My Dream Closet

I was looking at Pinterest and came across this

terrific closet. I love all the cubby holes for purses plus

the tilted ones for shoes. The varied height of clothing racks for 

shirts and slacks are a great idea as well.

Maybe "Santa" will be super generous next year

and see his way to get me one just like this !

2012 New Year's Resolutions

I have not done a whole lot of the tradition of resolution-making in the past but think I'll give a few things a try this year:

1. Lose 10 lbs - oh those pesky ten pounds!  I lost 52 lbs about 6 years ago, and I have been fortunate to be able to keep nearly all of it off. But with a bunion and heel spur, and all the other stuff I deal with, it's been really hard to get back into the walking I once was able to do. I got down to a size 2 from a size 16. I'm now struggling to stay in a size 4. So this is definitely my first and foremost thing to work on... but I do love Sprite! So improving my diet by avoiding sugar and doing more floor exercises will have to be part of my plan.

2. Read & buy more "real" books - with the Kindle now on the market, I fear paper books are on their way out! Never ever ever would I have thought the BOOK could actually be replaced with an electronic gadget thing-y.

3. Write more checks - The state of Georgia is no longer required to teach cursive hand writing (if you can't write it in cursive, who's gonna be able to read our old cursive documents in the future?), and I get furious with the "convenience fee" that companies want you to PAY in order to make your payment with your card. I see this is a win-win-win situation - I get to improve on my handwriting, help the U.S. Postal Service with mail to help keep American jobs, and I avoid those convenience fees :)

4. Get my craft room organized - need I say more?


5. hmmm, maybe I'd better stop right here...

Happy New Year!

JoAnn

Enjoying the Holidays!

Best Christmas Eve gift. Stephanie arrived from Spain!
And Jorge, her boyfriend.

Almost time to open gifts...

This is my crew enjoying an early morning Christmas breakfast
before opening gifts, then going to the Christmas morning Church Service
(and this is what I look like after a trip
to and from Atlanta Airport with about 5 hours of sleep :()

Our son, John, had no idea he was getting his favorite board game,
Cornhole, from his Daddy, which Ted cut out and painted.
That look on his face is one of sheer happiness!
  

Our daughter, Stephanie, bought our granddaughter, Anna Lynn,
a bath tub book with the animals labeled in Spanish language.
She thought it tasted great!

Then to Grandmother's House We Go...
Spain does not "do" Christmas quite like we do, so Stephanie's boyfriend, 
Jorge, was a little amazed at all the gifts and food!

PEACE Cross Stitch Quilted Wallhanging FINISHED

Merry Christmas Y'all

JoAnn

Snowmen... Yes I Needed More Snowmen

Here's another "I-just-couldn't-resist"
aka compulsive shopping...
Found some great deals at a local thrift store...
all for a whopping $7 :)
Now, if we could just get this Georgia weather
to feel like Christmas...

Happy Thrift Shopping!
JoAnn 

O Holy Night Martina McBride

I love Martina McBride's beautiful voice.

She does a superb Acapella version on O Holy Night.

This is simply awesome. Enjoy!

(video from YouTube)

Rum Balls Recipe

Ohhh so good! Rum Balls are one of my favorite Christmas goodies.
There are a lot of recipes on the Internet for rum balls - some add in cocoa.
This *recipe is one of the easiest I've seen:
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely crushed walnuts
1/4 cup (light) rum - I used Bacardi
Powdered sugar (for rolling the balls)
* I honestly don't remember what book this recipe came from.

Stir the crushed wafers and sugar a bit with a whisk to blend;
add in the melted butter, rum and walnuts and mix well.
Form into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.
Store in a wax paper lined air tight container, place in the refrigerator - now
I have heard of different "cure" times , anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks.
I guess that's a personal preference.
Any how, these should be good with a 6-day cure.
**Added note: If desired, before serving re-roll in powdered sugar.

I will say that you need to work on rolling the balls at a steady pace.
I stopped to take a pic of a few of them on my pretty green plate,
and the mixture began to dry a little. 

These babies are gonna be DE-LISH come Christmas Day!

As you can see, we've had a very busy weekend catching up
on some Christmas shopping. Wrapping is fun but a job unto itself!
Only a few more last minute "little surprises" and we'll be done ;)

Home Made Christmas Fabric Ornaments

Here are a few of the fabric Christmas ball ornaments I made

a few years back. I loved making them! 
(styrofoam balls, and goodness, I can't even remember the # of fabric squares and pins I used :)
They are holding up very well over the years, so maybe
they will be nice "keepsakes" for my grandchildren.

