Blogmas Day #22

Evidently my Blogmas's will be short lived as now my camera isn't working!  I have some shots but then tomorrow it will be downloads and that's it, as the camera is not cooperating at all.  Oh well, I need to visit anyway and see what everyone else is up to this holiday season.  It's raining and even though "the roof boys" were here yesterday.....they did nothing and so I am using bowls that I need for Christmas baking for catching drips instead.  Please give me patience Lord!  In spades!
Here's my lovely Pioneer Woman bowl and this is heavy too!  I was amazed at the weight of it.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

   Today I've been working all day on the 2017 Collectible Ornaments.....and when I am done...I am going to make the 2018 Collectible Ornaments so I won't find myself in this position again! LOL!  Yeah right........I got no baking done at all so hopefully tomorrow?!?!?  One thing I did do was buy a frozen pizza for the next 2 nights for supper until Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when there will be plenty!
Here's my Christmas mug and for the London Fog today I  used egg nog instead of the milk.....quite the taste sensation I must say!  I left out the vanilla but still added the honey.

I really look forward to this in the afternoons with a little sweet treat of which I have to bake........

I forgot to show you this the other day.  My daughter sent this in her box of packages also......too cute.....a little red truck with the tree and it's a racer! LOL!  That girl thinks of everything!  We both love the red trucks with the trees in them. 

I hope you're getting all your holiday tasks done and enjoying them at the same time!  The candles are lit tonight and it is a cozy, rainy night here in Arkansas.  I hope you are safe and warm wherever you are and enjoying this Friday evening!

Happy Trails!!!

Blogmas Day 21 - The Winter Solstice edition!

 I could live in this photo!!!

How did you enjoy the shortest day of the year?  I tried to pack in as much as possible.  I was up before dawn and wrote out my Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day menus plus all the baking I want to do for gifting and eating.  I got my grocery list all made and went off to Wally World and were they ever packed today!  I went today because I don't want to go on the weekend plus it is supposed to rain tomorrow and Saturday and maybe Sunday.  I filled up my tank with gas and got everything on my list and didn't break the bank!  Yay!  I even got a few things that weren't on the list...I know....shame on me! LOL!  I got a Christmas mug and a Pioneer Woman Christmas dish that looks so old fashioned but unfortunately they are in the dishwasher being washed so I will have to show you tomorrow.  I did get these.......110 of them!  There were no smaller packages.....that's Walmart for you but I like these little ones for hot cocoa and sometimes for my coffee or tea. Plus, they're just the right size for hanging on my little tree.  I had to really look for the regular peppermint ones as they have every flavor under the rainbow now.

I also got some Clementines.....I always got an orange at Christmas and Santa always put one in my children's stockings too. 

This is for Christmas Eve along with some artichoke dip and triscuits and some shrimp cocktail and hot eggnog with rum...the girls love this too (the summer sausage not the rum)...........not too much for them but it is a treat they love and a little cheddar cheese too!  After all...it's Christmas!

For Christmas breakfast I am making French toast casserole that you put together the night before and let it sit in the frig overnight.  On Christmas Day I am making prime rib (I found a small one just for me) with a loaded baked potato and brussel sprouts which is my favorite vegetable of all I think.
For New Year's Eve I am making Zuppa Tuscana soup which is the copycat from Olive Garden if I'm not mistaken.  I've made it before and it is so good!  I'll make some crusty bread and that will last me through my birthday too.  So there is my holiday menu along with some Christmas Crack, Salted Caramels,  Santa Crunch, Christmas cookies and maybe some biscotti.  I think I was hungry when I made out the menu!  But like I said.....Christmas comes but once each year!
I hope you had a wonderful Winter Solstice and tonight I am going to curl up and watch all the Vlogmas's and do some knitting.  I hope you are doing whatever brings you joy!
Happy Trails!!!
P.S.  The girl that checked out my groceries....it was her birthday today!!!

Blogmas Day #20

Well, It wasn't real Christmasy here today as I took a nice hot bath with my new heating element in my hot water heater and I washed my hair. I cleaned up the house and got a few bills out to the mailbox and cleaned the litter boxes.   But I did work on my Cozy Memories Blanket and was almost done with a navy square when I ran out of yarn so I ripped it out and grabbed another color and started it again.   Instead of the navy I am using that green yarn..........I love this blanket as I can pick it up and just start knitting....no fuss, no muss!

I did sit down this afternoon and work on some little gifts for my cat girls and one for my cat grandson...........

 They're little catnip mice that you crochet and I think I got the pattern on Ravelry.  It was free, I know that, and it is called the Easy Peasy Catnip Mouse.  You crochet most of it and then fill it with fiberfill, a bell and some catnip and then more fiberfil.  Unfortunately,  I had no bells but I did have the catnip and that's the most important thing....to my cats anyway.  I'm almost done and will finish them tonight.  I'll show you a better picture when they're finished.  Then there's the annual ornaments for 2017!  Oh my! 

 Today is also menu and grocery list for the holidays and although the rain never showed up now they are predicting ice and snow for the 26th and 27th so I had better ensure the larders are full!  Tomorrow is the last trip to the grocery store for 2017....hopefully!  I definitely can't forget the eggnog either!  Do you have any special foods or drinks during the holidays that you always fix?  We usually had snacks and hor' deurves on Christmas Eve because I was cooking for the next day and still wrapping presents after the kids went to bed! 
Here's a bit of Christmas that just came my way..........my grandson Uriah just called me to remind me to logon to the Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve.  He calls me and we spend time tracking Santa online.  That guy covers a lot of ground on Christmas Eve!
Oh, I almost forgot...........I cast on for my 21 color slouch hat kit that I got last year..........it called for a cable cast on which I had never done.  It was slow going but I got it cast on!

