Snowman Give-Away

Good Evening All....I just wanted to share a pic of the little somethin' for the give-away!  I have a few other little goodies to tuck in along with it!  All you need to do to be eligible is to post a comment with a holiday tidbit...on any post between "A Quiet Saturday Morning" and November 30th.  I will draw on Tuesday, December 1st!!

Sorry it's not showing up very well....This is a snowman head door greeter....made by me using a pattern by Kentucky Primitives.  You can't see him but there is a little mouse on the brim of his hat...along with a little crow!

I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Hope you are having a great week so far! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

A Quiet Saturday Morning...

Good Morning World....I hope you've had a great week!  John was home for two weeks with the truck being in the shop and finally got to head back out to the road yesterday morning.  After being down for that long, who knows how long he will be out! I've already settled on the fact that he will most likely not be home on Thanksgiving...not the first time and certainly won't be the last as long as he's an OTR driver.  As long as he is home for Christmas!  So, we gathered our little family this past Thursday evening for dinner....not turkey and dressing but  pork chops, potatoes and homemade pies!

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One day this last week, I took my sister to her doctors appointment and afterwards, we made a quick stop at the mall and Hobby Lobby.  I can't go to the mall without a trip thru Barnes & Noble and Starbucks....I found an endcap of cookbooks....there were several titles to choose...I believe there was a Campbells Soup, Original Crockpot, oh gosh....now I forget what all they had there.....(like I need anymore cookbooks) I finally decided on this one....

All of the cookbooks on this display were priced under $15. This one was like $10! I wish I picked up another one or a couple of the others just to have on hand for gift giving!

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So....I'm trying to decide what to do today.  I know what I should do, but  we all know how that goes!  I still have three snowman heads and four snow angels to finish!  There shouldn't be any question as to how I spend my day, should there?  Not to mention, I need to be getting out the Christmas decorations to get started at decorating the house as I'll be hosting the December meeting of our womens group from church....that being on December 2nd!!

Well, whatever my day brings...I'm sure it will be productive in one way or another!  I hope you have an awesome day...and weekend!  Let me hear from you!

What's going on in your world? 

What kinds of goodies are you cooking up in your kitchen?!

Hmm...maybe I smell a drawing being cooked up?!

Post a comment to this post .... jot a little quickie recipe of one of your favorite holiday fixin's, decorating ideas or handmade gift to give!

I'll keep this open until the end of the month so you can post a comment on any of my entries between now and then for your name to be tossed in the crock!  I'll draw on Tuesday, December 1st for a lil' somethin' somethin'!!

Have a GREAT day!!!

The Joy of Giving...

One group of snow people are done.  Only two of them got to stay behind in Missouri while the others were sent to stay with a good friend out in Kentucky until they find new homes. 

There are still a few unfinished things on my work table and hope to have them all done this weekend!

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Can you believe it is so close to Christmastime already?  I think I have one gift bought so far! And I've not even made a list!  Not that I have a great many to give but besides John and the kids, there are a few that I like to give a little somethin' somethin' to!  You know, the mailman, a few neighbors, a few people at work, hair stylist......

If you know me or follow my blogging, you know that besides creating things with fabric, I also like to bake and also scrapbook...

I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet  for this year....but I thought I'd share with you some of the things I've done in the past as well as give you a couple of links that were posted on a delphi forum that I frequent....

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*cookie mix in a jar or homespun bag...tie off with a piece of homespun and attach a mini-wooden spoon or other mini-utensil along with the directions for making!

*fudge in cookie cutter ...rather than cutting a chunk of fudge, pour into a holiday cookie cutter, then once it's set, place in a  cellophane bag, tie off with a piece of homespun (or holiday ribbon) and  handmade tag. (I've posted the recipe below)

*small handmade ornaments

*small loaves of sweet breads....I've picked up some really cute ceramic mini-loaf pans at Michaels in years past for like $1.00....package the bread IN the pan in a cello bag and tie off with holiday ribbon!

*homemade cookies....give these in cello bags, holiday tins or boxes.  Adding a small ornament, handmade (or store-bought) is a nice touch! I've also caught really good sales (like at JC Penneys) on holiday serving dishes!

*start (or complete) a scrapbook.  If you are like me, you have have all sorts of photos and the supplies at hand, it's just a matter of picking up a scrapbook and you can usually catch them on sale at places like Hobby Lobby or Michaels pretty regular.

