One Creative Family

Right now it is a balmy 18 degrees and by noon it will be a scorching 25.  Guess I will have to get out in the weather and get groceries sometime today as the next week will be colder.  But this morning brings quilting a quilt for Vicki, my sister in law.  She has hinted at wanting a quilt in the past and at Thanksgiving the hint was a little stronger.  It will be on the way next week, Vicki, I promise.  Here is a sneak peek.  The quilting will be finished today and then the hand work on it and then ready to mail.

The next project will be making more pillow cases.  Not necessarily for beds, can be if you want, but I like changing things up from time to time.  Or with grand kids, even teenagers, laying around, spill things from time to time(I never spill, hahahah) can come off the pillow form and be washed.  Change for the season.  I have found sometime if you have the chance to get sample fabrics that are about 2 ft square, they make great pillow tops.  Smaller ones make great quilted block pillow top.  Gotcha interested??? Gotta wait to see them and then see the process for some a little later. Right now I have to finish quilting Vicki’s quilt.

Stay warm, especially those in PA.

Our Christmas was wonderful.  Now we are looking forward to 2018.  The weather outside is cold so I am staying in.  Today I worked on a quilt top and have another quilt sandwiched and ready to quilt it.  This is for my sister in law.  Hopefully I will have it completed by Monday and ready to mail.

I hope to start the new year with a new slate.  All projects completed.  A new year and a new slate.  What are your goals for 2018?  Alicia and I have been discussing our blog and Facebook page, we will be offering more of our patterns and more tutorials. I have been having a hard time focusing on anything since about September.  Now is the time to get focused.   I have been coming up with some new craft fair  items.  We will be opening an Etsy shop and offer our products on line.  Any suggestions as to being successful with this?

I hope everyone has a Wonderful 2018.

I don’t know who first said this, but this is what I felt today while doing prep work for Christmas Dinner tomorrow night with the whole family.  I had made a cranberry jello salad and put foil on it to be able to slide in the refrig.  Foil would not stay on and I was out of saran wrap and big containers with lids.  I came to the sewing room looking for a rubber band and saw a book mark I had made and not put away.  This turned out to be just perfect and looks lots better than a rubber band.  Don’t you think?Too bad it isn’t more Christmas inspired.  Imagine a gingerbread man on the side, or a tree, Santa, little bells…What a fun idea for any holiday.

Got the dinner prepped and the table set up somewhat and will finish up tomorrow.

Now I have moved into the sewing room to get it cleaned so the teenage girls can go sit and eat and be as giggly as girls get without hearing parents telling them to quiet down.  After dinner, then gift opening and then an evening of games.  I am glad that I can rest on Saturday.  Christmas Day the house will be a day for drop ins.  Nothing planned.  What a wonderful time.

This afternoon I will work on some more “Book marks” and see about changing Halloween orange to Christmas green or red.

2018 will bring finishing 2 quilts that have the quilting started, and then lots of fun projects.  What do you have planned for 2018?  Everyone have a Wonderful Holiday.

Have  Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe New Year.

Well here I am 1 day closer to Christmas and getting the baking going good and…………..the stove dies….Yep, Friday night at 6 pm we go out and after 2 hours of looking we found one at Nebraska Furniture and they delivered it Saturday afternoon.  Baked some Molasses cookies and now today I will finish the baking and candy making.  Candy, baking, and gifts finished.  Now we can face the trials of Monday and Tuesday then be ready for Celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

While out driving thru the Neighborhood we found “The Griswald Christmas” House.  The owners named the house. Just puts you in the Spirit.

We will celebrate a few days early with the family as Friday night is the only time everyone can get together at the same time.  I am glad we are all able to be together and laugh and share the wonders of the season.  Our evening will start with Dinner of Ham, potatoes, corn casserole, green beans, salad, rolls, boiled shrimp,  fried shrimp, and sausage.  Not very traditional, but that is ok.  After dinner and kitchen cleaned opening gifts, lots of photos, and then games.  Lots of laughing and enjoying each other.

Growing up we would open 1 gift (usually mom picked) it would be a new outfit she had made for us.  I remember the year my brother was in Vietnam and sent fabric home to her.  She made all the girls skirts and blouses(my first adult straight skirt), and shirts for the boys.  We would get dressed go to Midnight Mass and come home.  We would open packages, eat a breakfast of hot cinnamon rolls, sausage kolaches and watch as everyone would start coming over.  If we were able to stay awake that was the start of the fun.  Aunts, Uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors would cover our yard and spill into the neighbors for fun.  Kids playing, adults talking, playing cards, or dominoes.

Now we incorporate a few of my traditions with my husbands and have found a happy medium.  Life is good.  What are you and your family have planned for the rest of December and 2018?

You going to eat Blackeyed peas for New Year?  Will bring you good fortune.

I wish for all you friends out there a very Blessed and Beautiful Christmas and a Safe and prosperous.

Meet the Snow Family.  Just a little something to hang on the wall throughout the winter months.  This way I can carry on with some festiveness (is that a word?) for a while longer.  I had help from my Granddaughter Cecilia (Cc) with some of the applique.  I can’t wait till she sees it hanging on the wall.  I have gotten my Nativity wall hanging up and my little tree wall hanging.  The little tree has pins and angels that were my mothers.  Nice to have her during Christmas.

