Happy New Year

This New Year I wish that God showers you with His choicest Blessings, Fate never takes you for a bumpy ride, Cupid strikes you with his sweetest arrow, Lady Luck bestows upon you health and wealth, your Guardian Angel keeps your mind alert and bright.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ lang syne!

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne! 

Post Holiday Blues

When I was younger I remember getting the post holiday blues.  I don't know if it was selfishness (I didn't get what I wanted), or feeling inadequate in someway, like I didn't fulfill my duties as a mother, daughter, wife in making Christmas and the holidays perfect.

The past few years I don't get the  blues other than missing being with all of my family, and those that have passed on.  I seem to have an inner peace and joy about the holidays.  I like making cookies with the Samantha and  boys.  Decorating, and buying or making the gifts, but most of all I feel content.

During some of the pre Christmas sales I picked up gifts for next year, but also a few things for myself.

What girl can say no to red blingy scissors?  I can't.

A Fat Quarter pack of batiks from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  The price was too good to pass up.

A huge pack of fat quarters from Hawthorne Threads of Claudie Pfeil's new line of fabric called Wordplay.

After this past year I think it is important to do something to make a difference.  It may help me in a way by providing a gift idea, or it may be doing something for another person, or a service for others.
One of my friends from grade school shared a link about these bracelets.  They are made by women in Nepal.  It helps them to avoid being sold as child brides, or as sex slaves to help their families survive. 

They are crocheted and beaded, and easily roll up over your hand.  I purchased several for gifts.

Speaking of human trafficking, here is a scary statistic.  Michigan ranks number 2 in the nation for human trafficking depending on where you get your data. The number one rank floats between California, and Nevada.  I find that terrifying really. 

I have done a wee bit of sewing.  But nothing really exciting to show yet.  I have plans though.  I think I will wait and share it in my next post. 

12 Days of Christmas X 2

I had some friends that had sent gifts, including two different sets of 12 days of Christmas gifts. 

Let's just say that after encounters with Jeff's families attorney, and later mediation my soul was feeling pretty bruised and battered, and any Christmas spirit I had was left lying in the fetal position in the gutter.  

I will start with the gift from Barbara of wont to be quilter.  Barbara is always making a Christmas quilt, along with her normal gifts she makes of quilts to her family.

Cute penguin wrapping paper. 

 Gorgeous Christmas fabric.  Yep that blur is Bobbin. 

A better picture of the fabric, and yes another blur of Bobbin running by.  Bobbin feels that every gift should be hers personally. 

Yep Bobbin does stand still.  When she wants me to hold her, and I am trying to do something.  Like wrap Christmas gifts. 

Kris from Kris Loves Fabric sent me a 12 days of Christmas.  Each day had a cute card, with a "What I love about Colette" note in side and a Bible verse.  They made me laugh, and the Bible verses were so timely.

The disemboweled strawberry pincushion.  I love text fabric and text fabric...sometimes ok all the time what you get is a surprise at seams.

 The Lattice Cherry Pie pincushion.  Bobbin thought this was especially for her. 

 Cute buttons and a zipper pull.

 Bobbin helping again.  Oh and Lucy too. 

 A pile of cute patterns.

 A Snowman punch needle kit

 A Santa Punch needle kit

 A chicken punch needle kit.  Cuz us chicken chicks stick together.

 A Piping Hot binding kit.....

 Quick Curve Ruler and pattern.  Kris we need to have a sew day and I will show you how to quick curve it is easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

 A McKenna Ryan kit.  OMG Love the gold finches on the thistle!

 This very cute Ackfeld hanger with the barn, tree, wheelbarrow and garden.  I have an idea of what to make to use it with, it would actually be finishing up a small pile of UFO blocks.   

Chicken fabric!  Love the bright colors.  And the Sebastian fabric.  Sorry to say, but Lucy has some of those same facial expressions.  

So many great fun gifts.  Thank you so much Kris. 

I also received another set of 12 days of Christmas from Dawn at SewYouQuilt2.

One thimble...reminds me of a band aid.  LOL

 Two fat quarters.  Oh these are yummy I see a Christmas quilt in my future!

Three spools of thread.

 Four Pincushions.  These are all so cute!

After eating for the past few days.  I need to exercise, but I feel like this pig.  Is she exercising or is she laying on the floor contemplating that she needs to exercise?

 Selvedges.

5 cookie mixes. 

When you want cookies fast these are awesome. 

6 packages of Candy Cane hot chocolate.  Sounds fabulous.

