DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

     Australia Day (previously known as Anniversary Day, Foundations Day and ANA Day) is the official national day of Australia.  Celebrated annually on January 26th, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.  The hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamations of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland.    Australia Day is an official public holiday in every state and territory of Australia, and is marked by the Order of Australia and Australian of the Year awards, along with an address from the Prim Minister.    Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on January 26th date back to 1808, with Governor Lachland Macquarie having held the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales in 1818.  In 2004, an estimated 7.5 million people attended Australia Day celebrations and functions across the country.      The dat

One of my favorite books as a child was a Little Golden Book version of the classic story,  The Elves and the Shoemaker.  I forced my mother to read it over and over until the binding split. What I loved the most, and wanted for my very own, were the curly-toed boots the little elves wore. These stockings are modeled after those very same elf boots. And they are just as cute as I remember. This project is a bit advanced, but you don't have to be a shoemaker to make it happen. Read through the instructions first and study our helpful step-by-step illustrations and photographs. The trick is to feel confident working in three-dimensions. If you find yourself working in a fourth dimension … you need to take a break! Our Citrus Holiday designs were made using Heather Bailey's delightful Pop Garden & Bijoux Collection. To learn more about how we created this non-traditional holiday palette, read our article:  Citrus Holiday: A Lighthearted Living Room . Se

    For the people of Punjab, the festival of  Lohri  holds a great significance, as it marks the harvesting season and the end of the winter season. The main event is the making of a huge bonfire which is symbolic of the homage to the Sun God for bringing in warmth. Celebrated on January 13th every year. Lohri festivities are associated with the harvesting of the  Rabi  crops. There is a special significance attached to the celebration of Lohri as this day the sun enters the  rashi  (zodiac) of  Makara  (Capricorn), this is considered auspicious as it signifies a fresh start.     Lohri has special significance for the agriculturists because, it marks the beginning of a new financial year, on this day they settle the division of the products of the land between themselves and the tillers. Lohri assumes greater significance, if there has been a happy evet in the family, such as the birth of a child or a marriage in the past year. The family then plays host to relatives an