 Happy Trails!!!

Let the good times roll!!!!

Okay, the presents are all sent off....all the ones for now anyway and the bills are paid and laundry is done and I can take a little breath for now....yay!!!  Such a great feeling!  Oh, and get this...the plumber came yesterday and it was just an element and he fixed it very reasonably and said I am good to go for at least 5 more years!  That should give me enough time to save up for a new water heater don't you think?  LOL!
I am SO happy and now I can start MY little Christmas.  Today I got presents from my daughter and her family in the mail.  She is such a great shopper on a budget and look at how lovely she wraps everything.

so pretty.....and she gives the best gifts!  They don't have to cost a lot but she puts a lot of thought into each gift she gives.......and she shops all year long...........

She also had these in the box for filler I imagine.....lol!  I don't buy candy except at Halloween but I certainly won't let these go stale!  A sweet treat each night leading up to Christmas......

I was watching Little Bobbin's Vlogmas's and in one of them she made a London Fog (tea drink) from Earl Grey tea.  I Googled the recipe and although I did not have Earl Grey, I did have some Irish breakfast tea.
You make your cup of tea, put in a splash of vanilla and some honey and froth some milk.  I don't have a frother but you can put a bit of milk in a mason jar and with the lid on, shake it for 30 seconds and then take the lid off and heat it up in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and tada!  It worked for me and was really tasty!  Well worth the extra effort.

 I was able to sit and have my tea and knit a bit on my CMB using my favorite stitch marker from Maker's Haven...........she makes the prettiest stitch markers and project keepers.

 Tonight I'll be starting some presents for "the girls" and making my menu and grocery list for the holidays.  There's still decorating but if it doesn't get done it will be alright....I still have my Fall decorations up and some lights and baubles.  I'm just so happy I'm feeling better and I have hot water! LOL!   Plus, it is going to rain and rain for the next couple days and then when I go to the store on Thursday the sun will be out and 65!  Oh yeah!  Great shopping weather.  But come Christmas Eve it is supposed to go down to the low 30's and teens at night and snow is coming!!!!!  Oh be still my beating heart!  I am so excited and need to get the fireplace ready!  I've been playing Christmas music on my pc all day.  There's so many great playlists for Christmas music and it really puts you in the spirit and sometimes brings a tear to my eyes as I think of all the relatives that are no longer here that I have so many sweet memories of.  I'm sure they'll stop by over the holidays though!
Happy Trails!!! 
P.S.  What are you doing for the lead up to the big day?  What are your traditions?  Foods that you always fix?  Movies you watch or books you read?  I'm late this year but I think I will try and Blogmas from now until after the holidays.....just letting you know what I'm up to each day.  I love the Vlogmas's so why not a Blogmas?   Whatever you celebrate, I hope you are enjoying each moment!

YOP Week #25

The giraffes are done!!!!  Ta Da!!!!  There was a moment when I wasn't sure I would make it when I got sick but all's well that ends well.  The pictures aren't the greatest because it is a rainy day (so happy about that too!) and it is really dark out so I had to use artificial lighting.  This picture is blurry but it's the only one where you can tell they are different colors................

Grayson's is orange and yellow........

and Uriah's is gold and rust colored...............

I'm so glad I ordered the pom pom maker from Clover...it was a godsend!
They'll be getting wrapped and packaged up today to go in the mail tomorrow..........
There's still the annual ornaments and baked goodies but I will send those later.
For sanity I have been working on my soothing Cozy Memory Blanket.  This project is so relaxing that I can't work on it too long or I start dozing off......but I do love this project.............plus it is all stash!  I did 9 squares since I last posted and working on number 10.  I measured it and decided after consulting with you all that I would not tuck it in but I would have it go down the side of the bed a bit.

 So, I figure I have about 4 or 5 more rows to get it wide enough and then I will start doing the length part.

I need to wind up my yarn for the Christmas Eve sock cast on.......I got this last year for this year's socks...........I love the colors and also the name...."You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" from The Christmas Story movie?.........she also included a cute Christmas pencil............

I need to get my Christmas socks that I made last year for the Christmas Eve cast on to wear for this Christmas.  Today is wrapping and packaging, hopefully some cards written and mailed too tomorrow.  There's the grocery list for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and of course, there's still cleaning and decorating and baking plus...I still want to make my soap!  Will I be able to squeeze it all in?  Probably not but the fun is in the journey....no rush........I'm already planning my handwork for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day if there is no company. 
The Bakery Bears podcast and Ravelry group have 2 KALS starting January 1st so check those out and please let me know of any others as I am free to join them now!  I've already started a list of projects for the second half of YOP.  It seems I have been tied to the gift making for so long that I can't wait to work on some of my projects and ,of course, cast on a bunch of new ones! LOL!  Don't forget Little Bobbin's Christmas Eve Sock cast on....she is having it again I hope?  Also, is Yarngasm having her Box of Socks for 2018?  I  have yet to get 12 pair made but maybe this will be the year?
So much to enjoy and look forward too if I can only afford the yarn for all of it! LOL!  Also, definitely enjoying all the Vlogmas's...they really put you in the Christmas spirit.
Our next posting for YOP will be Christmas Eve...I'll be there and I hope you will too.  I'm getting excited for Christmas and just so Santa knows.....I was a VERY good girl this year so bring it on!!!
Happy Trails!!!