The New Year - Projects Completed

New Years Eve we have a tradition of going out to dinner with all of our children and grandchildren, those who live near enough to us.  Traditionally we go to Olive Garden but this year we went to Red Robin.  Our youngest works there and was scheduled that evening so he took his dinner break and ate with us. 

Don't we look like we are having a good time.

I started the first day of 2011 thinking about what I should do with a day with no pre determined plans.  Should I put the Christmas decorations away?

No not today.

How about laundry or maybe clean the living room carpet.

No not today.

Hm mm, I know I will stencil the beam in the kitchen, a project planned almost three years ago.  That was the best idea yet, so that is exactly what I did.

This quote by Charles Dickens is the sub title on my blog.

(click on the picture to make it larger)

This is the beam that divides the kitchen and dining room.

As you can see the decorations are still there and will have to wait a little longer.

After completing this project I finished a couple more

My daughter in law Michele's burlap purse, a December birthday present.

Two more little mice, one will fly off to Wisconsin and one to South Carolina.

I will be looking around the house for more incomplete projects before starting on my growing list of new ideas but all in all the first day of 2011 was relaxed, enjoyable and productive.

Blessings to you in the New Year!

I am linking to Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

2010 - Year in Review

I started this blog in March of this year as an inspiration to complete projects and learn new things and actually try some new things.

I have had a wonderful time blogging, reading blogs, "meeting" new people and actually finishing many projects.

The key to all of this for me is finding a balance with time spent reading blogs and gathering ideas and actually doing what I should be doing.  I don't want to neglect to do what God has for me each day.

I thought I would share some of the completed projects from 2010. I took a look back to see if I actually accomplished what I started out to do.

As I look through my posts I found that much has been accomplished and I have stretched myself in many areas.  I am looking forward to learning more and trying new things in the world of blogging.

 Blessings in the New Year!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

I wanted to say Merry Christmas to all who visit here. 

I also wanted to share one of the last projects I completed this year for Christmas.  I began this project last year intended to give them to my daughters and daughter in laws, I ran out of time so I put them away for this year. 

The idea came from this magazine.

Here is a picture of how they were to look.

I think that the things I have the most fun creating are things created totally in my head.  That does not happen often so the next best are those inspired by someone elses great idea and then made my own.

 

They look like they might be singing

"Joy to the World"

or

"O Holy Night"

or

"We Wish You A Merry Christmas"

I have two more little mice waiting to be completed that will be the first project I get to before starting anything new.  They will be sent to my daughter in Wisconsin and my daughter in law in

South Carolina. 

Our time with family and friends this Christmas was blessed, we will have many special memories to take with us as we go in to the new year. 

Linking with Show off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses.
and Making the World Cuter Monday
and Pink-Hippo-Party at Pinkapotamus
I have buttons for both on my sidebar!

Ornament Exchange Fun!

I have had fun with an ornament exchange I participated in organized by Tonya at Hillbilly Handiwork's.  These are the ornaments I made. 

I made a few more than pictured here and decided to exchange 5 of them.

Tonya sent me a list of names and here are the ornaments I received so far.

This is from Tonya at Hillbilly Handiwork's.  She wrote that they made these as a family, makes them even more special.  Tonya did the tutorial on her blog where I learned to make the table runner and candle mat pictured here.

Colleen made this sled with the minnie "charm pack".  When she started teaching, every year she would make these sleds with her Dad for every child in her class.  They would have each child's name on them.

Her blog is called Luck Duck Dreams.

Heather made this ornament.  A beautiful tatted snowflake. Her blog is called Heather's Custom Sewing. 

She is Tonya's sister, they are a very creative family. 

This ornament was made by Beth who has an Etsy shop called

The Bea's Knees.

I took several pictures, which do not do it justice.  She also sent along "The legend of the Christmas Spider" (a folk legend from Germany and the Ukraine)  Now I will join the custom of including a spider among the decoration on our tree.  (I won't point it out to my daughter in law, she is very afraid of spiders)

I had a great time making my birds and it is great fun receiving ornaments in the mail and meeting new creative people.

It is Christmas Eve and I still have a few things to do.  We have our Christmas Eve service tonight, I am looking forward to a time to focus on why we should be so thankful for the birth of our Savior

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

I Won a Cabbages and Roses Fabric Giveaway

Cabbages and Roses, I love the fabric!  In November I entered a giveaway at a lovely blog called French Larkspur.  Visit Tracey's blog, I guarantee you will enjoy it.  The giveaway was three pieces of Cabbages and Roses fabric from the new Hobury line.  I entered the giveaway by commenting on the post and telling what I thought I would do with the fabric if I won it.  Well guess what, I did win it.  Cabbages and Roses asked that I let them know what I do with the fabric, which arrived in the mail a few days ago.

  I will have to wait until after Christmas to begin a project with this beautiful fabric.  Ideas are going through my mind but no definite plan yet.  I will be excited to share what I do and am looking forward to getting started.

I Won a Stocking with a Story

A few weeks ago I entered a giveaway at Stitching~ N~ Shipping.  Tammy had made a stocking from one of her favorite antique quilts.  It was not what she had planned for that quilt as it lay on her couch.  Believing that her littlest dog Lil Bitsy aka Lulu-Belle was playing with her tug, she later found out that the little one was chewing on her quilt. As Tammy puts it "After shock and awe, bleach and dry, cry and cut" she had made something for her November giveaway. 

Don't you just enjoy getting packages

It is extra special when there are lovely things like this inside the package.

The stocking is now hanging on our coat rack shelf

I folded the top down to show you the pretty fabric on the inside.

 Thank You Tammy for your wonderful giveaway.  I will enjoy using this lovely stocking.

Our Home At Christmas

I had hoped to be finished decorating by today but still have a couple of tubs of decorations I have not put out.  I am joining Sherry at No Minimalist Here for her "Share The Decor" blog party.  If you visit you can take a look at many beautiful decorations.
 I will share with you what decorating we have done.

I cleared a couple of shelves in my Oak Cupboard to put my Christmas dishes and decorations on.

This Tea Cozy  I made from the book "Crafting Christmas Gifts" by Tone Finnanger.  I love her books and have made several things from them.

I love all kinds of trees and here are some on the top of the Hoosier cabinet in our kitchen.

These pieces are from my "Once Upon a Midnight Clear" set created by Jim Wickesberg.

My husband surprised me a couple of years ago and ordered these after I waited to long and they were sold out at my favorite Christmas Decor Store, Wights Nursery.  I had thought I would buy one set and he bought me three.

This picture does not really show how pretty the tree looks.  It is the first year we decorated  without ornaments from one of our kid's collections.  Our youngest was married this summer and took his ornaments to decorate their tree this year.  This is also the first year that we did not add ribbon or our traditional popcorn.  It does look pretty with the lights glowing.

We give each other a new ornament each year and these are a couple of mine.

We have several ornaments hand painted by my Mother in law Virginia, the pictures do not show how beautiful they are.

I enjoy taking out my Christmas Decorations each year but this year seems to have been a long process.  Maybe tomorrow or the next day I will turn on the Christmas music and get it done.

Merry Christmas!