A glimpse of the 2009 Christmas Decorations at our house.

Christmas Eve.....a day of anticipation and magic

The day started warm and overcast and has turned slightly cooler with a few spots of rain. We got up early and did the local food shopping while there were car parks to be had.

A tradition of ours on Christmas Eve has been to go into Melbourne. Gordon often only finishes work December 23 so it is often his first chance to enjoy the atmosphere. Sometimes we browse the major shops or like last year visit the markets. Today we did have a particular mission of finding part of Gordon's present. So we've been to the shopping areas around High St and Chapel St, Prahan.

Chapel St ranges from all the well known "brands" to funky little shops mixed in with charity shops, young designers, coffee shops, delis, cake shops, restuarants and bars. It traverses through South Yarra, Prahan, Windsor and St Kilda. It is known for its style and fashion.

We strolled along taking in the mix of cultures and admiring the beautiful old architecture above many of the shop fronts.

From there we headed west over the Westgate Bridge into Williamstown and I was able to drop into Stitchery Blue, a lovely shop of fabric, wool and thread. Walked out of there with a little brown bag of purchases!

And now we are home to relax for the rest of the day and to enjoy each other's company and to give thanks for all that we have.

Wishing you all good health, peace and happiness.