Needing changes!

Oh yes, the Christmas decorations have been up since Thanksgiving weekend so it’s time…it will be a slower process this time taking everything down to put away because I’m going to be purging! Yep…getting rid of decorations I’ve been hanging onto for years but just couldn’t part with. Quite possibly the kids will take some, or not…really doesn’t matter because what I will be getting rid of will not have a sentimental meaning so it will be easy.

I am not tired of looking at the lights – I love them in fact but it’s time like all of you I’m sure to get your house back to normal…I like the ‘normal’ – no special decorations for the season – just the things I love and love to look at.

I’m trying also to get things in order because on the 7th I’m having back surgery and I won’t be able to bend or lift for at least 8 weeks – I’ll have to wear a body brace…yuk…but it’s better than moving wrong and having a huge hurt!

Christmas here was wonderful – the boys/families came around 1:30 Christmas day.  We caught up on ‘what’s happening’, ate lots of goodies, then it was gift time and like any family with little ones it was wonderful.  Aidan decided he was going to be grandpa’s helper and pass out the gifts – he did it so nice…he’d take the gift and then when he was giving it to the person he’d say their name and ‘this is for you’ – he was so darned cute!
Miranda…well, she’s a sweetie – but she doesn’t like grandma – I’ve yet to hold and cuddle her because she just screams.  I was lucky a few weeks ago to hold her for a picture.  It doesn’t bother me though because I know she will grow out of it. She does the same thing with one of her aunts.

Miranda loves her aunt Jamie though!

The table was set very simply – we found the stockings at Kohl’s – I looked for some last year but could not find them. I wanted to put the silverware in them and this year the food network had them out.

While rooting through all the older decorations I found some of the boys old ones from when they lived at home so they were enjoying picking out theirs to take home.

I did finally finish Heathers gift on Christmas Eve that she chose for me to make…she wanted a flag hanging for her front door.

I’m so loving my hooked rug project – it’s going to be great when I finish.  I didn’t have any other white to do the snow in so I used the wool I bought from Cathy a couple weeks ago – I kind of like the effect – the sky will be done in Aqua colors – hopefully I have enough of the muted Aqua’s.

Before the snow
 

With the snow…I brought it down quite a bit from where the pattern line is drawn – it was up too far for my liking.
You can see the original line right behind the sheep’s backend. 

I guess I’m going to be needing another one for my recoup time!

I am now taking orders again on KM Primitives so if you want to place an order just e-mail me with your selection(s) along with your full mailing address for shipping calculations and I’ll send out a paypal invoice.

Blessings to all and thank you for being my friend and customer this past year(s)
Karen

All ready for Christmas? Lonely Kitty!

Merry Christmas to all of you – I imagine by now you are elbow deep in gift wrapping…I’M NOT BUT SHOULD BE…I always put it off until Christmas Eve day for some reason.  Not sure why because I am usually right up to par with most everything I do except this.  Maybe it becomes overwhelming seeing the piles build and so I don’t want to tackle it.  But whatever reason it’s there waiting for me.

We had company yesterday – the couple I told you was coming over and we were going out to dinner.
Charlie and Doug grew up together so have been close friends since early grade school. We both married around the same time so became couples friends from then on.
We chose a nice dinner club housed in an old converted barn called The Cotton Exchange – lovely place and wonderful food.  After dinner we came back here for dessert. Strawberry Shortcake Cake.

I promised ‘Judy’ I would post it and also my English Butter Toffee recipe so they will both be on my ‘Favorite Recipes’ tab in the left sidebar. Hope you enjoy…they’re both very easy recipes and go together in a flash.

The restaurant part in in the barn…they hold parties/weddings in the new part

On Tuesday the vet’s office called and said we could come pick up Lola’s remains – I must say when we decided to have her cremated we never expected to receive the beautiful things we did…being we never did this before it was unexpected.
She came back home in a gorgeous Mahogany box with her name engraved and a little clay casting of her paws.  Did the tears ever come then – I thought I was doing good but guess this was just the final straw.
 
Lola would forever lay under our tree so it was fitting that I hooked the plaque on the lowest branch of our tree – I’m sure all of you who have had to put their animals to sleep feel the same way so I’m not talking to a new batch of people…I know you understand.

Lola from past Christmas’s – I just noticed the price on the toe of the stocking – this picture was from my last home show.
 

I caught this picture of Baby today…does she look lost and lonely or what

Well – after these pictures that’s it for blogging until after Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, remember the hooked pattern I ordered so I could work on it during my recuperating from surgery…which by the way is scheduled for Jan. 7th.
I just couldn’t wait…got so anxious and had some free time so I started it.  It feels so good to have this time to work on things like this and not be behind on things.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE…May all your whishes and dreams come true.
Stay safe if traveling and remember the reason we celebrate this wonderful holiday.
Karen

 

 

Well here we are…

Just a week away from Christmas – I don’t know where the time has gone. As many of you feel the same way I’m sure….seems we were just getting out our Fall things and then WALLA…Christmas.
If only it would snow it might have a more festive feeling – although I’m not sure snow would do it as like everyone in the country my mood is not a happy one.  The Conn. tragedy has left a mark on many or possibly all of us I’m sure…when children are involved it is such a different feeling and matter all together – they’re all tragic but this was horrific.  As with all of you I’m sending out prayers to the families and the community.

