path to Bottlebrush Academy – and suddenly she felt shy and a little panicky.  She hadn’t been to a real school in a long time, and never to high school.  What if she didn’t fit in here?  What if the work was too hard for her?  What if she didn’t make any friends?

Just then, her mother squeezed her paw, and smiled at her. 

“Don’t worry sweetheart, you’ll be just fine.  You know, it’s lots of other kids’ first day here, too – you won’t be the only nervous one.”

Sarah nodded, took a deep breath, and followed the stream of students toward the front doors.

As it was Sarah’s first year, she was expected to come with a parent to meet the Headmistress, Miss Treefellow, in her office.

“Well now, whooo have we here?” said Miss Treefellow, as they entered.  “Ah, Miss Patches.  Dooo sit down.  I am Arabella Treefellow, Mrs Patches, how do you dooo?”

Sarah had been rather dreading this interview, but to her surprise she found that Miss Treefellow was actually very nice.  She commanded respect, certainly, and her manner was very proper, but she spoke kindly to Sarah, and there was a sparkle in her eye that showed when she spoke about her school and its students.  Clearly Miss Treefellow loved her job, and was very good at it.

“I see that you are a very well-travelled young lady, Miss Patches.  I must say your work samples are quite impressive for your age.  Someone has taught you well thus far,” Miss Treefellow said, inclining her head to Sarah’s mother.

“Sarah tries very hard at her school work,” said Mrs Patches. 

“Lovely to hear,” said Miss Treefellow.  “May I ask what subjects you like most?”

“I like languages, Miss Treefellow,” Sarah replied, “but my favourite subject is history.”

Miss Treefellow looked pleased. 

“Well,” she said, “I shall look forward to seeing you later this morning in my French lesson, but for now, we shall join the other first-years for a quick tour before the welcome-to-school concert – unless you had any questions, Mrs Patches?”

Mrs Patches hadn’t, so they all went out into the corridor where the other first-years were waiting with their parents. 

Mrs Treefellow was very proud of her school, and it showed as she led them all on a tour around some of the building and grounds.  They saw the large sports oval, and the tennis court, and a pleasant grassed area where, according to Miss Treefellow, many children chose to eat their lunches, or spend free time.

Next she took them back inside, and they climbed the stairs all the way up to the cafeteria on the top floor.

“There is another outdoor recreation area just up those stairs, on the roof – it is quite safe, all fenced of course – that is another popular place at lunch times,” said Miss Treefellow.  “The cafeteria is where you will come to buy your lunch if you have not brought it from home, and if you peek across the benches, you can also see the kitchen area.  That is where the lunches are prepared, as well as being the classroom for your weekly cooking class – here at Bottlebrush Academy we believe every student should learn independence, and the cooking class is part of this.”  Several of the parents looked quite impressed at this.  Sarah looked at the kitchen with interest, as she knew that this was her Aunty Dorothy’s domain.  It was empty at the moment though – Aunty Dorothy was also the school’s House Mother, and was probably helping the boarding students to settle in for the term.

Next, Miss Treefellow showed them a large classroom with desks and a blackboard, as well as an open-plan one that was used for music, dance and drama classes.  It was also the venue for school assemblies, and was currently filling up with older students.  Sarah could hear the sound of musical intruments being tuned.  Finally, it was time to say goodbye to their parents.  Sarah gave her mum a big hug.  Miss Treefellow then invited the parents to sit at the back of the room, where chairs had been set out for them.  She showed the first-years where to sit too, and then took her place at the front of the room.  The students quietened down immediately.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you all – parents, teachers, and students alike – to Bottlebrush Academy.  I wish all our students a happy, productive year of learning.  I hope that you will work hard, but also enjoy your time here at school.  Without further ado, I would like to introduce our talented music students, led ably by Mr McWalkies, to perform the school song.”

Later, as Sarah settled in to her first class, the chihuahua girl she had been placed next to gave her a shy smile, and said “Hello, I’m Lillie.  What’s your name?”

“Sarah,” said Sarah.  “Is it your first day too?  I don’t know many people here yet.”

“Me neither,” said Lillie.  “I live at the Seaside, and the only other kids from there who come to this school are in the senior class.  I don’t know anyone in this class.”

“Well, now you know me,” Sarah said, with a smile.  “Shall we sit together at lunch?”

“That would be awesome!” Lillie replied.

The work wasn’t a problem either – nearly all the first-years were beginners in Miss Treefellow’s French class, and even among the second-years there seemed to be different levels of ability in the subject, so Sarah didn’t feel out of place at all.  She began to relax a little, and then to become excited again about all there was to learn!  It looked as though coming back to school was going to be just as wonderful as she had hoped!

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The transformation of Caitlyn's Grand Hotel building into a high school / boarding school has been a project we always intended, but have never quite got around to.  We had beds in the dormitories, and Caitlyn had her School Music set installed in the building, but we had never quite got around to fitting out the classrooms and other rooms.  The "Back To School" challenge was the perfect excuse to get it done!  Caitlyn had already decided which rooms of the building would be which.  I built the blackboard, the cupboard under it, and the blue desks.  I made special school uniforms for the music students (the other students will have different uniforms, but Bottlebrush Academy has a free dress day on the first day of term).  I also made the textbooks & exercise books (which Caitlyn helped with), the paints, paintbrushes, chalk and glue sticks.  Caitlyn also kindly allowed me free rein to include some of her Sylvanians in the scenes - especially Miss Arabella Treefellow!

