Happy Almost 2009!

Just a quick post to everyone out there.....Happy New Year!

Oh and a quick creative update.....bought some Kona solids to incorporate into the Amy Butler/Ginger Blossoms.....solid colors....hmmm....uncharted territory. And, big pause, I'm trying to learn to knit. Stay tuned, I haven't thrown the yarn out the window yet.

Christmas hangover...Day 3

Yes, it's Day 3 of Christmas hangover. I think we all hit rock bottom today. The girls are sugar-gift crashing. I'm done with "you people". "You People" is the title I give my family when we've spent entirely too much family time together under one roof. I feel masses of guilt for saying this. I should be writing about how I wish I could spend every waking moment with my children and husband and how fleeting these moments are, but I can't. This happens toward the end of every extended vacation. It is customary for me to say,"You people, can go where ever you want. I'm going to go to 'somewhere' (this can be the grocery store, my sewing studio, my room, basically wherever I can be alone)." No one takes it personally, it's just I need my space.

First let me post a picture to wrap up the crazed frog, quilt, pajama making frenzy that I started in November...
In case you're not aware, Frog 1 went to my niece, Frog 2 my oldest Munchkin, and the one that wouldn't stop talking, to my youngest. The girls loved their PJs and their frogs.

Christmas day was a mixed bag of emotions for me.

It was wonderful watching my two girls unwrap their presents from Santa, Mommy and Daddy, and each other and smile with delight. It made me smile as they both squealed with glee over each package. And I enjoyed possibly the last Christmas my oldest will believe in Santa. She's 9 and is still buying into the myth. I'm trying to perpetuate it as long as I can. I remember when I found out that Santa wasn't real...it was very disappointing.

On the flip side of watching my children, was everything that happened this summer and losing my Dad. The ache of almost losing my children has lessened, but it still lurks around. But the absence of my Father was almost unbearable. I cried several times on Christmas day and the days that led up to it. I tried to mask my sadness with all the traditions and rituals that my family has created for the holiday. On Christmas day, my Mother showed us some home movies that a cousin found of my Mother and Father, young and starting life with their new baby, me. Movies of my young Father in his undershirt, feeding his infant daughter in her infant seat, tickling her tummy and feet, making her smile and giggle. I miss him. He loved my Christmas cookies, he loved Christmas dinner, he ALWAYS made me coffee after dinner and made sure that there was half n half for me, and he always loved on the little girls and gave them too many M&Ms. His absence this Christmas was painful.

On a different note, I saw WALL-E on Christmas. I LOVED it! LOVE, LOVE, LOVED it! Hubbie got me an IPOD.....I LOVE it!

I did get some sewing in today. Worked on my Amy Butler/Ginger Blossom Log Cabin. Almost ready to put the top together. I still have some Christmas gifts to give...pictures to follow.

My Hubbie loves me lots! He's been working feverishly on the Photo CD from my Guild's Quilt Show in September most of the day. He doesn't get paid for his time (well, not monetarily) and doesn't volunteer (I do that). But he's devoted several hours of his Sunday to producing a lovely photo CD for me. Big SMACK to Hubbie for all he does.

Well, I'm going to roll myself off the sofa now to go searching for one more glass of wine, check on Hubbie and see if he needs anything from me, and to see what movies are on tv (in that order)!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house....the Munchkins were going crazy and I finished all my Christmas gifts and cookies and Hubbie wrapped presents like a fiend.....

Three frogs ready to go...Frog 1 is still making his demands, Frog 2 has turned out to be very soft spoken and undemanding, and Frog 3 won't shut up....keeps ribbitting like crazy.

Three Sugar Plum Fairy Quilts done! I started these November 1st! I can't wait to get back to my Amy Butler/Ginger Blossoms Log Cabin.

Pictures of models wearing PJs to follow after unwrapping tomorrow.

And finally as if I didn't have enough to do, I whipped up these ornaments/gift tags for my Mom and Sis.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night! I hope tomorrow finds you and yours happy, safe, and together!

What we're up to

We're having lots of Christmas fun. Today Hubbie took the Munchkins to the Super Target for some last minute shopping. Nugget finally purchased the items from the $1 section she's been wanting.....

