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December 21

Way to disappear, huh? Whose big idea was it to make seven quilts in a very short amount of time? Oh yeah...mine! Well, I guess I'm glad in the end, but I was sewing on bindings until this very weekend and I am so O*V*E*R quilts. For now anyway. In fact, when I got a few free minutes one evening last week I started putting some number sets together 'cause I feel some new perpetual calendars coming on. Anything but quilts!  I have to say they have been put to very good use so far

(by the way, she's sucking her thumb, not picking her nose. Although she has been known to do both at the same time).

I love all the different Christmas flannels Moda has put out the past couple of years...they compliment each other well and they are SO soft.

I think Sophie especially likes the new flannel Christmas quilts showing up around here ;-)

 
(taken during their ritual morning wrestling match) 

I made some with non flannel, too. This one is a Three Sisters jelly roll and a Minnick & Simpson charm pack (or vice versa?) both from Moda and again; they just go so nicely together.

A few months ago Pam posted a link to some cool woven labels. I ran right over and got some, with garment sewing in mind... thinking 5/8" tall was a perfect size. I didn't realize how far out my name would stretch so...yikes! What to do with 100 too-big labels?  

 
For now, this will work. :-)

Daughters and their beaus start streaming in tonight through to the end of next weekend so I best get crackin' on the shopping, etc. Take good care and enjoy the rest of the season!

jen

December 11

I have a couple of this week's holiday parties to show pics of. Last night was our Quilt Guild's annual Holiday Potluck.

I am in charge of *Hospitality* this year, which means be the first to show up (to make coffee, pumch, organize the treats people are thoughtful enough to bring) and the last to leave (after I break it all back down). It really is the most comfortable job for me. I seem to be the same way at home--

just kind of hanging back in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the guests to make sure they all have what they need.  The only problem with being back in the kitchen most of the time is you miss things. See that quilt hanging at the far end of the food tables? (scroll back up...I'll wait). It is the sample quilt for the block of the month program the guild has evidently been doing this year. Seems they'd been selling raffle tickets for it the past couple months and I just heard about it as they were making "last calls" to buy tickets. I asked them to wait, ran out to the car for my checkbook, scribbled "JD" on twenty tickets, the gal in charge went up to the stage, shuffled them around real good (they sold over 700 @ $1 each) and sure enough she announced "JD!". Can you believe it?! So I ran back over and took another picture.

 :-) So cool! She asked from the stage, "Are you going to keep it or gift it away?" I said, "Are you kidding? That thing cost $700! I'm keepin' it!" lol. But when I got home and Caleb let me know how much he really liked it, and I started looking at the fact that it was mostly all batiks and really not girly in any way, I realized it's probably just the quilt to tuck away for him when he gets big and moves out on his own. So I'll put it in his 'hope chest' (that he really doesn't have.)

Okay. One more pic from one more party this week. John's Rotary had their shindig at the Carson Mansion again. Maybe they have it there every year...I haven't really noticed. I just get excited to get out of the house for a cocktail and a nice dinner! Well, I'm pretty proud of myself for having taken off and kept off 20 pounds since last year. So I had John snap a pic of me before we left. Thought it'd be a real "before and after" moment.

Here's last year. The before.

And here's the after...twenty pounds lighter.

 
 I know, right?! You can hardly even tell. I did take in the dress part of this outfit but clearly I should've taken the coat in, too. lol. Probably if I really did look ohsomuchbetter I wouldn't have even shown it here for fear of looking like a bragger or something but it's pretty humbling to work that hard and not see much difference. So there ya go. Me in a nutshell. Well, I promise you'll see the final twenty off this time next year and THAT, my friends will be noticeable (I hope!)

december 9.5 :-)

I had to undress this little tree in the front room last night. We have four trees up and I think I like this one best.

 

I simply HAVE to start getting rid of some of the excess STUFF around here, and I thought I'd start with the overage of vintage Christmas ornaments. So I used this tree as a backdrop for photographing four separate listings of old glass bulbs in pinks and blues/aquas. If you need some find them here.  

