I must have been VERY good :)

Oh my goodness.  Christmas is still a week away and I have already received some incredible presents.  I don't know what I did to deserve such generosity.  DSO's son and d-i-l gifted me with these beautiful wools.  Laenne (d-i-l) happened to be at a craft show in Michigan where Kris Miller of Spruce Ridge Studios was vending.  A girl can never have too much wool, can she?  From DSO's daughter I received a Heavens to Betsy gift certificate.  I guess his kids know me well!  I also received a Visa gift card.  Perhaps even more wool???

DSO's son and fiancee gave me the coolest wine stopper.  So hard to photograph but so very cute!  I just wonder how it will work on a box of wine {grin}.

Dear friend Dolly (who if you remember, adopted my Eema) had this wonderful throw made for me, all from pictures I had posted on my blog.  It measures 3' x 5' and will help keep me toasty this winter.  Isn't this just the most thoughtful gift?

I can't believe a week from today Christmas will be just about over.  I thought I would be done with everything a week ago.  I guess it wasn't meant to be.  I still have much to do but I am thankful that I am not nearly as stressed as I normally am!  Gifts didn't get made ~ oh, well, oh, hell :)  Maybe next year . . . if I start in January!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

TubaChristmas and a Visit with Santa ~

Today was the 17th annual TubaChristmas in our local town.  The first TubaChristmas was held at New York City's Rockefeller Plaza ice rink in 1974.  You can read about it here.  This year there were 125 tubas of all varieties and the participants ranged in age from 11 to 88.

Many go to great lengths to decorate their instrument.

Jake and I also visited Mrs. Claus' Kitchen to visit with her and Mr. Claus.

A not-so-serious tête-à-tête with Santa.  

A couple pictures of Loocie . . . just because she is so darned cute :)

Thank you so much for stopping by.  

Please continue to pray for the victims and their families in Connecticut.  I, along with most of the world, continue to ask "why?".  It is just incomprehensible.  May God Bless them.

Hugs :)
Lauren

12.12.12

Did you realize that the next repetitive date is not going to occur until January 1, 3001?  What will the world be like?  I can't even begin to imagine!

* * *

Here's a small tree in the kitchen.  (Please ignore my oh-so-ugly green plastic tile!)  The only ornaments are old figural light bulbs.  The lights are rice lights I dipped in silicone.

A celluloid Santa on skis with his reindeer.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I am bound and determined to wrap a few gifts so ta-ta for now.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Lucky, Lucky Me :)

Kelley over at With Hook and Needle had a "secret" give-away.  She took people who commented on her blog over a number of months and entered them in her give-away.  Debbie from Woolen Sails and I were the lucky winners!  We each received one of Kelley's hooked snowmen.  OH MY!!!  It is just wonderful.  

He measures about 15" x 16" and is much "dirtier" in person :)

Don't you just love those rosey cheeks?

 

Kelley, thank you from the bottom of my pea pickin' little heart!!!  I just love my little snow guy and you can be happy knowing he is in his forever home :)  AND . . . she also sent me the most wonderful piece of wool.  More than a half yard of a luscious dark wool ~ perfect for a background.

* * *

Christmas decorating was going very well and I emphasize "was". I've been close to finishing but have not been home for more than an hour or two for days on end and that is not going to change in the near future.  Tomorrow I am getting grandson Jake and Thursday evening is his Christmas program.  AND . . . I think I am having 12-15 people here for lunch on Saturday.  Even though I don't have to prepare the food, the house needs to be D-O-N-E and I'm not sure how that is going to happen.  I am still not stressing but that may soon end . . . lol!  Wish me luck!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Red, White and Blue Christmas

A RED, WHITE and BLUE 

Christmas to you :)

Thank you for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Busy ~

My grandiose plans did not come to fruition.  In the back of my mind, I knew they wouldn't, but a girl can dream, right?  I had really hoped to finish my decorating on Sunday.  I came kind of close, but the best laid plans of mice and men . . . sigh.  Now it's Wednesday evening and it still is not quite done.  Every evening this week I've had other things to do.  Oh, how that day job gets in the way!  

Half the lights on a 3 foot tree have decided to go out.  Of course they are a strand I silicone-dipped a few years ago, so off to Home Depot to buy silicone.  I will have to un-decorate at least half the tree to either find the problem or to add a new strand (once I find the time to dip them).  I also dropped two of my vintage ornaments and they did not survive the crash to the hard wood floor.  Why couldn't new ones have fallen off?  Murphy's law, I suppose.

My decorating style is very eclectic.  Here's one of my cheesy plastic Santas that brings a smile to my face.

Last night was hooking with Katie of Kidl de Divey Woolens.  Here's Valerie working on her latest rug.

Melissa finishing up a Christmas present.  

It's for her mom and dad and the date is the year they were married.  I believe this in an Anne Nichols pattern.

The ever-sweet Katie . . .

. . . working on her daughter's Christmas gift.  Katie is speed-hooker.  I joked that she probably started it on Sunday.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy hump day!
Hugs :)
Lauren

Beautiful Weekend ~

What a gorgeous weekend we had.  Yesterday I mowed by lawn.  Cutting grass in December is a first for me, I do believe.  I figured mulching up the leaves with the lawnmower was faster than raking and bagging.  Today was another mild day though it rained part of the day.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer.  Woo hoo.  I will take it.  I just hope we don't have to pay for this wonderful weather.

I concur with the rest of blogland that it really can't be December and Christmas is just a few short weeks away.  I had hoped to finish the decorating this weekend.  Usually at this time I am just starting.  I have a tendency to stress myself every year and this year I am trying hard not to.  I had intended to make a few more gifts but I don't think that is going to happen and I'm not going to stress myself in the process!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it . . . lol!

I also planned on doing the 25 days of Christmas with a quick post each day.  As you can see, that is not happening either :)  Maybe next year.

Here's the mantle in the living room.  All three samplers are antique.  The large one in the center is the first antique sampler I purchased, probably 25 years ago.  If my memory serves me correctly, I got it at a Garth's auction in Columbus, Ohio.  The sampler on the left was a Christmas gift a few years ago.  Lucky me!  The sampler on the right is very faded, but does look better in person.  I could not get a better picture without having more flash glare.

Over the years, many readers have commented on the antique postcards I have on my blog.  They are not from a collection of mine.  It is a CD I bought on eBay years ago.  Unfortunately there is no seller ID.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren