Farewell 2007.... Hello 2008

Christmas came and went in a flash. I never really got any decorations up, nor did I do any shopping. I was in great denial this year. The day of my last post I came down with a nasty cold. I tried to keep it together, but I missed some work and basically missed Christmas. I did manage to get the crayon bags done and made 3 little girls very happy. I don't know of a better feeling than to watch a little one open your gift and see them get so engrossed that they forget there are other gifts to open!

I needed wrapping for the crayon bags so I stopped by K-Mart on Christmas Eve.I think that is where my Christmas Spirit was hiding! All it took was for me to see some adorable Martha ornaments on 50% off and it was a light bulb moment! I'm so excited about next year! Sure hope by the time it rolls around I will remember I have these little goodies. Maybe I haven't decorated because I didn't have a fake tree and going out and getting a real tree was too much trouble and $$ just for me? All of my ornaments are for a big real tree. Well... now I'm looking for a 3 foot fake tree. That is all I need, I found one, got it home and it's not green... it's COPPER! ugh! looks like a dead tree. The search continues. Nothing can move me like the word "Clearance" ! My sweet son thought that I had been very good this year. He surprised me with a gift that left me speechless. His gift from me left him speechless as well. Can you guess which is which? Here's a clue... His comment was "hey it's PG 13!" (I told you I was in denial mode, I hang my head in shame)...Thank you Andrew, now I'm no longer in the dark ages of television!

Tick ... Tick ... Tick.......

No it's not a bomb, unless you call Christmas a bomb, I think the phrase "It's the Bomb" went out of style a while ago. As I type I can hear the clock ticking down the days, hours. minutes and seconds that are left to get my projects done. I thought I would put up this post and not revisit until Sunday Stash Report. I spend entirely too much time on the computer and time is getting short. By Sunday evening I will need to complete 3 crayon bags, a table topper and a pillow case. Hmm, we'll see what I can do. Yikes, I have a dentist appointment in between now and then too! The placemats were a success, all of the recipients seemed pleased as were the tablerunner recipients. I made a huge pot of vegetable beef soup, ceasar salad, french bread, cranberry oat bars and pumpkin pie cake. Let me tell you there wasn't much of anything left over!! Oh except salad, I bought too much, so somebody brought chicken in the next day and we had chicken ceasar salad and french bread for lunch! Not much to write about tonite. This may be strange, but in the category of "Things that make you go HMMMM?"........ The little tin in the picture came from Joann's filled with cookies. I think I bought it last year on clearance, it could have even been the year before. Check out this year's "Christmas Past" line, it's a perfect match!! Kinda like what came first, the chicken or the egg? Ok, now this one isn't as close, but it is ribbon that again I got on clearance at Joanns last year, and it sure reminds me of the Holly Jolly line. Ok, now that I've given you something to think about, I'm going to get bizzzzy, where's my Starbucks, I'm going to need gallons!!

Holiday Progress

Things are moving along. I put a wreath on the door, I have scented candles burning, I'm drinking my Starbucks Christmas Blend with Peppermint Mocha creamer. I've been watching the holiday movies (happy to catch "It's A Wonderful Life") and I bought a christmas cd to listen to. Oh and got some peppermint ice cream too!

This morning I finished the 4 table runners that

I started about a month ago. They've been waiting for applique. I'm very happy those are done! Now I can move on. I'm taking my staff of twenty lunch on Tuesday so those preparations will keep me out of trouble. That's when I will be giving them the placemats. I'm going to make more of those pretzels too. I made some last week and they are yummy!!

Now for the stash busters, please note that the table runners are completely from stash!! But I will confess to pushing some buttons on Friday. I ordered this "Heels On Wheels" fabric to make a pillow case as joke gift for my now single son. And my next projects are crayon bags for my two little nieces. I have a lot of fat quarters that would be appropriate, but no yardage. Darn, I think I need to shop! Fa La La La LA... Tis the season!

Oh and head on over to Strawberry House Quilts and leave her a message, she's having a giveaway!!