*favorite recipes cookbook....I've not done this for Christmas, but I've done this for bridal showers...put together a small cookbook of  your favorite recipes ...be it you type/print them yourself and put them into a simple 3-ring binder or handwrite them on recipe cards and place them in a cookbook binder.  You could also do this in scrapbook form!

Well, that's just a few of the things that I can think of at the moment.....oh! don't forget, there is always the gift of .....

TIME! 

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And here are those links I mentioned......

http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/giftideas/giftideas.shtml

http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/giftideas/homemade-gift-ideas.shtml

 

And the fudge....I think I actually got the basic idea from one of the Taste of Home magazines.....I've adapted it to suit my taste and need.....

 

Fudge

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3/4 cup chopped pecans (more or less depending on personal preference)

 

While you can do this in a heavy saucepan over low heat, I do this slowly in the microwave oven.....Melt chocolate chips and milk.  Remove from heat (or microwave); stir in vanilla then pecans.  Pour into lightly buttered pan then chill til firm OR....Place lightly buttered cookie cutter on wax paper lined baking sheet....fill with fudge mixture...smooth...refrigerate until set.  Put in cellophane bag, tie with piece of homespun or holiday ribbon...add a tag and there ya go!

 

Use holiday cookie cutters OR....use a cookie cutter that matches up with the person you are giving to!

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I hope you are having an awesome week and you are not letting yourself get overwhelmed with all the things on your to-do list!

Weekend Ramblin' & Opening Day....

...and no, I don't mean for a new store!  Yesterday was opening day of firearms deer season. John finally got to hunt with the 280 he got last year AFTER deer season.  It's been a few years since he's even been home for opening day.  What a highlight to his week!  He has been home for over a week now, while his truck is in the shop.  Well...here he is....John and his 10 pt.

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Okay, I've shown off the deer....now on to other things!  It was an early mornin' for me and I don't even deer hunt!  But rather than fight it and try going back to sleep again, I just got up right before the guys went out.  I just got my coffee/computer time in earlier before cooking breakfast.

I put on a pot of chili and a pot of beef stew....there are enough left overs that I am not cooking today!

Since I skipped church last week, I need to go today.

Besides cooking, I spent the day working on snowmen. And I don't know why I did it......but I pulled out my stash of patterns and started going thru them and pulling out this one and that one...then OH! I really need to do this one!  I'm not done with the mountain of things on my work table now and already planning what's next?  What's wrong with me?!And should I even tell you about the small skein of peaches & cream yarn I bought the other day?  LOL  I just couldn't resist.  Between walking thru the aisles and seeing all the yarns available and my sister, Marsha, crocheting up a storm, I felt inspired to crochet...and rather than overwhelming myself with several large skeins and an afghan pattern, I thought I'd do something small.

I used the directions for a dish cloth that was on the inside label.  Having yarn leftover, I thought I'd work up a potholder.  My Grandma Summers told me how to do this one years ago, so thought I'd see if I could remember....it's simple enough!  I'll get this finished up this weekend.  This will help me decide if I want to try to work up an afghan thru the winter months. I will have to invest or make a bag or basket to hide my yarns..Harley and Salem really like the yarn.  Clyde don't give a rip about it!  I used to crochet alot! Like doilies and afghans....then I set the yarns and needles aside and moved on to other things.  Every once in awhile I get the itch...especially while browsing the yarn aisles at the store!  All the books and patterns I had at one time, I've passed along to others. The only thing I've kept is the set of needles that John bought me  our first Christmas together.  And I was trying to remember who taught me to crochet...and I think it was several women in my life...my Grandma Summers, I think my first piano teacher, Jean Malloy may have shown me some things, Linda, a friend of my folks, my Mom-in-law.

I am determined to finish these standing snowmen today....I've been stitching hats together.  The clothes are ready to be stitched up...the fabric already stained so it's just a matter of sitting down at the machine today and stitching them up.

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I also want to let you know about my new web site.

www.picturetrail.com/cindyshomespun

A place where I can post all of my handmades and a few other things.  It's still in the works... Right now, things are listed in seasonal albums but will be adding more albums as things come up.

I hope you are having an awesome weekend!

Tuesday Morning.....

What a weekend! What an open house event! Everything was selling....there is such a mix to this store...there is something here for anyone! No matter what your decorating preference is! As usual, Sherrie had the store full and looking fabulous!

