gifts...

I am back home from my Christmas in Eau Claire...what a great time I had! It's always such a great feeling to spend time with my family!

I made all of my gifts this year...and now I am able to show some of them! All little ornie type stitchins. The one in the middle bottom is the closest to the correct color. I used primitive linen and 2 threads of DMC floss. The primitive linen is 32 count, which may as well be 100 count for how well I can see to work on it. Had to use the magnifier on my lamp to do these. I stuffed them with either wool snippets or sawdust...they are all small, but vary in size from 1 1/2 inches to 3 1/2 inches wide.




I gave other gifts, and certainly received many wonderful gifts. But, I gotta tell you, one of the most cherished is the table my BFF Janer painted for me. She is so very talented!! She started with a rickety old table that had an UGLY piece of linoleum glued on the top. This is the end result...



Here's the quick lowdown on how she did it. Stripped the linoleum off, glued/sanded/filled the table top, painted the background, decoupaged the print (yup, the sheepie with the checkerboard border is a print), then put 4 coats of polyurethane on it. How beautiful it is...so rich!!! Is that not the most awesome table you've ever seen???

Thank you so very much, Janer!
Jacque.

Another Day...Another Snowstorm!

ohman, I am sooo tired of this snow...don't you think we have enough already? {sigh} It's so pretty, but it is a treacherous drive home for everyone today!

Hopefully, the roads will be clear by tomorrow...am playing a 'wait & see' game about when I'll be leaving for Eau Claire. It's my family Christmas. I'll see my BFF Janer, too!

Merry Christmas to One & All...

Today is the day we remember the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout this past year, I have become much stronger in my belief...and in my walk with Jesus. Thank you to Brenis and Maureen for being my spiritual guides. And, you know, I love the place I'm in spiritually (though I have a LONG way to go). Last night, I looked outside and saw beautiful night shadows across the unbroken landscape of snow (full moon...how gorgeous! Sorry, no photo to show you.). Stopped me in my tracks...literally. I took the moment to truly appreciate the beauty of it...and to thank God for being the Master Painter of all I see.

I received a wonderful box of gifts from Brenis...I didn't take a photo of everything, but here is the most special gift of all...a large text New King James Version Holy Bible...it is absolutely beautiful! A very SOFT leather...I want to hold it and caress it all of the time! She also gave me some Christian music cd's...I'm playing the Newsboys right now. I am so very blessed to have her as a friend!

Just so you know, my computer is having some serious hiccups from time to time. Not good when the online course I am teaching is just around the corner! But, it's working today, and I take that as a gift from God.

I am sooo excited! Here is a photo of the gifts from my Wool Snippets Not-So-Secret Santa...you won't believe what was in my box!

Here's the list: small Christmas tree made of wool strips (how'd she do that?), tree stand, hooked tree skirt with sheepies on it, Nick & Nora pj's - red flannel with dog heads/milkbones on them, Nick & Nora slipper socks with puppy head, wooden sheepie pin, peppermint chapstick, snowman clothespin (it's on top of the tree), two dog toys (tennis ball fox and moose...these are sooooo dang adorable! I'm not sure I want to give them to the dogs...and they're made by Woolrich!), & 5 wool skirts to recycle...really great wool. I think that's all...EXCEPT for some Led Zeppelin bootlegs! HOLY CRAP! I was already feeling very blessed to have received so many special gifts from someone who knew me so well. And now these...WOW! I opened that package last and thought I was going to die of excitement and happiness!!!! How'd she know???? 3 cd's of LZ at Madison Square Garden in 1973, and 2 cd's from San Francisco in 1969! OH MY GOSH...I am thrilled!!!! Thank you, thank you so very much, Joanne!

I am making all of my gifts this year...cannot show them here as I still have some to give out. Am taking photos, though, so will show them once the holidays are over.

Tag E. Butt opened his gift from Aunt Julie this a.m....a warthog! He was soooo excited! He's had 2 warthogs (a bit larger and RED) that he has completely worn out in the last few years. They were beyond repair, so now he has a NEW one! (Allegra and Tango will receive their gifts when I get back from seeing Aunt Julie in Eau Claire this weekend!)

...what's in here?
...ah-ha! A new warthog! I LOVE it!

...here Tag is taking a break from running around, playing with his new warthog. He's chewing on his bone, but keeping his new warthog close by his side!

Have a very Blessed Day!

Here you go...a few of my favorite videos of the LED ZEPPELIN Concert for your viewing pleasure!

Apparently, Graystone, who has Warner Music Group as a client, thought they should take the videos off YouTube...WRONG! Thanks to Steve Sauer of Lemon Squeezings, here's the link to find out more about that...vanishing videos.

Ornament Exchange...

There is to be a luncheon/ornament exchange tomorrow at Claire's clinic (where I help out a few times a month). Unfortunately, I'll be late, cuz I have my job at the vet school. BUT, I was told that they would wait til I get there before they do the ornie exchange. YAY!

