summer christmas gifts

[Bilby]

As christmas is in the middle of summer here I am looking around
for some summery stuff that may be a little bit different or just
something I have not thought of, or something I have just plain old forgotten about. I can sew, glue, make cards, tags, not too
bad on the cooking. I will give it a go.
I have been looking with great interest to what has already been said and it's started me thinking.........
Any more intersting ideas to get me started?

[Shawn]

What about making some cute stockings or ornaments with a Santa in a bathing suit? Santa on a beach?.. Reindeer sipping ice teas....

THis is going to sound stupid, but do you celebrate it the same as us US people....

[Bilby]

Shawn, yep it was a silly question, but the sillier the question the
better I like it ( I do like my humor and do not wish to offend in the slightest) We celebrate Christmas on the 25th of Dec but it
is usually about 34* celcius and we are having a huge bbq with
the prawns, salad and as much cold food and activities that will
allow us to survive and not melt. We live just south of Brisbane
and generally have a good bay breeze. I know you are the
opposite right. We paint the gumnuts instead of the snow
as snowmen look a little silly with the heat.
Glad someone said hello.

[Shawn]

I would decorate items using the beach santa theme and fo from there.

You can really have some fun with this theme for the holiday.

BTW, yes it is cold and wet here..... I am not a real snow person. GIve me a little for the holiday but the rest you can keep. I like my Spring and Fall.

[Bilby]

After having had a good nights sleep I was thinking about the
Christmas beach theme and decide that you might have something there. Usually just xmas is the theme but a beach
xmas sounds good. We could do the board shorts tank tops
(nicer singlets) and a broad brimmed hat in the theme and keep it going. As the family will be here for dinner we could get them
involved. Which should be fun as the in-laws are a little straightlaced!
My 2 boys would love it.
Keep the ideas coming, and thanks.

[losflores]

As a Warm Weather Christmas person...I know what you mean! Here in Southest Texas, USA, our average temp in December is still in the 60 and 70's!!
How about a Garland made from Flowers?? I loved the idea of the Santas in bathings suits...might steal that one myself!! LOL
My 7 year old is so in love with Christmas that we bought he an small Optical Christmas Tree and she has it in her room all year round.
Instead of having a traditional centerpiece for your table you coud replace the pinecones with melons and native flowers instead of pointsettas, and citrus fruit!! I would still have lights, but all clear ones...the colored ones would look corney, but clear ones would look pretty even in a hot weather place.
And how about BERRIES?? Cranberries are ok if you live in Utah or Alaska where you have about 2 feet of snow at Christmas...how about strawberries with chocolate and a berry compote or a plate of fresh fruit and nuts?
Let us know what is what!!

[Bilby]

Great keep them coming. I do realise that we are not the only ones to have Christmas in the sun, but I just needed some new ideas.
We have pointsettas here in the summer, they are usually a table piece and there are plenty of pinecones near the park we just paint them silver and gold, we've had our annual strawberry festival (2 wks ago) as that is what our area is known for... with the choc sauce.
Isn't there a recipe that you put small fruit, grapes etc in egg whites and then roll in castor sugar ( fine sugar) and refrigerate or freeze? Could be a centre piece? with more fruit of course.
Do you still have a traditional hot dinner or have the same food only cold? We have a choc ice-cream plum pudding. Mmmmmm
Tomatoes are very expensive at Christmas so we grow our own,
do prices go up on anything in particular in your area?
We have the lights on our house and through the trees as there is a competition every year to see who has the best, but we are not that grand. Before bedtime we walk around the neighbourhood to see them.

[losflores]

My Hubby cooks the turkey and he gets up about 3am to start it, so we can get it done before it gets too hot in here. We have an Attic Fan, but no AC in our house...my friends think I am nuts, but when they are paying 3 times more for their electric they cry about it...LOL
We have loads of fruit and veggies all year round about the same price, and I have my favorite haunts to get fresh sea food, as we are on the Gulf of Mexico, we still can get it cheap here.
I told my 7 year old about the idea of the Santa's in bathing suits and she loved it!! Guess we are going to do it...and I got her a bathing suit on clearence, so she wants to wear it for a pic on opur cards this year...my fmily in Utah will get a kick out of this years card...right?!
Got to get ready to go to work, but if you come up with anything new, jot it down!
Was chattin with my gal pal in Waikike, W. AU this morning...she thought the ideas were cute too...who knows, this might start a new "Trend"!