Visions of Sugarplums!

 Happy Monday! As expected, the roofers have been on the roof since 7:15 this morning and by the sounds of it, they are getting MUCH accomplished. They don't need anything from me so I am free to do whatever I need but, for whatever reason-maybe the constant banging?-lol-I just can't seem to really focus on anything. I've been ironing a few tops that needed a bit of crispness so right there you know that my mind is at odds. LOL I very rarely iron anything any more. And, I have put on a load of wash and now I am at a stand still. And so, I was perusing different sites and I started seeing some beautiful framed Christmas prints coming soon to HL, Target, Walmart, etc. And that got me thinking back to my decor last Christmas. I remembered that I did buy a few prints and, of course, I got my new tree 

That new tree kind of started a change in my family room decor because it is pre-lit. That's the first one I have ever had. I am not usually a fan of a pre-lit tree but I will admit that putting lights in a tree is one of my LEAST favorite chores and this tree not only has clear lights but it has colors and twinkles. I just heard so many good things about it that I caved.

It is incredibly EASY to snap together-and it is LIT! And, the twinkle lights are mesmerizing. They are gorgeous. But, this is the room where I always had colored lights. It has always been the "kids'" Christmas room and we all loved it for years. But, the colored lights on this tree have that "blue" LED shine to them and not the nostalgic Christmas colored lights look so I ended up not using them and just leaving on the clear twinkle.

Because everything else in this room still kind of screamed traditional old-fashioned Christmas, I kept the colored lights on the mantle and the large Santa picture hanging above with the mercury glass Santa on the mantle. For whatever reason, it just wasn't "doing" it for me but it was too late to start thinking about changes.

And that is my short story made long that brings me to this. I think I might be ready to get rid of the colored lights altogether this year and go to something a little more simple. That might mean getting rid of the Santas as well which would be a total "if you give a mouse a cookie" adventure because I have collected them for so many years that there would be almost no decor without them. I am at a total loss as to which way I might go.

I looked at a few images on Pinterest that caught my eye-now I just need to figure out why and see where that takes me.

This one still has the Santa but he is a bit smaller and still seems to read a little more subdued to me. There is a LOT more greenery in the garland here so that might be what is catching my eye.

On the other hand, this one that is devoid of all color speaks to me as well but maybe it is too elegant for my family room-not as childlike?

And then there is this. I actually have that exact Santa sign that I bought from Decor Steals a few years back and I have a window frame a bit like this. Perhaps I could go more this way? Then maybe my other Santas could still be interspersed throughout the rest of the room?

I am definitely facing a fork in the road. I know I still have time and I haven't seen what's coming into the stores yet so I guess I will just see what happens. Everyone knows I have a hard time with change. If anyone's a betting person, you will probably bet that it will all be the same again this year! And, you might be right. At least this year I am giving myself time to think about it and also permission to change it up even if all of the grands will not be happy. They seem to love coming back to Nana's and having it exactly as it always was. They all spent so much time here that they definitely consider it their second home...and I love that...and that is why change is so HARD! sigh

Guess I'm off to see what else I can do to take my mind off of the noise over my head. I think all of the prep should be done today and hopefully shingles will appear tomorrow. I'm excited. It's been a long time coming. Until then stay safe and stay tuned.

PHEW!

 It seems a bit ironic to me that I am sitting here in 105 degree feels like temperatures and making snowmen but that is where I am! I always like to get my ornament for the year done in summertime so I have more time to just enjoy the holiday as it gets here but, that being said, I am glad this one is done! Sometimes you find a craft that you just love doing and are sad when you get done...this wasn't the case this time. LOL

I knew when I started this one that there would be many steps. I only had a picture-no instructions- so maybe there was an easier way to do this than I came up with but, this was my way and I am done. I do think the original might have had the eyes and buttons attached through the back because that area looks more pulled in than mine-and, that would have made them a bit flatter which would probably have been better but I didn't want those knots showing on the backs so....