Tomorrow brings lots of gift wrapping.  so much fun.

Have a wonderful day and treat yourself and do something great.

Now I live in Missouri, but grew up in Texas, and then we didn’t know what snow was.  This is what the people woke up to.  This is from Corpus Christi up thru most of the state.  Just Thanksgiving we were walking the beach there and looking for sea glass.  I hope the kids are able to enjoy this white fluff.

Texas A&M got into the fun of the time.  https://www.facebook.com/tamu/videos/10155455221428172/?hc_ref=ART8bVDwNYUEtfuc-029aYxybLpHOcBeHxLl8krRF8fABnzBTb4zA5KqvGSe7duQjBQ

The only creating going on in my house is baking.  Yesterday made 170 sausage kolaches( not the technical name, but what my mom called them.) Today will be full day of cookies and oldest Granddaughter may be over and I will have her help me.  Life is good.

2017 has brought many ups and downs and my sewing and blogging have had to take a back seat to things.  I am determined to handle life’s little roller coaster better.  Why start in January?  I need to get a jump start on it.  So it starts this week, today.   I am trying to make a list of what I want to do in a week and get it done.  After I write this blog the next thing on today’s list is my sewing room window.  It is driving me crazy with the dust on the outside.

Yesterday brought some sewing time and I started on projects for craft fairs.  The first item was a bed pillow.  This makes a great gift and took only about 20 minutes.  That is from picking out the fabric to finishing it.  One little issue I didn’t make sure I had a pillow form that fit it.  Shame on me.  Great as an emergency gift.  Ever need one of those in a hurry?  Little pocket for phone or anything.  Bigger pocket for your book or sketch pad to have handy and organized in bed or just on the sofa.

Today I will start out making more and these I make 16 inch square.  The back is in 2 pieces and closes with velcro. This afternoon brings playtime with the granddaughter.  Maybe cookie baking….sounds good to me.

What are you doing today?  Tomorrow?

be safe.

I am planning on getting things finished this month and then for 2018 I will be starting fresh.  A new year a new list of projects.  I find that if I have very many unfinished projects I never get anything accomplished.  I am however having fun. House is ready for Santa to visit and our Nativity has some new members.  Destiny decided (how a 2 yr old decides) Baby Jesus needs more “friends”.  

Yes, there is a monkey, tiger, horse, and if you look closely in the manger  are 2 tiny deer.Oh yes and a Mermaid.

I am loving seeing things thru her eyes.

Such a fun time.  Today she and I will be working to make her Mom and other Grandparents their Christmas gifts.  We will get messy and have fun.

 

Got home from our Thanksgiving trip to Texas.  It was great.  Weather was great saw all my siblings, nieces and nephews.  Not all at once, but through out the week.  We had an average of 75 people a day around.  They were all relatives and the sounds of laughter was wonderful.  I am glad one of my sisters and her husband live on a ranch and able to handle large groups.  This picture is outside our Motel room.  The water on the bottom is the boat docks (our room was above boats docked under us. It is a fishing community) and where the boats are in the upper right side is the Intercoastal Waterway.  Saw shrimpers leaving to catch fresh shrimp and crabs.

We did sneak off one night for a dinner for 2 and got a 1/2 portion of fried shrimp.24 shrimp, 3 onion rings, potato, and salad.  I ate the salad, shrimp and onion rings.  Sorry Potato, just too full.

On the way home we stopped outside Dallas for gas at a Buckeee’s.  Such a little gas station and quick stop to pick up the last minute items you may need.

Yes the numbers on the gas pump is the number we filled up at.  Buy gas, clothes, BBQ grills, food, snacks and candy, drinks gifts.  You think you want it, they have it.

Now we are home I have been spending my days decorating for Christmas.  Just a sneak peek.  Now to get ready for a day of playing with Destiny.  We will be making Pizza.  Her favorite.  It is the Black Olives that are her favorite.  One for the pizza and 2 for Destiny.  Good thing they are already sliced.

Have a wonderful day and smile.  Make some grouches day by smiling.

 

Woke up to a beautiful view off our balcony at our hotel..After sitting out and watching the boat head out to he Gulf for some serious fishing and shrimping we went for a site seeing drive, walked the beach, visited with my brother and another sister for a while.  Helped decorate for a dance on Wed nite.  Stopped for a shrimp dinner then back to the motel.  Add a salad to this and that was dinner.  We could not finish this and left very stuffed.

We did find time to go to a quilt shop here in town.  I purchased MORE scissors(I left mine at home), some fabric and spent time touching the patterns and books.  Tomorrow will bring another day of shopping then serious family time.

My sister and her family live on a working ranch.  They have cattle and work them don horseback.  I do think my nephew was born about 1-200 years too late.  Here are a few photos from their working cattle and honoring the Wounded soldiers as they come into town for 2 days of fishing with the locals to say thank you for all you gave for us.

I hope you enjoyed this. Happy Thanksgiving to all.