Lessons from the grand kiddies

The shortbread has been eaten.  The last day of the calendar is here and normal returns very soon.

During this year I have learned a thing or three.

There are many lessons to learn and many instructors but it isn't until you have your own hands on the controls that the real experience begins.  Also, The Grand Dad knows where of he speaks when he says you don't touch any remote buttons unless you have the machine in sight!

You need a good foundation and even then, the sky is not the limit!

Even with only a few balls, one will inevitably get down the register!

AND- You can't have it all!

And I have indeed wanted it all.  Most every colour and style that delights my eye, every technique that makes my fingers twitch,  and all the supplies to play with.  It is like shortbread, you can't just have one!

I have been working on the triple F's, Focus, Fiddle/Find and Finish and I expect I will always be working on them.  I have learned a lot since I have been blogging.  I expect to learn more.  T'is true.  One is never too old to be taught!

Slipped into Saturday

Two grand Kiddies will be arriving soon to stay till the 25th when we shall deliver them photo ready for a happy family day at their parents.  I want to get everything ready for some fun and creative projects.

The presents were wrapped and the tags completed.

The shortbread was done!

The journal pages got a few extra special pages ready to go.

The table runner and topper are finished and my thumb is coming along nicely!

The new/old piece of furniture got a makeover.  The Rooster had an early day Thursday; daylight is important for older eyes!  lol  And I couldn't wait to touch up the clock base Friday morning.  Pyjamas and paint brush!  I am SO messy.  awk!    Then I started looking at the other piece across the hall.  It turned out great but I need to find some material for a shelf in the bottom and some knobs.

The hall decisions are made and when the renovation hits this room I have a plan.  That closet will become a computer centre.  The rug is usually in the veranda for the summer and is there to remind me of my focus as I almost got seduced by a lovely rug that would have turned me 60 degrees away from all I have accumulated.  :^) I need to pick up a few drawer knobs and some harvest gold paint to smudge on the new clock base.

I had originally planned to have my friend Les's wall hanging up in the hall but it was just made for the front room!  Thanks, Les!

I shall resume with the regularly scheduled posts after the shortbread is eaten, the wrapping paper gathered, and the leftovers are consumed!

Blessings to all for the coming holidays!

Winter Solstice

A short but busy day that will take a long night to actually finish my to-do list.

I woke up deciding to paint, in my pyjamas no less!  I got a coat of yellow on the remodeled clock base and the Rooster will fine tune the hanging bar for the doll clothes and put the feet back on it tonight, I hope.

I tackled that cupboard across from the remodeled clock.  I can't believe I actually did it near that quilt top.  :O  But now I'm thinking I need to do the inside where a shelf will rest in a Robin Egg Blue, which I conveniently have a sample of! But that is for after I get dressed!  lol

I had Jenn for an extra day this week and she brought the makings for shortbread.  I was determined to get my own done before I went back to painting.  I will eat shortbread any time of the year but this 'short' solstice day seems particularly appropriate!  I made a white shortbread that is gluten free and absolutely delicious!  I also like brown sugar shortbread but that recipe needs more 'tweaking' and I am not the kind of creative cook that tweaks so I'll be looking for another recipe.  I had to do the photo in the front room as the kitchen is a disaster with my multi tasking.  

                                                                             ~

The day is shortening so I need to make some long strides to reclaim the kitchen for the Rooster's supper,  cause the sooner he eats the sooner he can shorten his to-do list!  LOL    oops!  The timer is telling me the last pan is ready to come out and I have no where to put it!!!  I'll be down shortly.

sheesh, I think I've nibbled too many short bread cookies!  ROFLOL

It's a wrap!

I have to admit that wrapping presents isn't my favourite creative activity.  I'm a 'stuff it in a dollar store gift bag and hand it over' type.  But these tags are kinda addicting!  So...

First up was a try at upping the complexity a bit.

Jenn and I tried our hand at some gift card envelopes.

Then I did the grand kiddies gifts.

I had a colour coordinated plan. One for each and then a group present.

The kids know their initials.  But the coloured cards are pretty dark.  There is a reason the kraft colour is popular!  ;^)

We have a party with the grand kids and their parents and lots of food and games.  I'm all for simple, at least until the grand kiddies get into fancy!  lol  It is indeed a wrap!

wow, running with the stitch

It is WOW, what is off my worktable!

I used  the KISS approach and went for an envelope finish and straight line quilting.  Done.

And in use.  I'll be changing to my winter decor very soon but it made an appearance for the cozy coffee theme.  :^)

This is a close up of the runner which I did first and sparked the simpler approach.  I was off and stitching and congratulating myself on a fast finish when I stitched through my thumb.  Pure dumbness but further confirmed I am out of practice and need to keep things simple until I ramp up to full speed.  :(

The Needle and Thread Network are no doubt making lots of finishes also.

maybe this time...

