I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

SSCS and more!

So Elf Donna of Chookyblue who hosted the wonderful Secret Santa Christmas Swap has sent out an e-mail telling us swappers to get our gifts posted!! I feel like Christmas was yesterday and here it is almost the new year!! My partner was the lovely Tracy of Pink Purl, thank you Tracy for the lovely gifts :) And thanks to Donna for hosting this fun swap! I love that pink polka dot paper she wrapped everything in!
That little bag is so cute and has a darling label inside unfortunately I can't find the picture...this is why I hate having to rush...anyways take my word for it, o.k? And look at all that lovely red and pink fabric! Please click on this picture to enlarge it and fully appreciate the cuteness!! There was a chocolate bar that I ate back in November when the package arrived and it was just about the best I've ever tasted!! Love the little pincushion and cross-stitch ornament too!! Thanks Tracy!!!

The week before Christmas I got to shop and lunch with Sharon and Deb and we had our usual day of talking and laughing and eating and laughing...so much fun!! Oh and we exchanged gifts too :)
Look at that adorable Christmas bag Sharon made me...I absolutely love it!! Love the little "T" fob too :) And all the fun treats inside too. Love the Santa sign, and how about that "mood swing" purse...do you think she was trying to tell me something? hmmm lololol!!!! Thank you Sharon!!!

And here are the fun goodies from Deb. I love that charm bracelet and have been wearing it almost non-stop...I take it off to sleep and sew :) That snowflake candle holder is beautiful when it has a candle burning inside...the pictures didn't turn out though...again take my word for it lol!
The soap in the penguin smells so yummy and I needed a Christmas soap dispenser in my kitchen. Thanks Deb!!!

And a wonderful surprise came in the mail shortly before Christmas from Vangie (who reads my blog and won my give-away a few months back) I put it under my tree and didn't open it until Christmas morning and wow was I excited to open this CUTE wall hanging!!Isn't it just adorable? I just love it and it immediately found a home on my wall :) She also sent me a cute little bag filled with yummy treats...I think we may have eaten a few before I shot the picture :)Thank you so so much Vangie!!!
O.k. I'm off to make some New Year's resolutions and lists for the new year. I have to get together my "to be read" list and my "quilts to make" list and my "recipes to try" list....yikes!! How about you guys? What kind of lists etc. do you like to do for the New Year? I'll be back to share some of my lists and resolutions on New Year's eve!

Happy Christmas Eve

Well it's finally here and what's done is done and what's not...well maybe next year :) I think I've managed to get most of my list accomplished. Let's see...
Tree lit....checkDecorations up...yupBaking done...uh huh
Shopping finished...yes!Presents wrapped...hmmm
Time for more coffee and present wrapping I guess :) Have a Very Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Speechless

Is what I am right now. Look what came from Carol...I know, right? Speechless.... It's pouring rain here and after waving goodbye as Daniel drove off to work (after telling him to drive careful like a gazillion times) I checked my messages and heard my neighbor's voice telling me that the mailman had put a package on my porch and I should get it before it floats away. I am soooo glad she happened to see it because here is what was waiting:I swear as soon as I got this glimpse my heart just stopped...no really--it did. I was actually afraid to open any further, because I thought there was no way it was what it looked like it might be. I opened the card first...I never do that :) When I saw what she wrote I finally realized yes there was an actual quilt in this box. A quilt made from my absolute favorite fabric in the world. Isn't it gorgeous? And adorable? Oh and perfect? If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know how perfect this is for me :) I love this quilt sooo sooo much Carol. When I called her to say thank you I was still in speechless mode and forgot to tell her that I had to wait until the tears of joy passed to make the call...So no matter what else Santa brings this year...I'm happy!! Look at the beautiful quilting: Make sure you click to enlarge to really see it. Beautiful flowers!So I left the quilt all neatly laid out on my bed...came back in just now to take a picture of the card and apparently somebody has already tried it out because this is how I found it :)Thank you doesn't begin to say it Carol...you amaze me with your generosity, not just to me but in all the charity work you do and with all your friends. You have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know! I will cherish this quilt for always. And because I can't come up with a better word than the customary one....THANK YOU, Thank you, thank you, thank you........thank you.....Thank you dear friend :) I still can't quite believe this is mine!!

One done two to go

I finished the first quilt top except for hand stitching the binding and as you can see that little omission doesn't keep anyone around here from using the quilts first. I was on a roll so I immediately pinned flimsy number two. I made a little table topper with my left over squares of this one. Well I'm not on a roll anymore I still haven't started quilting the second one. Instead I got sidetracked by my pink, red and aqua box :) Someday I'm going to get a little white feather tree and these will be all ready to hang. Sorry if this post is really quick, I feel like I'm coming down with something :( I've had a headache all day and now I'm getting that achy all over feeling. Thankfully Sarah and I found an awesome used bookstore last Sunday after church and I brought home a nice big stack of books. I'm going to go climb in bed with a cup of hot tea and a good book! Hope you all have a great weekend !

So I'm just a little behind....

Today I was cleaning out/organizing pictures for blogging and found an old folder with pictures I've never posted--oops! I had good intentions of posting some good recipes, tips for turkey brining and basting and assorted other tidbits. Maybe next year :) I was embarrassed though when I realized that I'd never posted this sweet package that came back in October from Carol. Such a cute jack-o-lantern and filled with the yummiest treats--the kiddos gobbled it up fast! I hid these away for myself for a few days before I shared :)I can only imagine that it's because I got so many packages from her around this time that I thought I had done it. Thank you Carol :) Sorry I'm such an airhead!

O.k. back to the present. The reason I'm sorting my files is I'm trying to get a little bit organized and start posting more frequently and shorter...I tend to save up and then wham! We'll see how it goes :) I'm also trying to read a little everyday rather than catching up once a week (blogs that is). I owe Nanette for that idea. She's making me read her blog every day...o.k she's not making me but in order to get the most entries in her blogaversary extravaganza I have to comment every day and as long as I'm on my bloglines I go ahead and take a peek at what everyone else is up to, and I think it's working for me---thanks Nanette :) Oh and make sure you go over and check out the fun at Freda's Hive it's not too late!I have 3 Christmas flimsies from last year that I am hoping to get quilted by New Years Day.
So yesterday morning I got the top one pinned and then decided to quilt it in snowflakes and mittens...it's cute but it's taking forever!! The next two I'm going back to easier/quicker designs or I'll never finish...not to mention getting the rest of my Christmas gifts made...o.k back to work!!See? I can do short :)

Here we go again

I feel like I just put my Christmas decorations away and here it is time to put them up again! Luckily I love decorating for Christmas, although I was a little bit sad to put away the Fall goodies this year. Every year on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving we drag out all the tubs and boxes and deck the halls...and the yard. Now it's all up but the tree...that comes next weekend. We get a fresh tree every year and have learned to wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas in order not to have it turn into kindling before Christmas morning lol! Unfortunately most of my pictures came out blurry--I'll try again when the tree is up.
I trekked over to Rosie's on Wednesday to take advantage of her 25% off of magazines and came home with a pile...here's a little peek at 2 of my favorites: I want her house!I want to make almost everything in this one! I love this wreath:Are these little tins adorable or what?
I'm making this little trio--well it's going to be a trio lol--for a gift, I think...I love the bright happy fabric!O.k. that's enough for now...gotta go get busy--lots to do and only 20 days left to do it--yikes!!!