Merry Christmas - Can't believe it's Here & Almost Gone!

Merry Christmas - Hope you all had a wonderful day with whatever you chose to do!
Christmas Eve day was pretty low-key here in our household - got up same time as normal and "worked" from home until noon. Nice with being able to bring home the laptop - which I could do that more often - enjoy working in my jammies with my furballs sitting with me and the tv or radio on! After work I cleaned a little and straighted up and did wash and put things away - then brought out the serger - finally got that running again (thanks Bren for your advice) Serged my rug I was making for my Mom for Christmas and finally got around to whipping it - Finished it last nite late and steamed it! My husband has a stomach virus so we were staying home anyway and I was staying away from him!

Woke up this morning and it was a very quiet morning except for the neighbors - I don't know what they were doing but they set up a table out front with sodas, plates, and food and were walking up and down the sidewalk and their kids were playing with i guess new bikes? they also had a vacuum cleaning running on their front lawn? Maybe a Christmas tradition - who knows - but they are fairly new neighbors so I didn't have the nerve to ask! LOL

I made cream cheese brownies last nite so this morning I iced them, sprinkled my white sugar snowflakes on them and cut them up to take over to my Mom's, wrapped my parents gifts and off I went - alone - Phil was still not feeling well, so he stayed in his "bunker" all day and watched movies with Miles who was snoozing on the heating pad, and Riley was actually in the same place I left him in the back bedroom until I got home tonite! Too funny - What lazy loads!

Here's some pics of the day at my Mom's - the pics didn't turn out so great as the sun was shining in the window so "washed" out a lot of my photo's - believe me I'm not complaining about the sun! This is my niece Desiree, my SIL Cheryl, and my other niece Jessica. You can't tell but the only ornaments allowed on that tree behind them are Santa's!

Here's my Dad (again hard to see) - The Santa behind him I crossed stitched for my Mom on one of those afghans back in 1990 - It's of a patchwork Santa - when I made it - I was offered $300 for it from one of the girl's I worked with at the time! Too funny.

Here's my goofy Uncle Bud wearing another of the scarfs - we were telling my Mom (and playing it up) that the scarfs were giving us rashes - they were itchy - she used yarn that was soy and wool - who ever heard of soy yarn. ? My SIL and I are supposed to get one each too for our birthdays in February. I told my Mom not to worry about mine (because in actuality they were a bit itchy and I can turn red and itchy if the wind changes direction! That's my brother Rusty sitting next to Bud.

Here's a shot of Brian (Jess's boyfriend), Jess, and Cheryl

Well we opened our gifts - we didn't exchange between ourselves this year as we all had some bad breaks this year - I was layed off for half the year and am working a temp job right now, during the time I was layed off we had to get a new roof and had a few other problems so things were tight - Same with my SIL and brother - things just happen and it seems everyone is on a no-spend diet!

Can't say if my Mom actually liked her rug or not - she didn't seem too impressed but with my Mother you never know - I usually find out a few days later what she really thinks- she is wound tight on Holidays! My Dad seemed to like his gifts so that was a good thing. He's so hard to buy for!

Had a big dinner and of course ate too much and then after sitting around a while I came home- Like I mentioned earlier - i went upstairs and their was Riley in the same spot as when i left 5 hour previously - let me tell you that spot was smoking! Just took a bubble bath and am now all relaxed and browsing the blogs with my cup of tea!

I have to say with all the bad stuff that happened this year - it still was a good year - if that makes any sense at all - I am lucky we have a house - our families - our friends - our furry ones so that's what counts!

Merry Christmas to all.....and you know the rest!

joanne

More Smiles in the Mail!

Well again - what fun it is opening the mail -it's freezing cold here in Eastern PA and i pulled up and saw on my stoop a bunch of packages! Ran across the street and got my mail and then gathered up my packages and came in my nice warm house and was greeted by my two kitties (Hmmm was it me they were interested in seeing or the fact it was after 5:00 and they were hungry for dinner - i like to think it was me they wanted to see!) Riley couldn't wait to tear into the packages -

I received a great gift from Karin - a cool primitive journal - a dark chocolate Santa and candy heart - and an adorable spotted kitty ornament - She is too kind - I love everything and it was all such a surprise! Thanks Karin!

I also received a surprise from "Santa"- (Actually Santa had a helper with this one - Bren) - Can't show you until everyone receives their package! Thanks Bren - much appreciated!

In the box Riley was inspecting was two books I ordered for myself from Amazon - i quickly paged thru and can't wait to sit and really look at them - they look wonderful - Also received my Wool Street Journal so tonite i think I'm going to sit in a chair with one of my "fur blankets" and read. Oh i got a handful of bills too but we won't talk about those!

