six more days . . .

I found a new and totally fitting way to help celebrate the season of Advent this year, compliments of Jo, over at Serendipitous Stitching!  She hosts a very sweet stitcher's Advent, and today is my day to share!

The idea is to share a hand-stitched ornament.  So of course, I'm sharing two.  LOL!  One is one I've had for years and years ... and it's more of a decoration than an ornament.  This beautiful wreath:

It's a canvas and yarn piece that was done by my Pop.  He was a terrific crafter and loved to work with his hands.  It's a treasure I look forward to putting out every year!

The second ornament is one of my own ... a combination of wool and stitching.

I have always loved this sweet little Santa! But I realized as I was searching for 'the' ornament I wanted to share today, that I generally gift my favorite pieces!  Ah well ... the old saying "Take a picture, they last longer," has some merit.  ;)

The other thing we're to do is share a favorite Christmas book!  So of course, I'm sharing two.  (Maybe it's an old/new thing? Or an over-sharer thing, more likely.)  The first is a classic ... one of my favorite stories to read, The Polar Express.

I enjoy the movie, too, but the book makes me cry.  Every.  Time.  (Happy tears.)

The second book is relatively new and called The Sparkle Box.  

I gifted this to both sets of grands a couple of years ago (and did a book review of here).  It's a sweet story that embodies the message of Christmas.  

So there you have it!  Be sure to stop by Jo's blog to check out the rest of the participants!  

Merry Christmas!

:)

bits and pieces . . .

Right off the bat, let me put your minds to rest . . . 

This got finished, so this could happen . . .

Whew!  All is right with the (her) world again!

It's been a busy week, at work and home.  For the last eight years, we've gone to see The Nutcracker ballet every Christmas season.  This year they didn't do the ballet (go figure).  So instead, I've been putting together something fun to take its place . . .

We'll have a full-blown tea party with all the trimmings, and then watch the ballet on DVD!!  (I've got several versions, of course!) We're all looking forward to that!

Todd & I took a trip downtown one evening this past week to enjoy Tinsel Trail.

It was a lot of fun and there were more trees on the trail than ever before (they had to expand the trail to the other side of the park this year)! Christmas lights make my soul happy! 

I also baked a cake.  Because sometimes you just need to bake.

It's an orange flavored yellow butter cake, with tropical icing.  Not very winter/Christmassy, so I did the strawberry poinsettia flower on top.  It feels a little Mele Kalikimaka, if you know what I mean!  Still, it tasted good!  :)

We've had some glorious sunrises this week out at the camp . . .

Todd tells me we've had some glorious sunsets, too, but I don't make it home in time to see those.  LOL!

We have also enjoyed some glorious weather ... temps in the 50's, 60's and even into the 70's!  We got out and about in the camp on Friday and I got to visit some of my favorite places . . . 

Serenity Pond is pretty no matter the season!

Looking up and down the creek.  The sound of the water babbling is as happy to my soul as the lights! It never ceases to amaze me that I live here. Introducing people to creation; connecting them to the Creator.  It's as apt a mission statement as could be.  ♥

 And my soul needs happy when I start to think too much about this . . . 

Yikes, y'all!  That's less than two weeks away ... and why it won't surprise you that my slow stitching is all about these things . . .

The Piglet ornament is coming along! I hope to finish it up this afternoon, while we enjoy a Christmas movie.  Hand quilting this beauty (table runner) will take a little longer, but I'm going to quilt it simply, so hopefully it will be done in time. Hey ... Christmas *starts* on the 25th ... and goes on for 12 days, right??  Ha! 

Anyway, linking up to Kathy's Quilts and her slow stitching post.  This close to Christmas, I bet there's tons of pretty projects in the works to ooooh and aaaaah over!

Before I go, a quick shout-out to my Alabama Crimson Tide, who finished the regular (like there was anything regular about it) college football season 10-0!!  Roll Tide!

:)

it's beginning to look a lot like . . .

By this point in the year, I'm usually running around like a chicken with my head cut off ... with no relief in sight!  But if there's been *any* silver lining from covid, then I would have to say it's the relief of a lot of the hustle and bustle that usually hits this time of year. Our social commitments, which typically fill our December calendar (and wear me out), have been cut to a fraction of what they normally are. I'm thankful. Am I alone in my thinking on this?

We did enjoy a healthy, happy Thanksgiving.  We ate dinner al fresco at the pavilion and there was quite a spread!

 

 

Two turkeys, tons of sides and a dessert table.  I was impressed!  I was also incredibly thankful for our weather that week.  Mostly sunny and in the upper 50s/lower 60s.  Just glorious!  It's hit or miss in North Alabama for Thanksgiving, so we really lucked out!  Seriously ... just four days later it turned very cold and we had our first snow of the season!

Like I said ... hit or miss! It was only a dusting, but it was pretty and made everything sparkle.

Mostly my stitching came to a grinding halt through Thanksgiving week. I still need to get to work on the Piglet ornament! Then it was brought to my attention that Edith noticed that both her older sisters have Neesey-crocheted scarves, but she does not.  

Uh oh!  She determined she wants a rainbow scarf.  So that is now a priority! I did pick up the yarn . . .

After getting Edith's approval, of course (I gave her choices). This will be my weekend, most likely, and my slow Sunday stitching, to boot!  It's so very cold here now ... baby girl needs a warm scarf around her neck! And there may be enough for me to do a headband ear warmer for me! *wink*

For Christmas for us, Todd and I decided to go ahead and put some nice patio furniture in our newly screened in room . . .

I'm so pleased! We even got to enjoy it for a while before it turned too cold.  

Now we're looking at heater options.  LOL!

Right now I'm in the Christmas-movie-a-day/savor the season of Advent/match Christmas outfits to Christmas earrings & jewelry/online Christmas shopping-tracking-wrapping mode.  'Tis the season . . . fa la la la la!

*Edited to add the link to Kathy's Quilts and her slow Sunday stitching post.  Check it out!! 

:)