A New Year is coming !!

May God fill your life with Love, Joy & Peace throughout the new year!!

Playing in the snow!!

What a wonderful birthday I had yesterday!
I woke to a beautiful sight...our first snowfall for the season.

All three grandkids spent the night here & when they woke they couldn't wait to get outside. They decided to build a snowman. It was perfect snow for that.

They kept rolling & rolling. Soon they came running into the house hollering for Grampy. "Can you come out & help us get the middle ball on top of the bottom? We can't lift it." We both went to the window to see what they had done. LOL... The balls were huge! So Grampy got dressed to go help.

I could see they were getting cold. So I made some hot cocoa and told them to come in and warm up & they could go back and finish later. It didn't take them long to slurp the cocoa down and they got some more warm, dry clothes on & went back out.
A little later they came running in the house again "Gramma come see!"
This is what I saw...

My very own Birthday Snowman!!!
And just in time. The rest of the family got to see my snowman as they pulled into the drive.
Of course Uncle Tom had to get out & play in the snow too.

It didn't take long before the snowball fight began.
Then came the challenge.





NA NA NA NA NA NA!!










Whatever Zack tried, obviously didn't work.







And Jordan looks like she is going to end up on the ground too.


But wait....



Kelly Scores!!!


And just in time! Danny's homemade potato soup is steaming hot and Tammi has the grilled ham & cheese sandwichs finished.
Afterwards I got to open my birthday presents. I got a couple of beautiful tops and this new set of pans.


THEY ARE PINK!!!! I love it.
Sometimes I wonder how I deserve such a wonderful family!

Now I have to concentrate on Christmas. Last minute shopping, presents to wrap and more cookies to bake.
I do hope that my blogging friends that got hit with the snow blizzard are all safe & warm.
Holiday Blessings to all!

Finishing up on all my projects!

I got one of the Christmas trees decorated. I collect snowman ornies & I try to get one new one each year. This year I got 2 ornies for the pink tree. A seashell from our visit to Florida & a pair of pink Eskimo boots from our visit to Alaska this summer. (I still haven't found the topper yet)











I let Kelly decorate the pink tree. She did a pretty good job.










AHA!!!There is my snowman topper! Kelly used it on the pink tree. Looks like we will be making one for the big tree. :0}




I spent the last two days with my son's girlfriend and another good friend making some Christmas goodies. Look at all this yummy stuff.

We made butterscotch haystacks, Oreo truffles, cornflake wreaths, chocolate covered cherries, walnut fudge, chocolate pretzels, chocolate covered peanut butter & crackers, buckeyes, white chocolate pretzels, turtle pretzels, pecan balls, and the leftover chocolate we poured in little forms. I must say that my favorite new recipe that we tryed are these Oreo truffles. They are delicious. And pretty easy. All it takes is Oreos, cream cheese & chocolate. Here is where you can find the recipe.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-oreo-truffles/Detail.aspx

I also finished up my last craft order! These Mary & Joseph dolls turned out so cute. They are from a pattern by 'You Are Special'. I will definately make some more for next year.

I have been so bad about not getting things put in my Etsy shop this year. I have some good ideas for things to do after the holidays. I'm hoping then I can get back into the normal swing of things.
Now I just have some last minute shopping & wrapping to do and I will get my Christmas cookies baked next week. Whew!!! Right now I need to do some house cleaning. All my kids & grandkids are coming over tomorrow for some homemade potato soup and grilled ham & cheese sandwichs to celebrate my birthday. The good thing is that they are making everything!!!!
Happy Holidays!

Time for School Christmas Musicals

I really enjoy going to the grandkids school programs. They are so enjoyable. Some of the kids will be pouring their hearts out as if they think they may be the next Hannah Montana (who knows, they may just be) while some are just standing there trying not to be noticed. And there is always the little one that has to make you laugh cause he is trying to outdo the little girl next to him and she keeps pushing his hands down from in front of her. :0}
This is a picture of my oldest granddaughter at her Christmas program. (I know it is a terrible pic. I'm just not a good photographer) Kelly is the girl in the red dress on the end of the row.

