Blogmas Day #15 - December 15th

Here's your little bit of Christmas for today..........we can't forget our feathered friends!  Here's the link

And for my Advent gift for Day #3...my daughter sent me this...not for the faint of heart.........but it is the neatest thing of the season and you can get 4 for $1 at the Dollar Tree! 

It 's this little package and Amy wrote..."for anger management".......you slam your fist down on the package pretty hard and it inflates into a Christmas ornament!  I was amazed and I think it's the 'bees knees'!    I haven't done the truck yet....my hand is still hurting from the peppermint candy one...lol!  I'll show you when I do it! 
Today I got out a few more decorations............the nativity scene.....

My vintage Santa card holder that I love..........

and this snow mama with her snow baby I got at a craft fair years ago...it's made out of old quilts and a chenille bedspread....another favorite.......some people are so talented!

I wrapped a few more presents..........I can only seem to wrap about 3 before my back starts hurting....standing in one place bent over is not for me.....that's why I take 'breaks'! :)

I also worked on the last gift I'll be making other than 'finishing' the collectible ornaments which is tomorrow for sure!
I hope you enjoyed your Saturday and got everything you wanted to do done!
Happy Trails!!!

Blogmas Day #14 - December 14th

Here's your little bit of Christmas for today............I usually don't go for really bright 'kitchy' items for every day decorating but for holidays I'm all in!  This is a free pattern and is available here

Along with many more and I like this one too.......they're both available using the same link above.

For Day 14 of our Advent gift exchange.........my daughter sent me this with a note saying "Hmm.....looks like you are making progress".............aren't they precious charms for making progress keepers!  She's so clever....I wonder where she got if from? LOL!

Today I took the car in for an oil check and possible change but it wasn't necessary so that was a blessing!  Then my printer ink came in the mail, I paid the electric bill so we could keep the lights on, ordered more gifts from 2 different places, cleaned 3 litter boxes (back killer!), my youngest son called, I did some laundry, worked on a present and that's about it!  Where does the time go and/or the energy?  I don' t think even half of my list got accomplished but hopefully, there's tomorrow!
I hope you had a great week and got everything accomplished that you wanted to and can put your feet up tonight and relax!
Happy Trails!!!

Blogmas Day #13 - December 13th

Here's your little bit of Christmas for today.............you might have seen these around but I just love them and such inexpensive decorating except I need to get some floating candles..I have everything else..........

Today was the first of the 12 days of Christmas for my daughter and I...........here are the 12

gifts she sent me..................she even wrote something on each gift...a little hint as to what might be inside.............

 Day #13 was this..............not a real nose

but this...........this is sort of a personal joke between the 2 of us so I got a real kick out it....but it was one of those 'you had to be there' kind of jokes.................in fact I laughed pretty hard on this one!

Today it rained all day long and is still raining as far as I know...........pretty dreary out but a great day for being cozy and grateful that I got my shopping done yesterday!  Another reason for the not so good pictures today.

 I caught up somewhat on housework, laundry and wrapped a few presents...there was a glitch with one from Amazon but it was a Fat Brain Toy which I highly recommend...I will never order their toys from Amazon...one came with all the pieces wrapped in bubble wrap but no packaging whatsoever!
I called Fat Brain directly and they said they sell to Amazon and after that they have no idea what happens but they would never send a toy out like that and I know they are being honest because I have ordered from them many times.  This is the first time I have ordered their toys from Amazon.  They are sending me another one Priority mail....no charge and said to donate the other to charity as without the packaging they cannot sell it.  What a great company!!!  That is so rare but they will get my business without going through Amazon!  BTW when I tried to get help from Amazon they told me to email Fat Brain.  When I called Fat Brain I got a real person on the 2nd ring and never had to get transferred to someone else!  Amazing!  

I finished another gift I was making and put up a few strings of lights.............

and that was my day....oh!  My doctor's appointment for tomorrow is rescheduled for  January and she told me they never charge for canceled appointments...PTL!
I hope you are cozy and warm and full of the Christmas spirit!
Happy Trails!!!

Blogmas Day #11 and Day #12 - December 11th and 12th

I am so sorry!  I totally zoned out of blogging yesterday and I remembered after I was in bed and reading....and no, I was not going to get up out of my nice warm bed...lol!  So, you get a "twofer" today.   Here's your little bit of Christmas X 2.....................
I am definitely making these....here's the link

 And I thought this was neat but now I need a pattern for cranberries! LOL~   It's crocheted popcorn garland for your Christmas tree..................it is a pay for pattern on Etsy.  Here's the link

I will not get any of this done before Christmas but it's a good start on next years list!
Today was Walmart and I got some lights and 'things'................I can't wait to see how these look over my mantle.................gold!

and these I already put up outside but that was as far as I got.....no decorations..........

I have to have some Christmas candles........................

some cording for finishing some

Christmas items............

A new organic item at Walmart...they get more and more each time I go.  This time it's organic chocolate chips (semi-sweet morsels)! 

also more yarn...I have another gift to make...................

a graduation card for my son's girlfriend who is graduating with her masters degree.............I love the quote so I hope she likes the card............

I also treated myself to a Christmas present that I have had my eye on for awhile especially since all my herbs died when I brought them in the house....I would have liked to gift a few of these but they're all glass and that is hard to ensure it gets shipped safely.........

and I brought my lighted snowman, that my Aunt Alice made, upstairs and he will go in the front window tomorrow.   I still cannot find the colored little light bulbs that go in the ceramic Christmas tree she made!  So the snowman will have to fill in for this year.  They had a nice little 'real' tree for $18 at Walmart....I am so tempted....we'll see......

