A Special Thank You and This and That

Thank you so much, Sheila, aka 'Birdy' :D, aka Australian Birdwoman, for the lovely Christmas ornaments, towel, nesting Santas, and the Santa pin! I love them all, and will treasure them, always with special thoughts of you at each Christmas Season when they come 'out to play' for the month of December. :D

I whipped up the mitten 'stocking' in the first photo on Christmas Eve Eve :) for Sug. Isn't it just the cutest thing? I did ask her if I could have it back, but she thought not. LOL

I have to tell you guys that little Miss Eve (the kitty) showed up at my sister's house (not at mine), and she's already strolled over to a neighbor's and taken up residence there, according to the latest report on Miss Eve. :) So at least she has a good home, and I think she may turn out to be the 'community kitty'. :D

Santa brought me the Kodak camera that I've been nagging for since Sug got her's. And let me tell you-------I LOVE IT!!! I'm snapping photos right and left now. :)

It's been a rainy, rainy day here at Ships Landing, and Lord knows we are not complaining cause we desperately need all the rain we can get. I had such a fun, fun phone conversation with Darlene (Quilting Daze). What a sweet, fun, new friend she has become! :)

Now I'm off to watch "Most Haunted". I do just love all of those paranormal shows! *g*

Merry, Merry Christmas

From our house to yours, wishes for the merriest of Christmases, and wishes for a pieceful, healthy, Happy New Year!
(Gotta love those NEW red shoes!! ROFL...and look who Santa left at the Hammond household as a Christmas gift---meet little Miss Eve!! :)

Christmas Eve Eve

The picture is 'the Santas cleaning house for Christmas Eve'.....well, there's only one Santa here, and it's a she, and that's what she has to get started on!! LOL Still feverishly baking, gotta go wrap a couple of things, find those stockings for the 'boys', and generally make the dust fly for the next 48 hours!! Back to wish you a Merry Christmas before the DAY is here (I hope ;p)

I've Been Out in That Kitchen...

I made the first batch of chocolate peanut butter fudge a couple of days ago (I make the old-fashioned kind that was on the back of the Cocoa box a hundred years ago and is cooked on the stove for 17 min. ;>), and got the sugar cookie dough and gingersnap dough mixed up, along with the 'crust' and filling for the pecan tarts. Today, I baked the first round of gingersnap cookies and made 48 pecan tarts. Well, there's actually only 46 tarts NOW cuz I had to try them to make sure they were 'palatable'. *g* Oh my, these 'big woman' hips of mine are growing larger with me just thinking about how scrumptious these pecan tarts are! Do I HAVE to share??? :D

I will try to get the Tasty Kake recipe up here soon for those who were interested in that. :)

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm caught up in the Christmas crunch. Hope all of you are 'making merry'---the Jolly Ole' Man in the Red Suit is only 5-1/2 days away!! :D

Alrighty!

My Christmas wallhanging from Glorie was made from the Art-to-Heart (Nancy Halvorsen) book that I gave her last year. The title is HEART FELT HOLIDAYS TOO, and has a copywrite of 1996. I just talked briefly to Glorie to find out the name of the book (cuz mine is BURIED somewhere ROFL), and she's thrilled that all of my blogger buddies like the wallhanging enough to ask for the name of the book. :D She did good, didn't she??? :D

Santa Arrrived Early!

Oh. My. Goodness!!! Look what Glorie (my quilty niece) sent me for Christmas!!! I LOVE IT,
LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!! (doing a jig around the room here *G*) She's been telling me about making a Christmas wallhanging from a book I gave her for Christmas last year. And every time she would tell me about it, I would say "you know I'm going to want one". :> Oh, I got the book for me too at the same time but haven't made anything out of it --- yet--- :> ...they should give discounts to people like me and Glorie when it comes to quilting goodies cuz we ALWAYS have to buy doubles. LOL Isn't that wallhanging the most adorable thing you've ever seen????? :D I do hope this is the SECOND one you've made, Glorie, and that you kept one for yourself! :D

And Lord, I guess she finally got tired of hearing me whine about wanting a Holly Jolly jelly roll!!! I've wanted one ever since it hit the stores. :) Oh, I will most definitely have to let that 'age' while I 'play' with the roll itself. LOL I will NOT be in a hurry ... have to choose just the PERFECT pattern for that baby! :D

And the book "The Chrismas Quilt"----well, could it be any better than this? Did Santa do good or what!!! Thank you, thank you, Glorie---you outdid yourself this Christmas, girl! :D

Christmas Simplified

This week has been taken up with drs. appts for both myself (routine stuff) and Randy. He had 'trigger point injections' yesterday in his back. I do hope that he will get some relief with those but I'm not holding my breath.

I got nothing accomplished this week as far as Christmas is concerned. I did bake one (and ate it LOL) 'Tasty Kake'. O my goodness, I do LOVE this cake, and I'm afraid these 'woman-sized' hips of mine are going to reflect it too. ROFL

I decided to keep my Charlie Brown tree very simple, and only put faux berries and my glass icicles on it. I really love how it looks, but I must say, it's totally different to what I normally do for Christmas. :>

Have car troubles again (another wheel bearing), so I have to take my car to a mechanic today. Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

New Signature

Just trying out a new signature. :> Will post a picture of my Christmas in a while.