Things have been going quite smoothly around here lately and I’m not sure why – possibly because I gave up trying to fit EVERYTHING IN..it’s not going to make one bit of difference if ‘this or that’ doesn’t get done…who’s going to know…and I’m better off for it.
Tonight we are going to Emily’s band concert and tomorrow night is Joe’s concert.
Wednesday is shopping day in Janesville and Saturday night friends are coming over and we’re going out for our yearly Christmas dinner.  I was going to make the dinner but AGAIN…I said…WHY…let’s just go out like we always do with them and it will be less stress.  Good thinking huh???   Am I getting wiser or what????

We visited Darren and MaryAnn this morning because I missed the little munchkins and I wanted to give MaryAnn the Penny Rug I made for her along with some candy/cookies we made.
I included a cute little plate with a hand drawn Santa scene on it and the words ‘Cookies For Santa’ and added 3 of my Wool Cookies.

 

Miranda is going through the ‘scared’ stage when she sees people…took quite a bit before we could get her to hold still long enough to get a half way decent picture.

Daddy and Miranda

Aidan didn’t want to get out of his Santa jammies…nor leave his Wii game he was playing

Our daughter in-law Jamie chose one of my Trees For Sale Penny Rugs – she gets hers tonight.  And Heather chose a Flag hanging for hers – which I still have to make.

This past week Doug and I had a day of baking and candy making.
Although one didn’t turn out – we wanted to make soft creamy caramels but the one’s we made were like rocks…looked nice, tasted great but you wouldn’t have teeth left if you ate them.  We tossed the whole batch away.  May try a different recipe later this week.
 

 

Then it was on to Butter Toffee – oh my goodness this is awesome stuff.  Next time though I will put it in a larger pan and use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate (although dark is my favorite).  Once it cools you break it into pieces.

And last we made Pecan Balls.  A must have each Christmas.  Fudge will be this week…if I make it too soon it gets eaten too quickly (by me….)

I am so in awe at the wonderful people in this world…I know this past week we have heard so much bad but today I received a surprise letter/card in the mail from someone I do not know.  This is because of the wonderful world of blogs.
Over the past 4 years since I’ve had my blog I am amazed at the people who make contact and share – why can’t the whole world be this nice…we all seem to have common ground and are drawn by these common threads.  Love of each other, our homes, our families and just loving life.
I did not know Kathy existed as she does not comment.  She wrote (yes, WROTE, NOT TYPED) 4 pages to let me know who she was and to get a better feel of who she was.  She sent photos of her home as well, I feel I know her now. Thank you Kathy for your sweet kind words and for letting me get a glimpse of your life too.  I hope now you will start commenting – I’d so love to hear from you.
So you see…there are wonderful people in our world and they outnumber all the bad by far.

And speaking of wonderful friends…here’s a couple we met just once for a weekend 3 years ago.
Ben and Linda Tittles live in Florida and we met them through a couple other friends whom we met for the Simple Goods show.  From then on Ben and Linda have been such wonderful close friends…they send cards, e-mail greetings, updates on them/their family and send the most awesome thoughtful gifts.  Linda seems to know just what to give.  Last year it was a gorgeous Mercury ornament…pewter candlesticks, pewter goblets and now this year an BEAUTIFUL ‘HANDCRAFTED’ MERCURY BOWL and 3 adorable ornaments.
I do not know what we did to deserve the wonderful friendship from them but we love you Ben and Linda. THANK YOU.

Last week while looking through A PRIMITIVE PLACE MAGAZINE I came across a home who had a wonderful hooked rug on her bedroom wall – I NEEDED IT!  I asked a couple rug hooking gals on the blogs if they knew and one of them did.  Cathy from Orange Sink knew just the pattern designer and led me to her.
I ordered it on Friday and today it arrived…is it awesome or what???  Now I will have something to work on after my surgery while I recuperate.

It came from WOOLEN MEMORIES – she has so many wonderful patterns and her prices are very reasonable.

 
Here’s the one I saw…and I’m hoping to use the same color pallet.
I have some wonderful Ivory wool left from my last sheep rug that will look just great…nice and fluff.
 

Oh my…more old vintage and mercury ornaments…seems I didn’t find all they had last time I was at the Garden shop.  They had several trees with old ornaments on them and I went in again on Saturday and yeahhhh – more ornaments.

THEN….as I was checking the cupboards in the basement I found a bag with more ornaments in them…I had purchased them back in September at an antique shop and put them away and forgot about them….so 6 more went on the tree.
I am now very happy with all the ones I’ve found this year.

 

Last minute touches….I didn’t like the tree in the bathroom so I added some snowmen heads and a couple of banners.

Looking out into the screen room from the family room

Den into family room…see why I love sitting on the loveseat to stitch…I can see into the family room and not feel out of the loop.

Have a wonderful rest of your week and weekend…I’ll be visiting you soon.

Karen