One more day of work then i have off until after the New Year - not a bad deal but I don't get paid - so I'm hoping to get some work during this time - we shall see!

Yesterday was spent in my rug hooking room fighting with my serger - one darn thread keeps breaking - I can't see if anything is jambed or what's going on - I need to "whip" the Santa rug and this is frustrating - Since the rug is for my Mom or Christmas I can't very well take it to her and ask her to zigzag it! I guess it will be Fray Check to the rescue!

While I was watching movies and working on my serger and trying to get some linen ready for some challenge patterns - this is apparently what was going on with the "boys" in the bunker while they were watching the game -

Wow - wonder if my husband and Riley were playing beer games- or were they having some wild parties down there? Sometimes I think it's best not ask! And yes - my dorky husband "emailed" me that picture from his basement room - Too funny - he'll "IM" me or email me and say things like "I'm coming upstairs - need anything" Oh you have to laugh at technology! And speaking of husbands - I do believe he is pulling in with dinner - some nice warm Chinese food!

Hope everyone is taking a moment for themselves in their Christmas preparations! Relax - it's almost here -whatever will get done - will get done - and your families will love you for just being with them!

Joanne

Good things Show up in the Mailbox!

Well I have to say it's been fun coming home and getting my mail this week! I have a lot of wonderful people in my life and must have been a good girl this year!


One of my online friends that I actually got to meet when she traveled from Indiana to Pennsylvania this past Spring is Cheryl! She is a sweetheart, a very hard worker, and her energy is infectious to be sure! She is forever doing things for others and always creating something new! I "met" her on Wool Snippets group and now count her as a true good friend of mine! I received a Christmas card from her and inside was these two tatted ornaments! Aren't they wonderful - Her sister made them! Thanks so much Cheryl - I love them - and they are going on my little dining room tree that stays up all year!

Also was another package in the mail today - It had no return address and I couldn't figure it out - Isn't this too funny - a DVD of Grease in a little leather jacket that zips up and down. My friend Renee sent this to me - She said she saw and thought of me! When we were on the rug hooking cruise this past January - there was this huge movie screen over the pool and one afternoon Jen, Natalie and I were watching Grease while the pool boys were delivering Mojitas and Margaritas! Poor Renee was seasick most of the cruise but we came back probably singing the Grease songs by that point - and speaking of that cruise - most late afternoons we would go to this one bar on the boat (I know Natalie - it's a ship!) and we would get the Martini of the day or end up getting one of the Chocolate martini's! I received in the mail (and forgot to take a pic) from Natalie a mini martini glass with a snowman painted on it - it's an ornie - too funny! I happen to find some "choco-tini's" chocolates and I sent each of the girls a bag of them! So thanks Natalie!

Then there was a box! It was from Laurie of LJ Fibers - she had my name in an ornie swap - She made me a "Snowcat" ornie, a sheep pin, a notepad and some wool! Thanks so much Laurie -I love everything!

It's been a great "mail" day and I"m so lucky to have such caring friends in my life!

Today I didn't "have" to go out shopping but I did- I started out by going to the Heritage Center to the Folk Art Sale - where I was asked to participate this year so I put some of my hooked rugs for sale there. I was thrilled to see almost all my rugs I put in the sale have sold and there still is another week left! I never expected this. I ran into a friend there and we chatted for a bit and then I ended up buying a few things for myself! The have some very talented artists in this show - the frakturs and floor cloths and wood grain painted items are just beautiful.

From there I went to a a few stores that carry more hand crafted items - I ended up buying some more from the prim artist "The Seamstress of Blackstone" Love her stuff! Especially her cats - last week I bought the snowmen - this week mostly cats! Here is the doll i bought a few weeks ago - and the kitty on the floor by the old rocker is one i bought today -

Here's a pic of my tree i keep up in the dining room year round - it all all my ornies on it from swaps and things i pick up here and there - i bought a redware ornie today and that's on there somewhere! The tree skirt my mother made - she makes me some sort of quilt every year for Christmas or my birthday and one year i asked her for a tree skirt - love it!

Here's the "bookmakers cat" i bought today - Oh and my Dad caned refinished the chair and caned the seat a number of years ago - i have 4 chairs like this he fixed up and caned. Some day I want to learn "caning"....someday!

I went to a few thrift stores and I also got to my "old" work and used the copier - I wanted to blow up some patterns to hook - So I was hoping to get them transferred to linen tonite - but somehow by the time I got home tonite and dinner done - it was nearly 9:00 - Where does the time go? I thought someone fast forwarded the clocks on me today.

