HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Another year come and gone. With this day came sadness and joy...all within a few hours of each other. My dear daughter-in-law's grandmother passed away this morning which was expected but not expected if you get my drift. Such a sweet lady. Then, within a few hours, we were informed that my third son and his wife are expecting another baby! That WAS unexpected to them and to us. But we couldn't be happier. I think they are still in a state of shock! They are the parents of the little gal you see with the party hat...Karsyn! She's only to happy to have a reason to dance. We had the gang over this evening for dinner and I can honestly say that I am exhausted!! My dishwasher isn't working so I have about an hour's worth of dirty dishes to do! I guess that's how I will bring in the New Year!

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening, whether or not you stay up to watch the ball drop. I'll probably still be washing dishes!

OLDE SEWING HOOPS

Yes..I love the olde wooden sewing hoops. I just can't seem to have enough of them! Everytime I see one or a dozen at an antique shop...I just have to have them! I love the look of them, I love the feel of the worn and weathered wood and I love the way they hold your fabric snug as a bug while stitching. I especially take a liking to the hoops that have fabric wound about them to keep it nice and tight..those are the hoops that were used dearly and often. As they say..."they just don't make them like they used to"....how true! One modern convenience that I am ever so grateful, is the light bulb! Oh heavens...how did young girls and women stitch in the candlelight? We had been without power since early Sunday morning and I can't even imagine trying to stitch by candlelight much less trying to stay warm while sewing! The sampler shown in the photo was stitched in 1857. I purchased it a couple of years ago at an antique shop in Williamston MI.
I will take a better picture of it at a later day....it is truly a time-worn treasure.

Have a wonderful evening! I am off to prepare dinner and then I am going to enjoy my evening stitching up my new sampler pattern from Beehive Needleworks!!

QUIET, QUIET, AND NOTHING TO DO

AHHHHH.....what a nice feeling. I am sitting here catching up on my emails, checking out everyone's blogs and picturetrails. Christmas is but one day gone and I can breathe a sigh of relief and relaxation. This year, I didn't over do, over buy, or even over decorate (well, maybe a little) but for some reason, I felt more stressed and disorganized than ever! We had a nice Christmas. All the grandchildren were over and they were noisy and excited. Going from one present to the next..it was a blur of wrapping paper & cellophane for about 5 brief minutes. Then, they were all tired, some were crying and some were screaming. By the end of the night I think all the adults were ready to take naps...me...I was ready for a big glass of wine! Maybe a bottle..LOL!! They are such good little grandkids...6 of them, all 3 1/2 years and younger. Next year there will be a 7th..fun, fun!!

I am excited, because I am off of work next week, but everyone else will be back at work...I won't know what to do with myself...the whole house to myself!! I ordered a sampler pattern from Bee Hive Needleworks from ebay. I had never seen this seller, but she has beautiful original patterns and she is sooo sweet! Her website is: www.BeehiveNeedleworks.com. For those who love early style stitching, please check her out..she has some really nice sewing accessories, linens, and of course, her patterns.

Everyone have a great evening...I am off to see "The Polar Express" in 3D at the IMAX theatre here in Dearborn MI.

SO MUCH TO DO...SO LITTLE TIME

Where in the heck did this week go??? I have been off since last Friday and can't say I've done one productive thing. I haven't even finished my shopping, so I'll be out early, early on Christmas eve trying to snatch up whatever I can find. Luckily, I don't have but three more gifts to buy...just enough to make me a little crazy! I baked this afternoon and burned two cookie trays of Toll house cookies...I have never done that before..they usually turn out really, really good, but I was caught up in watching reruns of the "Gilmore Girls" and tried to bake in between commercials...now I have to start all over again. I also had big plans to make jars and jars of salsa and a platter of hummus. I even went out and bought myself a new food processor..good grief....what was I thinking??

Oh well. At least my house is decorated! Here are just a few pictures...sorry they are small. I can't seem to get the size to enlarge on this blog! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

SECOND CHANCES.......

Have you ever seen something at an antique mall, wanted it so badly...but for whatever reason passed on it? Well, about two months ago, I went to one of my favorite malls in Livonia, Michigan and spotted an antique child's wooden rocking horse. I passed on it not once but twice...I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Today, I had a little extra time so I decided to visit that antique mall just to see if it was still there. I held my breath, my heart was pounding..I didn't see it at first, so I figured it wasn't' meant to be mine, but then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little red wooden seat tucked in amongst many, many other items..when I looked down...there it was...the little rocking horse! I pulled it out and couldn't believe it was still there....waiting to be taken into a home where it would be loved and appreciated...again, many many years later! It is the most beautful, worn white and red paint. The seat has a large crack in it, which had been repaired and one of the horses has a crack with a make-do repair as well. It is the perfect seat for my antique teddy bears and will find rest under my Christmas tree or on top of my sawbuck table...I'll have to wait and see...where ever it ends up, it will be treasured for a long, long time!