Celtic Solstice Update and Christmas Projects

Hope you all had a marvelous Christmas!  We had a house full with lots of love, laughter, wrapping paper all over the place and food, too!

Getting ready for Christmas certainly curtailed my stitching on Celtic Solstice, though I have made some of each of the clues.

I also had to prep 110 angels for my 2 and 3 year old classes. Here is the "grown-up" version I did for my own tree.

 

For the kids, a sparkly star sticker and chenille wire halo were used.  they attached a white cupcake paper for the wings.  On mine I used copper wire for the halo, painted a wooden star with copper metallic paint and used a heart shaped lace doily for the wings.

 

Then there were the "Jingle" pillows I needed to make.  They are Pottery Barn knockoffs.  I made red for the family room.

 

 

Blue for the foyer.

 

 

The other pillows were made other years.

 

 

We just needed a "Believe" pillow to join the Silent Night and Holy Night pillows in the Living room.

 

 

I will admit the "Believe" pillow did not get completed until the day AFTER Christmas.

 

 

And Miss Summer just had to have a tutu for Christmas.

 

So that's why my Celtic Solstice clues are barely started!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Here is where I am on Clue 1.

 

 

A lot cut and quite a few stitched -- but not done!

 

And Clue 2?

 

 

There are actually a few more than this done now, but they were not when I took photos.

 

Clue 3?

 

 

Ditto.  A few more are done than when the photo was taken.

 

Clue 4?

 

 

I actually have quite a few more of these done now.  Love making 4-patch blocks.

 

And Clue 5?

 

 

I think I have about 20 of these done now and more cut and ready to go.

 

So, I am really behind, but hope to catch up this week with New Year's Day off work!

 

 

 

A 3-ring binder helps keep the instructions in order.

 

 

The yellow post-it notes help me find the page I need quickly to check numbers or pieces to cut or units to make of each clue.

 

It is a lot of fun and I can't wait for the reveal when we get to know exactly how all these units will be joined into the quilt.  This is a challenge for me as I like to know where I am going on a quilt.  Hope you are having as much fun with this if you are doing Bonnie Hunter's  Celtic Solstice Mystery.

 

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and productive 2014!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Note to My Children

Hey kids!

 

 

Yeah, you guys!  Only you are all grown up now!

 

Just wanted to tell you how much I have loved being your mom!

 

You were funny, quirky, sometimes scheming, mostly obedient and most of all fun to be around most of the time.

 

I wanted to do everything to make your lives better, more fun and to protect you from all evil.

 

Sometimes I did a good job, some times -- not so much.

 

I am proud you have all chosen to be Christians.  I was proud of your choices most of the time. 

 

 

I likes most of your friends -- some better than others.  I didn't even object to most of your clothing choices -- except when those choices came from my closet and you forgot to return them.

 

There were advantages to you being so close in age -- you were going through the same stages at the same time. And, there were never more than two of you in diapers at the same time. WHEW!

 

There were disadvantages to you being so close in age -- you were going through the same stages at the same time.  You all wanted to use the car the same day and I was odd man out with no car!

 

 

There were times you disappointed me.  There were times I disappointed you.

 

I should have said "no" sometimes and didn't.  But, sometimes being a good mom also meant being the "bad guy" especially when your dad was out of town and there was just me.  I never liked that part -- the disciplining part, especially when it was hard to keep from laughing at what you did, but you needed to know it could be dangerous. And, yes, I did know you piled the mattresses at the bottom of the stairs so you could jump on them.  Not such a good idea, but none of you broke your necks, so I guess you had fun doing it.

 

I love you guys more than you can know.  Well, maybe you can since you all have kids of your own now.  I laugh when I hear my words coming out of your mouth when you are talking to your kids.

 

Well, just wanted you to know that for me, Mother's Day is a day to say "Thank you for making me a mom!"  I have loved the journey.

 

And to the grand kids, I want to say, "You are Perfect just the way you are no matter what your parents tell you!" 

