The last day of 2010........

It's the last day of 2010. I can't believe it's over. I can't believe it's 2010 and soon to be 2011. Sorry for this cliche.......but time flies too fast!! Only days ago it was Christmas Day and we were opening packages and enjoying time with our kids and grandson. This past week, I've shared a few photos from our Christmas gathering but not one of me. Since I write this blog, I thought I'd share this photo. I am smiling because there is fabric in that package............

It's the gift from my son and he chose fabrics I can use in my crazy quilting projects.....navy and black velveteen and red satin. They are perfect for some projects I need to finish. So right here ......and right now.......I am making a New Year's Resolution. Drumroll........My resolution is that by the end of 2011, I will finally finish the crazy quilt blocks that I began in 2000. They must all be done and embellished and ready to sew into a full size throw that will be finished by January 31, 2012. That's it. That's my resolution. I could resolve to lose weight (I have lost 8 lbs and do not plan to go in search of them and maybe I'll lose more but what if I don't?) or I might say I'm going to never buy anymore fabric (that would be a lie!) or I won't eat anymore chocolate (I gave up Coca-cola, how on earth could I give up chocolate, too?). I always make time to see my family as much as possible and more when it works out, and I make time to volunteer so I had to resolve to do something that I just can't seem to get done. My dream of a finished crazy quilt must come true. Yes, I need to go from "crazy quilt blocks in progress" to "Crazy Quilt is a finished project!" You heard it here. It will be done......January 31, 2012. I'll keep you posted, you know I will. :-)
Now, speaking of keeping you posted...............you will want to check in next week as I have a whole bunch of stuff that is going to be happening here on my blog and elsewhere. That's all I'm saying right now. All the details will be posted in my Monday morning "What's on the line?" post. I'll be posting this weekend but no clues for what's coming up until I see you all next Monday.
Hope you all have some lovely plans for welcoming the New Year.....even if it's just staying home to play games with the family or watch a movie and enjoy some snacks and toast the start of a New Year! Have fun whatever you do!
Sandi who is wishing all of you...........

Happy New Year!!!

Pumpkin Muffins gone wrong.....but they taste right!

Not everything turns out quite right even when we start with the best of intentions. My intention on Christmas Eve was to make some pumpkin muffins in this pretty pan......... My son, Devlin, gave me this awesome pan for Christmas in 2006, the year we moved out here to Henderson. I never seemed to remember to use the pan and yet I was the one who suggested it to him. Naughty momma. :-) So, I was determined to use the pan this year and make some cutely shaped stars, wreaths and poinsettia cakes that I could decorate. I had a package of Betty Crocker pumpkin cookie mix and I decided I would follow the alternate recipe for pumpkin bars. I figured bars are like cake and I could pour the batter into the shapes in the pan. I did just that. I poured batter in the wreaths, the stars, etc. Guess what?..............As you can see by the photo above, I poured too much batter into the stars, wreaths, etc. However, the pan is such an awesome pan, that all I had to do, was turn it over..........

and all the shapes fell out really easily. Only problem was that the shapes were not quite identifiable as stars, wreaths, etc.

Betty Crocker came to my assistance with her canned frosting. I opened it up, stirred it and then melted some in the microwave. I drizzled it over the muffins/cakes and look............

they look delicious and they were!! The flat edge that formed on each cake was kind of crispy while the cake mound was soft and the frosting added just the right touch. I should bake more of these. Even my husband liked them and he does not like pumpkin flavored foods! :-)

I have always loved to bake and am pretty good at baking cookies. You may remember that at Thanksgiving daughter, Collette, came over and baked cookies here that were for her staff at work. She even mixed up some cookies for me to give to friends. I'm really glad she did that because she got ideas for Christmas gifts while she was here. I had already suggested that a good Christmas gift for me would be two new cookie sheets and that's exactly what they (Daryl, Jacob and Collette) got me. But.......she saw the condition of my measuring cups, spoons, and spatula and bought me all new ones!!! Plus, I didn't have a cookie dough scoop, so she got me one of those, too (great for melon balls in the summer, if it ever comes again!). So, I am getting ready to try these out and see what cookie recipe I will bake up with good intentions and how it might not turn out like I think it will. Happens to me all the time, but they always taste good and disappear quickly, so in the end.......it's all right. :-)

On the quilty front........I sorted and untangled my spools of thread. I made another mug rug. :-) Stitching and organizing one day at a time. :-)

Have a great day!
Sandi

Love this gift!