December 9

Have you ever heard of the Dogville Comedy Shorts? Made by MGM in 1930. Several more can be seen here. Too funny! I caught one on TCM tonight, after watching Andy Griffith's 1959 debut film, A Face in the Crowd,  I have to say;  I've been watching AG on tv my entire life and I had no idea he was such a good actor! Wow. That movie (A Face in the Crowd, not the Dogville Short) is as relevant today as it seems to have been 50 years ago. His character reminded me of Sarah Palin. Check it out if you can.

December 2

Were YOU one of those people who recently heard about and saw here in blogland the super cute red scalloped cake stands?

But you went to your local Target(s) and couldn't find one? Well, I grabbed one while I was there today. Leave a comment and let me know if you want it...$16 plus shipping. If more than one of you feel you just CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT, then I'll go back tomorrow and buy the other two that I left there today.

December 1

Hi folks. I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. John and I drove two of our grandkids 500 miles south to spend a couple days with my parents. Dad's not doing well and it seemed an important trip to make. It was Madison's first time meeting Papa Jerry and will almost certainly be her last. Each of the three times we went over to see him she willingly gave him a kiss.

 She's seen John almost every day of her life and won't even kiss him. I think she sensed that he is frail. It gives me hope that she may very well be capable of compassion because usually...sorry to say but she's just not very nice!

She did look pretty cute tho. I know I referred to her new dress as Little House on the Prairie, but looking at this pic I'm thinking more along the lines of Holly Hobbie. :-)

My baby brother and his wife were at mom's with five of their adorable six kids. Caleb just looves hanging out with his cousins. :-)

 
Between my dad's health concerns and an even worse situation with another family member, I can tell already that this holiday season will not be one I'll have a lot of control over. We do have a tree now

 

but I can't swear to much else happening worth posting here. When I imagine myself posting about doing a fun or happy thing in the coming weeks I feel guilty. Guilty about not suffering along with my family members, you know? Like I'd be fiddling while Rome burned.  gah. These are the times that you just have to learn as you go, 'cause I really don't know what to DO. I think I may do some re-posts of favorite entries from happier times in December's past, just so you won't completely forget about me.  I know you'll understand. ;-)

Take good care. jen

November 23

Would you believe our dog Sophie is 18 months old and we just took her to the beach for the first time yesterday? And that we live only 8 minutes from the beach? Have you ever heard of such BAD pet owners? I thought not.

She was incredibly well-behaved. Got pretty excited when she saw so many other dogs, frolicking and having a gay ol' time, but we've never taken her around other dogs very much, either.

BAD pet owners. I seriously don't know what we did to deserve such a GOOD dog, but we talked the whole 8 minute drive home about how that was a perfect way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday morning with the grandkids (and the dog) so hopefully we'll start doing it more often.

I wasn't going to talk about Madison's second birthday any more but now I have a cute story to share. Last night her mom Melissa threw her another party. At a pizza parlor. Why...I don't know. Seemed more for the adults than anything but I just take my camera and go where I'm told. So it gets time to open presents and she is handed a small bag (the one you sent, Erica). She takes out the first wad of tissue paper, 'blows' her nose on it, and sets it aside.

Takes out another wad, blows again, sets it aside.

Takes out a third wadded up ball of tissue paper, blows again,

At this point all she sees in there is MORE tissue paper, so; almost hyperventilating, she decides enough is enough and crawls down to go back and play in the video game room. LOL!

Her mother had to stop her and finish opening the gift "look! It's a fun new toy!" at which point Madison was like, "Cool. A gift. Thanks!" and she wandered off. Leaving all the other gifts unopened for the night. In a nutshell--exactly why I don't think little kids need big parties.

So, speaking of gifts in a bag. It just seems like hardly anyone wraps the boxes anymore. I do, because then  I get to buy wrapping papers and ribbons. :-) ONE of the presents was actually wrapped last night (the rest came in bags) and I simply have to show you the SWEETEST scoop o' cute that brought it.

gah! So cute I can hardly stand it. This little darling is 3 months younger than Madison. Their big brothers who are now 8 & 9 have been friends since age 1, and now the girls get to grow up together, too. One of the very best reasons for not moving all over the place any more in my opinion. :-)