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Another successful Christmas has come and gone. As always, it was here and gone before we knew it! This year, my parents were here for the holidays and we had a very nice visit with them :o) They even gave Junior his first Christmas present! LOL! He got a HUGE stuffed monkey and I'm sure he'll love it when the time comes and he can lay right on top of it :o)
As I mentioned in my previous post, DH and I had already bought our Christmas gifts for each other and got to enjoy them even before the big day. Each year we buy ourselves a pewter ornament for the tree and this year it was two chickadees -
It signifies that this will be our last Christmas as two ;o)
We also bit the bullet and put in a propane fireplace!
It may be hard to tell but DH had to build out the wall around the fireplace and it's not complete. I wouldn't let him do any sanding because I had just put up all the decorations and cleaned the house ;o) Remember the white mantle? Well, it's been stripped (partially) and whittled down. I love the look but we're still not sure if we'll repaint it or stain it. We also still have to pick out some tile to put around the fireplace insert.
And do you notice the area rug? That's my new $3,000.00 addition! Nope, I'm not kidding! Did we pay $3,000.00? Are you crazy? LOL! When we were searching out area rugs, I came across this great site called Rugs On Time. The real price? Just $421! That included free shipping, no tax and a free under cushion. How awesome is that?
I've still got loads to share but I'm still catching up with my Blog reading. Hopefully my Blog won't be as neglected in the New Year ;o) 
I hope all my friends and family have as wonderful and blessed a day as we've had here. We're all stuffed with turkey and sweets waiting to watch A Christmas Story ;o)
As promised in my last post, I'm going to post a picture of me with my new belly. Or as we like to call it, my Little Buddha Belly ;o) I got DH to take some pictures on Tuesday before we went into the big city. This is probably my second favorite of the bunch but the first one is out of focus. I hate getting my picture taken btw so consider yourselves lucky!
Yup, the bump finally popped although my belly button is still a little concave but much better than what it was ;o) Please forgive the extra stuff in the background. I hadn't finished decorating the tree yet.
Since you can see our Christmas tree, I might as well post a picture of the final result -
I LOVE my tree! It's not very tall but it's just right for the space and smells SO heavenly :o)
DH and I already got our Christmas gift for each other but that will have to wait a bit before I can reveal it ;o)
I can't believe it, I haven't written a post since November! I have shamefully neglected my Blog :o( I do have some good excuses though... I'm making my way towards catching up on my Blog reading (30 posts left) and my email is 'almost' up to date ;o)
This block was completed last month, I just never got up enough energy to iron and take pictures of it. LOL! So here we have block eleven -
And here's what it looks like to date -
Right now I'm stitching the LAST block! Wow! Hard to believe that Nia and I are almost done :o( This was such a fun SAL to stitch together :o)
Since December 1, I have been decorating the house for Christmas. I now have my ornament tree up and I just love it -
I hope that we're going to pick out our tree this weekend. I'm SO behind with everything. My Christmas cards are sitting here expecting to be addressed and presents waiting to be bought and wrapped. Ugh! Where has the time gone???? DH and I have another trip to the 'big city' on Tuesday for another check up so there's a day gone. I just hope I don't have any more distractions so I can get all this stuff done.
Btw, I promise to post a picture of 'the belly' soon ;o)
Dear Easter Bunny,
You know that your arrival each year is my very favourite time of year. What could be better than a combination of bunnies and chocolate? Okay, well maybe peanut butter and chocolate but that's beside the point.
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE getting chocolate at Easter but I'm thinking we need to step it up a notch and get a little more creative. As we already know, giving live bunnies at Easter is not a good thing so I've done some looking around and let me know what you think about these ideas...
I realize that chocolate is your typical Easter treat but what about a Giant Gummy Bunny -
Seven inches of gooey goodness! I just won't think about the calories ;o)
What about Rabbit Ears Salad Servers -
Unlike a lucky rabbit's foot, no bunnies were harmed in making these!
It seems that like real bunnies, dust bunnies multiply like...rabbits! I turn my head and the next thing I know, there are three or four scampering across the floor. I think it would be in everyone's interest if you gave me a Dust Bunny Duster -
I'm not saying I'll actually 'use' it but it's the thought that counts, right?
Speaking of multiplying like rabbits...it seems these Bunny Salt & Pepper Shakers really know how to shake things up -
Do the babies come out black and white or white and black?
Finally, I think that I need one of these -
What bunny lover wouldn't want this? I might have to kick DH out of the bed though and I'm not sure how well that will go over ;o)
So for next year, just keep these ideas in mind. Of course a case or two of ECEs would be nice as well :o)
To all our friends and family...
...may your day be filled with loved ones, your stomachs filled with a delicious feast and your hearts filled with joy :o)
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa???????
Christmas isn't over yet! It's only December 23, right?
Correct! No, you're not crazy ;o) But for DH and I, Christmas has been done. This year we decided to do things a little differently; unfortunately we don't get to see the results of that work though.
