Shopping Fun

Yesterday I was out and about and found a new fabric store. I picked up three new fabrics. Aren't they cute?? I love the shoe and umbrella print and the shell batik is so sweet. I also got some very cool handmade pottery buttons. Loving them, and I know I will need some more!!

This cute oranments came from KMart yesterday at half price. I love the white pinecones and the small pinks which will go on next years trees. DD will get the pink and green ones for her tree. The bells I am planning to paint white or pink before.

Here are some really cute tags that I got as well. Don't ya love the bottom one with the bird on it? I know that they are alittle hard to see due to the flash from the camera.Here are the buttons that I mentioned above. Sweet things at $1/ea. Can't wait to see if I can get some more from her. Have a safe and Happy New Year dear friends. Hoping that 2010 will be a great year for all of us. Thanks for stopping in and visitng with me in the past year and making my jump into blogging a fun and happy experience.

Something soft

Good Wed morning! I thought I would get back to "normal" and show you a picture of the scarf I am knitting for me. It is soft pink (imagine that) and cream. I used this wonderful buttery soft yarn and my huge #20 needles. I wanted the knitting to be open and lacy so that is why I went so large on the needles. I also was hoping to have enough yarn to get the length I wanted. All things were accomplished! Yipee. The temps here will even let me wear it. The sky was so gorgeous this AM that I thought I would share a quick picture of that with you.

The Lord surely does paint a beautiful sky, doesn't he?? Can you believe that the year is almost over? I don't usually pause for reflection but this has been a rough year for us, both physically (for hubby) and financially. I am looking forward to a better year. Last year at this time I blogged about 2009 and that it was going to be the year that I worked on me. I have accomplished that goal I believe. I have lost 90#, 5 clothing sizes and am physically in better shape than I have been in probably 10 yrs+. Don't get me wrong I need a face lift and a tummy tuck LOL but I am healthier! I have also completed many of my UFOs, which was another of my goals. I need to work on a list of goals for next year, I a have a few things in my mind: a minky fabric quilt, a CQ wall hanging for DGD, finding our own apartment so we can get out of DD's hair, having a more positive outlook and treating people with more kindness. Looks like a good start......what are your plans for 2010??

May your 2010 be filled with happiness, love, and many blessings!!!

Having Company!!

Caught you Eliana! Aren't I cute?

Bella and her magic wand.

Youngest grandson Adriel with his Aunt Lacy.

What a busy day at the our house! Arrived home last night from Ohio, with DD and family behind us!! Yep three sweet little munchkins are here! Then this morning Hubby got to come home. We had a mini celebration with a few gifts to open. Then this afternoon youngest DD left for the police academy. She will be gone all week, home only on weekends. Boy will I miss her!! She will graduate the end of Feb!! I am very proud of her as she starts a new challenge in her life!

Happy Holidays!

I am very blessed to have been able to travel to Ohio w/DD Lacy and spend the holidays with my family! I have left my DH home in SC in the rehab hospital, but he will be discharged on Sun so we can have Christmas together with DD Valerie and her family. They are following us home to SC on Sat AM! Although we have never had a Christmas apart since we have been together this will be special as he will be feeling better and be stronger when he comes home ! Also the kids visit will be a surprise to him so that should make him very happy!!

I hope that each of you has a blessed day with family and or friends!!

Daughter Jolene's family:Oldest darling granddaughter above!Oldest Grandson, he is 11 yo.

Thrift Store finds and Craft Gossip ideas

Thursday was a day out for DH from his stay at the rehab hospital where he has been for the past week. He is doing physical therapy and trying to build up his strength so he can come home. He had an appointment with the VA and wanted a haircut while we were out, lucky me it is right in front of the Goodwill!! It was dollar day. I got a beautiful cream top made out of gorgeous fabric that will be great for CQ plus, it had great lace and cute little buttons. Two large pieces of lace were on the front at the top and the small thin lace trim was around the sleeves and the bottom of the top. Perfect for CQ blocks! Yesterday on the Craft Gossip newsletter I saw these cute bow cuffs and decided to give it a try. The first one is a cream bow with some of the above lace glued on it and a rhinestone pin at the center. I have not decided if this will be a pin or a cuff, mmmmmmmmmmmm....

Here is the second attempt with pink ribbon and a trio of the cream bottons from the above dollar top! I think I already got my dollars worth and have not even cut up the fabric yet!! LOL

Last is a WIP, I am combining both colors of ribbon. I am not very happy with this ribbon as it is not the soft satin that I had hoped for (and thought I was getting) I guess the plastic wrap on it fooled me. This is not as shiny nor as soft and drapey as I had planned. I think it will work much better with a different type of ribbon. I love the idea so plan to continue to perfect this plan and work it out with other ribbon. The goodwill trip had other goodies a white wool blazer that has been felted, new jeans a size smaller (!!!) and a gorgeous silk blouse in irridescent silk, plus two skirts made of linen fabric, one pink and one aqua. Will share pictures when they are cleaned up, right now they are banned to the laundry room and the jacket is in the process of being deconstructed!