So...this is what I made. I showed it the other day when I had done only the stitchin'...and now I have actually finished it! The ornie measures about 3 1/2 x 4 inches. I whipstitched - with linen thread - a piece of green plaid homespun on for the backing and stuffed it full of sawdust! I stained it with a mixture of coffee/cinnamon/vanilla, sewed the strip of homespun and bells on...TA-DA!!! Here it is! I hope whomever ends up with it likes it!

Let It Snow...

I'm having a 'snow day' today...am home from work.

Making progress on my Christmas projects and just hangin' out with the dogs.

~pretty snow...pretty Allegra~

Tag's goal every winter is to eat all the snow

before it melts away.

Not once has he reached that goal...

How the Concert Began...

How exciting this must have been for those who were there! Brings tears to my eyes...

The boys did a smash-up job and Jason did them (& his Dad) PROUD!

TODAY is the DAY...

... I sure wish I was in London! I am definitely there in spirit, though...man oh man...the concert has begun! London is 6 hours ahead of my time zone, which means they are clearing the stage for the 'boys' as I type this. There is a song-by-song blog on NME if you'd like to check it out. The website is jamming, cuz so many of us are accessing it. Try this link NME. OR, better yet...go to Steve Sauer's blog...lemon squeezings. I know I will be glued to this computer much of today. Here are a few photos from yesterday's rehearsal, which I read was absolutely AMAZING!!!! LED ZEP ROCKS!!!

photos by Ross Halfin...click on his name to see many more...they're awesome!

More later!

Hookin' & Stitchin'....

As some of you know, 90% of the Christmas gifts I am giving this year will be handmade. Been working on the pillows (see below) and I also plan to do some stitchery pieces. I know...why do it ahead of time when one can wait til the last moment???? Anyway.

Here is my FIRST stitchery piece. Yesterday I learned there will be an ornament exchange at the clinic party this coming Friday...YIKES! But, since we're all vets or techs, I felt a cat would be a safe thing to stitch. Besides, this cute pattern is from Kelley Belfast and she does primitive cats so much better than I do primitive dogs! I did the 2007 freehand...am thinking I should have graphed it out...hahaha.


Anyway, I am quite proud of this...took a few hours...the stitchin itself measures 1 7/8 x 2 1/8 inches...32 count primitive linen (over 2 threads)...reallllly small. No wonder I had to use my magnifier on my lamp! I'll find some prim fabric for the backing and then will age it all with a special recipe I have for that purpose (cinnamon, coffee, vanilla).
AND, here is the 4th and final pillow...all hooked! Still need to make the 4 of them into pillows, but heck, I have a few weeks yet to do that. {grin} This is showing much darker than it is, but otherwise the snowman is way too bright...would blind you, methinks! This snowman comes from Kelley Belfast's Merrie Wynter booklet of patterns. Cute guy, hey?


Now to sit and do nothing...yeah, right.

Led Zeppelin playing at O2 Arena tomorrow!

The countdown continues...tomorrow is the big day! Led Zeppelin plays at the O2 Arena in London! Hope all goes well for those who were able to get there...and that they have a fantastic time! I will be anxiously waiting to hear all about it.


Here's a link to take the tour of the O2...it is awesome...and HUGE!

Snow...

...and lots of it...ugh. I may have to move to my summer home...this driving on ice-covered roads for 1/2 hour is not going to be fun!

COUNTDOWN...

ohman, I am soooo envious! In 5 more days, thousands upon thousands will descend upon the O2 Arena in London to see the one-off gig of LED ZEPPELIN!!! The chatrooms/forums/email lists are FULL of excitement and the talk...of plans, post parties, setlist, the magic, the power!!! Wish I was going!

3 Down, 1 to go...

Here is Conlan's 'brown dog' pillow...all hooked, anyway. Started yesterday afternoon and finished this afternoon...24 hours...YAY! I had a ton of brown woolens, so cut them up and used them randomly...I think it turned out okay. I know Conlan will LOVE it! It measures about 12x17 inches...roughly the same size as Kaylynn's 'sheep dreams' pillow I posted a photo of yesterday.

Not sure what design to do for the 4th pillow...perhaps a snowman????

Finally got another one done....

Here's what I've been working on...another pillow. This is 'sheep dreams' for Kaylynn...and it's showing darker than it actually is. But, it's all hooked and pressed. I love the woolens I used in this one! When I had my wool all over the living room - sorting through it - I found this lovely plaid I had gotten from Mary Flanagan woolens, and just by chance, I had 1/2 yard of a solid that matched it so well! I really have no idea what dye I had used on the solid...perhaps a bit of toffee??? And, of course, I always have brown on hand, so it wasn't difficult to come up with a piece that was perfect for the head/ears/leg! For the top of the head, I cut the plaid and the solid in half (so, like a #4 cut) and hooked one of each together in the same hole...and pulled the loops higher. I have decided that I don't really like hooking swirls, but I am happy with how this turned out.

I'll take a photo of all the pillows once they are completely done (ya know...once they are pillows).

Going to start on Conlan's 'brown dog' today.

That's all for now!