December's quilt block

The last block of this piece for the year-long quilt blocks that I did for the Rainbow Challenge.  The colors of December being red and green, of course. 

Then adding it onto the rest of the months...and now to quilt it.  This was so much fun!

Today

Met Julie at Bed, Bath and Beyond to do a little shopping today.  New ornament storage boxes, bathroom rugs, a panini maker.  Funny how when you smile at people and some are so friendly and smile back or make a friendly comment...and some people's faces never change from a frozen frown.  A smile is such a small thing to share but means so much and makes you feel so good. 

Holiday projects

I'm getting "itchy"...  I have so much to show you and with my computer being sick, I now have a new program in it and I must wait for the kids to program my camera into it (or whatever they have to do) so I can download pictures again.  These are ones that I took before so they are already there.  I sure had fun making these.  They are called "mug rugs".  Denise showed us how to make these in quilting class.  While you are sitting with your coffee or tea and cookies, this is what you use.  You put your cup on the right side and your cookies on the left striped side.  I made some for little Christmas gifts and the binding gave me a headache, but hopefully I am getting better at it.  The first recipients were my "guinnea pigs". 

I had fun choosing fabric that reminded me of coffee...

and tea. 

Whew!

It is a happy talent to know how to play.   Ralph Waldo Emerson

...and that they did!  The floor was covered with toys and clothes last night.  Henri' was a good boy; he doesn't go after things on the floor, like the goldens did.  But I do miss my goldens.  I do wish they were here too, stealing wrapping paper and napkins.  They would give the girls a run for their money!  Funny how you remember and miss those things. 

Anyway, I have to tell you about a "good find" that I got for Danielle and Kassidy.  From two different companies, I ordered "Pet Vet" play sets.  They even got each their own lab coats with name plates on them, reading Dr. Danielle and Dr. Kassidy.  http://www.cptoy.com/  and http://www.ttgo.com/  . 

So now Christmas is over and the house is quiet.  Henri is snoring; sleeping with is new toys, "foxy loxy" and "mr. racoon".  I love Christmas...but I always look forward to the new year.  A new journal.  A new me.

Up early...

and continue to write my Christmas cards.  Yes, it takes a lot of time, but oh how I love mail and Christmas cards.  Each one a treasure.  Yes, and I love to make them and I love to send them.  It's tradition.  The first Christmas card was believed to have been designed and printed in London in 1843. 

"John Callcott Horsley (born 1817 - died 1903), a British narrative painter and a Royal Academician, designed the very first Christmas and New Year's card at the request of his friend Sir Henry Cole (the first director of the Victoria and Albert Museum).  Cole suggested the idea of a specially designed form of greeting to send to friends at Christmas.  In 1843 an edition of 1,000 of these Christmas cards were printed and placed on sale in London.  They were printed in lithography of Jobbins of Warwick Court, Holborn, London, and hand-colored by a professional "colourer" names Mason.  The cards were published under Sir Henry Cole's nom de guerre, "Felix Summerly" - by his friend Joseph Cundall, of New Bond Street."
http://www.victoriana.com/

Singing

Those who wish to sing always find a song.  Proverb


December is flying along, my computer has been out of order and the tree is almost all trimmed.  The Christmas tree is one of my favorite things and I see that I now have enough ornaments for two trees!  All meaningful ornaments.  All bearing memories. What to do!  Another quirk in my computer is that I can not yet load pictures onto it, so I will wait, but I just wanted to write something today.  Needed to write.  A need.  Yesterday, I made a Frosted Chicken Salad  and some Cranberry Bars for the Christmas Tea at The Center.  I had a few crumbs of the bars left at home and I can not stop eating them.  I think I will give you that recipe, but no picture yet.

Bella Fiori Cranberry Bars

Cream:
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Add:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Fold in:
2 cups of fresh whole cranberries

Spread in a 9x13 pan
Bake at 350* for 1 hour

I found that letting them cool a little before cutting is a good thing.  And first loosen around the edge of the pan; then cool some more before cutting into little bars.  Little dainty bars are nice.  First one may be hard to get out, but continue loosening from the bottom with a pancake turner.  I did sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar and they look so pretty and taste heavenly. 

Thanks to my favorite flower shop in New Lenox, "Bella Fiori". 

My computer is back!  All better!  Can't wait to catch up on my posts, but today is the "Nutcracker"!

Another project from the retreat

Holly showed us how to create fun jewelry!  Here's Angel's pretty ring. 

I think I'll have my computer back in working order today!  Yay!

Slippers!

