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December 30

Hi! Did everyone survive the holidays? We enjoyed all the time we got to spend with our girls and grandchildren. In lieu of a parade of Christmas photos (since I don't really have any that are ready to share) I thought I'd share a few random pics off my phone.  Here's a window in an Old Town shop I wanted to share. See the curled magazine pages used to decorate the tree? You could go a lot of different directions with this idea.
 

John is quite the creature of habit...as we all are, I suppose. Most evenings (and mornings, for that matter) you can walk in and find him sitting on the couch, laptop open checking emails, playing poker on his phone, and watching the golf channel on tv. All at the same time. Sure cracked me up when I walked in and found Madison imitating her Papa. (although I think she's watching Sesame Street, not golf).  Looks just like him!

Snapped a quick pic of our cute brood to text to my oldest daughter Erica one night a couple weeks ago. I guess I should have turned off the flash, because the dog's eyes in the following photo are untouched. Freaky! The funny part is that there was a delay in the transmission of the text. Not sure why--it just happens sometimes.  She didn't receive it til midnight. She reached over in the dark to see who was texting her at that late hour and there were these glowing green zombie dog eyes staring at her! lol!

Just a few days ago I finally checked out people of walmart.com. Blech~ almost wish I didn't. Anyway, yesterday morning I snapped this photo of a woman in pjs and slippers. At my bank. For real. I'm thinking of starting a People of Eureka website.

Last night I glanced over at Mia on the chair and it was like lookin' in the mirror!

 The post holiday bloat! How on earth does one gain so much weight in so little time?! Dangit. It's probably going to take me a month of hard work to lose what I so easily put on in a week. :-{   Oh well, I won't deny I enjoyed eating every bite! (Erica--ytou are NOT ALLOWED to buy that darned Red Velvet Cake at Costco next year!!)

Have a happy and safe New Year, Talk soon!

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