For many years, DH and I have cut back drastically on gift buying for each other. We have no children and although we are a small one income family, we are comfortable. So this year DH suggested that we contact The Salvation Army and support a family in need for Christmas :o)
What a great idea this was too! We had SO much fun shopping :o) The Salvation Army gave us a list of items that the family needed/wanted and let me tell you, things were very basic. When I saw that socks and winter boots were on the list, it definitely put things into perspective for me.
The family we were assigned had one little girl and she only asked for one toy. ONE! Since we aren't parents, we didn't realize just how popular this one toy was. At first we were scared we wouldn't be able to get it because it was sold out at the first few stores we checked. Thankfully we did track it down. Just knowing that little girl will get what she wants for Christmas warms the heart :o)
DH wanted to take things one step further though so we did stockings as well! We filled them with soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, some candy, mugs with packets of hot chocolate and gloves :o) Isn't Christmas morning all about the stockings? LOL!
When I look back at the receipts, it's kind of scary because the amount of money we spent on this family would have been the same amount we would have spent on ourselves. What do we 'really' need that is more important than a winter coat?
Now don't get me wrong...we don't want to be 'recognized' or 'thanked' for what we did. Just knowing that we put a smile on a little girl's face or warm footwear on cold feet makes us feel good. Gifts are wonderful and very much appreciated by both of us but not everyone is as fortunate as DH and I are.
I'm happy we did what we did this year and I hope we'll continue this tradition for as long as we can. Don't worry though...DH and I are exchanging one gift this year. I already know what mine is ;o)
a LOT more like Christmas around here :o)
I've been working my tail off trying to get this house back to rights and save for cleaning out our closet and making the extra bed, the upstairs of the house is done! The living and dining room have been started and won't take long to finish so that just leaves the kitchen since my stitching room is already complete.
My biggest relief is that our Christmas cards are now DONE and mailed OUT! We did that yesterday and what a great feeling it was to finally have them completed. I apologize to some because you may not receive your cards until after Christmas (I imagine) but who knows, the postal service could always come through in the end. ROFLMAO!!!!
Since December 1, I've slowly been unpacking decorations and putting them up but yesterday, DH and I finally went out and got our tree :o) When I woke up this morning, DH had already put the lights on so all I had left to do was ornamefy it. Denise was wondering what our living room looks like now that the huge couch was gone and this is the result -
I'm love, love, loving it :o) It will look a bit bare when the tree is gone but will look awesome when the fireplace goes in (whenever that will be).
Here's a peek into the dining room -
I love my snowflakes that we bought last year :o) If you look to the left of this picture, you'll get a glimpse of the picture that is on our Christmas card this year -
We put mini lights up the staircase again this year but bought ones with a white wire so they blend in better -
Here are some better pictures of my ornament tree that you find at the top of our stairs -
Most of them are ones I have made but I have added the ones I have received from friends over the years :o)
While DH and I were out yesterday, we went to Amos Pewter and bought our annual ornament. This year we got pen-gu-ins!
They kind of remind me of the Penguins of Madagascar ;o) LOL!
DH also picked me up a new hanger to replace my pumpkin during the winter months -
While the house is not stuffed to the gills with decorations, it still feels very festive. Thanks for taking the time to go on the tour and I hope you enjoyed :o)
What's this you ask? When has she had time to finish not only one but TWO pieces? Don't worry, you're not going crazy because I've been asking myself the same question ;o) Not to worry though, they are not huge finishes by any means. You'll see what I mean in a minute.
This year I went out and bought myself a 3.5 foot artificial tree just for my stitched ornaments. It was a great deal and plus I wanted to treat myself :o) I don't like putting those ornaments on a real tree for fear they will get sap on them. I've spent too much time working and finishing them to have that happen!
One night I put the tree together and then a few days later I put the mini lights on. When I couldn't take it anymore, I dug out all my cross stitched ornaments and started putting them on the tree :o) Since it was still November, I couldn't bring it upstairs yet so when I was in the basement putting a wash in, I'd admire my creation.
FINALLY December arrived and I brought my little tree upstairs. It now resides upstairs on the second floor. We don't have a hallway per se but a landing with the two bedrooms, TV room and bathroom going off of it. I always pictured a tree there and this is what it looks like -
I'm not crazy about the tree skirt as I'm not a gold person but it was the only 24 inch one I could find! It works though. What I didn't take into account was how big some of my ornaments were but that's okay because I love my tree :o) We put mini lights up the side of the stairs again this year and with them and my tree lit up, it's so festive.
Now that brings me back to my two finishes! I was in the craft store one day and came across some rusted tin snowflakes and I knew immediately what I would do with them :o) With a little tweaking of stitches here and there, these are the results -
I just love them and they'll be going up on my new tree once the glue is dry :o) I used the snowmen faces from Oh Joy by Val's Stuff that was in this years' JCS Ornament Issue and stitched them on some raw linen scraps that I had laying around. I changed the colors and used DMC 712, WDW Onyx and WDW Carrot.
