Still "futzing" with the decorating but having fun!

I'm cleaning too among other things but each day I'm spending time on it.  Needless to say there is no tree yet but give me time! LOL! 

This is my fireplace when there's no fire going....just some votives in a holder.

I redid my mantel....I'm working on a budget so instead of buying some "snow" to put on the mantel, I used some leftover quilt batting.  The  vintage Santa is a box where the chimney is and I got it for practically nothing at a garage sale.  I put my Christmas cards in it.  The little houses I pick up at sales and the thrift for less than a dollar.  There is one in there that is pricier though that is from Ireland (it's the little yellow cottage with the red door).  I've had the old lanterns for years.  If you remember they were on the front porch this Summer.  I hung a wreath from the top of the  mirror and arranged some more battery lights(colored ones this time) in among the little houses so it would look like a little Christmas Village.

 I do have a fire going in this picture and I think I like the mantel now and will leave it alone! LOL!  I have lots more to clean if not decorate before Christmas.  Oh, here's the left side which I couldn't get in the picture and that's where I put the pine cones that were originally on the mantel.

Those books are really old and the green one is a copy of Jack London's Call of the Wild....the first book that I read that really resonated with me and my love of adventure and the North and snow!
I managed to get some bread made today too.........

Can you find the "hidden object" in the picture below?  LOL! 

Yes, you guessed it...."amazing" Grace!  She thinks no one can see her there and she swats at you when you walk by but we've all gotten wise now and steer clear of her! LOL!  She's still a kitten and I think she's part baby goat as she will be sitting quietly and all of sudden it's like someone gave her an electric shock and she'll jump in the air and take off running through the house.  The dogs are fascinated with her...and a bit scared too! Ha! Ha!
Something I've never mentioned on my blog before are the "daily" miracles I receive.  You may not consider them miracles but I do and they are a constant reminder to me that I am loved.
This is just one that I received today among many..........

I was refilling my coffee container and filling the sink at the same time and when I turned around to shut off the water that is what I saw.........I can literally feel the love well up in my heart when these things happen.  Everyone gets them....you just have to pay attention!  I hope you received many today and "feel the love"!
Happy Hanukkah to my friends who celebrate that holiday....it starts tonight! 
I am SO sorry I haven't been visiting much and I know how much I appreciate you all when you leave comments and I promise to do better and I miss you too when I don't visit!  I don't know where the time goes but before I know it, it's getting dark and time for bed and I'm just starting to get going it seems!  I do apologize!  TTYS!!!

The Christmas Spirit 2012 has arrived!

I've been busy cleaning and decorating and surfing the internet for cottage and farmhouse decorating ideas but my house is not conducive to the "cottage" or "country" look.  I cannot get my decorating "mojo" on in this house for love nor money.  But I keep trying...........I thought my trees outside looked nice until I looked at the photo and then they looked too small for the BIG garage door.

I found some battery operated lights at the Dollar Store and was able to put them around my mirror over the fireplace.....

I think I can safely say I will not be on Pinterest any time soon! LOL!  Back to the drawing board!
But below is what I wish my house looked like.............ahhhhhh.......perfect!








or even this.....sweet, small and doable.................

Well, maybe next year.  Of course if I was a REALLY GOOD decorator which it is obvious I am not....I would be able to take any house and make it adorable and cozy!  But honestly, how many brick ranch homes do you see featured as "cottagy and cozy".  I guess I'll be asking Santa for some decorating mojo for Christmas. 
I hope you are all doing well and getting everything done so you won't be too exhausted to enjoy your Holidays!

YOP Update

What a week!  I was on the road back to Mountain Home for the doctor again....different doctor this time! LOL!  I had banking issues, doctors and finally now I think I have things taken care of for the Winter except for Medicare appointment Monday and a few more phone calls.  Retirement is a full-time job!!!!
But I  managed to sit and knit a bit.....I was too tired to do anything else! Ha! Ha!  Here I go again............

 But this time it is not the first sock...............

It's the beginning of the second because I FINALLY finished my first one!   Tah Dah!!!!!  Drum roll please!
I had  no problem this time until the toe.....trying to get the needles with 10 stitches on each of them from the top and bottom position of the sock to the sides of the sock.  The instructions said to not pull the back needle long and to K5 and that would put the needles in the right position to start the Kitchener stitch and close up the toe.  Huh???  I emailed her and said that I end up with 15 stitches on the back needle and the working yarn 5 stitches  "in" on the back needle.  She didn't explain it any better so I fooled around and finally got the needles in the right position with 10 stitches on each needle but not sure how..... so next time I'll run into the same predicament! LOL!    My other issue is this pattern in for a short cuff sock with bigger needles and yarn for learning but now I want to make regular socks with sock yarn and smaller needles and every pattern I see uses DPN's.......now that I've learned Magic Loop.  I'll search some more and I do want to learn DPNs at some point too but for now I'd like to bask and enjoy my new skill and make a regular pair of socks before learning anything else.  I get easily confused! LOL!  Any advice or recommendations for Magic Loop sock patterns and/or good tutorials for DPNs would certainly be welcomed.
I also managed to do a little cross stitch since I still am afraid to knit and watch the telly simultaneously (I'm just asking for trouble when I do that).

     I hope you all had a great week and weekend!  Thanks so much for your comments and encouragement.  I know I would have given up on those socks if it hadn't been for all of you!  Thank you!  I need to play "catchup" once again this week!  Hugs to all!!!!