Happy New Year ~

 

I hope you have the perfect New Year's Eve planned.  I know I do.  It's sitting home with my sweetie, a roaring fire and watching a movie or two.  Hopefully I'll get a little hooking done, too.  Drink a little wine.  And I can't forget the dogs :)  Besides Loocie and Ellie, I have my granddog Maya here.  If you think a Jack Russell is high strung, spend a little time with a Chihuahua.  She just doesn't stop moving.  Funny, between the three dogs, they barely weigh 30 pounds.

 

I'm working on heart #4 since I still have not decided on my next real hooking project.  I took Friday off as a vacation day, so hopefully over the course of the next four days, I will get a rug started.

I usually don't make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have two.  The first is to lose the pounds I've put on this holiday season . . . sigh.  I really need to rid my house of all the goodies.  If it's here, I will eat it.  Secondly, I need to purge.  Not my fun stuff or antiques, of course no wool, books or crafty items, but clothes that I haven't worn in years, many things that I have no use for.  I'm not a hoarder, but I just have too many things that I have because I haven't the heart to get rid of them.  Oh, I come by this justly.  My  mom NEVER go rid of anything.

 

Well, dear friends, I hope you have a wonderful evening doing what you love most.  I wish you health,  happiness and prosperity in 2015.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Another Christmas Celebration ~

We celebrated Christmas today with Jake.  This is what it's all about.

Son J with girlfriend Jessica

Oftentimes at Thanksgiving, I purchase amaryllis to give to family and one for me.  I don't try to get them to re-bloom.  For me, it's just easier to purchase new bulbs, but I won't buy a bulb unless the bud is emerging.  Though planted at the same time, my son's is already blooming, and mine has just started to grow.  Once they start, they grow amazingly fast, so I should have blooms in a couple weeks.

Sweet little Santa from former Buckeye Judi and the boyz (3 pugs) in Florida

I finally found time to pick up my hook, and sadly though I have MANY patterns on linen ready to hook, I don't have one color planned.  "Needing" to hook something, I grabbed a piece of linen and drew up some hearts that I am hooking with hand torn strips and will finish "Heavens to Betsy" style.  In person, you don't notice the linen showing on the red heart.  I will have to do some manipulating of the loops.

In college (many, MANY years ago) I did a little crocheting.  I mean very little.  I think the only stitch I knew was the single crochet.  I've decided that I want to crochet some infinity scarves (having been inspired by Bobbie, the Evening Stitcher) who gifted me one last year.  Thank goodness for You Tube.  I am giving it a try, though I need to work on my tension.  I also ended up twisting my chain so I need to undo and start over. 

Thank you so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

This 'n That ~

 

 

 

Christmas Day is now just a pleasant memory.  I can't believe it has come and gone.  You work so hard and long getting ready, and it is gone in the blink of an eye.  Sunday we will celebrate again with grandson Jake, and I do not start to un-decorate until after New Year's, so now is when I have time to sit back and enjoy the season. 

 

Too bad I had to work today because I had a last minute opportunity to attend a matinee performance of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  Because I was the only one in the office today, I wouldn't even ask.  Darn!  I would have loved to have attended.

 

Just a few odds and ends from around the house.  I picked up the little vintage Santa this year and was going to give it as a gift, but decided he was so cheesy I needed to keep him.  He sits on a low chair and once or twice I found him on the floor  and figured I had knocked him off.

 

 

That was until I saw this little missy playing with him. 

 

All worn out after a long Christmas Day

 

Robyn blogged about decorating with pepperberries.  I left a comment mentioning that years ago I would gather them in Florida and bring them to Ohio.  Well bless her heart.  She sent me a box.  When I opened the box, I even remembered the smell.  Thank you so much, Robyn.  If you've not visited her blog, please do.  Her home is worthy of Early American Life and she puts everything together beautifully.

 

 

Years ago I collected Victorian Christmas lights.  I love how they look in the window at night.

 

A view of the living room after everyone had gone home yesterday. {One of these days I may actually get some kind of window treatment.  All that I have up are the old-fashioned roller shades.  Why rush it?  I've only lived here 15 years this week . . . lol.  My how time has flown.}

A fun little tree.  Last year it was bare, but this year I added the  Santa and snowmen I had painted on cinnamon sticks years ago.  There are also a few Santas on shells painted by Julia of Edisto Island, S.C. and postcards from dear friend Melinda of Merry Wind Farm.  Thank you both so much.  The only old Santa is the little guy under the tree.

