A Special Gift To You

That's Christmas To Me

 

The fireplace is burning bright, shining along me

I see the presents underneath the good old Christmas tree

...

And I wait all night 'til Santa comes to wake me from my dreams

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

I see the children play outside, like angels in the snow

While mom and daddy share a kiss under the mistletoe

And we'll cherish all these simple things wherever we may be

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

I've got this Christmas song in my heart

I've got the candles glowing in the dark

I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

I listen for the thud of raindeer walking on the roof

As I fall asleep to lullabies, the morning's coming soon

The only gift I'll ever need is the joy of family

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

I've got this Christmas song in my heart (song in my heart)

I've got the candles glowing in the dark

I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

Oh, the joy that fills our hearts and makes us see

Oh, why? Cause that's Christmas to me

I've got this Christmas song in my heart

I've got the candles glowing in the dark

And then for years to come we'll always know one thing

That's the love that Christmas can bring

Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me

 

 

Merry Christmas...

 

Nancie Anne

 

 

 

Better Not Pout...

 

 Still alive...still haven't had much time to sew...the last 6 weeks or more have been a blur of activity.

 

The Christmas theme is inescapable at our house (and this ain't the half of it)...in fact I was told last night that Mr. Christmas wishes to do more so we can get it all out and reorganize it! This is what happens when you help do a Toys for Tots benefit boutique for several years!
Oh well...Christmas started at Thanksgiving when Vet Girl was home and will still be going when Oldest son is back in town at New Years.
New ornies keep finding their way onto the tree...found two 1/2 price Dachshunds at Cracker Barrel the other night...hadda hav'em...the Baby's First Christmas ornie is front & center directly in line with the big skiing bear. 

 

The quilt, High Strung, is a couple of years old...already!
The tree is sort of a Santa with his Animal Friends theme...along with whatever is pertinent that year...our ginormous stuffed reindeer haven't found their way upstairs yet...I usually try to find a sturdy tree with some gaps for them to tuck into. This is the first year we've had an artificial tree...I bought it on clearance last year knowing that Vet girl would be home at Thanksgiving which was too early for a cut tree.   We have large windows in this 104 year old Money Pit...so most of them & the french doors have a lit garland, each with it's own theme.

Still lovin' this quiltand the awesome quilting job!  I changed the sign on the napping snowman to say "Flaked Out"! Someday I should really make the companion quilts that go with it & hang it with something other than clippy pant hangers!

We need more wallspace!!!

Santa Bear and several of his friends have lived with us for years...and years...and years. Grandpa has been faithfully adjusting the nose on the advent snowman every evening! Even old dudes like toys!  Shhh...that old dudes comment is just between you & me!

The old window frame was gleaned from Hubby's brothers (in-laws?) shed over 30 years ago...I knew I'd do somethin' with it someday...just took me a little bit to decide...Love that it has some remnants of old red paint on it! I could so become a picker...'cept I don't really like to dicker, or climb through cobwebs...or mouse poop...oh I digress!
Our new green shelf went up the night before Thanksgiving. The window frame looks lie its leaning forward onto it in this picture but it's really tilted toward the wall...just took the picture at a weird angle.  The nice deep shelf is holding all the stocking hangers and stockings...should have thought of it years ago! I miss having a fireplace and mantel this time of year.
Hubby loves hand painted Santa's...driftwood...gourds...and we've had this guy for years, usually hanging on the inside of the front door...I love how he looks with the old window and the bittersweet garland that I dug out of a box on the fly.

We half expected Vet Girl to stuff this old homemade barn in her car when she was here...she always loved it! A certain cute little boy loved that there were Moose's peeking out of the doors.

 We have more rustic trees like this one & I think another will find it's way into our old copper boiler!

(No Sue...I hear you...it will only be placed in the boiler...not cooked for Christmas dinner!)