Here's what Mr. Claus aka Random Number Man got me for Christmas............ I have wanted this book for a long time but I could always check it out at the library so I never bought it. Then a few weeks ago, when I checked it out for the umpteenth time, Kathy, our librarian said....."you should really buy this book, Sandi........you're about the only one who ever checks it out". I laughed. But I remembered and so I asked my husband if he'd go on-line and order the book for me. It could be a little Christmas gift while we wait to figure out the real gift he's going to get me which is a new computer. Ah, yes, my poor old computer is having some issues and soon it will be replaced. But, in the meantime, he wanted a gift for me so the book was it! I love this gift. I truly have checked this book out of the library more times than I can count and now I have my own copy to look at whenever I want!! I have several fabric dating books and other volumes for quilt and block identification, but this was missing........but not any more!

So, what did I get Mr. Claus for Christmas? Well, I had plans to present him with a quilted NASCAR quilt top that you can see in this photo. I made it for him about five years ago and thought about quilting it myself a couple years ago. Then I got the chance to have it machine quilted but then the quilter who was going to do it was too busy. So, I got the quilt back and was thinking I'd give it another try and do it myself before Christmas. Then I changed my mind again, and decided not to do that. I didn't want to mess up the top that I had spent so much time gathering fabrics for and then piecing it all together.

Instead, I'm taking it to Luci who works at Firefly Quilt Shop and has her own long-arm quilting business, too. She's going to do the machine quilting on it and can have it done and back to me in time to give it to Mr. Claus by opening day of NASCAR in Daytona on Feb. 20. He is excited about this!! But, while he waits.....I made him two NASCAR coasters with some of the scrap fabrics from the original quilt top. :-) I have a lot of scraps left so I could make a whole lot of coasters. LOL!

Next post........."How not to make pumpkin muffins". :-)

I'm enjoying these days in between Christmas and New Year's.......doing some sorting, a teeny bit of cleaning, and lots of sewing. Going out today to get some goodies for New Year's Eve because the weather here is going to get wet, rainy, icy and who would want to be on the road in those conditions if you don't have to be? Yes, we will stay home and stay safe!
Have a good day!
Sandi

Projects I made for Christmas gifts!

At last, I can show you some of what I was stitching on the two weeks before Christmas. I made a few things for my daughter, Collette, and my son's girlfriend, Stacia. First up is what I made for Collette. This is just a mat that could be a hot pad for a 9x 13 pan or a candlemat. The fabrics are Fruitcake by Moda.
I really liked the fabrics on the bolt but when I got the mat stitched and quilted I wasn't so sure that it was the colors my daughter would like. I only made a mat for her as I had the funny feeling there was too much green in this for her decorating. Plus, there was blue in it and I had the feeling that wasn't going to be a color she'd want either. Not that she's picky. I just had a feeling. It was good I "had a feeling" because I was right. She loved the design but not the green and blue so we're going to pick some other fabrics so I can make her a set of items like I made for Stacia in the coffee print fabrics I used for her projects.

In the meantime, Collette is going to use this one as a candlemat. Both girls liked the projects. Stacia was exceptionally patient with my stitching plans for the coffee fabric as I gave her the fabrics for Christmas two years ago and it took me this long to finally do something with them!!!!
The mat that Stacia is holding and that is in the picture below is for her kitchen counter so she can set her coffeemaker on it.......although, I gave her a candle, too, just in case she prefers to use it as a candlemat. I like options. ;-)

I also made her a "mugrug" from some of the scraps and even had enough to make one for me, too. I also made double-thick hotpads/potholders from another coffee-print fabric that I bought for her last summer. I really need to make some of these for me, too. I have some round hotpads but they don't accomodate casserole dishes very well. And then, I made coasters, too. They were fun and easy to make. I just cut circles from 5" squares of fabric and cut bias strips of fabric for the binding. I used batting in each coaster and had fun stitching the swirls on each coaster.