Oh here's a cute little moose made from a pine cone I bought today - I love Moose and have too many but couldn't pass this one up!

I found this really prim stocking too today (by the Seamstress of Blackstone) so that had to come home with me too!

Yesterday I was a complete lazy load - I got home from work at 10:30 a.m. as I had my 40 hours in for the week and the weather was completely miserable - sleet, rain, snow - cold! So I put on my flannel pants (moose of course!) t-shirt and sweatshirt - turned on the DVD player and put my frame in front of me - I ended up finishing the hooking part of the Santa for my Mom for Christmas - I still have to steam and whip it and I want to re-hook the star and maybe add something to his face - still not sure yet! But here it is (this is what happens when you sit on your butt and watch 4 movies and hook!) - I used 5 different dark blues for the background.

So that was my weekend so far - everything for Christmas is ready - I didn't do any baking this year but may do that yet! Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be crappy again so I may just get something else hooked! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

let yourself daydream....joanne

Today Has Been One Heckava Week!

Don't you just feel like doing this to some people sometimes! lol!

Well the saying "Today has been one heckava week" is on a little plaque with a Ziggy statue at my "old" desk at my old job (where all my stuff is still at!) . Ziggy has always been my favorite cartoon along with Calvin and Hobbes - which reminds me - I need to watch "Ziggy's Gift" (Zig's Christmas movie!) . - This saying is so appropriate for nearly every day this past month. I don't know what it is - Is it the Christmas Crunch? Is the the feeling of Christmas? Is it the weather? Who knows - but every day this week has been one heckava day! As you can see - this little guy below has no worries - he was just curled up attached to my leg as I was working - I had the camera and snapped a pic - guess i woke him up!

Every night this week I so wanted to just sit down and hook - I hadn't pulled a loop since Thanksgiving Day and really needed to! So Tuesday nite I finally got to hook for about an hour and this is all I got done - I got inspired from a rug on the cover page of PRHG with the hit and miss across it's bottom - so I decided to make this border hit and miss - I still haven't decided what color I will do the background or the little birds I drew in there. I really need to find the time to sit and hook this - there are so many new things I want to get started on but one thing or another comes up!

Tonite I have been tracking packages I sent out earlier in the week only to discover one is lost - which is upsetting as I was so hoping she would have her package by now, another was mis-routed due to incorrect address, however in checking the address I found out it is correct! My husband will be looking into this at work tomorrow - hopefully things will get straight and everyone will get their packages! Sorry to the rest of you that are waiting for your packages! I hope - I hope - I hope they get there tomorrow - Tis the season to give and I love doing it - and the darn shipping company is interfering!

And speaking of packages - i got a couple in the mail this week - This one is from Debbie -she knows I adore cats - and sent the coolest kitty collectibles - stamps , a small tiger that is so cool -his face looks exactly like Riley, a kitty bowl, the cutest ornie of these two cats in a trash can - which is on my tree right now and she distressed some candy canes for my feather tree - Thank you so much Debbie - I love everything!

On Wool Snippets I participated in a Secret Santa - this year my friend Kathy had my name - Talk about stinkers - she never let on! She sent the most wonderful items! She punchneedled a feather tree and it's on a wood paddle - just perfect punching! I have this hanging next to a rug I did my first year of hooking (which was actually my very first rug I drew myself of a feather tree with three cats under the tree - it represented Sid, Nicky and Miles who were my cats at that time) This little Santa she hooked and is a pin - it is adorable and I will wear it everyday until Christmas. She also cross stitched and aged this little pillow with a reindeer and hung on a hanger - I just love it - Her work is awesome - another one that is super talented with whatever she sets her hand too!

Also in that package was a beeswax sheep which will go with my other sheep in my dining room, a note pad that says "simplify" (something i need to do to my mind and life), a moose Mug (not pictured - it's already at work for my morning tea!), a moose ornie which is too cute, a pack of sharpies, a snowman box filled with Milky Ways, oh and hidden in those milky ways was a cat ornie on a clothespin - very cool Thanks Kathy - you rock!

So that about sums up my week - besides having to hook the Santa, I am basically done with Christmas shopping - everything is bought and all the times needing to be shipped have been shipped.

Tonite/Tomorrow we are supposed to get come nasty weather - so I'm hoping after my work obligations I can sit and hook tomorrow nite!

I'm hoping everyone doesn't get too caught up in the craziness of Christmas and gets to take a moment to enjoy what it's really about!