I had a lot of fun crafting for this challenge, and setting the photos up - it has been a while since I did a biggish story with our Sylvanians!  Being part of the forum is great for getting inspiration, and for connecting with a lot of other people who appreciate these little critters and the fun we have with them!

The Perfect Christmas Party (Part One)

Okay, so the Advent Calendar thing got away from me a little at the end there - we have been very busy, what with four Christmas parties to attend in three days, and two of them being at our house!  I hope this story will make up for my absence - and fill in the gaps of what our Sylvanians were up to in that last week before Christmas!  This is a collaboration, so many of the creatures pictured here are my daughter Caitlyn's.  She has written the second half of the story on her blog, Sylvanian Stories.

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'Twas the week before Christmas...  and everyone in Macadamia Grove was looking forward to the big village Christmas party!

Every year in Macadamia Grove, the whole village is invited to one big celebration on Christmas Day.  Each family takes a turn hosting the big event.  Some families (generally those with smaller cottages) choose to host the event in a park or by the river;  others hold it in their own home.  This year, it was the Trunk family's turn, so of course the event would be held at the Courtyard Restaurant.

Savannah was very excited and proud to have a chance to host Christmas in their beautiful restaurant.  It was the perfect venue, with the large grassy area outside, the huge old tree with the "special functions" dining platform, and of course the restaurant itself.  Savannah had planned the perfect menu too, and the whole family had had some input into what decorations they would have.  Savannah just knew this was going to be the best Christmas party ever - it was going to be perfect!

Many other people in the village were excited about the venue for this year's party too, and were very interested to see what delicious food Savannah would be preparing!

By the 18th of December, preparations were in full swing.  Hugo had placed orders for everything they would need from the Supermarket.  Most of the decorations were waiting to be put up.  Hugo had also arranged one or two extra surprises without the children's knowledge, and he went to see Mr Rivertail to check on progress.

"Don't worry Hugo,"  Murray said cheerfully, "It will delivered safe and sound the day before Christmas!"

On the 19th of December, Edward Babblebrook arrived at the Courtyard Restaurant to see how things were going.  As the Chairman of the Macadamia Grove governing committee, it was his responsibility to make sure the host family was managing okay with all the preparations, and to see if they needed any help.  He was very impressed with how organised the Trunks were.

"Is there anything I can do while I'm here?"  he asked.
"Well actually, you could give us a hand putting the lights up if you don't mind,"  said Hugo.  "Brooke Rivertail will be here soon to help too - she is bringing a ladder."
"Sure, no worries!" said Edward.

In due course, Brooke arrived, and the three worked together to hang the lights all around the front of the restaurant, and in the big tree.  Brooke had an excellent eye for where the lights would look best.

On the 20th of December, the Buckley family played host to a large group of village children.  This was Nellie Trunk's idea.  She had had so much fun making paper snowflakes with her brothers and sister that she thought it would be lovely to display their efforts at the Christmas party.  Her brother Ivor had said, "But we won't have nearly enough!", but Nellie knew just how to fix that, and had gone to see Mrs Buckley.

With school finished for the year, Mr and Mrs Buckley had a bit of time to spare, and were glad to help out.
"Now children,"  said Anna, "After you have finished folding, take your scissors, and..."

Maisie Honeycrackle leaned over to Misty Rivertail.  "It's just like being at school!" she whispered.
"But more fun!" Misty whispered back.

On the 21st of December, Christopher Appleblossom started on a new gingerbread house, specially created for the party.

He wanted to make sure he got it done before he needed to concentrate on all his cranberry macadamia nut bread orders...

On the 22nd of December, Mr Whiskers and his daughter Pearl brought the Supermarket order to the Courtyard Restaurant.  Hugo was amazed at the large number of Christmas Crackers Savannah had ordered.

"Well there needs to be one for everyone, dear!" she pointed out.

On the 23rd of December, it was time for Savannah to start making some of the food for the party.  She decided to start with dessert.  Meanwhile, she set Ivor to work in the garden, picking vegetables to be roasted tomorrow.

On the 24th of December, Savannah got up very early, as she had a busy day ahead!  All the mixing, chilling and freezing was done - all that remained was to fire up the oven and get baking!  Savannah turned the oven on, humming, and walked around doing a last check on things while she waited for it to heat up.  Everything was looking perfect!

But just as she got back to the kitchen, disaster struck!  A plume of smoke drifted up from the oven, accompanied by a nasty crackling sound!

"Oh no, oh no!" cried Savannah.
"What's wrong, Mum?" Ivor exclaimed, running downstairs.
"My oven is broken - how will I finish this cake now?  Let alone all the roasts I need to cook!"  Savannah wept.
"Well can't you ring Mr Prickles?"  asked Ivor sensibly.  Mr Prickles was the local handyman, whom everyone tended to call on when something needed fixing.
"He's away, the whole family have gone to spend Christmas at the Seaside," Savannah groaned.  "Oh, what am I going to do?  Our perfect Christmas party is ruined...!"

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Oh no - will the Trunk family be able to pull their Christmas party together, even with no food?!
Head over to Sylvanian Stories now for the thrilling conclusion...