Share The Love

A look out my kitchen window this morning... an all too familiar one for many of us I'm sure. We had a foot of snow fall yesterday, our 1st big one this year. The sun is shining today although the temperature is only warming up to 12 degrees and dropping to -5 tonight. My furnace is roaring I'll tell you! 

Valentines Day is fast approaching, next weekend! Such a fun little holiday to chase away the winter doldrums. I don''t decorate much for Valentines Day, but I do love to celebrate by sending cards and treats to those I love. I think it is just as exciting to get a Valentine now as when you were a little kid.

Love makes the world go round right?

This week I finished a little pdf pattern, my 1st in that format. Trying to keep up with technology here. It is available in my Etsy shop now and will make it to my web site soon. Cleo's Treat Mat- fast and fun to whip up fast. My model uses some of that cute Valentine fabric by Deb Strain I showed you several posts ago. This will also be purrfectly cute stitched up in any non seasonable fabric. Awww Cleo... you are forever in my heart. 

Thanks for stopping by, share the love this week! XXX0000

Special Delivery

Brrrr… its a cold one today. Minus 2 degree start but the sun is shining and I know some of you have it much worse this week so I am not going to complain. Its a good thing I ate my Wheaties this morning as UPS delivered a nice big box of wool felt. And just pretend you don't see those fake poinsettias on my entry table…. they are not really there :)

I finished writing my new pattern this weekend and it is now available on my web site. My pretty model is all stitched up in yummy wools, just in time for Valentines Day or any special occasion. My heart is always very happy to see a finished pattern. Because usually there is another nipping right at its heels. 

This week I will be busy writing the pattern for a new Easter design. Cuteness abounds in this one and you are just going to LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Also working on a pdf file for a small design. PDF patterns are new to me and I am anxious to see how it turns out.

And now its time to lug all that wool felt upstairs. Enjoy the remainder of your week and stay warm!

Back in action

Getting back on track… "back" is the key word here I guess. Last week I had out patient surgery on my back, I had been in agony the past 6 weeks. This was supposed to fix that and today I finally feel like I may be turning the corner, knock on wood! YAY!!!

Hubby has been the absolute best nurse. While I huddled on the sofa with my blanket and stuffed pink elephant and whined just little bit, he sat in his corner of the room and nodded and smiled sympathetically. Then I noticed he had his headphones on and was plugged into his iPad LOL! 

Seriously though, he has been just super. Taking orders to the post office, shopping for groceries and running errands, he has been a very busy boy!

I hope to have my next pattern finished this weekend for show and tell. 

Yesterday this yummy fabric arrived in the mail, "Surrounded By Love" by Deb Strain. Boy there are a lot of cute Valentines fabrics out there. Last night I had so many ideas flowing through my head I could hardly sleep just thinking about them. 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you get to sew all weekend long! 

In the blink of an eye..

Another Christmas come and gone as quickly as I blinked it seemed. 

The question most asked of me on Facebook is did Santa bring you a kitty? Well no he did not, but under the tree instead was this beautiful 1935 Singer Featherweight. Beautifully restored, Santa said it would purr when fed lots of pretty fabric. 

We had a very busy Christmas week and spent this past weekend in Oklahoma. We drove down with Hubbys 92 year young Dad so he could visit with his Granddaughters and 4 great grandsons! We stayed on our daughter and son in laws family scenic property in the middle of Oklahoma. We lucked out with beautiful weather and a great time was enjoyed by all. Here are the 4 Grandsons out climbing  and running off some excess energy. 

I just finished boxing up all the tree ornaments a short while ago. I always feel a little sad to see them go, but it is time to get this new year rolling.

Yesterday I finished sewing the last bits and pieces on to my latest penny mat design. Two new patterns to write for the New Year. Are you cooking a special dinner to celebrate New Years? In my family we usually have a pork and sauerkraut dinner. I am off the hook tonight however. Grandpa leaves for Florida in the morning and is taking us out for barbecue tonight, any time I get out of cooking is a good time for me!

Best wishes to you for a Happy New Year! 

Two more days!

The big day is really close now, my count down Santa shows 2 days!

I spent this week in the kitchen baking, lots and lots of cookies, cut outs, iced thumbprints and candy cane cookies, just a few of my Moms recipes. I crank up the Christmas music and get after it, pretty soon a dusting of flour blankets the kitchen and bowls of icing colors and sprinkles are everywhere. And each year I say I am not going to go through this mess anymore…. and when I'm done I feel spent yet complete and content, it just would not be Christmas without Moms cookies! 

Last night we had our 1st significant snow fall, only a few inches but it looks like we will enjoy a white Christmas with temperatures hovering near 0 the next few mornings. The house has been decked out for weeks now, with anticipation of Grandpas arrival, Hubbys Dad flew in all the way from Florida. We are so excited to have him here with us, this week we will have pictures to take of 4 generations! These few days before Christmas should be relaxed and pretty stress free. Tonight we visited our son  and his fiancé and had dinner with them. Tomorrow Hubby and Gramps will pal around and I am going to make a big pan of fudge and maybe do a little hand sewing.

Most of my family and friends know all I want for Christmas is a kitty. I know poor Santa has been feeling a lot of pressure over this. And of course I know we do not always get what we want so I am going to try to not think about this…... too much.

And so before closing I do want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, may you experience all the wonders and joys of the season. I'll be back next week, maybe with pictures of my new kitty ha ha!

A Few Of My Favorite Things….

This weekend was spent finishing decorating the house. I think our Christmas tree is one of my favorite things. Lights twinkling around ornaments, some have their own little stories to tell and memories to share. 

Such as a favorite Gingerbread man our son made 25 years ago. Can you believe those raisin eyes are still firmly attached, he makes me smile.

And Hubbies ornament he made when he was in Cub Scouts. Now let me ask you, why oh why did he choose such a festive background color lol?

Both of us really missed Cleo's presence, she was really all about that tree! This picture is from her 1st kitty Christmas, when she could climb the tree, nothing more frightening than looking at your tree and having eyes stare back at you lol! The bottom branches now quite saggy, when she got to big to climb she was content to nest in the bottom. 

The mantle is decked out with sparkly greenery, candles and birds.

My antique sideboard is draped with a string of vintage children's cards.

I finished decorating a gingerbread house, don't you just love that smell!

All good little dolls get a candy cane each.

An elf looks down on it all. I collected elves long before the "Elf On A Shelf " book made elves cool. I have lots of them in all shapes and sizes, musical and glowing lol! My children always thought they were scary, I've always thought they were cute in their own little way. 

Have you been good or bad?

The stockings were hung

The stockings were hung… or not. The number of stockings on my fireplace seem to grow smaller each year. I just finished knitting the stocking for Kelly, our sons fiancee. It's the one on the left, the middle stocking is our sons and I knitted that one when he was a baby. The one on the right is the new Grand dogs stocking, and no I did not knit one for him but made it out of felt. I have them all bagged up with a few ornaments as they are anxious to start their own holiday traditions. Well, actually our son kind of thought we would keep his stocking here and fill it until he was 90 LOL. I had to give him a wee nudge. 

So now 2 stockings are hung by the chimney with care, one for Jerry and one for me hang there. 

But wait, we are having a guest for Christmas! Grandpa is flying in from Florida. I doubt he will remember to bring his stocking! And so I found this cute one already made up. Three stockings for Santa to fill! 

This weekend we will drag the tree up from the basement. I can't wait, my favorite part is a twinkling tree. Are you finished with your decorating yet?