Category Archives: decorating

Tacky?

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How tacky would it be to leave this Christmas tree on our landing going to the second floor?

Christmas-2013-landing

I love the glow it provides and I don’t have to turn on the overhead light when I go upstairs.

The tree was an impulse purchase a few years ago when some friends from out-of-town called to see if they could stop in around Christmas.  We normally don’t have people drop in on us and our family wasn’t coming so I didn’t get put any Christmas decorations inside the house.  The outside was decorated.

I found this six-foot primitive tree at 40% off on Christmas Eve.  I grabbed it and some lights and voila!  Instant Christmas tree that I could carry.  The red beads and lights stay on the tree and after Christmas it lives like that in the basement.

I put some candy canes on it this year and called it done.

The “big” tree is still up in the living room but all the ornaments are packed away.  That tree will go back in the box this week.  The rest of the decorations inside and out are put away.

If it’s above zero and we still have some light when I get home today, I’ll show you my snowman on the front door.

Crunch time

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Edit: I had this ready to post on the 19th but forgot to click the “publish” button.  My apologies.

I did not fall off the face of the Earth.  I’m still here.

earth-arrow

I’ve been decorating, cleaning, decluttering, partying, praying, gift-wrapping, knitting and sewing along with the usual working, eating, and sleeping stuff that happens whether I want it to or not.

My brother-in-law is coming to our house today Thursday the 19th so that’s the cleaning, decluttering, and decorating part.  He’s doing the narration for Mr. Aitch’s Cantata on Sunday evening.

Three and two-thirds slippers have been knitted.

Birthday gifts have been wrapped and hand delivered for the twin’s birthday party last Sunday.

Pillow cases, quilt backs, and a drawstring bag have been sewn.   The drawstring bag was a last-minute gift idea, and I mean last-minute gift for their birthday.  I filled it with four squeeze bottles, a package of neon food coloring and instructions for making “snow paint”:  Fill bottle half way with water and add 4-6 drops of coloring to paint the snow.

I made pillow cases that match the quilts…that aren’t finished.

Crunch time list in no particular order:

  1. Finish the quilts.  They are not even sandwiched together yet let alone ready to be quilted.   Do you think I’d still have a job if I took my sewing machine to work on Monday?
  2. Sew pencil/marker cases for four grandchildren.
  3. Make snowman kits (carrot nose, eyes, buttons, felt hat).  And make another drawstring bag for the kits.
  4. Sew a “taggie” ball for my newest grandbaby.
  5. Knit the last third of the second pair of slippers.
  6. Make a cheesecake for Saturday.   Done
  7. Make cheesy potatoes for the party after the Cantata on Sunday.  In the oven now.
  8. Make another cheesecake for Christmas Day.
  9. Wrap all the gifts that are en route.
  10. Wrap all the gifts that will (soon) be completed.

At least my Christmas cards are ready to be mailed.  Mailed Thursday afternoon.

mail2

X-stitch

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aka – cross stitch

x-marks-the-spot

A lovely family moved into our old neighborhood in 1984.  Janet and I bonded almost immediately.

All

Cross stitch Sampler Finished size 10×15 inches

She taught me all about counted cross stitch.  Every time I look at my projects or see any cross stitch, I think of her.  We still write once a year.  At Christmas.

My first project?  A huge wedding sampler (18×24) from a magazine for my brother and his wife. It was supposed to be for their first wedding anniversary in 1985 but I didn’t get it finished until that Christmas…just a few months late.  Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of it nor the magazine pattern.  It was quite an undertaking but Janet encouraged me constantly.

She and I would go to a small shop (that no longer exists) and look at patterns, linen and Aida cloth.

My second project was much smaller.  In fact most of the cross stitch I did was small.  The following one was done on 32-count linen.

amish-1

I bought at least 20-25 greeting cards with the patterns on the back intending to copy the pattern and mail the card.  I still have them all.  The cards were 4×6 so you can see that the finished piece isn’t much larger. 

santa-1

apples

house

My daughter completed this watermelon when she was six years old using six-strands of floss on Monk’s cloth, which is large enough for a child to see and use.  The pattern was simple and used four colors of floss.  I got it framed for her and it hangs in her house.  Again, no photo.

watermelon

My aunt did this Father Christmas and included it in a quilted 36-inch wall hanging that I hang in my house during Christmas.

santa-2

I made this for my Mom and was going to make it into a Valentine’s Day card for her but never did.

love

I should do something with all these x’s.

Someday…

Jazzed

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A friend of mine is building a new house and she asked me to stop by and see it.  For those who know me seeing someone’s under-construction house is at the top of my list! I just get all jazzed up over new construction. Maybe it’s watching the whole thing develop before my eyes. When we built our house, I stopped to see it practically every day.

Her house is under roof and the drywall and ceilings are finished. Painting is next, then flooring, kitchen, baths, and trim.

I gave her a graph paper book so she could start rearranging her furniture on paper before the big move.  Of course I gave her my two-cents worth when asked.  And only when asked. Been there, done that with others.

I’ll be excited to see her finished house.