...let yourself daydream.....joanne

Miles - My Little Bean - The King of the Heating Pad

Thought I'd share a little of my Abyssinian Miles. He turned 15 in July and have to tell you - he's been such a joy to me - If you ever had an Abyssinian, you will know what clowns they are - I brought him home one afternoon from work. 15 years ago I was filing in a co-workers office and telling him how much I missed a kitten around - Sid and Nicky were five at the time. Bill breeds and raises Abyssinian's and for a few years was trying to get to me take one on the condition I "show" it for him - Well that isn't me - no way would I be a good "show" mother - you have to train them in a cage - I just couldn't do it. So fast forward about 1 1/2 hours and Bill comes back from lunch and comes down to my office and told me he needed me in his office. I go upstairs and there on his desk is this tiny little ruddy colored four month old Abyssinian - shaking in his fur but purring - I picked him up and he clung to me - Bill said he's yours! I nearly fell out of my shoes - He sold these cats back then for $400 - I said - i can't afford him - he said no Joanne, you don't understand - I'm giving him to you -but there were two conditions - one i couldn't re-sell him and two I had to love him and take care of him! Well i was overwhelmed for sure! Of course in those few minutes I had already fallen in love! I called my husband and told him we had a new addition to the family - he was really excited - he loves cats too. Well we named him Miles and he just took over the house - he was small and mighty - took no crap from the bigger older boys and just dominated them! He didn't care for Sid but tolerated him, but loved Nicky - Sid was certainly put out at this addition - but Nicky being my laid back Nicky was like, okay - I'll move over and share the couch - from then one Miles would sleep on top of Nicky! Or push his way into Nicky's basket - here's a pic of them right before Nicky died - Poor Nicky - he was just so tolerant even though he would look at me like - get him off of me!

Well Miles was certainly the clown - he - to this day - gives the best hugs - you pick him up and he works his little paw pads and just "kneads" your shoulder and purrs and purrs - it feels so darn good - Often Phil my husband walks by if I'm holding Miles and saws "Nice necklace" - he loves to hug and be close. This little guy was my constant companion since I brought him home - always climbing something - always into something - always "helping" with everything! He showed no fear and would "fly" out of our basement overhead ceiling, I can't tell you how many toys we went thru with him. We also thought he couldn't meow for the longest time - he would let out this tiny itsy bitsy meow- finally he starting making a bigger "meow" and then anytime the phone would ring - he would run to it and meow overtop of it - one time he knocked it off it's cradle and meowed into it - I was laughing so hard i couldn't even answer the phone - they called back and said "wha the heck was that!" Sid would meow and meow for food and really could get on your nerves so when we were getting their "dinner" out, Nicky would sit there just waiting and Sid would meow at top lung and Miles would put up with it for maybe 5 meows and then start bopping him on the head when he did it again! Every time sid meowed - Miles bopped him - oh my goodness this little guy can really make me laugh. When we lost Sid, then Nicky - Miles was the only cat - I thought it would be good to get another kitty right away since Miles never was alone so I got Riley - to this day - Miles HATES - and i mean literally hates Riley - he runs around and grumbles and won't let Riley near him or even try to get along. I now realize they are both dominant males - just will not get along. The past 6 months or so Miles has been favoring his hip - and we had a scare a few months ago where he couldn't walk - it was determined to be arthritis as x-rays and bloodwork showed nothing else was wrong. He had some pain meds for a while and now takes Cosequin (a kitty joint vitamin) and it's really helping - thank God. He has some good days and some really bad days but we do what we can for him. this weekend i remember I had bought a heating pad for Nicky when he got sick - so we put it in one of his baskets - Well his butt has been firmly attached to that heating pad all weekend - I think it's really helping him! This is my little guy yesterday on his heating pad


He must be really hurting - Riley is laying in the basket next to him and he's not grumbling - either that or he's say, Nah Nah - I got a heating pad and you don't!

So that's my Miles - I have many names I call him - He answers to Miles of course, Bean is another he will answer to and Pumpkin Head. (I make these pumpkin rolls and he's the exact color so that's why he got that nickname). I'm just so happy that the heating pad is helping him - a little while ago he actually got up and wanted to play for a while! Even though he's a "grumpy old man" now - he's still my little "bean" for sure!

let yourself daydream..... joanne

Paula Gets the Kit

Well it's official - Paula gets the kit! I'm so happy she's the only one that wanted the kit since she's one of the sweetest and most deserving people! This woman is forever doing things for others and even though I have never met her - I'm certain it's with a smile! Paula I'm going to email you - I have your address already but I decided to give you a little vintage look tree stand rather than the wooden one in the kit - let me know if you want Red or Green!