Our version of Elf On The Shelf...He's been hanging around here 15+/- years keeping an eye on our every move!  Vet Girl dreamed up this game of moving him around to unexpected places (often times hanging upside down from a bent knee) to entertain "the babies" (who are now 22 & 23 years old) & rest of us, loooong before we'd ever heard of Elf on the Shelf. We think our guy is much less creepy...I bought this one at a boutique but also have the pattern & have since created several more for good little girls and boys, with specs so they can really see what we're up to!

I think all the kids have claimed him as part of their inheritance...eventually they'll all have their own to hopefully keep the fur from flying...and them winding up with nothing but coal & switches in their stockings. It's heartwarming to know that the Elf game that Vet Girl started all those years ago is continuing on with the little ones at our oldest sons house.

 

More goings on...Vet Girls house in California was burglarized last week.  According to the neighbors statement, she missed the guys by only about 20 minutes...thank you Lord for keeping my baby safe.  Sadly both their iPads are gone and have as yet not been turned on to allow the tracking to work.  Her beautiful crystal shamrock tiara from her wedding is gone as is the diamond necklace she wore with her gown.  In addition to numerous pieces of birthday gifts of irish silver jewelry ...trinity knots, shamrocks, claddaughs, and Connemara marble.  If you're toolying around eBay or Amazon or a Pawn Shop in California, Oregon or Nevada and spot something that just might belong to a heartbroken girl...let me know!

 

On the good side of the news which is always the best place to end...we have another college graduate as of Friday morning.  She has earned her Bachelors in Business Administration, Human Resource Management & is looking toward Law School, and practicing Business Law.

We didn't get many pictures as it was raining cats & dogs...or were those Boise State Broncos?

(there's Blue Turf just behind that wall!)

 

~Merry Christmas and Keep Being Good!

Nancie Anne



Still Thankful...Yes I Am!...Really!

Two steps forward one back...or vice versa! Scrubbed my fridge out and traded items that I'll be needing for the next 24 hours of harried cooking with the fridge in the garage. Trying to squeeze in a moment for a bit of sustenance, I noticed my little pumpkin wax warmer in the window needed emptying and a new cube of smell-em-purty...I took the little pumpkin stem top with hot waxy stuff off and promptly dropped it on my new kitchen floor...of course it was red...& I broke my little "lid". Thank God husband wasn't here...he would've freaked!!! The next half hour or so was spent in the floor with a metal spatula, magic sponge, kitchen scrubber & my trusty little vacuum cleaning it up and saying a prayer that the red wouldn't stain. Phew! Life is good...all is well...almost...
Next project, getting ready to pulse bananas in my mini processor and suddenly a loud hum comes from the direction of cooking yams in the microwave...then silence...no interior light...no clock...no nuthin' but some hot yams...the little microwave I keep upstairs is now thawing my strawberries, thank you very much! Taking a moment for a deep breath before plowing in again...

 I've decided the appliance fairy owes me...again...we just replaced the washer a few months ago after they decided it wasn't worth fixing again and they gave us a generous credit for a new one...my dryer is currently screaming like a turkey getting it's neck wrung...parts are on the way...just replaced our old dishwasher with the one from our daughters so she could use our "sorry your flooring hasn't arrived yet, gift card" to purchase her pretty new stainless one...my range looks like a refuge from a sad, sad cooking accident and needs replaced and now the microwave...what's next?

 

I hope things go better with the turkey tomorrow...

 

~Nancie Anne, Appliance Killer

Update:  Well that didn't take long...the appliance fairy just called and says the repairs on the screaming dryer are too extensive and they are giving us a credit for a new dryer.  Thank Heavens we added an extended warranty when we bought the old appliances!  Still tempted to crawl in that sink though!

 

My New Favorite Toy!!!

Having had nearly a years notice that Vet Girl and Vet SIL would be coming home for Thanksgiving this year, and knowing she was excited about sharing some of her childhood Christmas traditions with him, we decided Christmas would begin earlier at our house this year than it usually does.  Normally we're about half way through December before we finally get our tree, as the result of a little raised eyebrow and toe tapping routine I've gotten accustomed to performing each year.