EDITORS NOTE: hmmm about that pretzel link, I don't think crazy Sharon realized that she put her pretzel tutorial in the same post as her husband's polyps.. oh my!! just scroll down and you'll find it.

Ho Ho Hummm

This is my Sunday Stash Report, yeah I know it's Tuesday, what can I say? I have not bought any fabric. Of course I didn't use a lot either. I did one block on my secret gift Q project, but I've abandoned that project. There is just not enough time. Now I hope to get it done for next year. Hmm what do I feel like working on now? I guess I will do some machine applique to finish the 4 table runners that I started a while back, that would at least be 4 more gifts. Maybe work on a redwork project.

I don't know what it is, I can't get in the holiday mood. I did manage to put a wreath on the door and I have my scented candles burning. I've been looking at all of the blogland homes decorated and cheerful, but it's just not working for me. I do have this wallhanging in my office that I finished last year. It's called Winter Greetings by Elizabeth of Late Bloomer Quilts. This was before my machine applique class so it is needle turned. I love this because I can leave it all winter!!

Did that and Done!

The placemats are done and in their baskets, I'm going to bring lunch for my staff on the 11th and hand them out then. These were fun to make and I don't know where my brain was, but I almost didn't quilt them. It finally dawned on me that they were supposed to be "quilted placemats". Sometimes I can be so slow, but eventually I catch up. Like next time I make these I won't use all of my prints and maybe space them out with some tot's or solids. Duh, then I may have had enough of the prints. I think they have a saying for this, something about hindsight. It also finally dawned on me that this was another "P" project!! What's up with that? First it was pincushions, then pumpkins and then back to the pincushions cause I didn't get them done and now placemats! I'm done with the "P's" and I'm movin on to the "Qs" but I can't say what. What I'm working on now is a gift for someone who may check my blog. So... I'm busy and staying out of trouble. The 20 placemats managed to use up about 5 yards of my stash and odd bits and leftovers of batting, so this is gonna be linked to the stashbusting!!

Oh and how cute are those napkins that I found at the dollar store... 2 for a buck?

I'm a Winner

Gosh I'm just grinnin from ear to ear! I've been patiently posting at all of these fantastic blog give aways with the hopes of winning something. Wondering if I would ever get lucky and BAM!!! Three in a row, I 'm so flippin excited. First I woke up yesterday and read Darlene's Blog to find that she picked me as a winner, altho she wasn't exactly doing a drawing, it was a thrill all the same and a great way to start my day. Then last nite before I went to bed I thought I would check in over at Calico Horse Blog and OMG! I won a Strawberry Lemonade Jelly Roll !!! Sweet dreams for me!! So surely not expecting anything else like this to happen, I was going thru my blog roll and OMG again! Sandy over at Vintage Collage and Quilts drew my name for her adorable Cup Cake Quilt pattern. Those a just the cutest little cuppy cakes, I'm just can't wipe this smile off my face. I don't care what anyone says, it's FUN to win!!! And now the anticipation of delivery.... the fun continues! (Stop the presses, I just realized that this winning streak started over the weekend, when my name was drawn in another quilting group's weekly drawing, that makes 4!!! Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket? go to the horse races? Reno? Vegas?) **** Added note: Camille is having a Pattern Giveaway, be sure to visit and let her know what your favorite patterns are, you might get lucky! ****

First of December - Time Flies

I haven't decorated the condo, but I did do a little here. I've been spending way too much time looking at everyone's holiday decorations. What beauty to behold. It just doesn't end! Actually, I think this is just a form of procrastination. Good grief, I'm even thinking of baking! I managed to get 7 placemats done and now I'm bored. I would really rather do something else. Anyhoooooooo... Here's a little link that you can play with. Make-a-Flake - A snowflake maker by Lookandfeel new media I'm actually thinking of Sharon, cause she has that sign that says that all of her best friends are flakes. Now with this link Sharon can make all the friends she wants!! LOL OK, I'm gonna go work on placemats.... Hope you enjoy your Saturday!