And here are the slipper (socks) we made at the retreat.  They remind me of Dr. Seuss!

Me and my girls at The Christmas Retreat.  My new-to-be daughter-in-law, Angel...and my daugher, Julie.

and...

we made homemade marshmallows.  Now that's a cup of hot chocolate!

Okay one pix to a post; blogger is agreeing to that!  Here are Angel's skates all done and ready to set by her front door.  Pretty!

Skates and Stars

Seems I can still only load one pix at a time.  So, here I will show you the pretty Stars we made at the retreat with grasses from the woods and beginning to decorate the ice skates with greenery. 

One at a time...

Still struggling to put pictures on my blog; maybe one at a time.  The weather was not bad and here we are across the street in the pines, gathering a bit of nature to make stars from dried grasses and twigs and to decorate our ice skates.  A magical place.

A Christmas Retreat

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.  Anonymous

One picture loaded with my son's computer.  Just a little spot in the pines at The Center.  More when I can!

The Christmas Retreat was so much fun this past weekend, but I am having troubles with my computer and can't seem to post pictures even with using my son's.  Bah humbug!

Still celebrating

My "club girls" took me out to dinner for my birthday the other night and we had wonderful food at Luby's in Tinley Park.  And look at this celebration dessert!  One candle?  hmmmmmmmmm.

Me and my friends of 55 years!  They're just like sisters to me; a wonderful thing to have such special friends this long.  Oh, and see my pretty necklace?  A most beautiful gift from my very special cousin Joanne and family in Maryland!

Lotsa projects going on here...

Tomorrow is "back to school" (my collage class) and so working on finishing my altered book that we have been doing.  I am using words from Lenka's song "Live Like You're Dying". 

"Take every moment
you know that you own them
It's all you can do
Use what's been given to you...."

It is her song "The Show" that they use in the movie "Moneyball".  I just love her music.

And then also working on stockings for Dan's two new girls in his life. I made them for the family last year.   Now, just to sew them together and then everyone will have stockings this Christmas.

Brown for November

November is almost over and it was the last weekend of the month, so running to post my block of the month for the Rainbow Challenge!  Gosh...one more month to go for the year.

Snow flurries!

Letty Mae's Tea Room

Yesterday, Julie and I went with some friends to Morris, Illinois for lunch, shopping and their Home for the Holidays Christmas Housewalk.  We had lunch at Letty Mae's Tea Room in town on Liberty Street.  A lovely place and delicious food. 

Our table was reserved and, a good thing, because it got very crowded with the festive weekend.

Their Christmas tree is adorable, decorated with tea cups and doilies. 

Everyone got a sample of their Strawberry Soup, which was delicious!  And we had pink lemonade with a strawberry slice in it because it looked so pretty.  On their menu, there were sandwiches and salads which were all great, and we had the yummy Creamy Chicken Soup.  Then, for dessert, they brought out "cake samplers" which were round balls of fudgey chocolate cake coated in chocolate frosting, like truffles.  Oh my gosh! 

The little specialty shops in Morris were delightful!  I must tell you about them later.

                                             Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankfulness

This is a wonderful book that Danielle made in school this week.  As you turn the pages the different images would appear.  I'm thankful for.....

the green grass,

the good earth,

the tall trees,

the clear lakes,

the high mountains,

the yellow sun,

the blue sky,

and you!

mom

dad.

A warm holiday get-together!

Tis the season!
On Saturday, my daughter, Julie, and I were getting together with our most wonderful forever friends, Bernie and her daughter, Julie.

We were invited for lunch and oh my...yum!  Veggies and dip.  Fruit and chocolate!

And the most delicious chicken salad.  I think I'll make this for the Christmas Tea...okay, Lois?

Here is "Oliver" and "Hank".  Aren't they the cutest?  They love napping in their pink "suitcase".

And here's sweet "Max", the senior dog in the family.

Pumpkin cupcakes for dessert!  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Julie and Julie talking over the plan for the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Oliver sneaks in a smooch.

Julie and Julie.  The best friends.  It seems like yesterday when they were playing Barbies all day.

And here we are - Bernie's Julie, me, my dear Bernie, and my Julie.  Together for the day.  No matter how long we are apart, these are the friends that you can just pick up with like you just saw each other yesterday.  Love you.

Getting ready to go shopping in Braidwood at "Countryside Village". 

Whoosh!  A windy day!

A perfect day to begin the winter holidays.

My Day!

Today is my day.  Happy Birthday to me...
                                                         and yes, it's a BIG one!  But, as they say... it's just a number.