So that is what I managed to stitch and finish prior to Christmas. I started a couple other projects but they didn't get finished. Look for them in a future post. :-)

Let's see.....I think tomorrow, I'll let you know what I got from Mr. Claus. Nothing fancy but something I will really use a lot. My librarian, Kathy, gave me the idea and Mr. Claus took the hint. :-)

See ya on Wednesday!
Sandi

What's on the line?

Taking a break from quilty things on the line and instead..........I decided to show you what I hung from the stair railing on Christmas Eve.................
Yes, Mr. Claus and I hung the stockings and then filled them and all the while, Kaiser, the Wonder Beagle was sniffing with delight at the chocolate candies that were in the toes of those stockings. LOL! Luckily, they were hung too high off the floor for him to reach and he couldn't get his nose between the stair banisters, so the contents of the stockings was safe. :-) Stockings are my favorite part of Christmas gift-giving. :-) We don't put anything fancy in the stockings.....just little gifts, games, comic books, candies, etc. but they are just a fun tradition. My favorite stocking memory from when I was a young girl was the year my mother put a compact in my stocking. It was black with a gold design on it and was an Avon product. It came in a blue floral case that tied with a ribbon and I can still see it now. It's long gone but the memory of that "grown up" gift to a young girl is still very clear.

We enjoyed a really lovely Christmas day with our kids and grandson. I'll share some pics all this week and they will include a couple of the quilty gifts that I made and couldn't show you last week. For family and close friends who read my blog, I thought I'd show you pics that I took as we all sat down to dinner late Christmas afternoon. Here's Jacob, Santa Daryl, and Collette......... and here is Devlin and Stacia..............

and here is Steve who cooked the ham and for those of you have entered my giveaways........this is my Random Number Man............ :-)

More pictures tomorrow. I thought about taking a blogging vacation this week, but changed my mind. See you Tuesday!
Sandi

Have a Beary Merry Holly Jolly Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Good morning to those of you who are taking time to read on this fine Christmas Eve morning! If you celebrate Christmas, know that I wish you a wonderful Christmas. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then just know that I wish you a beautiful day!
This is getting to be the norm here.......but snow is falling again and once again there could be about six inches of the white stuff by afternoon. I hope that shoppers and travelers will not have too much difficulty getting from place to place today. Yes, it will be a very white Christmas here in Minnesota and much of the country! To be honest, I wouldn't want it any other way. I remember one year when we had a "brown Christmas". Somehow, the shopping and the caroling and everything just didn't seem quite right without the snow on the ground. I love the sound of it when you walk on newfallen snow.......crunch, crunch, crunch. And I love to watch the flakes when they fall like glitter across the landscape. I'm not minding this snow because it's not accompanied by wind. And by later this afternoon, if all goes well, the roads will be cleared and folks can get to Christmas Eve gatherings and church services. :-)
Almost everything is ready for our Christmas Day gathering. Still just a few handstitches on that one remaining quilty gift and some stocking stuffers to wrap. I can't share those photos so I thought I'd show you what came in the mail yesterday..........
This is the candlemat that my partner Tina from Canada made for me. I still can't believe how lovely it is and that she put that holly in each corner. Holly is my favorite symbol of the Christmas Season. I wonder.....how did she know? It is just perfect and I am delighted with the fabric choices she made in making the candlemat. Thanks, Tina! A package also arrived from my sister filled with gifts for us to open on Christmas Day. They smell really good and Kaiser was a bit too interested in them so I have hidden them in the pantry. LOL!
This evening, I'll be heading down the hill to the church for the Christmas Eve Service. I'm going to sing a favorite song "Some Children See Him", a carol written by Alfred Burt in 1951. I was just two years old then and I can't remember the carol as a child but I remember that I was a young girl the first time I heard it. I love the lyrics and their message. To read the lyrics you can go here. To hear James Taylor's rendition of the carol, just click here .

