sing to the Lord...

This is what I was playing with yesterday.

It will be a mini quilt when it's finished.

I admired these when I saw them on a blog

and was thrilled when I found a tutorial on how to make them.

I chose the verse to embroider on it.

It reminds me of our granddaughters, they love to sing.

The free stitching around the fabric edges was fun to do.

You drop the feed dog

and use your open toe darning foot.

The messier the better.

And that works perfect for me...

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mug rug swap

I just have to show you this very cute mug rug

 I received in the mail for the mug rug swap I participated in.

This was made by a friend of my daughters.

The tiny stitches around the letters are perfect.

The Santa hats are machine quilted also.

It was a small exchange but big fun.

And now a cup of tea

 and the chance to use my mug rug once more

before resigning Christmas 2011 sounds good.

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Christmas

How was your Christmas?

Did you get everything you wanted...

and more?

Did you cook up a storm...

and then eat too much?

Like us?

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winter solstice

It's the shortest day of the year...

ha ha, I'm too funny

If you think this blog post is stupid...

please don't respond!

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a wrap

We're wrapping things up here today...

After all it's only 3 days away!

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Noel

This was another great project from that old wool sweater...

Isn't she just so sweet sweet singing carols?

If she finds herself singing at our door she may not need that scarf

 and she won't be standing in snow.

It's not going to be a white Christmas for us, sniff.

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art

Don't know why I'm thinking about this today...

But I remember an art class in gradeschool where the teacher told us to draw a vase.

I'm sure I panicked immediately...

 but no sweat I thought and proceeded to draw the beautiful vase my mother had...

a crystal footed vase.

As the teacher walked the aisles she stopped at my desk and told me my picture wasn't a vase and pointed this out to the entire class who I'm sure snickered at the comment.

Well...

I now know art comes in many forms.

My mother does beautiful quilt pieces...

one sister does counted cross stitch that I would never have the patience to do.

Another sister took wonderful photos at our daughter's wedding this summer...

my daughter, well, she wants to do it all like myself

and my husband does fun wood projects for me.

I wish I could have explained this to that old teacher then.

 I was determined that no teacher would ever stifle my children.

Happy Monday all!

These tiny (artistic) Christmas socks are on there

 (or is it they're or their? Maybe that teacher should have concentrated on teaching me that)

 way to our granddaughters.

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"THE" week

The decorating is done...

the tree finally couldn't look any prettier...

are you like me?

you keep tweaking everything...

adding, removing and

moving it around...

until it's finally time to put away again?

The week before Christmas is "THE" week to finally

slow down and enjoy "THE" feeling.

Like you're a kid again...

remember?

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queen for a day

My two sisters and I enjoyed a beautiful birthday luncheon

for our mother's 81st birthday Tuesday.

My sister hosts this every year for mom's birthday,

and out comes her heirloom china, crystal and silver.

Isn't it all just beautiful!

It it so much fun to be treated like a queen.

And her home is always so festive.

It's fun to to see her Santa collection...

many of them she painted herself.

She is one talented lady!

 Everything she does - well, she does it very well.

After lunch she treated us to a tour of the work

 she and her husband are doing in a new home.

He is a master plasterer and she a master painter..

thanks for the fun day sis and

happy birthday Mom.

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pet net

Can little girls ever have enough stuffed animals?

I think they will soon need a pet net!

Did everyone have one of those in their room at one time?

Our daughter did...

Would you believe they have stuffed animals

 on their Christmas lists!

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quilts

Daughter Knit and Pearl and I

 have been having a lot of fun making these...

I love the little squares in these...

 like mini-quilts.

Making them is addictive...

we just can't stop!

Shopping for the fabric is just as fun.

I got my embroidery thread out for a couple of them.

But if you haven't guessed by now...

They are mug rugs. Not to be confused with a coaster.

A mug rug is big enough for your coffee mug and a cookie.

We did a little rug swap and I can't wait to get mine in the mail.

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Oh deer!

Hey Santa!

Are you missing a couple of deer?

Mr b did a great job on these deer.

For some reason...he hates hanging Christmas lights on our trees and house.

So I suggested some sort of yard ornaments.

This set of deer were pretty easy...

or at least he did them up fairly quickly.

Isn't he just a dear?

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barbie's debbie's

I haven't done any holiday baking yet,

I never really do much of it...

maybe a couple different cookies -

a sugar and a molasses.