And The Stockings Were Hung...

I could post Christmas pictures all year long :)

but to save time and Blog space, here are a few pics

of my Favorite Things...

What I call "A Gentle Reminder" above the kitchen sink...

One of my small ceramic Nativity Scenes

And the Stocking Were Hung...

Y'all, I LOVE my flatscreen, and, simply put, this was the only logical
place to put it, but... now I have no place for my gi-nor-mous Santa picture that I bought at Kirklands as a Christmas gift to myself (insert BIG GRIN here)
I've been putting St. Nick over the mantel for the past few years
(the one in my Blog header) He's gorgeous! 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...
I'm so glad I decided to buy a Super Slim. 
Got it at Tar-get, as Tyra Banks pronounces it,
 for $30 as a last-one-standing-no-box
Day After Christmas Sale deal. Yay!

I love browsing through other Bloggers decorating photos to get new ideas.
And I can really appreciate the time and effort that's put into it.
(Because I know what effort it takes :)
It's fun to see how other folks put different items and color schemes together,
usually something I'd never think of doing. I hope you enjoy mine.

Merry Christmas!
JoAnn

Happy 26th Birthday to my Baby Girl in Spain!

Look what Santa brought us!  A beautiful 6 lb. 12 oz. little girl
this day 26 years ago, December 14th, 1985.
We still have the stocking.
We love you! Have a great day!
And we'll see you Dec 24th in Atlanta!

PEACE Cross Stitch Quilted Wallhanging

While digging through a drawer of old cross stitch projects

(that I never seem to get around to finishing, completely)

I found this old PEACE cross stitch, it's at least 3 years old.

It had been crammed towards the back of the drawer,

leaving it pretty wrinkled. I pressed it out with the steam iron

(for about 15 minutes... aida is stiff stuff)

I found the pattern in an old library book of crafts.

In the book, their PEACE sign was double matted and framed.

I've been down that road before ($$$) so I knew I wasn't gonna do that again.

Picking through yet more scrap material (gotta be budget minded these days)

I found some old Christmas colored material with a nice pattern.

Looking at it now, lying on the table, I wish I had put another

row of the pine trees above the PEACE word. 

I hope to finish it over the weekend and will post the finished product next week,

I need more low loft batting and some backing material.

I'd love to hear your comments!

JoAnn 

Wreath with Twin Creek Primitives Pillow

Just wanted to share a quick pic of the little Christmas pillow
I bought from Twin Creek Primitives... I love it!
The words "Christmas Gatherings" are stitched on the front.
I tucked it in the branches of my new Christmas Wreath
from Hobby Lobby.
It really adds a warm personal touch.
Thanks TCP!

Super Simple Christmas Swag

Super Simple Christmas Swag

First get two Christmas themed sprays (or four if you're doing 2 areas, like I did)

This can be any type of the variety sprays from the craft stores.

I'm not a big 'poinsettia' person so I

chose long pine twigs with cones and rusty metal stars.

You'll need one long dark colored twist tie (I always save the

heavy duty ties that come with electronics), or some dark heavy duty floral wire.

You'll also need small berry picks, and ribbon, if you want that in the center.

Simply butt the two closely together, leaving a space about 2-3 inches to place
your berries and / or a bow. Hide the long handle ends inside the needles / leaves.
My berry picks came with long bendable ends so that added
support to hold the two sprays together.
(I decided to skip the bow.)
Since this swag sits on top of a shelf, after you set up it,
spread out the leaves or needles, to fill in empty spaces.
And that's pretty much it!

Happy Decorating to You.

JoAnn

Favorite Santas #4

Favorite Santa #4 (or maybe this one should be #1)
A Santa after my own heart... enjoying a good cup of joe!

Favorite Santa #3

This is one Santa that doesn't leave all the work to his elves.
He gets in on the action and admires his handy work,
painting a little toy solder. Instead of elves, little kitty cats
run around his feet having a jolly ol' time. 

Favorite Santa #2
This little guy is the spitting image of what pops in my head
every time someone says the words "Santa Claus!"
Kind of a 1950s style face bringing the sweet and simple toys
of Yester-year: a dolly, a lolly pop, a ball,
a drum and a teddy bear.
Not sure if you can tell in the pic, but his lashes are
long and his beard, fur and the snow
is done in a crackle type finish, adding to the
"really old" antiqued look.

Favorite Santa #1

As a collector I have a lot of 'favorite' Santas,

but to me, I think this one really says it all. 

Here, Santa is leaving gifts for a sweet sleeping child,

who went to bed early in hopes of waking to find his favorite toys!