May you all have a blessed and wonderful Christmas!!

A "Day-out" in St. Peter!

What a great day we had! I met our daughter, Collette, and son Jacob in St. Peter yesterday for lunch at Godfather's Pizza. I love pizza and so does my grandson, Jacob! We enjoyed our lunch and had a good visit. Then we walked across the street to "Playing Possum Antiques"............
I have passed this shop more times than I can count as I drive by it every time I visit Collette or my mom or when I go grocery shopping, etc. I love to see what is setting outside and the items change with the seasons. Skates, skis, and Christmas items set the scene now.........

And inside the shop..............

there is more Christmas fun. I loved that sign about snoring. I would never snore in this store because there was too much cool stuff to look at! Not a thing in the place that would make me sleepy and take to snoring. LOL!

This sign also caught my attention. Wouldn't it be fun to go on an old-fashioned sleigh ride and then top it off with hot cocoa and some caroling? The sign pointed to the back of the shop which was much bigger than it looks from the front of the shop. There were all sorts of nooks and crannies filled with Christmas vignettes. When I neared the end of the shop, I could see something ahead that caught my eye.........you guessed it.........those quilts on the wall.........

I had to get a closer look.............

I liked both of them and think they both are really unique. I didn't look at their price tags because I knew I did not have the money to buy either one. :-) The one on the right is basically a block that I have always referred to as Churn Dash or Hole in the Barn Door. It's my favorite block. In this quilt the use of just two fabrics for most blocks gives this block a whole different look. The green block in the upper right has three fabric colors/patterns and most closely resembles Churn Dash, etc. I think I'd like to re-create this one so that's another project to add to the mile-long "to do" list. :-)

Each of us found a few little treasures. I almost bought these little angels. There were lots of angels tucked here and there. Instead, I bought a couple of vintage gingerbread cookie cutters and an egg beater. When I picked it up and started turning the handle, I could remember the sound when my mother would make meringue for pies. It will go with an old flour sifter that I bought years ago and an antique rolling pin that my mom gave me. I'm still thinking about these angels, though. I may have to go back and get them. They just sort of seem to be singing my name........... :-)

We didn't go into the antique shop next door because we were limited on time. Instead, we walked down the street to Swedish Kontour, a shop that is just brimming with all things Scandinavian! They specialize in beautiful glassware from Sweden and linens and clogs and these little cuties...........

I didn't buy one as I already have a couple for my tree but I did buy some Swedish straw garland and a few little ornaments for a centerpiece for our Christmas table.

In the photo below you can see some of the beautiful glassware and also the cute little cone Santas.......... It was the wreath on the linen tabletopper that I found really interesting. I just loved this and could see a quilt possibility in the design. Oh, dear, another project for the "to do" list.

We had just enough time for one more stop.......the St. Peter Thrift Shop. I didn't bother with a picture as the building is very plain but inside we all found a few little items as the Christmas decor was half-off. I left with several little ornaments that were 25cents each but when rung up at half-off, I spent just $1.07! I don't think I've ever entered a thrift shop and spent just $1.07. Collette spent $2.63 and that included a Harry Potter game for Jacob that was just a dollar. We were really big spenders! :-) We had a great day and here is proof that we were happy shoppers and enjoyed our time together. Then we both headed out to go grocery shopping. It was the perfect thing to do because everyone was in the stores and malls! I did make a quick stop at FireflyQuiltShop for some felt that I needed to go with what I showed you yesterday. I am getting anxious to work on some wooly projects. January can be a long month here in Minnesota, so I am going to be prepared with lots of handwork to keep me from getting "cabin fever". And if I run short on things to do.........well, there is always that "mile-long to do list" where I can find a new project to start!