I knew that this year it would be too early to put up our usual & preferred cut tree, then I leapt upon a great deal on a tall enough to suit me, artificial (gulp!) Christmas Tree (oh the sacrilege and shame of it all...) for about 80% off last season.  It had been on display...which translates to, having been lit 24/7. since October!

We just sat it up the other night and had about 5 boughs that didn't light and we couldn't find the culprit(s) especially since there is flocking on the tree and on most of the lights on the skyward side of the boughs

So I decided to take a chance and purchased this little red toy at my favorite big box home improvement store for $20 while out on an adventure in the foot of snow that had fallen over a 24 hour period last week. 

 

I am not a Dr or a paid spokesperson.

Could it really work or is this one of those too good to be true gadgets that you see advertised on TV?  Well, I'm here to tell you, It Worked! And better yet, I was able to call my husband and say "Neener, Neener!  I fixed the tree...all by myself!"  The little gun beeped and told me where the interruption in my lines were & the package included 4 little replacement bulbs that are now shining brightly in our completely lit tree!

 

Hubby is home this week to help get the house ready for our Thanksmas Celebration next week and 
I can't wait to find that big box of tangled burnt out strings of lights that gets fuller every year as the frustration mounts and play with my little "Red Rider" gun some more! 

 I didn't even shoot my own eye out!

(Hmm...might have to sit down and see if I can make it all the way through that movie this year...I've never been able to get through the whole thing in it's entirety!)

 

Sew Much For Quilting!  For Awhile Anyhow!

 

Nancie Anne   Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way.... 

HALLY HAPPOWEEN!!!

 

May The Worst Trick You Experience Is A Momentarily Tongueled Tang!

 

Here's A Treat For You From Me!

One of My Favorite Old Videos...

 

 

~ Nancie Anne...& Her Broom

 

I'm There In Spirit!

Several months ago Lynn Wilder let me know she was planning a quilt retreat at Snowflake Lodge which is near their cabin,
"Wilder's Last Resort". 

I whimpered a bit, knowing a trip to California just wasn't in the cards this year. 
We have too many things going on...the arrival of our new Grandbe'be' in September, long overdue projects to complete around the house and preparing for our daughter and her husband to come home for Thanksgiving...the Autumn/Halloween decorating has pretty much gone by the wayside and we'll begin hanging garlands soon because we'll be celebrating both Thanksgiving and Christmas when the kiddos are here visiting.

Setting these cute little salt and pepper shakers that we found at Pier One by my little rooster and egg crate is about as far as I got!

Lynn has just posted the first pictures of the grand gathering on her blog, Sew'n Wild Oaks...great food, great company, and in that fine tradition, I've decided not to sit around feeling sorry for myself, but to join them in spirit!  Looking at the photos Lynn posted this morning I was taken back to the cabin and those warm fuzzy feelings of great food, laughter, fun and friendship. 

I have my projects pulled together for my virtual participation in this retreat.  I tripped across a great sale on orange bell peppers yesterday so there are stuffed peppers in the crock pot which promise to be sweet and succulent this evening, they'll look more appetizing when I top them with grated cheese later on!  I'll mix up some biscuits to go with them later this afternoon.  Tick good food off the list!



I have good company in the form of Maecee, my warm napping little lump of furry love cuddled in the desk chair with me, when she's not asking for a belly rub!  She never comments when I have to stop and pick out a seam...sometimes she does roll her eyes though!





 

Last night I finally cut out the August block for Country Corners and after plugging in the crockpot I got it sewn together.  The September block is up next...after lunch!



 

 I also have an after hours project that I prepped over the weekend and can stitch on in front of my imaginary fireplace in the evenings!

Bertie's Winter! 

Easy fused die cut appliques and whip stitching with perle cotton. 

It feels like cheating...and I LOVE IT!!!

I've taken a little artistic license with one of the blocks...those of you who are also working on Bertie's Winter will probably spot it quickly. 