 

Love you all!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois a.k.a. Mom

 



A Little Bit Irish

Are you Irish?  Hmmm, does Scots Irish count?  If it does, then yes, maybe we are a little bit Irish.  Dear hubby is about half Irish -- his mother was a Bailey.  My mother's last name was  Mc name so probably more a Scottish name than Irish.  I always forget if a Scots Irish person is a Scot living in Ireland or the other way around.

Since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, I decided to make some Irish Soda Bread to celebrate.  Well, it is kind of like me -- maybe a little bit Irish.  Since I didn't want to go somewhere to buy any ingredients, I used what I had.  I had only whole wheat flour instead of white, so used that.  I did have raisins and dried cranberries, but no currents so I went with the dried cranberries.  I like those better, anyway.  The recipe called for Irish Whiskey - hmm fresh out of that, we'll just leave that out and add a bit more buttermilk.  Oops, no buttermilk either.  No problem, just add white vinegar to milk and you have buttermilk, sort of.

The result?

 

It at lease looks like some of the pictures of Irish Soda Bread I found.

 

 

The recipe was from a very old bread book.  I may try another recipe as there are several variations.

 

 

It would go well with a little Irish Breakfast tea.

 

 

The green Depression glass was given to me when I was a little girl.

 

 

The silver was in a bag and VERY tarnished when I found it.  The tag said it was from about 1929, so just perfect for the Depression glass place setting. All the pieces are not the same pattern. I don't mind.

 

 

A St. Patty's Day tea?

 

 

The flowers were the birthday flowers Dear Hubby brought to my office as a surprise.

 

 

Hope you are having a Fabulous Friday!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

Lois

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a Joy Filled New Year!

Dear friends, warm wishes for a joy filled new year!  This past year had it's ups and downs for most of us, I'm sure.  A new year always reminds me of a brand new clean slate yet to be written on.  Fill your slate this year with joy!

 

Even here in the desert, there is a freeze warning tonight.  Hot chocolate sure sounds like a good idea!  This is the tray that I prepared before Christmas as a hot chocolate "station".

 

For the 90 plus volunteers in my Nursery Program at church, I literally gave them "joy" for Christmas, but joy is a year round gift to all!

Using the computer to print a quote and deckle edge scissors to cut out labels, I made labels for a LOT of Almond Joy candy bars.  This is a personal favorite of mine and as it turns out, many of my volunteers expressed that it was their favorite as well.

 

The quote is from Luke 2:10, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great JOY that will be for all the people."

 

 

The label was simply wrapped around the candy bar and taped on the back using double stick tape.

 

 

A basket full of JOY!

 

Stay safe, stay warm and above all, stay joyful in 2013.  Good things are coming your way!

 

 

Happy New Year!

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois



 

The 25 Trees Of Christmas

What?  You don't have 25 trees for Christmas?  Actually, I don't either, but I've decorated 26 trees so far with two more to go.

However, 25 of the trees were only a foot tall and they were not for our house.  They were for an event we held for the kids and their families at our church. 

 

Here is one finished.

 

 

This gives a little more perspective to the size.

 

 

This is how the "good" trees started out.

 

 

Some needed a little help from a glue gun as the stands fell off.

 

 

Here is the "forest" fluffed and ready for the ornaments.  Funny how some of the foot tall trees were taller than others.

 

 

A few days later, they all had ornaments.

 

 

Yep, those little ornaments are 3/4" diameter.  There are 25 ornaments on each tree.

 

 

This is how they looked on the tables.

 

 

This event was to introduce "The Savior's CHRISTmas Tree" which is similar to the Jesse Tree if you are familiar with that tradition.  A scripture and family discussion to prepare for Christmas each day for 25 days.

 

 

This is the size the families were given to work with. We didn't make them do the tiny ones!  The Children's staff wrote the 25 devotions and prepared booklets for each family who attended.

 

 

There were other activities and snacks as well.  What's Christmas without cookies and cocoa and a rousing game of "bat the balloon"? The red team succeeded twice in getting more balloons across the rope to the green side.  Go red!

 

The families also teamed up to make human Candy Canes and told the Christmas story in a unique way with full participation of the kids.  Everyone had a great time.