Mz. Yuletide Rosie's Got a Brand New Hat (or Two)

Oh Gawd, Joanne, my tree does NOT look like yours!!! What's a girl in red high heels to do? You must remember that I have NO experience with artificial trees---this is one skinny tree, my friends!! ROFL What? Did you say....oh, I'm supposed to do something else to it besides just stand it up??!! Oh, hmmmmm, well, let's see----I know, I'll just call Seester Sug to come fix this baby since she has LOTS of experience with artificial trees! (Brilliant light-bulb moment!! :D) I'll just run call her now, and I'll be right back! ;> Well, after all of the years that I've helped her put lights on her dang tree----can you believe the nerve----she suggested I get on with 'fluffing out' those gazillion little tiny branches, take THREE aspirins, and call her after I've finished 'fluffing'. (Yeah, I'll be 'fluffing alright!!!! :/ ) Okay, enough Tom-foolery (where did that expression come from? The only Tom I knew (my Dad) had absolutely NO foolery about him whatsoever!! :/

Okay, folks, here's the scoop---I LOVE MY TREE!!!!! IT IS A REAL 'CHARLIE BROWN' TREE!! It's just tooo cute for words. So I'm officially an 'artificial' girl this year. They say there's a first for everything! :> Of course, I have to add lights and ornies, and that will take a little while, but there will be 'after' pictures too. :)

So, Mz. Rosie got her a new 'baby sock' hat, which I forgot to take a picture of her with it on. I'll do that later too. And because Darcie is just the sweetest blogger friend, and sent me an email full of crochet 'how-to's', I sat right down today and made Mz. Rosie a hat and scarf. What do you think? :) Gawd knows I's knows nuffin' bout crochetin', so don't hurt my feelings here friends!!! ROFL

The sunset last night (I think) was absolutely breathtaking, so I had to share it with you. Now, I'll go see if I can get some lights on the tree.

Confession is Good for the Soul

*howling with laughter* Oh dang, I DO wish I knew how to insert those cute, cute smiley faces in here--anybody out there game to help me with that??? :> Oh Dazey Darlene, you are just a riot--choke on your Diet Coke, indeed---what, can you not envision me stomping out to feed the chickens (read 'the birds') and milk that cow and goat in my pretty red heels, jeans, flannel shirt and TADA Christmas apron????? ROFLOL In my day, I wasn't a 'clothes horse'--no sirree---this ole country gal was into SHOES!!! LOVED my red high-heels with a passion (hmmmm, sounds like Dolly Parton to me ROFL)! I just had to take a hazy picture of me in my brand-new Christmas apron and my red high heels....LOL-- We are (more like were, at this point) supposed to attend the local attorneys' bar party Friday night (yes, this Friday night!!!). Now my DH is WAAAAY sick with a nasty cold/flu yuk. Anyhoo, my seester, Sug, and I had gone ashoppin' one day not too long ago, and I found me the purtiest satiny hiiiiigh heels to wear with my new 'party' dress. She's across the store, I can't see her, but I'm wavin' my arms above my head, yooohoooing for SUUUUUG (read as "Shug")!!!! Come see my party shoes I found!!! *howls of laughter* She's short, well----- she's REAL short,--- and you lose sight of her as soon as you step foot in a store unless you hang on to her back pocket---well, anyway, I'm losing my story train----oh, yeah, well, she shows up, looks at me in my jeans and these GORGEOUS shoes (NOT the ones in the hazy picture, by the way---I now own TWO pairs of red heels ROFL)---and says: DO YOU STILL KNOW HOW TO WALK IN THOSE HIGH HEELS AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN A PAIR? Wellllll, uhhhh, noooooo, but I can go stompin' and clompin' into this party showing off my new RED Shoes!!!! And if by chance we decide we aren't going to this party (our 'party' days a looooong behind us, thank God!), I can just wear these beauties around the house with my jeans!! *gasping with laughter* Now, on to the apron----isn't that a BEAUTY??? I have to fess up and tell you that I did NOT make it. However, it is handmade--I purchased that little sweetie from"Egg Money" esty store. Lynn actually has a blog, which I can't for the life of me find right now, and she made the apron from some Vintage Christmas fabric....and I bought me ANOTHER Christmas present!!! Shhhh, Randy doesn't read my blog, well, not very often anyway, so DON'T tell him I'm on here ordering ME a Christmas present for EACH DAY of the month of December!!! (That is the way one is supposed to do Christmas gifts, right???? ROFL)

'Yuletide Rosie' Got Her Eyes On

Thought you might like to see Mz. Rosie with her 'eyes'. :D
My new Holiday apron
Moi all decked out for 'hostess with the mostess' ROFL
The rest of the F&E runner story--a short candlemat and two hotpads (in the makin', of course :>)

Got'er'dun

On Saturday morning, I was invited for breakfast at my neighbors' house. Yummmy! I got Nancy started on a crochet dishcloth while I was there. Then I talked her into coming to my house to see my F&E runner. While she was here, I had the brilliant idea that she could help me put a little doll together. :D Her name is Mz. Yuletide Rosie from one of the Aussie magazines. I just LOVE her!! However, she hasn't 'gotten her face on' yet LOL, and she's sadly in need of a little crocheted or knitted cap and scarf, neither of which I know how to do. Anyone out there want to help make a 'warmer' Christmas for this precious little 'girl'??? :D

Got my Tulip/Stars quilt in the hand-quilting frame...that's progress, right? :> And for those of you out there that wonder if I EVER turn that sewing machine on...well, here's the proof...quilting that little runner (which was made from stash, BTW :>), and a picture of the "Got'er'dun" on the table. Cute, cute! I do just love it!! Will have to make some more of these. :>

Dewey and Badger thought it was time for a picture of them on the Ships Landing blog. They send wishes for all of their furry, four-legged pals for lots of shopping bags with goodies in them! :>)