I have a very opinionated daughter who looked at the patterns the other night when I was starting to prep the blocks and she felt something was amiss in one of the blocks!  Yes....I've added a snowman ornament where a frosted cookie was intended to be!



 

I think I'm progressing pretty well with my virtual retreat!  Won't you join me?

 

~Nancie Anne

It feels Like Fall...and Home...

In the wee hours this morning Country Homecoming officially became a flimsy! 

It's been awhile getting to this point, and I've stitched on nothing but Country Homecoming for weeks now.  Keeping my focus and determination to finish wasn't difficult on this project that I love so much!  My thoughts went to the planning of the next project to finish at times, but my needle never strayed. 

I know!  Astonishing isn't it?!?!?!?!?!?

 

It's a blustery day here and I'm waiting for the wind to die down and the light to get a little better before taking Country Homecoming outside for a photo session...so meanwhile, I'll write and share some photos of the work in progress.

 

Of course there have been a few distractions along the way.  A new Grandbaby to cuddle, a daughter who is fine, but whose car is totaled.  A husband on vacation with a big to-do list, New kitchen/laundry/bath flooring that didn't arrive when promised so we had to work double time with the days off we had left when it did.  A new work schedule and four legged babies who demand need Mommy time, but in little snippets of time between all this flurry of activity I was able to stitch around a leaf here and a few berries there.

 

I'm not sure where everyone is at this point in their sewing schedule...we did check in a couple of weeks ago by email via Kim at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure and it seemed that everyone, including me, was in need of more finish time than originally planned.

Phew!  I wiped a bit of nervous sweat off my brow!

 

Here's where things stood at that point...assembled and getting ready to applique.  I pinned my favorite homespun green plaid vines in place and as I often do, photographed it to get a different perspective on the lay of the land...or in this case the placement of the vine.  Sometimes things jump out at me from a photo that I don't see with the naked eye...or even the spectacled eye!

That's a lot of pins poked in there!  The vines were cut on the bias and sewn together lengthwise, wrong sides together, then using a 1/2" bias bar the seam was centered in the back and pressed open.  I love manipulating bias strips...I'm not sure why I haven't made a Celtic quilt yet...especially considering that I have that daughter who loves all things Irish.

 

Then I went on a field trip...into my limited stash of wool and off to a couple of quilt shops to see what other treasured little chunks of wool I might be able to add.  Greens & Reds & Golds, Leaves & Berries & Stars...OH MY!

 

I love my soft woven green and black check outer border fabric, found in the clearance stash on a day trip to Stitch n' Snip in Garden Valley!

I also love handsewing and I used a beautiful variegated skein of Caron Wildflowers single strand floss around my berries and leaves.  The color name is Fiesta.  I added this skein to my stash for a someday project a couple of years ago just cuz it was so darn pretty and now I know why I did!  I don't think the shop I found it in survived it's first year in business & and was concerned about access to more while sweating whether or not one skein would do, but it did with some to spare.  It was just meant to be.  I love how the greens, golds, teals. rusts and ambers enhance the berries and leaves in warm autumn tones.  I would compare this "floss" to perle cotton by any other name.  Its a bit heavier that DMC 8 and a little lighter than Valdani 8.

 

The stars are circumnavigated with Valdani O 154 (8)

 

 

So all this brings me to a huge Thank You to Kim for rounding us all up and keeping us marching on to our destination!  A Quilty Finish!

 

Here it is! The Ta-Da Moment!

One thing I haven't done on this flimsy that I still may do is to do a little work on windows and doors to make panes and give them a bit more life...or that might occur in the quilting process...still on the fence about that .

I have no idea what I want to back this quilt with...and am open to suggestions...

I do know that I want to get it to the quilter sooner rather than later, not just because of the raveling nature of the border, (yes, it's stay stitched) but because I just love this quilt and look forward to enjoying it for years to come!

 

Oh yeah...just a little more sweetness before I sign off.

Our baby girl at 3 weeks & 2 days old!

Just can't get enough...

 

Adding some Warm Fuzzies To Autumn...

 

~Nancie Anne