 7 Balls for Lucy.  Um no Bobbin not for you.

 Here mom let me help. 

I want this one.  Lucy doesn't need all of them.  See the dog is a blur I swear it isn't my picture taking.

8.  Gift card wallets.  See the blur of the assistant foot.

9.  Christmas ornaments.  

 Obviously Bobbin wanted one.  They were immediately confiscate and placed out of Bobbin reach.

These are all so cute. I can't choose my favorite.  The walnut snowman, the spool snowman, the heart with peace.....

10 charm squares aren't these yummy!  I love the asterisk/sputnik motifs. 

11.  Buttons or pins or button pins. They are cute.

Ssshh don't tell Dawn but I count over 11.

12.  Needles in a needle book.  This is awesome.

Darn I forgot to get pictures of the outside with a cute spool block!

Then there was a package that Bobbin was going wild over.  She actually tried to carry it away.

 A blanket, soft and fuzzy....kind of like Jeff with the picture of Jeff on our wedding day.  Here you see Bobbin inspecting. 

 A bit better picture.  Oh heck who am I kidding there is no way to get a good picture of anything with Bobbin around. 

And Aunty Dawn would not leave Bobbin out. 

We got an awesome squeaky bone! 

Thank you to all three of you lovely ladies.   I love sharing with my family, the fun I had opening them.  You made my Christmas full of laughter and fun.

I Like Thursday 7

Christmas is over, are you one of those that take your decorations down right away, or wait for a few days?  I haven't quite decided which way I want to be as of yet. Maybe I should go and buy some of those red totes to pack my Christmas decorations away each year, instead of the jumble of boxes. 

I like finding misplaced items I love.  When I moved in many of my belongings were stored in the basement and attic.  I was a wanderer, and never seemed to alight in one place for long.  I also felt like I had a 4 year shelf life with my relationships.  After 4 years they went south, and I moved on.  Because of those feelings I never really unpacked and added to the household to make it my own.    Imagine my delight when I discovered a box of my kitchen items.

The artist is Greg Brown.  I wish I had more.  The top picture is called "Cookin"

 This print is called club veg.
I had seen these post cards years ago and purchased 5 of them.  They make me smile. 
First date.

 The escape.

Reclining Salad.  

I also found this little paddle that I had painted many years ago.  I love the Lily of the Valley I painted.

Christmas Eve we were treated to quite the snowstorm.  I shared the short video on Christmas Day.

I like it when it snows.  Do you feel like a calm overcomes all of mother nature as the snow falls? There is this intense quiet and it almost feels like you are the only one remaining on the planet.   I will say I find it even more spectacular at night, especially with the moon and stars.  

I like to keep the porch and walkway swept off, if you do the job during the storm it isn't quite so "big".

Here is a good idea of the snow accumulation after about 2 hours.  I laughed because I was outside caring for my chickens and 15 minutes later the steps and walkway looked like this....

I like my garden geegaws in the snow.  Jeff's fabricated gazing ball.  (A Bowling Ball with metallic paint).

I like the sticks of sage, lavender and anise hyssop.  Interestingly enough the Bible references hyssop in several verses as being used in cleansing and purification.  The hyssop in my little herb garden grows abundantly!  Boy do I feel the need for cleansing as of late. 

I don't think you can see it but my decorative yard chickens are under this layer of snow, along with some lavender.

I like the tracks in the snow.  I think I have some hares in my fields that come over to explore near the house.  I threw some carrots out yesterday.

These I have no clue what they are, but they were interesting.

These were my tracks I left after walking through the field.  You can see there is about 8 inches of snow there.  I was trying to get a picture of a bird of some sort in my tree.  I watched it for a long time from inside the house, but couldn't get a good picture of it.  The camera seemed to like to zoom in on the screen. Outside,  I managed to focus it in, when you are zooming at a distance like that it is tough to keep still so I ended up with a picture of .... it's lower portion.....

 As it was taking off.

I am pretty sure what was in my tree was a great horned owl.  No this isn't the owl, I had to find a stock photo.  When I zoomed in on the head I saw the unmistakable face and tufts. 

I was sad I couldn't get a picture, but to see it, and the colors in the sunlight was awesome.

I love the days after a snowstorm even though the temperatures outside felt like they were -2 when I was wandering around taking pictures.

The blue sky, and sun glistening off of the snow, the weird wave formations that the wind makes.


Winter is officially here, the winter solstice is past and the days will become longer as we make life transitions toward a new and bright future.