The weatherman says there could be snow again today. I'm ready for it. Planning to do some baking and a little gift wrapping, then finish the hand-stitching on the quilty gifts I made. I bought a new CD today of Christmas carols by "The Platters". Will have that playing in the background along with a mix of harp tunes and Glen Campbell crooning "Home for the Holidays". Which makes me wonder............what is your favorite Christmas carol? I think mine is "The Holly and the Ivy" but then again I really like "O Little Town of Bethlehem".........and "We Three Kings".........and "O Holy Night"............and the list goes on, just like my quilty "to do " list!

Have a good day everyone!!
Sandi

Making plans for 2011!

Yes, I know that it's still 2010 but I am thinking ahead and planning projects for January. Thoughts of those projects rumble around in my head as I work on some Christmas gifts and do my baking. Sometimes something pops into my head, so I make notes, draw sketches, make plans. One of the projects I'm planning will involve this woolfelt from NationalNonwovens ...............
These are sample colors I received back in early November but I just haven't had time to work with them. I did get them all washed and ready to use. Coming up in January, I'll be doing a program for the Deep Valley Quilt Guild on working with wool and/or woolfelt. I'll be pulling my "program" together beginning the first of the year. And is it just me or do any of you wonder how it can be 2011 when it seems only a year or so ago we were all anticipating the year 2000!!
Also coming up right after the first of the year will be a tutorial in blue and white that will help you use up a bit of your stash, plus a few other fun "snow-themed" projects. More on that in a week or so. Speaking of stash, I've been using some of it on some quilty Christmas gifts and would love to show you what I made.........but they are gifts for a couple family members who read my blog. ;-) Right after Christmas, I'll be able to show you what I managed to finish. And what about the things I cut out and didn't finish? Well, they will just be a head start for next year's gift list. :-)
Today, I am meeting my daughter and grandson, Jacob, for an impromptu "day-out". We decided to do this just for the fun of it. We're going to meet in St. Peter (MN) for lunch and then stroll through some of the shops and just see what we might find. I'll report back tomorrow. I'm especially looking forward to a visit to a shop called Swedish Kontour. Haven't been there in years! Since most things are ready for Christmas, this day will be fun and relaxing. I have to admit that I can still hardly believe that all my cards are mailed and went out last Friday! And I don't think I forgot anyone this year!
See ya all tomorrow!
Sandi

What's on the line?

I remember the day that I took this photo. It was a beautiful day! I guess you could say today is also a beautiful day as more snow is falling and it's going to make the woods behind our house look like a wintery wonderland.......again!!! However, if Mother Nature is listening, I would say....."my dear, you have given us enough snow for awhile so please spread the beauty of your snowfalls somewhere else!!" LOL!
Oh, yes, you want to know "what's on the line?" It's a quilt that I call "Winter Star" although you could probably call it "Winter Snowflake" just as easily. :-) This was the first quilt that I designed in my five quilt series (Autumn is here and Christmas is here). Each of the quilts began as a block sketch. Then I made four of each of the blocks I designed, sewed them together and I ended up with the center of each quilt. I added borders of varying widths on each quilt and they measure approximately 33" square. This quilt was all machine-pieced and required care to get all the points to meet correctly. That didn't always happen so I carefully stitched little pearls at points that are not quite "points". I was invited to teach this quilt at Inspiration*Point Quilt Retreat in 2003 and it was so fun to see all the colorful variations of this design. I knew almost nothing about paper-piecing back then and one of the students said it would make a good "paper-pieced" project. Maybe one day, I will get the pattern revised for both machine and paper piecing. The machine quilting was done by friend, Sara Peterson in Chaska, MN. I love the detail of snowflakes that she stitched on the border. :-)

I am finding myself a little busy with Christmas projects and plans just like the rest of you!! This past Saturday, my husband, our daughter, Collette and grandson, Jacob, took a drive down Hwy 169 to Iowa and a visit with my mother. We had a nice meal together at a favorite food stop in Fort Dodge, Iowa....The Tom Thumb restaurant! The food is usually pretty good although I ordered up a piece of chocolate cream pie for dessert that had a bit of a problem. I ate my meal and was anticipating that first bite............ only the meringue was like rubber!! It was kinda funny. I think it might have been in the display case a bit too long. The young man at the counter happily exchanged the slice of Chocolate pie for a slice of rhubarb. Their rhubarb pie is the best and I usually stop for a slice every time I pass by on my way home to Minnesota. They also make great chicken and noodles. :-) The rest of the group had blizzards from the Dairy Queen that is the other half of the restaurant. I like my ice cream when it's hot outside and I want to cool off. Since it was cold outside, I was not interested in ice cream!

