A New Year

I took the tree down yesterday. Now it's waiting at the curb to be turned into mulch by the city. It was loosing some needles and I have a big family party tomorrow so figured it would be better to take it down. More room, less mess.

I started inviting my Aunt, Uncle, cousins and my brother and his family on New Years Day a few years ago. These are people who live close but we don't see much except for weddings, funerals and graduation parties. I decided we needed to see each other for Christmas. Not much work on my part. I just make some coffee, buy some pop and try to get rid of all the Christmas snacks, candy and cookies! Everyone brings a snack. It is usually pretty crowded but no one cares. It's just good to get together.

I'll probably start taking down the rest of my decorations on Tuesday. Everything but the snowmen, that is. I leave them up all winter. After that's all done I'll probably feel like this!

I wish you all a very happy and fulfilling New Year. Thank you all for visiting my blog and I hope to make more blog friends over the coming year!

I also need to thank my awesome (and favorite,of course) son-in-law for being so patient with me and redoing my blog when ever I get the urge! Thanks especially for the string of blinkie snowmen that I know gave you trouble and that I wanted so badly!

Awesome gift!

My sneaky daughter gave me an awesome felted bag for Christmas. We had both remarked on the felted bags on Rachel's blog and said how much we liked them. Well, my daughter e-mailed Rachel and had one made for me. Rachel even showed the yarn they picked out here. I was VERY surprised and thrilled to open this Christmas morning! It is just perfect!

Even the lining is perfect!

Thanks Rachel and Laurie and Chris for my wonderful gift!

Adorable gift!

My friend Dawn came for a haircut today and brought me these. Aren't they adorable? I just LOVE them! You can't really tell in the picture but the wings sparkle! What a great surprise! Thanks,Dawn!

Another project

These are another project that I did for Christmas. They are resin night lights that I bought here and painted. The instructions are a free download. The instructions called for alot of detail (like highlights in those tiny eyes!) but I was short on time so antiqued them with a light stain instead of all the shading,etc. One of each comes in the set and they are really fun and easy. I gave them to my kids, nieces and nephews and my sister-in-law.
They can also be taken off the light and used as just a figurine.
What more could you ask for! Cute, useful, fun to make, homemade and inexpensive!

Family gifts

This is a gift I made for my brother. The picture is of my Grandparents. Every once in awhile my Grandpa would make us fried cakes. I have Grandma's recipes and found the fried cake recipe. The pic is a copy but I copied it as a color pic so it would look like it really does,stains and all. I just used scrapbook paper to mount it on. He seemed happy with it. Said he might even try to make some fried cakes some day.I also made them for my kids and my niece and nephews. The pic in this one is my Mom. I found three different recipes that the kids would like. I made 2 with the grape jelly recipe, ( My daughter gave everyone jelly made from her recipe.) one with oyster nibbles, and 2 with peanutty pops( like fudgesicles made with peanut butter and put in the old Tupperware popsicle molds). I faded the picture some so it would look older and blend in better.
These were fun and inexpensive to make and brought back a lot of memories for everyone.

Our little angel

Jerzie Shea Christmas Eve in an outfit Grandma bought before she was born.

Opening presents at Grandma's Christmas morning. She was real good at it by the time we were finished!

Christmas day to go visit other Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles and cousins.

I'm ready!

The presents are wrapped. The cookies are baked.

The snacks are made.
I have the website ready to track Santa on Christmas

Eve (http://www.noradsanta.org/en/tracking.php)

Now all I need is my family around me and we will definitely have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope that you and yours will too!

Easy ideas

I made lots of these little nativities a few years ago for a Senior Christmas Luncheon at church. Everyone loved them and several told me they would leave them out all year. They would be a great kids project.

Baby Jesus is a wooden peg wrapped in a square of white flannel.Mary and Joseph are made with 2 different size wooden people painted from the neck down. Cut material into circles, fold in half and glue to the top of the head and on the sides.. To figure the size measure from the top of the head almost to the bottom.

Add jute band to Joseph. Add painted eyes to all three.

The base is an ornament woodlet. Paint a wooden star gold and hot glue to a piece of dowel. Hot glue the dowel into the hole in the ornament.

Frogs

I made this recipe for easy pecan frogs for the first time last year. They were a big hit and so easy!

Just cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. First put down a small twisted pretzel. Next add a Rollo candy. I found mine in Wegman's bulk section. Put in 200 degree oven for about 3 minutes (watch carefully). The chocolate becomes shiny when done.
Remove from oven and add a pecan half to each. Let cool.

This and that

This is the Cosmopolitan cover for December of 1953. Seems like a strange cover for winter especially in "53. I guess they have always been on the edge! Christmas lingerie gift guide for men only?Well, I can quit saying almost for a couple things. The wrapping and fudge are done and I just took the last pan of cookies out of the oven. I think I might make it after all!
Do you love Christmas lights? As I've stated before and read in several blogs, riding around checking out lights is a family tradition for many. A couple in our city took that one step farther a couple years ago. They drive around the entire area and then post the pictures on a website. It's not only fun to look at but it also gives us an idea what streets have the most light shows so we can go there in person If you'd like to check it out click here. My house has been on the last 2 years but hasn't been done yet this year. Some of the areas are 10 or 15 miles outside the city. There are some beautifully done houses and I think you'll enjoy it!