On the home front it has rained here since early AM nonstop, one of the tall thin pines in the back yard fell over toward the house, missing the laundry room window pane by an inch when it hit the side of the house. I am so glad I was gone when it happened, I can't imagine the sound when it hit the ground. Of course add this to DD's car needing a $1000 repair to a front wheel and mine getting a full set of new tires........can you say it has been a long day??? Hope yours was wonderful!

Two Terrific Sites

Another picture of last years decorations. It looked so much more beautiful than I remember, isn't that funny?

Stop on over to: http://www.spunbyme.blogspot.com/

She is having a wonderful give away. Your are going to love her blog!

Another fun site that I found this week: http://www.bunnyhilldesigns.com/

She has a beautiful freebie, quilt blocks that can be made either in redwork or applique. It is a block per month for this past year. I have printed all of the redwork patterns and can't wait to get started on them. Can you say Pink work?? LOL

Knitting

Bella's new scarf that I knitted for her. It was great to work on something in my favorite color plus the brown was a nice accent in this varigated yarn. I am knitting red wool cones right now that will be felted in the washer when completed. I will share one when it is felted. I baked a pumpkin pie and chocolate Christmas cookies so I am keeping busy. I continue to stitch on the quilt blocks and am adding initials in rick rack to the girls' pillowcases. Can you see I have multiple projects going on??

Christmas Decorations Beware of PINK

This morning I wanted to share with you alittle of "my" Christmas decorations. Since with live with DD it is her house to decorate and we don't share the same tastes (imagine that), so I have put up 2 tiny trees for me. The first one is in the sewing room. I just bought it at Micheals on Black Fri. When I went to put it up I realized that I had no ornaments left but wanted it up regardless. Thank goodness it came with lights so then the dilema was on, how to decorate, well after digging in my sewing drawers and my button box and my jewelry box..... This maybe the craziest and for sure the most unique tree I have ever decorated. The best part besides being cute is it cost me nothing to decorate!! What do you think? I even found a crocheted angel to sit on top, she is not real happy there and tends to fall over but at least she behaved for the pictures!

The next tree is sitting beside my bed. There was alittle planning to this tree I got pink decorations at Hobby Lobby & Kmart. The cute skirt is from Kohls and I think the birds are Hobby Lobby & Walmart.

Nothing really special but to me it is with no home of my own this year to decorate. You have to make do sometimes! This is one of them for me.

I just had to have a Christmas Cactus this year. I don't think I have ever had one before and of course what color but pink! I have really become more attached to things of nature and plants that need little care work for me. Thanks to my dad and his love for making things grow!

Pink Christmas

A shopping stop at KMart was a great time when I found these wonderful pink things for Christmas!! I wish the little basket had more pink to it, but that can be fixed!! Wouldn't it have been sweet if it had been painted white with pink items in it? Guess I will have a new mission, like I need one! LOL No big tree here this year so I am dreaming for next year. I just couldn't help myself I love pink so much! Haven't even had time to decorate the tiny tree in our bedroom, maybe tomorrow I will get it done. I love Christmas as much as I love pink!! We have a gorgeous sunny day, not warm but beautiful anyway here in SC, hoping that you don't have too much snow or cold where you are. I am so excited that I got a lead on a pair of white ice skates on Craigs List. I wanted them to use to decorate with during the holidays! I will share when I get them!

Twice in One Day!

Here are several pictures to share! First is the Santa Gingerbread cookie DD and I made. He turned out pretty cute! Hope some of them are still here for Christmas. Sunshine in South Carolina after a rainy and windy night and morning! Temp is up to 67 already and it isn't noon yet. Of course we will get it when the temp drops to the 40s tomorrow!!

Finally the cute fabric candy canes that I have been working on. I tied alittle lace to the one just for fun and then found this cute cup in the cupboard! Sometimes a plan just comes together.

New goodies Tutorial Sale at The-Feathered-Nest

Thought I would share the Christmas Village that DD is working on for the holidays. We need more snow, can ya tell?? She has been collecting this since last year, the trouble will be finding a storage space when the holidays are over. The other picture is fabrics that I got on Black Fri. The frogs are a flannel for DGS for a pillowcase for Christmas, hoping I can get it done. The black and white is a taffeta to be used in Crazy Quilting. I have my thoughts on a black and white block for after the holidays. The sunflower print was just one of those: gotta have pieces. It is just different and I liked it so................ I have not been creating much lately. DH is back in the hospital so I have been carrying my quilt blocks (posted earlier) that I am embroidering. I am working on number three, there are 6 total. I am planning to get alittle more done when DH is moved to a rehab facility, which I hope will be today or tomorrow. Stop on over to Dawn's clog: The-Feathered-Nest, she has her tutorials buy one get one free and they are only $5 ea. I have bought a couple before and loved them. Of course I had to get some more~~~ 4 to be exact!! There is a great snowman, pincushion made from a baby shoe and so much more. She is a fabulously creative and generous woman!!

Fabulous Give Away

Dawn at www.The-Feathered-Nest.blogspot.com (hoping this works, as some how I am too dopey to ever get this right!! LOL)
has the sweetest blog. If you ever need inspiration, a creative boost, or just a smile stop on over and see her wonderful creations and tutuorials. I don't have any idea how she does it but she has tons of creative energy! Right now she has a fabulous give away and you just have to pop over and sign up! She also shares some of the most beautiful antique pictures that you can down load and use! Gotta love that!