After our meal, we headed to my mom's apartment for time to visit and a little gift exchange. My husband took this photo of my mom, my brother and me. Look at all that white hair! LOL!

I had already taken my mom her "big" Christmas gift back in October. I bought her a little Janome 3128 sewing machine and she has enjoyed using it. There were little gifts for her, too, and for the kids. She has put the sewing machine to good use.........this basket is full of little projects that she's made just since October. She let Collette and me pick out a couple projects that we'd like to have. My favorite was the little Scottie Dog. It could be a potholder but I'm going to hang it in my sewing room. :-)
After we cleared away the gifts and wrapping paper, Collette got out a bag of craft supplies that she had brought along. She showed Jacob, and Sue Ellen - my niece/my brother's daughter - how to make some bead candy canes.

They had a lot of fun and then since time flies too fast, it was time to hit the road and head home to Minnesota. The roads were clear and the moon was really full and bright, so it was a great night for a winter's drive. :-) We were hoping for lots of Christmas light displays but they were few and far between. Maybe everybody had their lights turned off while they were out shopping. :-)

Our neighbor Jerry walked Kaiser for us while we were gone. When we got home, Kaiser was very glad to see us. He's like most dogs........acts like he hasn't seen you in months even if you've only been gone an hour. LOL! Anyway, he was happy to see he also got a present...........my mom bought him this duck pet toy. It has a squeaker in it and Kaiser had some fun making it "quack".

I am way behind on some Christmas sewing projects. I know I keep saying that but I just can't find the time to sew. Seems there is always something to clean, wash, dry, run an errand, etc. etc. and I just don't get to it. I am declaring today a "sew on this snow day"!!! With all the cards and packages mailed or delivered, I may finally get those last gifts finished yet!

Have a good Monday everyone!
Sandi

And the winner is........

Arlette! Yes, Arlette, you are the lucky winner of the Ten Minute Tablerunner Kit. I've sent you an e-mail and as soon as I get your mailing address, it will go in the mail to you!
I'm a little short on time to blog right now. Lots of things to do that I enjoy and one of them is my Christmas cards. The annual photo letter is finished and all I have to do is sign the cards, seal and they will go on their merry way! I'll get that done this morning, then off to the Post Office this afternoon. Once these go in the mail, I'll have more time for blogging and have a couple of lovely things to share with you all.
How many of you send Christmas cards? or do you send e-greetings or a Christmas letter via e-mail? I have always loved sending and receiving cards. Some come from friends in the military that we haven't seen in 30 or more years but we stay in touch. I have saved in a large box wrapped in Christmas gift wrap, almost every card that we have received in the past 40 years! Yep, that's right. It's fun to read the old notes, remember friends and family. There is probably nothing quite like Christmas to conjure up memories! I have a plan for the cards..........I am in search of a wooden paneled screen that I can decoupage most of the cards to. If I can't find what I want, then I think I will have to see if my husband can produce something in his shop that will work for my idea. :-) I need to make this happen this summer. It's on my "to do" list and if it gets done, you can bet I'll share a photo here on my blog!
Have a Fa-la-la Fabulous Friday!
Sandi

A Christmas Giveaway.......

Last month at the Kindred Kwilter's meeting I bought a kit from the evening's vendor, Firefly Quilt Shop. It's called the "Ten Minute Tablerunner"...........
I thought I might make it before Christmas but realized that it's been sitting on my machine for days and it will not get finished at my house before Christmas this year. However, the instruction sheet says......"Enjoy or Share with a Friend!" Guess what? I decided to share it with a friend, one of you. Leave a comment on this post to be entered in the drawing to win this kit. There is only one rule for this giveaway.............you must be a follower of my blog. I have not been very good at answering comments lately, so this giveaway is open only to those who already follow my blog. I wish I could send a little gift to everyone who is a follower but that's not possible. There's a bonus for those of you who regularly follow my blog. If you have commented anytime since Dec. 1st your name is going in the drawing for each comment that you have made. I will have my "Random Number Man" draw a name on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. CST and will announce the winner shortly after that hour.
Thanks for all your comments. I read all of them and appreciate every one of them!
Sandi

What's on the line?