A miniature cocktail shaker, martini glasses, and light up shot glasses. Betty Crocker makes an Easy Bake Oven, Nugget has assembled the Easy Make Bar Set. She's been making us "cocktails" of diet Coke and Fresca. Should I be worried?

Speaking of Betty Crocker, I pulled out one of favorite cookbooks to make my famous Sugar Cookies for the Season. Betty Crocker, circa 1973.
I love this cookbook. This is before all recipes had to have a "light" version. In the Cakes chapter, they refer to Cake Mixes as something new and innovative. There is whole chapter on table settings, menus for different occasions (did you know Apple Pie is the appropriate dessert for "Dinner for the Boss." There are recipes for all kinds of 70s appetizers and entrees, and a few beverage recipes. And there are some recipes and explanations for things like Stollen, Lebkuchen, Challah, and other international type things.


Lovely table settings that could be set today.I love the coffee pot in the picture above.

And don't you love the oven mitt!? So cute.

Flipping through this cookbook has inspired me to have a '70s Dinner Party sometime after the 1st of the year. People will have to come in 70s inspired clothing....I think it would be fun.

I've also been sewing like a fiend....I PROMISE pictures soon!

Just found this....I've going to do it!

I just found this while reading my daily blogs. I've decided that I can whip up a couple of birdies to leave around my neighborhood. I think this a fabulous idea! If you can carve out alittle extra sewing or crafting time, make one or two, it will definitely make someone's day!

100th Post! Who'd a thought.....

I started to post tonight just to let everyone know that I'm still alive and finally feeling better. I'm still alittle stuffy and have a box of tissues wherever I go, but I'm back on the side of the living.

Then I realized that this is my 100th post! Whoo Hoo, that's right, you know it, uh huh! I wish I had something cool to giveaway, but right now I'm just swamped with getting Christmas here and done.

On the topic of Christmas presents, specifically the girls presents, here's the latest status:
- Frogs - 2 completed, one ready to stuff just need more Poly Pellets (Michaels was out of stock Saturday). Just as an aside, I stood in the middle of the aisle with the Michaels employee who had just verified that there was not a bag of Poly Pellets to be had in the store, and basically I stared at the empty shelf, hoping if I stared hard and long enough some Pellets would materialize. I think I frightened the Michaels employee.
- PJs - 3 pairs of pants complete, 2 tshirt designs complete, left to do - print designs on transfer paper and use heat press to apply transfers to tshirts
- Quilts - 3 quilts QUILTED, miles of binding made, left to do - print labels on transfer paper and use heat press, bind quilts
- Pillowcases - still possible, but I'm not as motivated
- Frog for my sister - in design stages only

I also whipped up at small drawstring jewelry bag using this pattern for my oldest Munchkin's tutor. I'll have pictures of pouch and quilts later. Just ran out daylight for pictures.

Also, tis the season for peace on earth. Number One, Hubby's cat Snickers, just crawled up in my lap while I was sitting here on my laptop. This is a once a year kind of thing. Snickers thinks I'm the maid and she's the lady of the house. She's mellowed a bit in old age, but for the most part everyone outside of Hubby is just noise. So I enjoyed my moment of love from my old fat cat.

Here's a picture of the Petits from this year's Christmas Party. Unfortunately, we waited too long and several other Petits had headed home. All but one of these hooligans I've known since birth. In fact, one of these beautiful things was my first baby...meaning that she was the first baby that any of my friends had ever had. And a group of these kids all went to my company's daycare together. So to say that one day, they'll all be sitting under a tree all grown up talking about their crazy old Mamas is a pretty good prediction.
Ok next topic...can you tell I'm feeling better.....I've been thinking about all kinds of things.

Recently, I finally saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Loved it! I've now watched it several times. My favorite song and sequence it "By the Sea". And Johnny Depp as a murderous barber....so sexy, I can't help it.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm sure as the season progresses I'll have more to talk about!

Have I mentioned how much I hate sinus infections?!

