A short tour

Yesterday I told you I would show you some ornaments that weren't pretty hand stitched ones so here we go.

We have lots of fireman ornaments. I usually get at least one each year. One of these days I'll take all of these and do just a fireman tree. (hubby was a firefighter for 24 years. 21 years on the paid dept. 3 volunteer before that)

I've always bought the kids an ornament every year. They usually pick the one they want, but this year a I picked this one for baby boy and his bride. They don't have a tree at their apartment so I have it on my tree.

I also buy one for hubby and myself (in addition to the fireman ornament) every year.

Here is the reindeer made from a dog biscuit and pipe cleaners. We have managed to keep it by hanging it at the top of they tree every year to keep the dog from getting it! I think baby boy made in kindergarten or first grade. (he is 21) There is also a reindeer made out of a plastic spoon but it is on the back and I couldn't get to it to take a pic.

Since the kids get to pick their own ornaments, we have an assortment. A sledding wiener dog, Spiderman, there are Star Wars, Pirates, Dr. Seuss, quite a variety.

Timothy usually either picks a Taz or a truck.
One day the kids will have their own homes and trees and they can take their ornaments with them if they want to - then I will have to do some heavy duty shopping to fill my tree!
Off to work with me. This is my last day to work this year - then I'm off until Jan. 2, 2008!

ornaments

Just a few ornaments from the tree. The first one is the snowman ornament I told you about yesterday Timothy stitched it when he was around 8 or 10 (he is 23 now) Just decided he wanted to see if he could do it so he picked a pattern, gathered up the supplies and went to work. He always was that kind of kid - did things like that just to prove to himself he could - he still is that way. I didn't help him with it other than to tell him to make sure all your stitches cross the same direction. I'm not sure I even showed him how to thread a needle. He finished the stitching pretty quick - I can't remember if I made it into an ornament or if I just told him how to do it. Anyway - he did the one. All the proof he needed.

The other two ornaments are some more that were made by my grandmother. I just love getting them out every year and I always hang them where I can see them from my chair.

Not all of the ornaments on my tree are lovely handmade ones - there are store bought and of course there are the ones the kids made in school. Maybe tomorrow I'll show some of those. How about a reindeer made out of a dog biscuit and pipe cleaners?

last two trees

This is the snowman tree. It has all snowman ornaments on it and is in Timothy's room. Somewhere on there is an ornament he stitched when he was about 8 or 10 (wish I had dated it). He just decided he wanted to do a cross stitch ornament so he picked one and did it. It is on 22 count fabric! I'll have to remember to get in there and take a picture when he isn't asleep in there.


Last week I met Margo for lunch and a little shopping. I picked up some prisms for the tree in our bedroom. I've never put a tree in there before, but I usually put one in the window of the upstairs bedroom (which was baby boy's room, then hubby's office). Kidlet #1 is living in that room at the moment and well, lets just say there isn't room for a tree in that little cubby hole! I figured what the heck, so I put it in our room. (no, it did not have pink ornaments or prisms when it was in baby boy's or hubby's room) I've enjoyed having it in there - I might just have to get another tree if the time comes that I can have that window back!
So, if you count my little Charlie Brown tree in the office I have a total of 5 trees. And we wonder why I'm stressed.
Oh - I forgot to tell you the best part about my Saturday. Have you ever tried to take off a single strand of lights from a fully decorated tree? Not ones you put on, but from a pre-lit tree? Oh yes, one of the strands on mine went out - well part of it did. It went out once and we replaced a few bulbs then within a week it blew 11 more bulbs so it made me nervous just having them on. I tried to find lights like the ones on there and the only ones I could find had been discontinued by the manufacturer - not making me feel any better. So, I just got some more clear ones (different bulbs) I have no idea how they put those stupid things on there! They split and went in two different directions, made circles, backtracked, you-name-it. After I finally got them (and about a third of the decorations) off the tree it took two strands of 100 lights each to replace them. Yes, that was fun. I'm quite done tree trimming for this year!
Guess I should go paint my face so I can go to work - my last Monday for the year!

Just a short post

Mostly pictures - I never stopped long enough yesterday to even post. I cut. I glued. I glittered. I boxed. I bagged. I wrapped. I tired.