As you can see, their noses are much shorter but I needed to do that in order to get a rounder looking head for my circle. I used Sharon's Magnetic Needleminder Tutorial to cover my metal form. I glued it to the front of the tin snowflake and then cut a circle out of antique white felt to glue on the back and cover the mess ;o) Add a little ribbon and voila!
Btw, our delivery DID arrive today so now I'll be busy putting furniture together :o) I'll be back soon to update you on that.
Don't say it! I know, I've been M.I.A. Have you ever had one of those days (weeks, months, years) that were just too much and all you wanted to do was crawl back into your warm, secure bed and shut out the world? N'uff said.
How was my Easter? No egg hunt, no Easter dinner, no bunny :o(
This month marks one year that Pickles has been gone and it was the first Easter in over eleven years that there wasn't a real live bunny in the house. I know Pickles had a good life but I do miss seeing him get all excited when I'd open the fridge door. He knew that was carrot time! I miss his ability to fling one rabbit turd across the floor with one swift movement. This meant that it was time to clean his cage. I even miss his little grunts. That meant "Leave me alone lady!"
What a surprise I had on Tuesday though when I picked up the mail! No, no one sent me a real bunny by mail but it was the next best thing :o) Danielle, the sweet generous girl, sent me the pattern Bunnies Galore by Brittercup Designs!!!! I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and don't think I have forgotten you. In case you are wondering, of course I started one of the patterns. LOL! I am stitching on Queen Anne's Lace Jobelan although it's hard to see in the picture -
For as long as I can remember, I've had an egg hunt on Easter morning. My parents did it for me and DH continued the tradition :o) Am I spoiled or what! There was no hunt this year though. DH felt really bad but it's probably for the best since I have a little stash of ECEs hidden away... If you look down the right side of my Blog, you'll notice that I have passed last years' number ;o) Shhhhh.....
Our dear friends T & K invited us to their place for Easter dinner on Sunday. I was looking forward to it all week and K was excited that we'd get to spend some time together. So Sunday morning I'm eating my breakfast and all I can think is that I must have turned the wrong (right) way because I heard a pop in my back :o( I had pulled a muscle under my left shoulder blade. I couldn't even take deep breaths because there would be shooting pain.
Seeing that I was doped up on muscle relaxants and in bed unconscious, DH made the appearance for both of us. When he got home, he carried in three containers full of food! K had sent enough Easter dinner to last us three nights and it was topped off with cheesecake :o) It was all sooooo good and I couldn't thank them enough.
I guess what I'm trying to say in this post is that, even though life may give you lemons, it's still possible to make lemonade when you have wonderful people around you. I was truly touched by both acts of kindness and one day, I hope that I can reciprocate :o)
As a side note, I am WAY behind on emails and Blog reading so don't give up on me yet! It may take me awhile to catch up but I'll be around to every one of you :o)
s-s-s-s-SNOW!
Pictures are worth a thousand words -
Yup, my car is underneath there somewhere...
For some reason, Nova Scotia loves to have things done differently. Three of our four doors going to the outside swing outwards. Not a problem right? Maybe in a warmer climate but not up here in the north where you get lots of snow (at times) -
LOL! Luckily we have a new door on order and it's going to swing 'inwards' ;o)
This is our largest storm this winter. We had a small one right before the holidays, enough to say that we had a white Christmas but then we were back to green lawns. I now have to bite back my words. I bragged to my parents that we lived in God's country because we've had nothing but mild weather and they've been snowmobiling over there for about a month. It seems I'm paying for that now :o)
Enough of the "S" word. It's that time where I set my stitching goals for the upcoming year. Two years ago, I came up with the perfect formula. I found that it gave me the freedom I wanted but also something to work towards. If you check out the Pumpkin Patch & Co. Graveyard, you'll see that I achieved my 2009 goals by 100% and over! This year I'll use the same method but I've changed the numbers around a bit.
I'm still up in the air about my large project so I've narrowed down some of my choices and I'm going to list them in my sidebar. What I'd love you to do is tell me which one you'd like to see me stitch this year :o) I'll leave the survey up for a week to give everyone a chance to vote for their favourite.
My 2009 list of completed projects has been moved to the Pumpkin Patch & Co. Graveyard so if you'd like to see them at any time, just wander over there. When will my first 2010 project be revealed? Ha! Now that's a secret so you'll just have to keep coming by and checking ;o)
I hope everyone had fun welcoming in the New Year. I can honestly say that DH and I did! We ended up with our friends, T and K, as planned but the Wii wasn't brought out. Why? Because we ended up playing a FOUR HOUR game of the 90's version of Trivia Pursuit :o) I have never laughed so much in such a long time. And I've never stayed up until 3:30 am in a VERY long time! Oye. Needless to say, I'm still recuperating...
I want to wish all my family, friends and readers a very safe and Happy New Year. May 2010 bring you happiness and new adventures :o)