 

These pictures are not very clear, but I just had to share them.  Ellie loves to bury bones.  I cleaned out her dog bed a couple days ago and found one she had buried in the bed.  I gave it to her and a few minutes later found her in the wool room burying it a basket of wool.  She just cracks me up.

 

I hope everyone had the most wonderful Christmas ever. 

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Merry Christmas to All ~

And to all a goodnight.

 

May you be blessed this Christmas season with health and happiness and may 2015 be the best year ever.

 

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your lives.  I cherish the friendships I have made in this wonderful world called blogland.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Fini ~

 

Are you as shocked as I am that tomorrow is December 24th?  Thankfully I have the day off to get everything ready for the big day.  Grandson Jake won't be here :( but the day will be spent with DSO and family and for that I am grateful.

 

I just had to {finally} share my rug finish.  All is done except the label and I am really bad about that.  Santa and Sheep is a pattern by Star Rug Company.  I just love Maria's patterns.

 

Antique buttons were used down his coat.  A fun, fun rug.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Winter Solstice ~

 

Welcome friends.  I love that tomorrow the days will begin to get longer and the nights shorter.  Hopefully our winter will remain mild.

 

I can't yet say that I'm ready for Christmas, but close.  The only major tasks left to do are to get to the grocery store (UGH) and sew a label on the whale rug that is a Christmas gift.  Of course there's also the usual cleaning and baking of the pumpkin rolls. 

 

It's been a busy weekend, but aren't they all?  Yesterday I wrapped gifts at the Barnes and Noble in Westlake, OH, to benefit Ohio Pug Rescue.  We wrap for donations and we made $1007.80 for the pugs.  That was our best year ever, and every penny helps the pugs.  {{And please remember, adopt, don't shop for a pet.}}

 

Here's my patriotic display on my upstairs landing.

Vintage hard plastic snowmen from the 50's.

All the samplers on the mantle are antique.

Antique hogscraper candlesticks and a Victorian Christmas light.  Red ones are the most rare and I am so happy to have one.

Reproduction Santas.



Well, time to get back to being productive.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Still Behind ~

 

  

By now I had hoped to be ready for Christmas.  I should know better :)  Unlike Kim, I knew I only had one weekend left.  Oh, well, I am sure we will both be ready (or somewhat ready) when the day arrives.

 

I still have a few Christmas letters to write, a bit of shopping and wrapping, two more boxes to ship, but the big tree is finally done!  The same tree that crashed to the floor last year and destroyed so many memories.  DSO modified the stand so I'm holding my breath.  This was taken without a flash so it is bit blurry.

 

 

Salt glazed Santas in the wall box I bought last month.

 

 

I need to go un-decorate part of a mid-size tree.  Half the lights went out.  UGH.  That's one of my evening tasks.

 

This was the view I had when I went to get Ellie up this morning.  She makes me laugh.  On Christmas Day it will be two years that she came to live with me.  Time sure does fly.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren



TubaChristmas

 

Today was the 19th annual TubaChristmas held at the Lorain Palace Civic Center, here in Lorain, OH.  If you've not heard of it, you can read my 2012 post here or visit their website.  This year there were 90 participants ranging in age from 13 to 68, coming from as far as Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Just a fun time!

 

Last night my favorite redhead and I went and paid a visit with Santa.  Here is a picture of his picture with Santa.  You were not permitted to take personal photos with Santa.

 



With Mrs. Claus.

We then headed to the model railroad display.  We had not been before, but I'm so glad we went.

Jake was absolutely enamored with the model trains.  This kind train enthusiast allowed Jake to control one of the trains.  HHHMMM . . . I may consider getting him one for Christmas.

 

Back to work tomorrow.  These darn weekends just don't last long enough.  Dinner tomorrow night with a dear friend.  Perhaps I will get the "big tree" decorated Tuesday.  If not, Wednesday . . . or Thursday.  Nope, not Thursday.  That's a hookin' day :)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by :)
Pug hugs :)
Lauren