Snowmen, of course!!! After this weekends big snowstorm one could build a lot of real snowmen but I like mine made in fabric!
This little quilt is the first quilt in the twelve month series that I designed in 2000. It was the most popular of all the quilt designs in that series. Inspiration for the design came from my friend, Marcy, who had a flute quartet, hence the four snowmen. I'm sure these guys are listening to the wind whistle "Winter Wonderland". In fact, I think the snowman on the right is singing to that cardinal in his hand. LOL! Look at all those green leaves in the woods behind that quilt! There are no green leaves on any tree right now.......proof is here in this photo.......

That's my husband, Steve, using the snowblower to carve a path in the snow for Kaiser, our beagle. It took him a long time to snowblow the driveway and work through the snowdrifts. There is no getting out to the backyard to the clothesline where I like to hang my quilts. At the rate this winter is going it will be a long time before I am able to get out to the clothesline I have strung between the trees!

Have a good Monday everyone! I'm just enjoying Christmasy things. And here's a little Christmasy secret.........if you come back tomorrow, I'm going to do a little giveaway. :-)
Sandi

This post is appearing late today, because I goofed when I preset the time for it. Once I learned how to preset posts I thought it was so cool that I use it all the time now. However, need to remind myself to check the AM/PM as I set this one for 4:00 PM instead of AM! Oops!

It will definitely be a White Christmas!

Tonight I watched the movie "White Christmas" on TV. The best part about that movie is the title song, you know.........I'm dreaming of a White Christmas, just like the ones I used to know....... Well, here in Minnesota and in much of the Midwest there is no possibility that there will not be a White Christmas after all the snow we got this weekend! Yes, it snowed all day and then the wind blew and it drifted up against the house and the doors. It's not so deep it can't be shoveled or plowed, but it was deep enough that our dog Kaiser practically got lost in the mounds of snow. LOL! So, while the snow fell, my husband worked at fixing some light strings for me and then I decorated a little tree in a corner of our dining room that celebrates all this white stuff that is covering the landscape.......
Last year, when I took down my big tree, I set aside any gold, silver or white ornament. I had this idea that this year, I would decorate the big tree in the living room in all gold, silver and white. For ten years, I've been buying gold and silver ornaments on clearance after Christmas just so I could one day do a silver and gold tree. Funny thing was, though, that when it came time to decorate my big tree this year, I couldn't do it. Somehow, I couldn't put ornaments on my tree that really didn't have any meaning other than that I bought them on clearance. I needed to put ornaments on my tree that had meaning. I still had a desire for that silver and gold tree so I decided putting one in the dining room would be the perfect thing. The ornaments on this tree do have meaning and would normally be on that big tree but just for this year, they will go here in the dining room. Maybe next year I'll do that silver and gold tree. Plenty of time to think about that as it's looking like it will be a long winter for thinking. :-)
Most things here in our area, including church, are cancelled today. It's a good afternoon to write my Christmas letter. Hope you are enjoying a warm and safe Sunday afternoon!
Sandi

Living in a Snowglobe!