When last I posted about these cuties, I showed you all of the steps up to that point. Next I had to make some little hang tags. I think the inspiration piece may have used a larger tag because they fit on more "wordage" but I had these so I went the simple route. Luckily I have a lot of alphabet stamps left from scrapbooking days and had some small enough to get the tags made.

After I stamped them I grunged them a bit and started the assembly process! That included adding a hanger with red, white and green butcher's twine, tying on a piece of homespun for the scarf, adding the tag and then the little piece of pine bough. I know that doesn't sound difficult but it took FOREVER.

And they are done! Are they my favorite ornament so far? Definitely not but they are a bit different from any others and I think they will look cute hanging on the tree. That being said, I think I will be looking for another painted one next year. LOL

Thought I would share a sweet moment I had the other night. I had just sat down in my family room when my eyes caught a motion out on my pool deck and my attention was definitely drawn there. Much to my surprise, there were SEVEN young raccoons. When I first saw them it looked like they were drinking out of the pool near the steps but I have actually had some swimming in there so that may have been their next step. I got up and went to the door to see if I could snap a picture and they must have sensed me because before I could get a decent shot, they scampered off and over and under my fence into the neighbor's yard.

I have many acres of undeveloped land behind my house and I found a big hole under my fence at the other end of my yard so I'm guessing that is where they came from but wondering if our hot, dry weather is drawing them out. Daughter #3 encountered one crossing a downtown street the other day and daughter #2 had three in her back yard. They are so darn cute and I hope they are finding ways to make themselves comfortable in this heat-if that means swimming in my pool, I'm fine with that.

I'm still trying to figure out what is going on with my fountain so I'm on my way back out to that right now. I have discovered what it ISN'T so now I have to see if I can figure out what it IS. Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

Summertime!

 I never fail to amaze myself at how busy I can stay even when I don't really think there is anything to do. Lol The last week has been like that. Except for granddaughter #5's birthday party on Tuesday, I really didn't have any other concrete plans but, looking back on the rest of that week, I realize that I didn't have a "lazy" minute.

Our weather is kind of back into our usual summer rain pattern of dry mornings and stormy afternoons so I made use of that by finally finishing up ALL of the things on my outside chore list in the mornings and then catching up on inside in the afternoons...and, of course, that included getting started on this year's Christmas ornament.

This is usually the time of year where I hit Pinterest to come up with this year's ornament idea...and, I thought I had done that with a manger painted on a wood round. I am not a painter by any means but I found a simple design that I knew I could replicate. But then I remembered the last two Christmases.

Both of those years I did a painted round of wood so I decided that this year I would go in another direction and I gave you a sneak peek with this.

I found a snowman who was cute and, since I had made MANY white felt mitten shapes years ago but never finished them as ornaments, I was happy to see that if I drew the pattern to the correct size, I could cut the snowmen from what I already had with no waste. I know the shapes kind of look like bowling pins but I am hoping when all is said and done, that will no longer be the case.

Usually when I am doing something that will be done in large numbers, I make a sample first but, this time that didn't happen. I did kind of try one, didn't like the way it was turning out, changed my pattern and went to town. I will say that this is not my favorite kind of craft just because I get super bored before I have them all completed but, our rainy afternoons helped a lot and I found myself setting up shop in my bedroom with all of the supplies spread out and a makeshift desk on my lap so I could craft and watch a movie or two at the same time. I simply cut the shapes, stitched on a nose, used VERY small glass beads for eyes. They were so small that I only had one needle thin enough for the bead to slide through and boy was it fun to try to thread! These were the smallest black buttons I could find. I thought about painting some smaller white buttons black but decided to forget that idea and embrace the larger size.

Once the hand sewing was done, I stitched them up , stuffed them and sewed them together.

Once they were all stitched up, I used a mixture of Elmer's glue and water to paint on the bodies and glitter up with clear sparkle. I did both sides.

