Christmas Presents!

I have waited a shamefully long time to post this, but better late than never, and I would like to share some of the wonderful gifts I received for Christmas (the Sylvanian ones, that is!)

The very first gift I got for Christmas was this special parcel from one of the members of the Sylvanian Families collectors forum, HThistlethorn.  She was my partner in an organised Christmas gift exchange that some of us do each year.  Look what she sent!

So many sweet little cross-stitched works of art!

She put an incredible amount of work into these, and many little families have been very excited to receive beautiful rugs, wall hangings and table mats to grace their homes.  

My next surprise was from Jackson Butterglove, another forum member, as part of our annual Christmas card exchange.  With my card, Jackson sent a tiny book of real sheet music - songs from the musical two of his critters wrote (this was part of a series of his stories).  He included a note saying that the little book was a gift for Hugh Grunt, who as you may remember is very keen on musicals!  Here he is, showing off his new prized possession:

On Christmas Day, there were more gifts!  I was very excited to receive a family of giraffes from my Dad and his wife - I was very much hoping for these!  They also gave me a cute storybook.  :)

I also waited for Christmas Day to open an amazing package from my forum friend Terra.  She sent me a family of sloths, which is wonderful as we do not get the sloth family in Australia.  They have such cute little friendly faces!  There was also a special Park baby (which are sold in the Sylvanian Families theme park in Japan) - she very fittingly chose a grey rabbit baby for me  :)  But perhaps most exciting of all were the family of Yule Rabbits!  These rabbits are green-accented Christmas customs that Terra made herself using spare Chocolate Rabbit figures.  She sent them naked, as she knows I like making clothes for my figures.  They are very very special, and I will have to put my best crafting brain on to come up with some fitting outfits for them!

Not to be outdone, my daughter Caitlyn Hazelnut presented me with the most beautiful dress and bonnet she had made herself:

Here it is being modelled by a Chocolate Rabbit Town girl - doesn't she look special?

Clearly I will have to get to work on my (much-neglected) next instalment of Sylvanian Pride & Prejudice!

And finally, just last week my holiday card from another forum member, Florence, made it here.  In it, she had included the most beautiful tiny handmade shawl...

I am just in AWE of the work in this.  It's amazing.  Here it is being modelled by Madison Hamilton, although I'm not sure yet which critter will get to keep it...

So many talented people on the Sylvanian forum!

I feel very humbled to have received such beautiful gifts from so many lovely people!  Thank you all very very much.  I look forward to many more years of sharing this delightful hobby with you all.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Hugh's Hamilton Holiday

Hugh Grunt adores the theatre - reading plays, watching plays, even acting in them himself!  His teachers say he has some talent in this area, and he is almost always chosen as the lead in the school musical.

So when his mother, Constance Grunt, found out that a very famous musical would be playing soon, she really felt that seeing it would be a valuable experience for her son.  Of course, there were problems with the plan:  the musical was not being shown in Macadamia Grove - they would have to travel a long way to see it.  The triplets, she felt, were too young for the play, and would not cope with a long journey.  Also, there was no way the whole family could leave the farm for so long anyway - there were just too many things to do, and the crops would suffer.

When she raised the idea with her husband, he thought carefully for a moment, and then said, "I don't see that it is a big problem.  Why don't you just take Hugh yourself?  And Olivia too, if she is interested?  I can hold the fort for a week or so, and I'm sure Sacharissa will help with the triplets if necessary."  Sacharissa Pennypress was a good friend of Constance's, and was well up to the task of taming the energetic triplets.

When the children were asked, Hugh was as excited as could be imagined, but Olivia was reluctant.  

"I would really rather stay here and help Dad with the farm," she said.

And so it was decided.  One bright early morning, Constance and Hugh set off on their holiday adventure!  Neither of them had ever been in an aeroplane before...

"Whoa, look Mum, we're above the clouds!"  Hugh said, awestruck.

When they reached their destination, they checked into a hotel, and then ventured out to explore.  The city was large and very busy, and they felt quite overwhelmed at first.  It wasn't long before they started to find their feet though.  Hugh bounced along excitedly, pointing out landmarks and theatres.  Constance smiled - it was nice to see him so happy, and actually she found she was quite enjoying this break from the normal routine too!  There were a great many interesting shops in the city, and Constance took the opportunity to purchase some gifts for her family and friends.