Ok, sorry if you are tuning in to read about my creative exploits, but I have to whine. Today was a "laying on the floor of the bathroom because it's so cool" kinda of day. A "may God have mercy on my soul" kind of day. A "I didn't know my body could produce so much snot in one day" kind of day. I hate being sick. I hate feeling like crap. I HATE sinus infections!

Now that that is out of my system, tomorrow is another day (to quote Scarlett) and I hope I'll be feeling better.

Ho, Ho, Ho....I've got to blow...

my nose, that is. Yes Virgina, Melissa has her annual sinus infection. But enough said about that...on to more fun things.

As promised here are a few shots of my Christmas decorations.....

The view from the kitchen/eating are into the family room....

A macrame Christmas tree that Mom commissioned probably 25 years ago. She was going to throw it out....

The mantel and new tv.....I think I'm going to make some stockings after Christmas this year.
My study is decorated in snowmen....here's the piano....
Paw's Paw's desk....
The snowman tree that lives in the front window....
Over the arches into the study and dining room I hang this garland and decorate it with red and silver balls, snowflakes, and icicles.
My Christmas village, it even has a quilt shop.
My pride and joy, my 14 foot Christmas tree.....I LOVE it! It needs a tree skirt...another after Christmas project.
And my stairs...lights, garland, snowflakes (5 types), icicles, and bows.
It has taken years of shopping the day after Christmas to accumulate all these decorations (at bargain prices)! And no, I'm not done, there's always room for more!

Then in the process of tweaking the PJ pant pattern, I whipped up a couple of test pairs with matching tshirts.

Rose mugging for the camera.
Lily, smiling. She was very pleased with her dino pjs.

And yesterday I was reading my blogs, and noticed that Spool Sewing had a post about this bird pattern. Well, Kate is obsessed with birds in a good way (not like squirrels). So I whipped this little guy up and took him over to her. It was a good break from making frogs, quilts, and pjs. BTW, Frog 2 is finished. She's not as demanding as Frog 1. In fact, she's quite shy....I wonder who Frog 3 will be?

And away we go.....

This week the accelerating downward spiral into Christmas and New Years began. Naturally, I've been working on the gifts for the girls and frantically decorating my house, but this week things really got kicked off.

Tuesday the company my husband and I work for rented a bus and a bunch of us and our families toured one of the local holiday lights displays. This is one of their annual traditions at this company. I'm not sure when it started, but they've been doing since I first started working there in 1994. It's fun and the Munchkins always enjoy it.

Wednesday started my other annual December tradition, getting sick the week before my Christmas party. Wednesday night me, Hubby, and the Munchkins all started with the sniffles and coughs. I, of course, was desperately trying to convince myself that it was all the dust coming off the artificial Christmas tree (I'm real good at deluding myself). I managed to get my house transformed into the annual Christmas wonderland (I promise pictures later).

Friday night I went to a traditional ornament exchange. Saturday night was a party I have had every year for the last 10 years!? It started when all my friends and I started having our babies. We dress the Petits up and take their picture in front of the Christmas tree. I have some great ones of screaming babies. I had a great time I hope everyone else did too.

Today started out as a day I was going to spend sewing, but after pressing through my pounding sinus headache and cough yesterday, Hubbie gave me a wonderful gift.....a day in bed resting. Tomorrow I'm "back on my head" and back to the grind.

Y'all take care.....and Happy Holidays!

It ain't easy being green....and pink....and purple

First off, Happy Belated Thanksgiving! We had a good one, all things considered. Hope you and yours had a happy holiday.

Now on to some fun stuff. I actually got some sewing in this weekend. Among scrubbing pans, eating leftovers, and putting up the Christmas decorations, I had to find time to work on the girls'(Lily, Rose, and Emma's) Christmas gifts. Well, I've completed my first frog! I love him. And thanks to Kate and Kathy insisting on me finding Poly Pellets to fill him with, he's perfect! I think the girls will love their frogs. My sister has already put her order in for one, and I think I'm going to make a frog for myself at some point.
Froggie wanted to see the snow flurries for himself.
He's quite a vain frog. He insisted that I get a full body shot from his good side.