I sure hope he does. 

Table from Blah Tea Stain to Gorgeous Green

I bought this little table at a road side sale a number of years ago, 

literally out of a barn that was being torn down.

Not that I don't love it (if I didn't it would've been long gone),

it looks like a product out of the 1990s homemade wood 

working projects that hit the "festival" market back then.

(wow, I'm actually saying the words 'back then')

Don't get me wrong, I am forever-country

but a bit tired of the 'tea stained' look, at least for this table.

Besides, it was blending TOO much with my stained bead board walls.

It was WAY past time for a make over.

I bought Krylon Spray Paint in Satin Italian Olive Green.

A GREAT color for 'all seasons' decorating :)

Yes, the cap top color is TOTALLY different than the end result-

but that's a GOOD thing, in this case.

And making her Blogspot debut is Prissy the Cat

Yes, those are PINECONES holding up that end of the table while

the bottoms dried. Ok, you can stop laughing now.

I had to keep those leaves from sticking somehow.

See! what'd I tell ya?  Better.  MUCH better.

Happy Spray Painting to You!

JoAnn

Jesus is the Reason

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Uh-oh. Big Time. In my haste to get a Christmas picture header made for my blog, I grabbed the first unpacked things out of one of my Christmas closets, along with the new Nutcracker, and snapped some shots (with a great deal of effort - I am Picasa illiterate - and short on patience to boot). So, now that I have time AND energy (at the same time!), I to began slowly pulling things out, and carefully unpacking my "breakables", when I came across my musical 'Joseph, Mary & Baby Jesus' figurine, and quickly realized that I did not even add Him to my picture header! If forgiveness for forgetting can be  granted, I need it now! Plus some extra patience while I figure out how to edit, or even completely re-do, my Christmas blog header ;)

Season's Greeting!

JoAnn

Christmas Chaos Working It Out

Christmas Chaos... at first sight, it CAN be a bit overwhelming...
and this is only ONE closet - I have another one

CONFESSION:  while putting up my fall items, trying to work on our MB remodel,

working on my blog, setting up my Etsy shop (coming soon!) and

WORKING all together (secretary, housework, cooking, you know the drill)

along with ever unpredictable migraines and fibromyalgia attacks...

THIS is what has been sitting in my LR... the entire time...

it just didn't make sense to walk at least 100 yards for a few board cuttings,

and then with the rain - in came the saw :()  oh well...

With my husband working out of state, the remodeling has practically and unfortunately

come to a screeching halt... at least til after Christmas.

(My nerves and wallet just can't handle both at the same time!)

Today I'm making it my mission to at least get my entire

Nutcracker collection on the shelf over the window seat in the LR.

And I'll admit I'm a little green with envy when I look at those

blogs that are already so beautifully decked out for the Holidays!

Wish me luck!

JoAnn

Pillow Giveaway: Hearthside Happenings

Check out Hearthside Happenings blog for a great Christmas Tree Pillow Giveaway:

http://www.hearthsidehappenings.net/2011/12/christmas-pillow-december-giveaway-from.html

Pfaltzgraff Folk Art Made in USA

Pfaltzgraff Folk Art made in USA

the old Castle stamp USA

Here are a few pieces of my beloved Pfaltzgraff Folk Art collection, Made in the USA, a pattern I wanted badly when I married back in the early 1980s but could not afford it. So a year or so ago, I decided I would sell the dinnerware I had and get the one I truly wanted. I SLOWLY began purchasing P.F.A. pieces from ebay and other sites. I continue to build the 'Made in USA' pieces today. It was produced in Pennsylvania, up until the late 1980s.  I feel sure some of you know, or have known, someone touched by the closing of many American industries, mostly textiles. Eventually Pfaltzgraff followed suit.  

I love items with words on them... Cookies... Milk... Butter... I was tricked with a 

large butter pat dish, thinking I had purchased the 'real McCoy' (Made in USA). 

I was very disappointed to see the Made In China ink stamp on the bottom of the dish. 

I didn't know at the time they sold themselves out.

Today I was reminded of this fact by an old school mate to buy 'Made In America' items this year, especially for Christmas.  And I do. When I can afford it.  I really took this personally, because, after all,

it is BIG CORPORATE that decides the "who, what, when, and where" that will fatten their wallets the most, not the struggling Americans from whom their jobs were taken.

I have begun some home-made projects this year. 

I guess that is, technically at least, made in America. 

I admire many of the home made items I see on Etsy and on the selling Blogs. 

I wish many sales for you this Christmas season!

JoAnn