Lovely Christmas

day with our wonderful family and friends.  Dinner was excellent, everyone got Christmas present that they loved and a mean game of scrabble was played after dinner.  A really fun day for everyone. 

Now it's back to reality, going to start doing some really deep cleaning and get the house back in good order so I can start working on my 2012 quilting goals, which I will post here to keep me on track and focused.  Starting with "No buy" fabric rule for 2012, use up this monumental stash I've acquired over the years.  Reorganize the sewing room and make it more user friendly, it is a cluttered mess right now with nary a flat surface that is not cluttered with leftover stuff.  Yikes, but the house is first, starting with the kitchen and bathrooms today.

Fun day

today, bumming around with dgds and a couple of Emily's friends.  Good kids with a lot of laughing and fun.  I went back to Williams Sanoma for a couple of items I thought about ever since last week.  So I got them.  Emily found a pair of new jeans that aren't jeans but look like jeans. They are like a soft stretchy flannel.  They will be comfortable I'm sure.  Looked for a vest for Katie but couldn't find the one she wanted in her size so we are going to try again tomorrow.  Went to the local gourmet popcorn store for a couple of gift baskets for Katie's running coaches, then to lunch at Colonial and then to Joanns for Emily to find a gingerbread house kit for her to take to a party tonight where all the teenagers are going to build their own gingerbread house.    Then took Katie to the dentist, then home. 

Got the Bulls game on, basketball has begun for the pros.  Yippee!!  We'll see how long I can stay awake to watch them. 

Tomorrow Katie is going to have a little girlfriend with and Emily's friend is coming too.  I'm OK with letting Emily and her friend go off alone but not comfortable with 12 yr. old Katie and her friend yet.  So we'll do some pre-teen shopping then go to Barnes and Noble and have a sweet treat and I'll have a much needed cup of coffee.  LOL  The girls will do some shopping there too I'm sure.  Gosh haven't sewn for 2 days, will be suffering from withdrawal pretty soon.

Gosh don't know why those tea towels and hot pads are so big, if you click on them they are smaller.  Duh!!!

Tea towels and hot pads

Whew

put a big dent in my shopping today and only went to 2 stores, Target and Williams Sonoma.   The latter being one of my favorite stores, there stuff is so nice and well made.  I did get gift receipts for all of it though, kids might not like what I liked. 

Tomorrow I'm going to post photos of the tea towels and hot pads.  I still need to sew down some of the bindings and should finish that in the morning.  The ones for the teachers are all done and I've already given away one of the sets.  I'll be home waiting for delivery of some gifts I ordered on line from Vermont Country Store and Bath and Body Works.\

Think I will also  put together some cookie dough tomorrow, will refrigerate the dough and bake as needed. 

Busy weekend

Went out to dinner with Terri and Lou after church on Sat.  Went to a restaurant out in Sycamore that we hadn't been to in many years and it was awesome.  Sat. morning I worked on more hot pads, I now have 6 of them quilted and ready for the binding.  Today I broke down and went to Joann's with my 50% off coupon and bought a new 60 mm rotary cutter so I can trim up the hot pads easier.  It worked really well so I got them all trimmed and ready for the bindings which I have already to sew down. 
I also got some Christmas shopping done,  I don't know what I'm going to get Emily and Katie they've got all the electronic stuff they need and some they don't need.  LOL 

A friend dropped off a present for George and me, I baked it this afternoon and it was delicious, I hope she will tell me where she got it.  It came with the dough already made, shaped into a braid and frozen.  Thawed it out overnight, let it rise in the morning and baked it this afternoon.  George and I at half of it as a snack for supper.  LOL

Tomorrow will finish the hot pads, they turned out so nice IMHO, I'll post photos of the sets when they are all done.  Well it's time for  me to get to bed so I can get up bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow.

Next door neighbor,

Dennis was taken to the hospital today from work and within 2 hrs. they had him in surgery.  He had a brain tumor that turned out to be cancerous.  They didn't get it all so he will undergo chemo and radiation in a couple of weeks.  Becky and Dennis are wonderful neighbors, they have 3 lovely children ages 16, 12 and 10.  We will keep them in our prayers for as long as it takes.  It's so hard when good people have to suffer through bad times.

Saying goodbye

isn't easy.  Found out this morning that my cousin passed away.  John was born in June and I was born in Aug. the same year.  We grew up together and spent a lot of time together, he came to live with us for a couple of years in our teens and worked for my dad in his gas station.  My dad mentored him into finishing high school, wouldn't let ;him come live with us or work for him if he didn't.  That's where John learned his mechanic skills that served him well the rest of his life.  He owned and operated his own station for over 50 yrs.  

He will be missed by his dear family, his sister and brother and his cousins.  Farewell good buddy, don't walk through any plate glass windows up there in heaven.