I know that my daughter took better pictures. So I can show you more when I get them from her.
Kelly goes to an elementary school that has kids from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school had so many people come to the programs that there wasn't enough seating or parking. So last year most of the schools in this area started having a Christmas program that split the classes in half. Now Kindergarten, 2nd grade & 4th grade have a Christmas program and 1st grade, 3rd grade & 5th grade have a Spring musical program. It's just the opposite at my other grandkids school. It seems to work out quite well.
Well I need to get to craftin'. I have one more order for a Mary, Joseph & baby dolls to finish.
Happy Holidays to all!

My BESTEST FRIEND EVER

I'm sitting here at my computer trying to think of the words to write about this wonderful guy. There are so many things whirling around in my head...how I used to clerk for him when he was an auctioneer many many years ago, how my dear hubby has drove him around all day for the last 2 years & looked forward to spending every single minute of it, how he has taught all of my kids & grandkids( or the "rodents" as he called them) to be independant and fun, how we spent almost every New Years Eve with him & his wife playing cards, how he could put a smile on your face every time he stepped into the room, how every child he met would call him Uncle Ben, how he could come up with such extraordinary ideas, how him & his brothers and sister are like family. I could go on & on. But I couldn't possibly tell you how much I am going to miss him.
God has taken him to Heaven.

The battle with his brain tumors has ended.
His family had a "celebration of life" ceremony for him this weekend. He had told everyone that he wanted them to remember him happy. They had a very nice Church service then some of his family spoke of good times that they spent with him. Afterwards there was a pizza party to remember the 'Saturday night Pizza Hut family and friends gatherings' that he never missed!
There were still many many tears shed.

My son has great taste

He picked out this faucet...Let me start from the beginning.



Our old faucet had a leak & it was getting a little worse. Last Saturday night I lay in bed, trying to get to sleep. But all I heard was this drip...drip...drip. The next morning I informed the dear hubby that it had to be fixed. So I called my "Mr. Fixit" (my son). He came on over and starting taking everything all apart. Then he said" where's the new faucet?"
OMG, I hadn't gotten one yet.
I've been fighting off a stomach flu for a couple of days and not gone anywhere & didn't feel like going anywhere yet. SO....Dear Hubby and the son volunteered to go pick one out. My only request was that it has a tall neck on it so I could fit my big pans underneath.
After returning from the hardware store, Hubby walks in the house. "Remind me not to go shopping with Tom again! He has expensive taste. I had one picked out for $68 & he talked me into getting this one for $200. You better like it!" Then Tom walks in with this smirk on his face. I could just picture the debate in my head. Like two little boys arguing in the aisle. I'm not sure how Tom won because that doesn't usually happen. But I'm sure glad he did because I love it!
I wouldn't be surprised if Tom decided to replace his faucet at his home too! LOL
Now I can sleep in peace!!

I have to show you the surprise that came in my mail the other day. It was from a new blogging friend, Jenny Matlock!



It's her instructional book on how to make "ZIPPY STRIPPY QUILTS". She even autographed it!! How lucky am I?
It's a great book with exceptionally nice instructions and photos. I'm going to have to try & make one after the holidays. They look like a lot of fun to make and fairly simple too.
She is also having a "Sweet & Sour" giveaway. You must check it out! Just click on the lemons on my sidebar. Yes I did say lemons :0}

I haven't been posting or visiting for a couple of days now. So I think I'm on my way to some blog surfing & catching up.


Happy Holidays!

And the giveaway winner is....

CONGRATULATIONS TO JUANITA !!!

I thank everyone that entered and came to visit me on my blog. I hope I've made some new blogging friends and you will come back to visit soon. I know I will be visiting you often.
Please go see Juanita on her blog...It's Harvest Time! She always has lots of great pictures for you to look at.

I am wishing everyone a very Blessed Thanksgiving Day!

gingerbread giveaway update !!

I've added the gingerbread ornament to my giveaway for having 25 entries!
Now I see that I am up to 50 !!
So I will also be adding a small slate wallhanging for the winner.

If you haven't signed up already...you have until midnight this evening! Scroll down to my Nov. 2 post to find the rules. You can leave your comment there or here.
This is so much fun!!!