And while they are drying, I started to gather up the embellishments. I am using a small checked homespun for the scarf and then I can't believe how lucky I got when it came to the greenery. I have the "pine look pipe cleaners" but I really wanted a more authentic pine look. I know I have TONS of these picks somewhere but, because I have so much for Christmas, there is no way I could even guess where they might be without pulling out many wrong bins before I just might hit the correct one...BUT, for whatever reason, when I pulled out the pipe cleaners-from where I did know they were stored, I found what might just be the exact right number of pine boughs to finish these up. I guess I had them pulled for some other idea that I never got to. I guess sometimes it might just be good to procrastinate! Lol

 And so now I wait for them to get nice and dry. And, while I wait, this is happening:

Those trees were very tall. They have already taken away one huge truck full of trunks and branches. You really never truly realize just how big these things are until you see them on the ground. Guess it's better they be on the ground than on one of our houses.

My neighbor decided-with my blessings-to take down four VERY tall trees between our houses that were starting to look like they might be an issue if we get hit by any large storms this year. I had two very large trees taken down a few years ago but there are now a few more out back that worry me so I went out to talk with the tree guys to see what they had to say. They agreed with me but also with my solution. They are going to top both of those trees so that they will still look like a tree but no longer be threats to the property. The plan is to hopefully get to them today as well but we shall see. These guys aren't the fastest tree guys I have ever seen but, then again, these are some TALL trees and I'm not the one having to climb up them, cut them up and get them out of here so I am not complaining. I will say that taking down trees makes me sad. Those trees have been next to my driveway since this house was built 53 years ago and I am so used to seeing them there. It is already strange to look out and see most of them gone. And, it looks like this company won't be doing the stump grinding so I will really not like that the view for awhile! Lol

I'm off for now. I have a fountain out back that needs my attention-or an outlet. Not sure how this will play out but then I will hope to come back and finish the ornaments if they are dry enough. I will be back to show you the final result once I have that. And, granddaughters #1and 3 have asked if they can come spend the last weekend of the month here to do some Halloween crafting like we did when they were younger. Their plan is for them to think up one craft and come with all of the supplies for us to do together and then for me to think up another. I am going to check my Pinterest Halloween board once again but I already have four really cute ideas. Since they both have homes of their own now, I'm not sure where their decor tastes lie but I think I am going to have all of the supplies for all of them here and then they can do as many as they like.

Right now I am thinking of this like I made last year:

I'm also thinking of a canvas or one of the frames left over from my granddaughter's birthday party decor using this image I just found-or, any other that they want. They're both "geniuses" with the computer" so I know they can conjure up any image they choose.

And then I'm thinking of a pillow cover. I have lots of that drop cloth fabric left and I think it would lend itself well to something like this.

I have a hair appointment tomorrow so I might just head to HL afterwards to see what supplies I can find and maybe another idea or two.

That's it for me today but I'll be back. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

When Genius Strikes!

 I will say that it (genius striking) doesn't happen often but, when it does, I might be found doing the "happy dance". As you can see, I am still not ready to begin my Valentine 2026 tour just yet...I'm getting closer but this has stopped me in my tracks for a bit.

I do admit to having almost all of the Christmas down and almost all of the Valentine's Day stuff up with a few minor exceptions and maybe some tweaks before it is ready to be shown BUT, I did not have one thing packed up and put away...and stuff was everywhere! This is the couch in the sunroom and it holds most of the faux greenery...but not all. And, every time I looked at it, I found another excuse not to start...until this morning when I finally psyched myself up to begin! Normally, a lot of the garlands go up on the very top shelf of the garage shelving and it is a bit scary to get up there and have to maneuver the weight of these things once they're packed up...but, I was prepared to do it when I just happened to spy a large garbage can that is also on a shelf in the garage that has always held all of our outdoor icicle lights. We always had those lights stretch the entire length of our house and garage as well as down the fence lines so there were a LOT of lights. But, with the age of my roof, I am happy not having anyone walking around up there anymore and they are too difficult to hang from the ground on a ladder so, a few years back I passed them along to granddaughter #1...and, I guess that can has been sitting there empty all of this time.

