Day 365/365

It's the end of the year. 

It has finally started to feel like winter. 

The hydrangea is hanging on.

Thanks for joining me for my third year of pictures. 

Stop by tomorrow for the beginning of another.

Day 364/365

M and I had no problem spending the gift certificates to a downtown quilt shop 

that we both received for Christmas.

Day 363/365

 A couple days ago I watched a video on how to quilt a feather swirl by Judi Madsen, 

Ever since, I have been doodling my interpretation of it. 

I am excited to practice it on fabric soon.

Day 362/365

The Christmas palette has served us well this season, 

but it feels like it's time for a change. 

Maybe some frosty colors will bring us some real winter weather.

Day 361/365

My family gets me.

Day 360/365

We are having "Big Christmas" in the morning. 

Since the little ones still don't have stockings yet, 

I personalized some little Christmas boxes for them.

Day 359/365

Merry Christmas! 

We left some cookies for you.  Hurry. 

They won't last long.

Day 358/365

We will not be having a white Christmas, 

but we did get a beautiful pink Christmas Eve sunset 

which I would consider an acceptable substitute.

Day 357/365

Fireball and I have been wrapping.

Day 356/365

My special project for the bird fabric has begun. 

I have lined the inside back (and later the sides) of this cabinet with the burlap birds. 

This will serve two purposes, to freshen up the look of the cabinet 

and give me storage space for the dishes I am not using for the current season. 

I may have to figure out a light source for the top shelf, 

but I am liking it a lot.

Day 355/365

Evidently we are illustrating our chalkboard list these days.

Day 354/365

M has finished her Christmas quilt top. 

It turned out so cute! 

I will be quilting it so there will be more pictures of the whole thing later.

Day 353/365

The stockings are coming along. 

Three done. 

Several more to do.

Day 352/365

On a visit to Little E's school today I got a chance to see the twelve stars I made for her hanging on her classroom window.  

Close-ups will be posted on More Curiously soon.

Day 351/365

The cards will go out in the mail tomorrow.

Day 350/365

M and I got to go to a special preview of

 the first episode of the final season of Downton Abbey tonight. 

I just started watching last season.  

M tells me I should start from the beginning to get all the background on everyone. 

I suppose I should but when would I do that? 

There is quilting to do...and knitting, and well, you get the idea.

Day 349/365

At quilting tonight we were privileged to see this beauty and hear the story about it.

Day 348/365

A gift wrapped in fabric is like getting two gifts in one,

and if there is a jingle bell on top, that makes it even better.

Day 347/365

The lights are up on the house. 

It's a long story. 

When I was young we had colored lights on the tree and on the house.  I loved all the big colorful lights but especially the pink and purple ones. Sometime later in my adult life I became enchanted with white lights.  I changed the lights on our tree to white, put white lights on our house, trees and bushes, put electric candles in the windows, and even had white milk bottle luminaries lining the walk and driveway.  Over the years M has expressed her love of colored lights, but I have resisted the pressure to use them in my holiday decorating.  She used them to spruce up her dorm room and apartment at school and still has them up here at home, but I just couldn't be convinced to use the colors.  The lights available were so tiny and limited in the colors available on a strand.  So I told M a few years ago that when they came out with large colored lights that included purple and orange, I would put them on the outside of the house.  

That day has come.  

I think I am going to like it.

Day 346/365

We're trying to wrap up our Christmas shopping. 

It won't work.  It rarely does.

Day 345/365

Embroidery is happening here.

Day 344/365

Little E needs decorations for the window of her classroom. 

We have no time for a star cutting lesson.

I have volunteered to make the stars for her. 

One down, eleven to go.

Day 343/365

When I first saw this I was a bit confused. 

What was that draped across my chair? 

Then I realized there was nothing there but the chair. 

The chair is both a striped and textured weave so the sun was playing tricks on me, 

allowing me to see only the stripe in one spot and only the texture in another.

Day 342/365

M and I have been into some serious crafting. 

Another huge thank you goes to M for helping me make these super cute ornaments 

to give to my quilting friends at tonight's annual Christmas gathering. 

For a wonderful blog post and video on how to make these click here.

Day 341/365

M is quite the helper in the kitchen. 

Here she is shaking up some candy cane Chex mix for me to take to a quilting party tomorrow.

Day 340/365

I had a fun time today on a little photo shoot with these three. 

Day 339/365

New this year are tiny scenes in lighted terrariums. 

They didn't quite turn out like I had hoped and didn't photograph well, 

but they are done and will do for now.

Day 338/365

Mom invited me to join her for her annual Christmas lunch outing with her neighbors. 

A good time was had by all.

Day 337/365

Lots of decorations went up today but this is probably my favorite, 

hand-cut paper stars.

Day 336/365

Tree number two is up and decorated. 

This one has a rustic, woodland theme.

Day 335/365

Each year I fill my china cabinet with my Santa collection. 

This is one of my very favorites.