 It's supposed to rain for the next several days so I was glad I got the shopping done and the lights at least strung outside.  How are things going at your place?
Happy Trails!!!

Blogmas Day #10 December 10th

Here's your little bit of Christmas for today............so cute!  They are knitted and they are a free pattern on Ravelry here

I forgot to show you the pretty card I got from sweet Betsy!  The only one I have so far but I guess I need to send some too! LOL!  It's on my list!

I also forgot to show you the snow we got which is now gone so I'm glad I took a picture.......not much but it was pretty falling from the sky...............

I made Jenny's bread dough last night and baked it this morning...easy peasy and so tasty with that wonderful crust........love it..........

I managed to drag up some decorations from the basement before Miss Peeps went 'night-night'...she goes in the basement at noon.  But I still can't find any lights or the little bulbs that go with my ceramic Christmas tree......oh well.............If I don't find them by the end of the week I'll pick some up in Mountain Home when I go to my eye doctor appointment.   But before I get my eyes dilated! LOL!

Most of the day I have spent working on Uriah's ornament.....almost done and also the cowl I showed yesterday which is turning out gorgeous I must say!  I had one skein that I thought was a little dark and the other skein was a little too bright but together it looks fantastic!  Wait until I show you next week!  Plus, that pattern is a keeper for sure!  I'll be making more of these and other patterns from Fiber Flux.
I hope you had a great Monday!
Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #24

And here's your little bit of Christmas for Blogmas Day #9  Here's the link

I cannot believe I have not discovered her blog before this.....she's amazing!  She has free patterns for knitting and embroidery and tutorials.  After Christmas I will be spending some time over there!
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There are some finishes this week:

 1.  The Advent gifts are done , wrapped and mailed!!!  Yay!!!

To refresh your memory of what was in each of them...........and not necessarily in this order......
1)  There is actually a yellow scrubbie too.

2).  Here's the Chai Tea Mix.............I forgot to take a picture after I decorated the jar...so see the mason looking jar on the right hand side?  Well.........

 I cut out the Christmas Chai label and stuck it on the top of the jar and then punched a hole in the left corner of the square instruction tag and tied it to the jar with butcher's twine.  It looked really cute.  I'll be gifting some others so I'll show you those when I wrap them.

3) Godiva chocolate caramels 4) an Explore More adventure candle 5) A Little House on the Prairie pin 5) A Yankee Candle car scent 6) a little notebook that says Know Your Own Happiness 7) a Christmas dishcloth

8) Cinnamon bath bomb ( I couldn't find my lavender....oh well....of course it turned up AFTER I made them)

9) Scent beads

10) mug rug with LHOTP fabric in it............bad picture, sorry

11)  A Jar of Lemon Curd which I bought.....I never got around to making it
12) I cannot for the life of me remember what the 12th item was!  I did not make the lavender sachets so what was it?  Oh, for heaven's sake...I'm pitiful!  Maybe I'll remember it by next week or when my daughter opens it! LOL!

WIPs (works in progress)
1.  Still working on Uriah's ornament and hope to finish within the next 2 days and then 'finish' (as in make into an ornament)  all 3 of the grands 2018 Collectible Christmas Ornaments! LOL! 

2.  My C2C blanket I started for something mindless.....using stash too!  

3.  I started a cowl or scarf.....today.....what is it when you have gifts to finish up, cookies to bake, presents to wrap that you cast on something else?  Crazy!?!  Although really I am hoping to finish it and give to my most probably future DIL?  I am using a pattern from Fiber Flux and the instructions are so clear with a nice big font.....nary a problem.  I am thinking maybe it isn't always me......maybe it's the pattern.  I'm going to be careful about whose patterns I use.  She used a bulky or super bulky with a size N hook but I decided to try combining 2 worsteds holding 2 strands throughout and I am using an I hook.  These are Red Heart Unforgettable and are supposed to be worsted but they don't look it to me.  We'll see how it turns out....maybe she'll get it and maybe she won't.....the fingerless mitts were for her and we know how those turned out....oh, I didn't tell you.....somehow the bind off went crazy or the knitter....not sure which but it wasn't pretty and I have no idea what happened or how....let's just leave it at that..........

 So, I'm getting down to the wire but I have a few 'back up' ideas in case I start to cut it close.  I have to go to Mountain Home twice this next week!  Really?  I feel like canceling except for the eye doctor.....I need my eyes checked and dilated every 6 months because of the RA medicine I'm on.  I don't want to skip that one!   Anyway.....I want to decorate my home so I can have my Christmas with all the cookies and yarn my fat little hands can handle!  Actually, my hands are the only thing on my body that aren't fat! LOL!

 Finishes so far for 2018-2019:

1.  4th of July xs pillow
2.  Hitchhiker shawl
3.  Felici Hibiscus self-striping socks
4.  Felted wool loafer slippers with leather soles for me
5.  washcloth (extra large) and back scrubber for Christmas or birthday for SIL
6.   Iowa Hawkeye hats for Sam and Grayson
7.  Techniques learned so far this year: a) knit cast on, b) reading a knitting chart, c) lace work, d) inserting and using a lifeline e) charting a graphghan
8.   dishcloth(s)...I need to count them
9. Cubs hat for Uriah
10. 12 days of Christmas Advent gifts


I hope you are getting it all done but not stressing....enjoy it....it'll be over before we know it and next year no one will even remember what you gave them.....ask me how I know! LOL!
 Please stop by and see all the other fantastic projects that other  YOP'ers are working on.
Happy Trails!!!