Ha! ha! That's what it feels like here in Minnesota these days. Wow, it's beautiful when you watch it safe from inside the house.......but.......it is not so beautiful to drive in that heavy falling snow!!! We went out to do some shopping yesterday afternoon and then to a party with friends and it was really nice over in Apple Valley (MN). Oh, yes, calm as could be and no snow falling. Then we got about ten miles down the road and I noticed the first flakes, just tiny ones. Then the snow fell harder and it was being blown at the windshield in that hypnotizing way that makes it impossible to see where you are going. My husband was driving but I was "hitting the brakes" on the passenger side of the car more than once! LOL! It was a 35 mile trip in that stuff and I was sooooooo glad when we finally drove into town and knew there was just one mile to get us home!! It was only last Friday and Saturday that we had our last snow and here it is again! Luckily we have no place to go today (I got groceries so we are in no need of leaving the house!) so I hope the power stays on and I may bake some cookies or work on some gifts I'm making. Wow, what a winter we are having and the calendar still says it's autumn!
Speaking of "making gifts", I was going to show you what my daughter and grandson were working on when they were here at Thanksgiving. Some of you may remember that I shared a photo of some cute peppermint kiss cookies that my daughter, Collette, was baking. It was one of three peppermint cookie recipes that she baked to fill little goodie bags for all her staff (44 of them!) at the Daycare she owns. Her theme was peppermint, so she decorated little brown gift bags with peppermint designs and added peppermint gift tags. She filled the bags with the peppermint cookies and also little votive cups with peppermint ribbons and filled with a candle. While she baked those cookies............. Jacob (her son/my grandson) helped her with another project............Those are flat glass pieces that you put in flower arrangements.......

And he was pressing adhesive magnets to the back of these magnets that Collette included in each bag. She found some red and green peppermint fabric and cut out the circles then glued them to the back of the flat glass pieces. When you add the round magnet, they make great decorations for the refrigerator or to hold special photos or Christmas cards in place.

Everyone got two of each of the magnets. The bags looked so cute and I would have loved to show you a picture of it all but Collette said she forgot to take a picture at this year's staff Christmas party. Not to worry. They all had fun and you all get the idea of how to do the magnets. These would be really cute to fussy cut shapes from fabric or to print out the letters "QUILTER" or a grandchild's name or photo, etc. Just don't get those magnets close to your computer and keep them away from small children!

That's all for now. Thinking right now that it might be really nice to be someplace where it is warm and the sun is shining!
Have a good weekend!
Sandi

Hello to Dorothy!

This post is special...........it's a greeting for Dorothy, one of our Bible study members so I took this picture to send her way and say "Hello!"
That's Arline on the left, then Doris, Joanie (standing) and then Diane. We were also missing, Carolyn, who usually comes with Arline but unfortunately she is in the hospital. We're hoping it's just temporary and that she'll be back next week. We were happy to get together as the weather has caused us to cancel the past two Tuesdays. It was pretty cold outside but no ice or snow to keep us from getting about. We had a wonderful visit and then our brains were challenged by the study book we are using. We miss Dorothy and hope she can join us again soon!!!
Before the ladies arrived, I was doing some last minute stuff and moved this tabletopper from my dining room table to the coffee table. Had never thought about putting it here until I just sort of tossed it on the table and realized I really like it better on the coffee table than on my dining room table!

Today, I am going to sew and also work on Christmas cards. Oh, and I'm going to make fudge. I need to make some that will go in the goodie bags that are put together at church for those who are homebound. I just don't make it anymore unless I know it is going to go someone else because otherwise, I eat it all. Just ask my son. ;-)

Sandi

Finally......a decorated Christmas tree!

It took me three days to get it all done but finally the tree in our living room is decorated!
I spend a lot of time just looking at the ornaments and remembering when I made them, or one my mother or the kids made and ones that friends made....swaps......gifts......ones purchased on trips......it's like a walk down Memory Lane. :-) I just need to add the tree skirt and then some packages and I'll be all caught up!
I even did a little sewing today and Kaiser was most appreciative of it...............

I took a fleece remnant and hemmed the edges for a new blanket for him. He's sorta spoiled. Really likes to be covered up when he's sleeping. He looks so cute when he's sleeping that you'd never know how naughty he can be. :-)

And the weather today........well, it's going to be frightfully cold.....as in zero degrees for a start to the day and only getting into the teens for highs. Brrrr! I don't have to go out but my friends are coming for Bible Study today so they do have to go out. I have something rich and chocolaty for a treat and there will be hot coffee and tea so we will have a sweet and cozy afternoon.

Sandi