Bazaar, bazaar & more bazaars

I think I am having bazaar overload! I have been so busy trying to get some things made for the craft bazaars that I have been in, that I am almost exhausted. It's getting a lot harder to carry in & set up (OLD AGE). But I enjoy doing them so much. I just can't give up on them. There are only two more to go. I'm afraid that I've completely ignored my Etsy shop though. Darn, I need a class in "How to organize your time". LOL

Oh my goodness !!!
What a great bunch of bloggin buddies! I am lovin all the very nice comments on my gingerbread giveaway. And look...there are more than 25 entries! That means I will be adding something more to the giveaway. Hummm let me see. I think I will make it something that I have handpainted. I better go get busy so I can post a pic in a couple of days. Good luck to all of you. I wish you could all be winners.
And if you haven't entered yet you better go to my Nov. 2 giveaway post and get signed up!!!

Thank you to all our Veterans !!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway on Nov. 2 post.

Chocolate Cherry Mice

My daughters and I made these over the Halloween holiday. They were for a close friend that we have known for years. This friend has called my kids "The Rodents" ever since they were born. Not sure how that all came about. But now they always come up with things mouse related to give him. My daughter found the recipe and I'm not sure where. So I can't give anyone the credit they deserve. Here is one of the little rodents that we made.
These are so cute!!



This is how we made them.

You will need:
Maraschino cherries with the stems on them. I had a hard time finding them. Where I did find some was at a liquor store. :)
Chocolate bark or chocolate chips
Sliced Almonds
Hersheys Kisses
Blue Icing or Blue confetti candies

Put some waxed paper on your cupboard or in a cookie sheet.
You melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Dip a cherry in the chocolate, part way up the stem. Lay this on the wax paper with the stem off to the side (the stem will be the tail). Next you put a dab of chocolate on the flat side of an unwrapped Hershey kiss. Place the flat side up against the cherry, putting the curl of the Kiss pointing upward. Place two sliced almonds between the Hershey Kiss & the cherry for the ears. You could just pipe a dab of blue frosting for the eyes but we had the grandkids pick out the blue chips from the confetti sprinkles jar and placed them on the face with a dab of white frosting. I placed mine in the refridgerator until they were hardened together. You peel them from the wax paper and enjoy. Remember not to eat the stem!!

I didn't get a pic of the tray when it was full. But it is really cute with a bunch of them together. We've also made them using white chocolate for my oldest daughters wedding shower. They were tucked amongst the fruit and cheese on her appetizer platter. They got so many compliments!

Don't forget to enter my Gingerbread Giveaway on the post below!!!

My Holiday Gingerbread Giveaway

Hello Friends!

I've decided to have a giveaway to celebrate the holiday season coming up soon. This is going to be a primitive "gingerbread" themed giveaway.



First I have made a raggy quilted table mat using gingerbread men fabric and Christmas colored material. Then next I have made a Gingerbread girl doll. She is such a sweetie! And her dress matches some of the fabric in the table mat.
I'm sure you would be so happy to put them on display atop a shelf or table in your home.

And....guess what?
After every 25th post for this giveaway I will add something extra!! Isn't that exciting?
Now for the rules:
1. You need to be a follower of my blog or my Etsy shop
for one entry each.
2. You need to leave a comment on this post only. Let me know if you have a favorite theme for your Christmas decorating. That will be another entry.
3. Post about my gingerbread giveaway on your blog for another entry.

I will draw the winning name on November 23. Entry deadline will be Sunday the 22nd at midnight.
I wish you all good luck!!
I also want to thank all my blogging friends for their visits and comments.

Happy Halloween!! My Ghostly Friends!!!

WE have a terrific day for the grandkids to do their trick-or-treating. It was so windy , rainy & cold yesterday that I was worried that tonight would be miserable too. But it was actually rather nice. Just a bit cold.
My oldest daughter had the whole family over to her house for a Halloween Dinner before they all went trick-or-treating. It was quite fun!!
Everyone brought some sort of odd looking food item.
We had meatloaf that looked like severed feet. Yummy!!

Little ghost baked potatoes and mummy hotdogs.

Punch with a floating ice hand.

Mummy cupcakes, Bat cupcakes & Cat Cookies.

There were ham rollup fingers, homemade caramel dip for apple wedges and bone breadsticks.

What a feast! Everything was so yummy!

This is my family before they left to go trick-or-treating. What a fiendish group of characters, heh?

From left to right are: My son's partner, my son, Me, my Mother, my granddaughter Kelly, my Son-in-law, my oldest daughter, my youngest granddaughter Jordan, my middle daughter, Hubby, my youngest daughter and my grandson Zack. My other son-inlaw was taking the picture.

I hope everyone else had a safe and fun Halloween!!!