Can I get the shortbread made this week?

The hallway is up for consideration.  I underestimated a small job that once again involved the Rooster and his creative skills.  :(  So I need to jump on it first thing this morning.

I had taken up the rug.  I moved the clock across the hall and then decided to totally rework the base of the clock, well, the Rooster will.  And that's where I left things.

Another little piece that will move into the clocks old position is up for reworking and hopefully I can finish it up by Friday.  My Rooster carefully removed the wine rack and he'll be using it for his hobbies!  I am wondering what colour to paint it.  But I think I need to find the rug first.

There is that table runner and topper!!!  I'm also thinking I need one more sheer panel as I put the new one in the playroom and left the plain ones for the east rooms.  Luv the big leaves on it!

The calendar pages need keeping up with.  I am rolling with that one.

Jenn and I need to get some gift wrap and tags finished up.

I am sure others are busier than I but I am happy to only be kinda busy.  Here is to a smooth slide into the holidays!

Five steps forward and two back

We have a lot of the white fluffy stuff.  The gals in the coop are not real happy and the egg production is showing their displeasure!  They do venture out occasionally but the ducks are mostly out.  Look who is leading mama around now that he has really got his wings!  He can clear the top of the big barn!

The hallway was looking like such a small job that I diddled around with a lot of other stuff before I actually got down to 'doing' it.

I got the old leather trunk cleaned out.  All but a few year books that didn't fit were sent off to DD#1, official record keeper for the family.  I think she'll have a fun time pouring through the old letters and photos during the holidays!

I did make the 12 tags for 12/12/ 12 and that made me rethink how I was storing some things so I did get two more drawers done in the playroom.  All these little bits will make the job faster when I get into that room for the deep clean.  lol

I decided that the hall rug was becoming too much of a magnet for my sloppy coffee carrying on the way to the new computer station in the hallway.  Its also in the road for accessing the chair so I popped it into the Sunshine room and it'll be a cozy foot warmer and car race area!

But the hall turned out to be another digression because this clock needs more modifying as the bottom box to lift it up higher isn't right.  So my Rooster has agreed to another Saturday project.  lol

I want to store all my doll stuff in it.  That got me reacquainted with my 3 girls- Carly who had her glasses broke when dear grandson tried them on and who hasn't seen too well since! Carly, not Josh!  Emily Hanna, who withstands lots of attention, doesn't care for fancy and frills.  Her claim to fame was a 'for real' trip to a real hairdressers for a stylish bob.  The youngest and slightly smaller is Mariella , who for all her sweetness is a real trouper.  She survived a time away as her face healed from terrible black marks that Dutch Cleanser finally faded.  phew!  I am hoping that all the rearranging will postpone their re-entry into the grand kiddies play zone for a while longer.  Out of sight, out of mind?  Well, we'll try at least.

And that cleaned out another drawer!  yippee skippee!

I am up to date on the calendar journal.

The table runner ... :(

The shortbread...  :((   The grand kiddies and I will be making some on the 24th at this rate!  

I shall continue on with the hall makeover and see if we can get 'er done by next Friday!

WOW! 12, twelve, TWELVE

A memorable day so I need to do something memorable.

Tags!

TAG 1 

Tag 2

Tag 3

Tag 4

Tag 5

Tag 6

Tag 7

Tag 8

Tag 9

Tag 10

Tag 11

Tag 12

Just realized this morning that today was so special and will never happen again.  So I seized the day, well, the numbers!  I have always wanted to work in a series!  :^)  I will finish them all off with a  _ of 12  line on the back!

linking to my fellow Canadians at The Needle and Thread Network

Sun rise!

Another week has started.  I do appreciate that my week starts with Sunday.  Family day, rest day.

But now it is Monday and I need 5 things to do.

I thought the hallway would offer a bit of respite from deep destashing as it only has one closet.  hmm, I now see that the plastic storage is bulging with stuff also.  :(

But in chatting with DD#1, who is a history/genealogy buff, I thought I might do the trunk under my bed and send on all my genealogy stuff which I will not get around to doing anything with.  I don't need another hobby and she could use another hobby so I'll include a scrap booking magazine!  lol  She has an extra long holiday break and can ooh and ahhh over all these long lost relatives!

That would also be a nice start to the master bedroom which has stuff under the bed, 2 overflowing tall  book cases and stacks of books on both sides of the bed!  vbsigh

The playroom is in reasonable shape so perhaps I can get the table runner and topper quilted before I start splashing and spraying more journal pages.

I need to get the winter backgrounds for December ready for journaling.  I think it'll be a blue Christmas!  lol

And then there is the darn shortbread.  Here is hoping!