Woohoo! Can't wait to see your "tree" when it's done - it will look awesome with your prim decorating!

joanne

Packed Packages - Wool Feather Tree Kit Giveaway

Well hard to believe it's the weekend - I'm not complaining - just can't believe it's the 13th of December already - this past week flew by and it was a bad and a good week! Don't even want to re-visit why it was a bad week so I'll move on to the good - I got out of work early on Friday - so just working 1/2 day on Friday makes the weekend feel that much longer! There was an open house at a Victorian House Friday and Saturday and the house was filled with local artisans handcrafts. I was there when it opened on Friday and they some gorgeous items - so I left there with a bag full - I got some nice prim items - cats and two of the cutest prim snowmen I've seen in a long time - the pictures look much brighter then in person. Haven't put them in their spots yet but will do that tomorrow.

After I left there I went to a local antiques mall and a couple of other prim shops and then came home and started making some feather trees for gifts. What a mess I was making in my rug hooking room (oh which there hasn't been much rug hooking going on lately!)

Finished them up this morning and then went out and did some errands and some more shopping. I'm basically done Christmas shopping - Woohoo! I came home and started putting more packages together for my swaps and friends - So hopefully on Monday - everything that needs to be shipped will be! I do have a few more cards to send out - only got half of them sent out on Friday!

Back to the feather trees - Last weekend I taught a workshop in Chambersburg at Linda's new rug hooking store - I just love this store - you would never know it's there - it's in an old building and you are taking up in an old elevator and the doors open and you walk into this wonderful shop. My friend Kathy posted the pics from the class more promptly then I did, so you can see some of them at her blog, Rugs of Mine - Kathy was so nice and took pics with my camera for me - but I'm not sharing many - seems to me that little stinker has me in most pictures - So I'll share a few - Here's Cammies and Pat's finished trees - they forego'd using glue in the attaching of the branches and were able to open them right away.

Here's Kathy's tree that Linda was holding hostage until she made one of her own. Pat and Cammie showed us how to make these stars with paper strips - I was so excited today - in my travels I found a kit with the instructions on how to make these and bought several - one is packaged up as a gift and will be going out to a friend who I'm sure will enjoy doing this and I bought an extra pack of strips. In my spare time, i will get to this.... (hahaha)

Oh and here is Kathy - I got one picture of her - She was sitting there and was cold and not to happy I snapped per picture -- thanks Kathy and Nettie for helping me with the class! Nettie was helping Pat's MIL make her tree - and i believe she made 99% of the tree!

I loved going out there to Linda's shop and hope to go again - but next time I'm checking the weather - It was snowing when we left - Chambersburg is 2 1/2 hours from me and the drive home took 4 hours - it was complete hell driving - and am so thankful we made it alive - we lost track counting the number of accidents we passes - overturned cars, cars in guardrails, cars in ditches - it was every 5 minutes we would pass another accident! One of the problems was the roads were not salted - it was not until we got towards Reading did we get on roads that had been salted - Saw a few salt trucks on the turnpike but they were all going the other way!

Tomorrow i have to work and then plan on coming home and doing some baking and then hopefully hooking some more!

On an earlier post I posted a tutorial and pictures of the wool feather trees. Since I'm done with the workshops for this year I have a couple extra kits left - I decided to give away one of them here on the blog in the true spirit of the Holidays - just leave me a comment that you would like to be included and Sunday nite around 8:00 I will put the names in a hat and pick one!

Well that's about it for me the past week! I wish i could have gotten pics of my neighbor's blow ups - but i tried and they just didn't come out - it's really pretty comical!

Have a wonderful week - and

...let yourself daydream...joanne

Nothing Says Christmas Like A Big Blow-Up Plastic Thing - YEA RIGHT!

Okay - just wanted to say the neighbors are decorating their lawns and as much as I enjoy looking at everyone's decorations and seeing the nice lights and things, there is one type of Christmas decorating I can't take - those big blow-up plastic things! Yes, I know beauty is in the eye of beholder and I'm sorry if I am offending those of you that have them but I just can't understand and really do not know why they bother me but they do - Okay - one may be okay - if you have a really really really really really large lawn - but picture this - the neighbors across the street have FIVE in a 30 x 30 space (we live in a townhouse development - it's back in the woods and plenty of space but still - five??? ) There are Homer Simpsons, Grinches on Motorcycles, Big Snow Globes, Frosty the Snowmen's and more - Even one is too much for this size yard I think! LOL! In the morning when i go to work and its early and quiet and no one's out, I feel like i'm driving thru a murder scene with no survivors - they way they lay deflated across the lawns!

It's raining tonite but I'll try to get some pictures this weekend - So everyone can see what I see! hahahahah - All I can say is thank goodness for my blinds!

Wishing everyone beautiful Christmas Scenery!

...let yourself daydream....joanne