I found a couple of years worth of old Christmas cards when I was digging out gift wrap so I used those to make Christmas bags. Some of them had matching images on the back, so I used those for matching tags. The other tags are made from scraps of my gift wrap paper. The fabric the ornaments are pictured on is what I used for the backs. I'm too tired or lazy to turn them over and take another picture! I'm only keeping the one on the left with the felt backing for myself - I'm unhappy with how the felt backing turned out. I couldn't see my line and didn't cut it out worth a crap so I'm keeping it for myself.

Now, I'm gonna go make a pie. Took two pecan pies to the Christmas party Thursday night and came home with not even a slice. Timothy wasn't happy (although he was invited to go with us!) anyway - I promised him I would make him a pie today. As soon as I get that in the oven I'm going to dig out the old broom and vac and see if I can get all this glitter, paper, thread and assorted other 'stuff' up off the floors.

Off to bake!

a little stitching

Yes, there has actually been a little bit of stitching going on here. I stitched these pillow cases for baby boy and his bride. They are both theatre students and their school colors are purple and white. Not the best picture but you get the idea.

These little tea towels are for a friend who has scotty doggies. I thought of her as soon as I saw this pattern. I had the first one stitched way back in the summer but just finished the second one this week. As far as I know she doesn't even know I have a blog, so I think I'm safe posting a picture. (same with the kids)

Last picture for today - these daisy pillow cases. I love these. I stitched them back in the summer but I don't think I ever posted a picture of them. As much as I don't like doing lazy daisies I love these pillow cases. I have decided to give them to my mother for Christmas. When my aunt was here a couple of months ago she repainted my mother's guest room a pretty yellow and mother put a blue and yellow quilt on the bed. I think these will look perfect in there. As far as I know, my mother has never done any kind of embroidery. Kind of odd as her mother and grandmother are the ones that taught me. She did sew when I was younger and made a lot of Barbie clothes for me and my sister (oh, how I wish I had kept those!) My mother has MS now and while she will on occasion hem a pair of pants or mend something she really doesn't do much of that kind of thing. I hope she likes these.

Well - off I go to another Christmas party!

Another Christmas tree

This tree is in the guest room. The room is done in red, white, tan and blue. I kept the tree simple with red, blue and gold glass balls then I put little rusty tin stars on it. I had to put holes in them (that was fun) so I could put the twine through. You have to look really close to see the stars in the picture. Somehow all the settings got changed on my camera and I have to either catch Timothy-fix-it or get out the book to figure it out. Argh.

Hiding on the wall behind the tree you can see hubby's Christmas gift last year. I took his badges, patches and service pins from his 21 years with the fire department and put them in a shadowbox for him. I thought he might take it and hang it in his office, but no, it hangs in the guest room!

Vickie - those 4 pieces of trim on the porch posts are all the 'gingerbread' I have on the house. A little can go a long way. :)

Linda - fireman Santas are everywhere, but if you don't live with a fireman you probably just don't notice them! I still collect them even though he retired from that 4 years ago (you can take the man out of the firehouse but you can't take the firehouse out of the man) I have a lot of fireman ornaments on my tree too. I'll have to take some pics of those to share.

Joanne (Needleboxes etc.) - How did you find my blog? I haven't been brave enough to make one of the needleboxes yet. I am going to pick some fabric after Christmas though and start thinking about it! LOL

I do have some stitching finishes, just no pictures yet. I think I can show all of them as I don't think any of the recipients know I have a blog. Hopefully I'll get pictures this weekend and get them wrapped!

Much to do - better get busy!

Gingerbread men

I have a little gingerbread man theme going in my kitchen this year (well - with the limited decorating I have done in the kitchen) The little gingerbread man plate I made years ago when I was doing ceramics. The ones hanging from the shelf on the bakers rack I bought in Canton. I planned to put them on some garland to hang on the kitchen window but I ended up not putting up any garland anywhere this year so I just hung them off the shelf. The towels are hanging on my cute little glass towel bar. I couldn't believe I found a yellow towel with a gingerbread man! I just had to have that one! I found some cute place mats and napkins at the new Kohl's in Tyler the other day, but they aren't on the table this morning - I was gluing and glittering over the weekend and I still haven't cleaned up all of my mess.