Santa was there Friday evening for a few hours....he had his list and he was checkin' it twice...

TOO cute, a little girl, I don't think she's even in kindergarten yet, came to see Santa and she brought in her "wish book"...the little toy catalog from like Toys-R-Us or someplace like that! TOO cute... She pointed out all the things on her wish list to Santa...

Saturday we had some live entertainment....sisters, one plays the dulcimer, the other guitar, playing Christmas music...awesome! There were a few kiddo's that came in and they'd play bells with them.

It was over 70 degrees over the weekend, we thought it funny playing/listening to Christmas music and selling all sorts of holiday decor ....guess wegot a feel for how it is in those southern states!!

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I didn't work on Sunday and I played hookie from church and went to the woods with John and some friends to get them some wood cut. A couple of loads for them, now to get back down there and get some wood cut for us! Hopefully the weather will stay nice and we can work on that this week while John is home. He's home until we get his truck fixed....again....transmission this time. Not good!

I got to stay home and work yesterday...done some sewing, painting, staining...and got a few things finished up but I'll show them to you later.  It's time for me to get busy...I hope you have a wonderful day!!

Saturday morning...

Good Morning All....

I've been awake since 2:30! UGH! I don't know what the deal is...I don't think I can blame it on the time change...I did go to bed earlier than usual last night but not THAT much earlier! After reading and trying to go back to sleep, I knew I'd feel better if I just got up! So here I am...

It's been a busy week...with one thing or another. The Randolph Mercantile holiday open house is well underway! Busy day yesterday...I'll post pics and highlights the first of the week!

Just thought I'd share a little bit of what I've been working on....

A simple star...with old cutter quilt pocket on the front filled with "favorite things"....a little green and a candy cane for the holiday...after taking this photo, I tucked in a small American flag...remove or add to, to suite the holiday or season....I only made two of these but looks like I'll be making more as both sold already!  I had two small trees leftover from last year that I decorated up but I forgot to take pics of them!  They've both already sold!

I had an off day one day this last week....finally getting up at 4:00...after some computer time, I hit the kitchen to grubby up some candles and tealights.  It's amazing at what one can accomplish at such early hours!

I've got so many other things in the works...even getting up so early, intended or not, there just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes....I've still got body parts (dolls) and nekked dolls on my work table
waiting to be stitched together or waiting for clothes, as well as a couple little punch needle pieces to make into pillows. I still have a basket of doll parts to cut/turn/stuff!  Will be a busy time in the sewing room this coming week!

Well, here it is 6:00 already.  Think I'll see what I can get stitched up while I have that last cup of coffee!

I hope you have a GREAT weekend!!

Weekend Ramblin'...

So how was your Halloween?!! I had a total of 3 trick-or-treaters...nieces and nephew. We live so far out in the country that we just don't get them out here unless it's family!

We finally had a nice weekend after a week of rain! It was windy on Saturday and had a slight chill in the air but I wasn't complainin' cause the sun was shining! I made a quick little trip to Columbia....I had so much sewing I wanted to do that I gave myself a time limit to be home by noon...I only went over by an hour. But, we made a couple stops that I hadn't planned on. On the way to Hobby Lobby, we saw a little sign for the farmers market so we followed it! There were at least two vendors that had eggs for get this... $3.00 - $3.50 dz! Makes me miss my chickens. Denni thought she saw a sign at one booth saying they were organic...I guess that makes a little bit of difference in the pricing.... Anyways...I got me a couple small jars of blackberry and peach jams. Now to make some homemade rolls or biscuits to try it out! Mmm!!! I think I just gained 10 pounds!

There were vendors with home-baked goods, honey, veggies, there was someone there with jewelry, another with pottery. Someone had blackberry plants. Had I known that, I would of prepared my spot out back to put them and bought some. But I have learned that unless I have the ground ready for plants to go into, don't buy plants! I usually end up losing them before I get them set! I wish I had found this sooner....I doubt I make it back there before they close for the year.

I spent the rest of the weekend tracing, sewing, cutting, turning, stuffing.....There are body parts everywhere! This evening, I'm staining!

I've still got some to cut, turn and stuff! But they are for an order for later in the month so they'll keep until the first of next week!

I've also been working on a little punch needle project and that's about finished so I'd better get off here and get back to it....

Hope you have a wonderful week!!