And that's when it hit me. Why not wind up the garlands and store them in there. And, since many of the new garlands are "real feel", they wind up so much smaller and I was able to fit almost every one in that one garbage can. And, thankfully. I had enough other Rubbermaids to accommodate the rest.

And that was all it took to get me on the fast track. I now have all of the Christmas for the garage packed away. I still have just the other stuff that was part of the red and green theme to put away and all of the guest rooms to pack up because stuff literally gets stored in every square inch of this house but, the "elephant in the room" has been addressed and I am moving ahead...and breathing a sigh of relief that I don't need to go up to that top shelf today. Lol

Thought I would share a picture from my lunch and shopping trip with granddaughter #1. She is the one who started me on this incredible journey of "grandparenthood" and I still have to pinch myself to believe that it has been almost 30 years!! This child and I have logged many, many miles together in restaurants and stores and malls and I am so happy that she still wants to do this with her old Nana!

And then there is this...granddaughter #5.

This was at a game I was going to attend but she didn't think she would be playing-she is their newest goalie and she is almost always aware of when they will be putting her in-so I ended up missing it to keep on keeping on with my swap out...and then, when she least expected it, she went in and made a save! Wish I had been there but she sure looks happy with herself!

And so now I head back to try to finish up all of the rest-except the tree which I think will wait until the weekend because I am off to run a bunch of errands tomorrow. I am looking for a few new things to round out the decor and if I find them, I will be back to share. Stay safe and stay tuned.

One last thought. My images arrived and I got them all framed and hung for Valentine's Day so you will see them soon but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for the frame I grabbed for the St. Pat's image. It matches perfectly...and, if I was being truly honest, I wish I was decorating for St. Pat's instead of Valentine's Day. I just LOVE all of the green!

 

Snips and Snails

 So here I am on New Year's Eve Eve. It's truly hard to believe that I was posting almost the same message a week ago and we still had Christmas ahead of us. The week after Christmas is always hard for me, as it is for almost every holiday, because I get my days all mixed up and really have to take a minute to stop and think what needs to be done on certain days as life slowly returns to normal. Lucky for me, except for remembering the mail and the garbage, all I have to do this week is take care of the dogs and pretty much whatever else I want.

I do find myself taking time to actually "see" the little things. I still have all of the Christmas lights twinkling, the candles burning and I am still watching any of the movies that I may have missed this year because I simply ran out of time. And, I have taken some time to look back at hostess gifts and other  things that have caught my fancy now that there is time to actually take it all in.

The first may be something I have shared before but now it has a new update. When we were celebrating my first grandchild's (Hannah) first Christmas her aunt (my oldest daughter) put a red bow from a package on her head and it became one of my very favorite photos of her. I quickly had it printed-back then few people had home printers-and then I framed it and it came out every year with all of the other Christmas photos. Fast forward many years and we were at her house early on a Christmas morning as she and her sister were opening their gifts and when I glanced in her direction, she had a put a red bow on her head-with no actual thought to the other picture. Of course I had to catch that one as well and these two framed photos have been on the family room shelves ever since.

And then when I least expected it, daughter #2 (her mom) sent along some pictures of their early Christmas morning this year and look what was here...this is her almost 30 year old self! You know that as soon as I get to HL-and their frames are on sale-Lol-this one will be ready to join the others next year.

Then I started taking a closer look at some of the hostess gifts I received. One of my favorite flowers is a tulip so these were a no-brainer hit. And, because they were bulbs, now that they are no longer blooming, I am going to plant the bulbs and keep my fingers crossed. I have done that before with hyacinths and daffodils to no avail but I do have paper whites that bloom every year so maybe I will be lucky again.

And, as an added bonus, the vase can be used as a candle holder or base for other arrangements so, the gift that keeps on giving.