"Hmm.. Perhaps I shall buy a pot as a thankyou for Sacharissa..."

"But oh dear... which one??"

However, they were still country Sylvanians at heart, and they both agreed that one of their favourite places in this big city was the large, beautiful Botanical Gardens.

They spent many happy hours exploring these gardens over the course of their stay - it was a perfect place to picnic, to examine all the different types of plants and trees, or just to stroll and recharge their batteries before more sightseeing.

Of course, the main event of their trip was the musical!  Hugh was so excited he could hardly hold still while his mother tied his bow tie.  She had also bought herself a fine hat for the event.  At last, they arrived at the theatre!

As the curtain rose, mother and son grinned at each other, and settled in to watch.

Afterward, they both agreed it had been wonderful, but couldn't decide which part they had liked best.  Hugh wanted a photo as a keepsake, and another theatre-goer kindly took it for them.

"Do you think I could play Hamilton one day, Mum?"  Hugh asked.  "If I work as hard as he did?"

"I'm sure you could, dear," his mother smiled proudly at him.

The next day was the end of their trip.  As they boarded the bus to take them back to the airport, Hugh said, "Mum?  Thank you for bringing me.  This was the best holiday ever."

"You're welcome, dear," Constance answered, and gave him a hug.  She knew this was a trip they would both remember always.

Giant Pumpkin!

This is a bit of a flashback to Autumn in Macadamia Grove - the village put on a small harvest festival, showcasing fresh produce and other locally-grown items.  It was mostly arranged by the Grunt family, as most of the fruit and vegetables produced in Macadamia Grove are from their farm, but there were also a few stalls featuring handicrafts, baked goods, etc by other residents of the village.

Mr Grunt was extremely proud to unveil his prize butternut pumpkin!  

This giant was grown especially for the festival, and Mr Grunt lavished a great deal of attention on it as it grew.  The local children could not believe their eyes at the size of it, and were eager to write down their guesses in the hopes of winning a prize!  

The pumpkin was even featured in a newspaper article, advertising the festival.  Mr Applewood, the Macadamia Times photographer, had stopped by the day before.  He took a photo when Mr Grunt had just set things up.

A good time was had by all at the little festival, and the Grunt children felt very important having their dad pictured on the front page of the local newspaper!

****************************************************************************

I couldn't resist taking this picture back in Autumn.  My aunty grows pumpkins in her back yard, and had asked me if I wanted one.  I said yes, so as a joke she presented me with this tiny butternut she had grown - yes, it is a real pumpkin!  It was so cute, I just knew I had to incorporate it in a Sylvanian picture.  So the photo was taken around the end of May, but I decided to hold onto it for a while, as I figured there would be a pumpkin-related craft challenge on the Sylvanian Families forum at around this time of year.  Well, it isn't a pumpkin-related theme exactly, but it is an "Autumn Colours" theme.  I know people will probably expect a lot more orange and red, but honestly where I live, the colours in Autumn aren't much different from the colours at any other time of year (most of our trees are not deciduous).  So I have decided my pumpkin photo qualifies!

The Grunt Family's Fruit Stand

The Grunt family owns and operates a large farm on the edge of Macadamia Grove.  Their main crops are apples, corn and macadamia nuts, however Mrs Grunt and her daughter Olivia are interested in growing other fruits as well.  The farm's produce can be found for sale in the local Supermarket, and other local restaurants and food businesses also use their produce.  

Inevitably though, there is always some beautiful fresh produce left over, and it was Olivia's idea that it would be a good idea to run a fruit stand outside their house on the weekends.  Her father agreed to build it, but decided a wagon would be a better design, so that it could be moved around easily if they ever wanted to sell at a local fair or similar.

Last weekend, the Fruit Wagon opened for business.  Olivia was very excited.  She hoped to be in charge of this little weekend business eventually, but her father felt he should be in charge this first time.  

"When you have learned enough to be in charge, you and Hugh can run the stand yourselves, and keep the profits from it," he said.  "But first you will need to learn the ropes.  You will have to learn to weigh the fruit, work out the prices, and deal carefully with the money.  But most importantly, you will need to learn to look after your customers."

Hugh was also quite interested in the fruit stand idea (mostly as he liked the idea of having more pocket money), and he cheerfully did his part to help set up.  He had always been less enthusiastic about farm work than his sister though, and Olivia noticed he had brought a book outside with him.  She wondered how much help he would be in the long term.  She had to admit that he had done a lovely job of the sign, although she did wonder why he had drawn bananas.  