 

And the trees?  they went home with some of the families.  I had the fun of making them -- they have the fun of keeping them and duplicating the ornaments as they do their devotional and activity each night leading up to Christmas.

 

Now, I can get back to the serious business of decorating the rest of my house for the holidays.

 

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

 

Sharing at:

 

Feathered Nest Friday  at French Country Cottage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Traditions 1

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had 10 adults, 6 teenagers and 5 children aged 2 to 10 around various tables and seated on sofas for dinner.  It was a very good day!

The holidays of November and December are my favorites of the holidays.  I think it is partly due to the fact that we have more traditions built on Thanksgiving and Christmas than any other time of year.  They are also fun to decorate for and I LOVE to do that!

One tradition we have for these holidays is pecan pie.  When I was growing up there seemed to be pecan pie on the menu.  For family reunion , either Aunt Amy or Aunt Opal would bring a pecan pie and while many kids don't like nuts, I always have -- especially pecans!

My mother also made pecan pie for the holidays and they were always good.  Unfortunately, Mom was one of those "little of this and a bit of that" cooks so many recipes were never written down.  I never had her pecan pie recipe so had to find one of my own.  My friend, Betty who is from Kentucky provided the recipe I've used "forever".  She contributed the recipe to a church cookbook when we lived in the Milwaukee area where she still lives.  That was so long ago that the cook book was printed using a mimeograph - remember those?

Here is Betty's recipe for Kentucky Pecan Pie.

 

KENTUCKY PECAN PIE

 

 

                        1 Cup White corn syrup                                   1/4 cup melted butter

                        1 Cup brown sugar                                           3 eggs, slightly beaten

                        1 teaspoon vanilla                                            1 heaping cup shelled pecan halves

                        1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Combine syrup, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and mix well.  Add eggs.  Pour into 9:" unbaked pie shell.  Sprinkle pecans over all.  (You will notice I carefully place mine in radiating circles.  Some people just mix chopped pecans into the syrup mixture - your preference.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  When cool, top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

 

Though the original recipe says you can use margarine, I never, ever do.  Butter and the brown sugar make a wonderful almost caramel taste which many people have commented on when I've served this pie. 

 

 

This is what the pre-baked pie looks like.

 

And here it is again, all baked.

 

 

 

We have other traditions and I will be writing about those from time to time, as well.

 

What traditions do you have?  Food related or otherwise?  Which is your favorite tradition?  Ooh, as I wrote that, I realized I couldn't pick a favorite!  Maybe you will have trouble as well.

 

Do your traditions come from your own family traditions or did you create your own?  We have some of both.

 

Hope you try this pecan pie.  If you like pecan pie, I think you will LOVE this one.

 

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 



A Little More Fall

Little by little it's beginning to look more like Fall at least inside even though outside we are still in the 90's and 100's and there are no changing leaf colors going on.  September always makes me want to have Fall around.  The smell of apples and cinnamon cooking and a few Fall decorations helps the illusion!

This is the Fall look this year for the bookshelves/TV area of the Family room.

 

This is where the clock face that I made here resides.

 

 

Next to it is a little muffin stand.  I may add some leaves here, it looks like it needs something yet.

 

 

Not much has been done in the kitchen yet, but I do like this little vignette.

 

 

I can't get rid of ALL the blue!

 

 

The living room isn't quite finished either.  I'm thinking that since there is no mantel in this house, the piano might make a good substitute.

 

 

Can you believe this pumpkin as a plastic one?  A little gloss spray paint and the addition of one of the leaves I bleached makes it look more elegant, I think.

 

 

The apothecary jar filled with white pumpkins and gourds will probably move to the piano. It seems a bit tall for the coffee table.

 

 

Here are a couple of the pedestals I made here filled with a candle and faux acorns.

 

 

There are a couple of other things in the works, but I'm not quite ready to show them yet.  Hope you are having fun getting ready for the Fall season.  We are still a week away from the official start of Fall, but it's good to be prepared.

 

 

xoxoXOXOxoxo

 

Lois

 

 

Partying at:

 

The Farmhouse Porch 

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 

French Country Cottage 

My Romantic Home

DIY by Design

I Gotta Create

 Dixie & Dottie