Then, I got this pretty towel and bottle of wine along with this small earthenware bird ring tray to keep on the kitchen counter to keep my rings safe and the small balsam fir candle to keep my house smelling fresh-although you really can't tell that that is what that is from the angle that I took the picture-you'll just have to trust me. Lol

Daughter #3 tries to give each of us at our "Girls' Luncheon" an ornament every year that reminds her of us and this was mine this year.

I kind of have a reputation of "the one who always wants pictures" and after so many years, their objections have calmed down a bit. I just remind them that one day they will be very happy that I did that. Lol

And then daughter #1 brought me this Christmas board. She not only knows how much I love Christmas but cutting boards as well so it is the perfect gift! I think next year I will hang it somewhere in the kitchen.

While I was at the tree I saw this cutie made for me by granddaughter #3 and filled with a picture that we took on my new "Polaroid" camera given to me by her and her sister. I was a hand sewer a lot back in the day and I am totally impressed with the job she did on this small felt frame not only with the blanket stitched edges but also on getting all of those little seed beads in just the right place! I love it and my new camera...which brings me to two of my other gifts this year. A lot of my grandchildren are talking about giving experiences rather than gifts anymore as they are getting to the ages where they now have their own homes and jobs and pretty much get what they want or need when they want to and realize the value of time spent together instead of money spent on "things". My girls are also leaning this way so one of my gifts from all three of my daughters is tickets for the four of us to see Barry Manilow live in concert in February. I have always loved him. I'm sure my girls don't feel quite the same way but they have listened to his music blaring in my house when they lived here so at least they will recognize the songs and we will be together. They have also taken me to see Michael Crawford, Engelbert Humperdinck and Steve Martin and Martin Short-not to mention a number of musicals as they came to Tampa, Gainesville, St. Pete, etc. We will get to spend the weekend together and I am really looking forward to it.

Another "family" gift I got-or rather will be getting-is a new rug for my living room. My two designer daughters gave me that because I just felt like maybe my living room needs a little update-and, because as much as people think that I too am a bit of a designer, I am here to tell you that I am not. My problem is that I seem to like A LOT of styles and making a decision on a big ticket item is hard for me. And, apparently all of these years I have had the wrong sized rug in that room. And so, I will get another chance to visit with them both as they try to help me pick what I should be able to do on my own. Lol In any case, these are more gifts that keep on giving and I look forward to cashing in on them.

Parting thoughts before I head off for some lunch...I think I told you that I want to make some changes to my Valentine's decor this year...and some of the things that have to go are some of the "cutesy" canvases that I have made in the past. I think I knew I would tire of them as I was making them but sometimes I just needed to craft and that was what came to mind. I also think I have told you that I am not always one to follow trends. I won't do something if I don't like it just because everyone else is. That being said, I am finding myself LOVING the trend-which has been going for a bit-of using framed "art" in areas where you wouldn't normally think of using fine art such as a kitchen or bath but also using it throughout your home. I started small last year but now that daughter #1 told me about Paperhouse Print Shop and I used it for some Christmas prints-as well as a Valentine one and one for next autumn-I am hooked. And so this morning I got on their site and ordered up a few more. Most of the ones that I ordered I ordered in 5X7 because I'm not actually sure where they will go and I know I kind finagle the actual size I end up with by framing them with or without a mat. Note to self...better watch that HL frame sale carefully because I am going to need a LOT.

I got the next two to use for Valentine's Day in either the kitchen-the one has old coffee cans in it-or the bath but since they don't scream "Valentines" I'm thinking you will probably see them in my spring decor as well.

And, of course, I couldn't pass up this book print.

They really didn't have many prints for St. Pat's. I'm hoping as it gets closer they may add more.

 So, I think that's all the crazy places my brain has gone today. It's actually a bit gloomy out there as the temps begin to fall rapidly over the next few days so I'm hoping maybe a movie AND a fire are in my future this afternoon. Hard to believe that just a few days ago the A/C ran constantly!