"We don't grow bananas," she pointed out.

"Yes, but I am good at drawing bananas," Hugh answered.  "Anyway, does it matter?"

"I suppose not."  Olivia rolled her eyes and gave up.  The sign did look nice.

They had just finished getting everything in place, when Olivia spotted some potential customers.  Elinor Fletcher was out for a walk with her daughter Merida and the little twins.  Olivia waved.   Mrs Fletcher looked interested and trotted over.

Soon Corrie Dale arrived too, and had questions about about some pears.

"Are they very sweet?"  she wondered.

"Oh yes Mrs Dale, and they are perfectly ripe.  Just picked this morning," Olivia replied. 

"Well, I shall have some then," smiled Corrie, hoping the pears might satisfy her daughter's sweet tooth.

Meanwhile, Mr Grunt was explaining about corn to Mrs Fletcher.

"You must eat it while it is very fresh," he said.  "Then it is the tastiest vegetable you could wish for."

Merida Fletcher wasn't particularly interested in corn, and had instead concentrated on choosing herself a snack.

"Mum, can I have an orange please?"

All in all, it was a successful day.  The Grunts had many customers on their very first day, and Olivia just knew it was going to be a success.  Suddenly, she wondered where her brother had got to...

It appears the lure of his favourite book had proved too much for Hugh, and during a quiet spell he had snuck off to have a bit of a read...

Olivia hoped he would be more help in future.  Otherwise, she thought, they might have to rethink how the profits were shared out...

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!

Wilbur's Impromptu Shower...

Today, Henrietta Wendy Grunt engaged in a spot of uncharacteristic naughtiness...

Hamlet, it must be said, thought this very funny, and was rather impressed with his sister.  Wilbur on the other hand went roaring to his mother, and was shocked to find that she looked quite amused, too!

"Oh well dear, I expect you probably needed a shower anyway," she said, trying to suppress a giggle.

In truth, Constance was secretly rather pleased that HenWen had got her own back for once - usually it was the two boys who played tricks on her!


I hope everyone is able to find something to smile (or giggle!) at - smiles are good for you!  :o)

Pig Family Update

Meet the Grunt pig family!

I have finally got around to making my mother pig a dress (I got my pigs second hand, and the mum was dressed in some overalls that she didn't like much), and also writing their bios!

In Macadamia Grove, the Grunt family are farmers, and work very hard to ensure the village is supplied with delicious fruits and vegetables, as well as our signature crop:  macadamia nuts!

You can read more about the Grunt family on my Meet The Families page.  They are very pleased to meet you!

Birthday Presents!

Wow, what with Christmas, my daughter's birthday, and my recent birthday, Macadamia Grove has grown enormously over the past few months!

Thank you to all my lovely family and friends who helped celebrate my birthday this year - I had a great time, plus I was very spoilt!  I received some wonderful Sylvanian Families related gifts that I would like to show you:

Macadamia Grove is excited to welcome the Woolly Alpaca family, and the Grunt Pig family!!  I am very pleased to have received two sets of the alpacas, as I want to make the extra set of parents into custom grandparents, and the extra girl into a brother (what is with the lack of boys in the new Sylvanian Families sets??)

The Grunts were bought second hand (they are a retired family), so I feel very lucky to have got the rare triplets as well! Constance seems to have abandoned her dress for a random pair of green overalls, and I'm not sure they are really her, so Caitlyn is in the middle of making her a dress (this will be part of my Mothers Day present).  No doubt the green overalls will be appreciated by someone else in the village!

Monsieur & Madame Chocolat (aka the Chocolate Rabbit grandparents) will be residing in Town - I am very excited to have them, as I have Plans, especially for the grandfather and his marvellous moustaches...  stay tuned...

The Japanese furniture sets were a lovely surprise from some family members who visited Japan earlier this year.  The lounge room set is awesome, as the fabric on the seats can be easily changed, making this set a very easily personalised one.

And last but not least, a beautiful home-made dress from Caitlyn - here is a picture of the alpaca girl modelling it (although it is actually destined to belong to Sarah Patches).

I will be updating my Meet The Families page to include all the new arrivals soon, but I want to make clothes for some of them first.  There are also big changes afoot for our permanent display setup, so stay tuned - it's all very exciting!