Bead ornaments

Here are a few of the ornaments that my Mom made the entire family every year. This sled is a favorite of everyone. This is a small bead basket with potpourri in it . It sets inside the tree on the branches

This is a spider that I talked Mom into making. It came with a story about the spiders weaving webs and how beautiful the tree became. We bought this one as a pattern but she passed away before she made any.






I do have a box of some of the extras so I'll be able to pass some on to her great grandchildren.

Almost!

It seems that almost is my most used word right now. I'm almost done baking, although I haven't made fudge yet and I haven't made the snack food yet. I'm almost done wrapping,at least all 50+stocking stuffers are done and that is the worst! I am done with Christmas cards but if I get one from someone I didn't send to, I'll be back to almost done. The project that I'm working on is almost finished.I'm almost done grocery shopping. Sounds like I'm in pretty good shape except that Christmas is ALMOST here!
I don't know if it's just me or not but I discovered a couple years ago that I will never be completely ready for Christmas. There is always that list of things that I do every year. Then there is a list (in my head at least) of things I would like to do if I have time. Then there is another list of new things I would like to try if I get everything else done. Any way you look at it, I will find something to do right up until Christmas Eve so I might just as well plan on it. It is nice to reach that point where everything I do every year is done so it doesn't matter if anything more gets done or not. I haven't reached that point yet. Have you?
I would like to thank everyone for the many nice comments on my house tour. I bought this house over 20 years ago. I was a single parent with no child support. It was a very scary thing to do but I had grown up in rentals. I wanted my kids to have a place they could always call home. I am still single and sometimes keeping up is hard but I love my home and it's ALMOST paid for. It has taken me years to accumulate all my Christmas stuff and as you saw, a lot of it was handmade. The rest was bought at household sales or after Christmas sales. (My daughter and I always shop on Martin Luther King day. All winter and Christmas stuff is rock bottom that day!) The words I love to hear about my home are homey,cozy and welcoming. That has been my goal and you showed me that I achieved that. Thanks again and if your ever in the neighborhood stop by and say Hi!

The End!

Jerzie and I wrapped presents today. She promised she wouldn't tell anyone what I got for them!This is the last day of my tour. This is the side entry and you're coming in from the kitchen. The candy cane is on the bathroom door. The door on the right is a bifold closet door.This little tree is a real favorite. I bought it at a craft show several years ago . It is made entirely of barb wire on a heavy iron frame. I added the rusty star, lights and a small strand of holly. I love it!
The large snowman on the right is on my ironing board. I had an ironing board in the kitchen wall but when I redid the kitchen it had to go. I loved it so much I had a small one put in this entry.
I change this little table often. I have a tin jelly cupboard that is in the other entry and a bench that I move around . I have so much furniture that the big stuff has to stay where it is and I have to change something when I get the urge.
This snowman gets to tell you "Bye, thanks for stopping! I hope you have enjoyed your tour. Have a Merry Christmas!"

Teeny Tiny Bathroom

This is the view of my bathroom from the door.I have a lot of stars in there normally so the towel holder (I also have a matching toilet paper holder)and stars on the towel bar beneath the cabinet are always there. The silver bar on the left is part of my corner shower.

Some more of my snowman collection. As you can see I like all kinds!
I just got this primative guy this summer. Don't you just love him?
This window was a salesman sample. I couldn't find one small enough and the right style when I had the bathroom added. This one was perfect. The curtin holders are architectural stars. The only change for Christmas is the doll on the window sill. The shade is a vintage tea towel. I applied iron on interfacing and cut down an old shade roller to fit. I've had it for 8 or 9 years so it's holding up well. This cabinet is over the toilet. I needed all the storage I could get. I just found this snowman picture this year. I had to have it. Another Christmas present for me!
This is just some new and some vintage "stuff". One of my older customers gave me the Christmas sachets. The one on the left with red trim is cloth and the one on the right is paper (enlarge the pic and hopefully you can see them) The little angel on the left is a bell that I've had since I was a kid.
Only one room to go. Tomorrow another entry. Thanks for stopping by!

Last of the kitchen

I thought I'd give you a couple bigger views of the kitchen so you can get a better idea of what the room looks like.The frig, stove and cupboards the village is on are to the left of the above pic. The snowman wall and door to the entry and bathroom are to the tight of the next pic.

This is the last wall in my kitchen. My awesome window that my daughter made me is usually on this wall. I have been leaving it up but I ran out of wall space for my snowmen.

This is another favorite that I painted. I guess it's a good thing I don't have time to paint anymore or I would have to get a bigger house for my stuff!This tree is for my Hallmark miniature collection. My friend gave it too me and my daughter has added to it every year in my stocking. There are also some other small ornaments on it.
This is a fence post Santa. I did some for other people on really deformed, old posts and they were really neat.
This is over the doorway to the entry and bathroom. It used to be the door out of the house. The bathroom and entry were my side porch. I think I mentioned before that my bedroom is on the first floor so I don't really use the upstairs (except to store all my Christmas decorations and stuff!)
Tomorrow- on to the bathroom!