Stay safe and stay tuned.

I'm Back!

 I am back and I have so much to share. Unfortunately, no crafts this time but lots of holiday fun.

My holiday started on Christmas Eve when I headed to daughter #3 early in the afternoon. She was hosting a cookie decorating and ornament crafting party. I was a bit late getting there because I was trying to get my house set up for the next day so I missed the beginnings of the fun but there were several people there that I haven't seen in a bit so I ended up doing more talking than decorating or even picture taking. I got one of a few of the folks still there later in the day and one of a few of the cookies.

By early evening we were off to church and then driving around to look at some lights before returning home for dinner.

Christmas day saw my entire family gathered as well as most of the extended family. We were 18 people and 2 dogs strong! Lol We got the obligatory "whole gang" and "Nana and her 7" photos and all of the rest are just scattered as I thought about taking them-which wasn't anywhere near as often as I usually do. Lol

We had appetizers, opened gifts, played our White Elephant game and then ate dinner. It was a long but beautiful day. After dinner, the "kids" set out for a rousing game of Michigan Rummy while the adults found quieter spaces to sit and reflect on another beautiful holiday soon to be "in the books".

Here is school teacher Hannah going over the rules for the few who have never played this game before.

Friday was a beautiful day but most ended up sleeping in a bit and getting a slow start before those who could headed out to "The World Equestrian Center" This place does an incredible pre-Christmas extravaganza with LIGHTS, tons of entertainment, Santa, the Grinch and food trucks added to the always gorgeous decor of the main hotel and shops. It is definitely something to see but it is CROWDED. After Christmas, the lights are still up and of course, the decor in the hotel so it is a much simpler, slower paced visit and we enjoyed it! We took advantage of some of the photo ops and had an early dinner in one of our favorite restaurants in the hotel, The Yellow Pony. In just a few days, the second hotel with all of their restaurants, patisseries, shops, etc. will be opening on the grounds so next years things will be even more beautiful! The only thing the kids were sad about is that there were no horse activities planned during this time. It really is something when this place is full of all sorts of beautiful horse events!

Appetizers were a soft pretzel and onion rings.

I had a falafel "burger" with fries and homemade pickles but I confess that I got into it before I remembered that I wanted a picture-it looked a lot better than this when it got to the table. Lol But, it was delicious! I'm not much of a "fry" girl so I told everyone that they were welcome to share-and, it's a good thing that I did and I couldn't go back on my promise or I would have finished every one of those things. They were some good fries!

And then the girls ordered dessert. I'm not a dessert girl so I'm not really even sure what this is but I think they said "bananas foster" cake with dolce de leche gelato. They said it was wonderful.

We made a stop at their incredible toy store and bakery before heading out to the grounds. On the way to the lobby we passed this year's gingerbread creation.

There were "critters" everywhere in this year's lobby and almost every one of them was animated. It was beautiful!

By the time we left, we were tired so we headed home and had a good old-fashioned granddaughter sleepover in the family room. They spread out everywhere and we watched the finale of the Harry Potter Baking Challenge and then a movie before calling it a day-a very late day!

By Saturday afternoon the last of the crew was leaving just as two of my other grand dogs were arriving to spend four days with me while daughter #3 and her family were off on their Christmas vacation.

About my only challenge this week is to take good care of the dogs and finish eating all of the Christmas leftovers! Not a bad gig if I do say so myself. Lol

As you all know, my Christmas decor will be up until at least January 1-if not January 2. Then we will head full steam into Valentine's Day. I will admit to already spending some time browsing last year's Valentine decor and knowing already that there are some things that need to be changed. I am already seeing lots of Valentine ads from stores and posts from blogs so maybe, just maybe, there will be some new ideas out there-fingers crossed.

I'm off to take the dogs out for a bit of a run so they will be tired while I come back in for some lunch and maybe a movie as I do some laundry to catch up on the last week. Stay safe and stay tuned.