These Little Debbie's

(or as I call them Little Barbie's)

are my favorite off -the-shelf snack cake.

And look what they've added to the front of the box!

A picture by Mary Engelbreit.

Now I love the box too!

I'm so glad I can't buy them in town,

if you know what I mean.

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Jolasveinar

I can't believe I bought another Santa Claus?

And I actually simplified my decorating this year...

I left two unopened boxes in the basement.

But isn't he great?

All old and woodland looking in his wool and fur coat.

And a real steal I have to say.

I think he must be from Iceland...

and should be called Jolasveinar.

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the barn door

Through the eyes of a child...

What do you think she sees looking through that barn door?

This?

and this?

or maybe this...

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happy places

Our son's family has been in Disney World all week.

I can't wait to hear our granddaughter's stories...

they had lunch with the princesses yesterday.

This picture is of our two kids the first time we took them to Disney Land

 in California in 1988.

We've been back numerous times...

to California and Florida.

After all, it is the "Happiest Place on Earth."

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Open House

Around the house...

Welcome to my Christmas Open House.

Isn't this the way to do it?

I never have to worry about the mess lurking beyond the photo.

Please join me in featuring your Christmas decorating

in your own open house?

I'll be showing more of my decorating throughout the month.

Maybe I'll even bake sugar cookies...

you know in case you can just come over.

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trimming the tree

Time to decorate the house

and trim the tree...

The Christmas music is blaring,

the candles are lit

and apple cider is mulling.

(Of course a little snow coming down would be a huge help.)

It always helps to have a few decorating magazines open for ideas.

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turkey overload?

Are you tired of turkey leftovers?

I'm not a big turkey fan...

but I do love all the trimmings!

Spaghetti is a favorite of ours,

it's quick and easy.

I used to make my own sauce until discovered Classico...

and Italian meatballs in the freezer section of the grocery store.

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santa hats

The Christmas decorating has begun...

We started decorating at daughter knit and pearl's the day after Thanksgiving.

Everything got decorated...

Her dogs were pretty good natured about wearing these silly hats

 and getting their pictures taken in them.

 We promised not to show them to any of their doggy friends.

Santa is almost done putting the finishing touches on his reindeer.

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thanks

Thank you goes to our daughter and son-in-law

for a very nice Thanksgiving.

When our turkey was finally done cooking...

it was baked to perfection.

I'm thankful for the love of family.

As always everyone ate too much.

We welcomed the idea of a walk in the North Dakota woods.

I loved that we were only 2 miles from Canada. 

I'm thankful for friendly neighbors.

And so now it is Christmas.

I'm looking forward to some exciting blogs from all my blogger friends.

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Thanksgiving menu

No Thanksgiving table of ours would be complete without

Grandma's nut pudding on it.

I've laid out the ingredients to put it together after work tonight.

I love using vanilla straight from Mexico.

I'm sure grandma used cream from the farm.

When we lived in Iowa our walnuts fell off local trees.

We bought them from an old gentleman (a friend's dad)

who had the patience to shell them and sell them.

Grandma was an old no-nonsense German with morals and values

 and a work ethic like you don't see much of these days.

She made kuchen and nut pudding that us kids loved.

I'm glad she passed on a little of all her traits.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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weekend update

Friday night's Mannheim Steamroller concert was fantastic...

I love renaissance style music and the

fourteen musicians on stage made a big sound.

Wouldn't you love to play music for a living?

I would.

I was impressed that most of these guys were our age!

We had our first snow Saturday,

I love snow...

Santa and I spent Sunday working on some top secret projects.

It was mighty cold for Santa working out in the garage.

But Mrs. Santa was all warm and comfy doing her projects by the fire

with a mug of apple cider close at hand.

How was your weekend?

Are ready for a turkey dinner this week?

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in the aire

I'll be away from my desk tomorrow...

I have enjoyed Manheim Steamroller for years

and have wanted to attend a concert for that long!

The music is fantastic all year long

 but the Christmas music is my favorite.

Check them out on Amazon.

And I'll be sure to let you know how the concert was...

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ball gowns

Our granddaughters are going to the ball soon...

And this grandmother decided they needed gowns for it...

(good idea right?)

So I stepped into deep water and decided to sew them myself...

(bad idea!)

After sewing them once,

tearing them apart and altering them to fit more than once...

the dresses are pretty enough for any little girl

 to wear when she meets Cinderella.

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