This year, I decked the table.

This year, instead of decking halls, I decked the kitchen table.

 I have good reasons, however....

1. Trixie. Despite appearing laid back in this photo, she is a fiesty little devil who decided to take down our Christmas tree not once, but three times the last time I put it up.

2. Our Goat-dog. Oh, don't let that adorable face fool you. This dog is bent on destruction and will eat and/or drag off anything not nailed down.

This is the lovely white tree that I was so proud of. Then the cat climbed it and knocked it over. Three times. Fearing it's highly unstable(and since about half the ornaments were broken), I decided not to put it up this year. Sadly, I missed out on the after Christmas tree deals last year and don't have a replacement  for it. This photo was taken after putting it back up for the third time and moving the ornaments from the back side to the front to replace the ones that were broken.

And then there's this. My coveted aluminum 50's Christmas tree.

I adore it! But the dog is still much too destructive to be trusted around it, so I'm holding off on putting it up till next Christmas. Surely she will be calmed down by then...and I will have made a lovely retro tree skirt for it as well.

So instead of two fun and funky trees, my Christmas decorating this year consists of a sparse but shiny aluminum Charlie Brown(ish) tree and a tablecloth.

And I'm OK with that. Christmas spirit isn't really found in the trees and trimmings, anyway. It's the Christmas spirit inside us that really counts.

Some Christmas Sewing.

I should have several things to show you that I whipped up for Christmas gifts, but I don't. What I do have is this purse.
I actually made two of these this week. They have both been gifted...the recipients, my sister in law and one of my best friends, seemed to really like them! I am a bit disappointed in my handmade gift-giving this year. I just ran out of ideas. Although, I did make caramels for my girlfriends @ work, so I guess that counts as handmade. Next year I'll do better!

I have so much to do before Christmas, yet somehow, I don't want to do any of it. Anyone else feeling that way?

Finished Sewing Projects! Yep, I did something.

First up, aprons.

Made this for a friend to give her mom for Christmas. McCall's 5643This one was for a gal at work who is in her fifties and celebrated Christmas for the first time this year(er, that would technically be last year, huh?). She needed a Christmas apron, don't you think?? This pattern is called Four Corners.I made this apron for my Etsy shop, but it never made it that far. I took the inventory from my shop to work w/me and sold out in a day! Yay! But I wouldn't have minded NOT selling this one...my own design.Next up, a knitting bag for my sister for Christmas. A friend of mine is a knitter and gave me some advice before I started on this bag...a wide bottom, plenty of pockets and sturdy handles. I took a bag pattern that I had on hand w/a fairly wide bottom and modified it to meet her other suggestions. I was pleased at how well it came together! And as a last minute decision, I made a roll up needle case to match the bag. When I bought these Amy Butler fabrics i had no idea what I was going to do with them(but I couldn't NOT buy them). I think they were perfect for this project! Aren't they yummy?

He's a good Santa...

Mark got me this for Christmas and I'm so proud of it, I must show it off. We actually got it a couple weeks before Christmas due to a mishap w/my original wedding ring. But still.He's a good Santa, that husband of mine.

I have some more fun Christmas goodies to share and *gasp* a completed project or two and a recipe, so y'all come back!

What did Santa bring you?

Vintage Thingies Thursday-Christmas Cards

I posted a few pics of my recently aquired vintage Christmas Cards a few days ago, so some of these photos might look familiar to a few of you.

Still, I did hold back a few for Vintage Thingies Thursdays. ...and might I add I was glad to learn that it is still alive and well thanks to ColoradoLady!

I mentioned in that earlier post that my husband bought some vintage Christmas cards at the Goodwill store a while back. Thus beginning my Holiday obsession. Here's what he brought home:

These, I think, were meant for children. The inside sentiments are childlike in nature. Very Sweet! These three were in the box w/the ones above. Definitely later. They remind me of a birthday card I once received. There were three matching turquoise envelopes in the box w/them. I wish there would have been more than just three...A while later we were at the Famous 4H Flea Market when I scored another stack, some of which are pictured here. Many of these had glitter on the front and/or some type of illustration included on the inside.THEN I had the bright idea to buy up more. I decided I wanted to send vintage cards for Christmas this year but the ones I had collected thus far did not have envelopes. SO I went on ebay and paid a highly inflated price for cards that started out life at $.49. And no, I didn't think of making my own envelopes until after I bought these. But they were so worth it.

As you might imagine, once they arrived and I sat down to look at everything, I suddenly realized I didn't want to give them away! I mean, look at them! They're fabulous!But after much thought I decided I was being silly since I bought them with the intention of sending to my friends and family. Doggone it, that's what I was going to do with them! Some people that receive them may not "get" how special they are, but it gave me great joy mailing them!

Thanks for stopping by and remember, there's more vintage thingies fun to be had over at Coloradolady's place!

You know you want some super absorbent house slippers with non-slip soles!

Two posts in one day...have I lost my mind? Perhaps. But folks, I knew I had to post this. I saw it on my friend Fiona's blog and nearly had a heart attack from laughing! And well, I felt the need to induce a heart attack or two myself.

Y'all know that I like to make handmade gifts, right? I think I've found the perfect gift idea for next Christmas.

There are actual direction for how to make these. You can find them here.

I'm a Barbie Girl.

We did an adopt-a-child for Christmas at school...our Family Resource Center Coordinator got a list together of children who would otherwise miss out on Christmas gifts. We were to buy two toys and two outfits. I had a ball shopping for little size 6 girlie clothes, let me tell ya.

And then came the toys...

As a little girl, I loved Barbies. The extent to which you can't imagine. In fact, I was probably in 7th grade before I truly stopped playing with my Barbies. Times were simpler then and we didn't have a lot of technology to entertain us nor all the crap that kids have to deal with today to distract us from staying kids...that's my excuse, anyway.

Needless to say I was really excited to get a a little girl who, along w/Polly Pockets and Bratz, had Barbie on her wish list.

So I head to WalMart to check out the toys. Mind you I haven't shopped for girl toys since my sister was little. Bratz dolls...ick and hideous...even the smaller ones were gawd-awful. But I bought one...after all this wasn't my Christmas list!

Polly Pockets...CUTE cute cute! I couldn't resist buying a set. I don't know if they were around when I was a kid, but I imagined I would have liked those too.

On to Barbies...I was so excited to shop for the perfect Barbie. And then I picked one up. What happened to her? First of all, her head looked enormous to me(not as big as a Bratz, thankfully), and her face just didn't look right. The eyes, the mouth, the make-up, even the hair, it was all wrong. I couldn't buy one. And who designs the clothes for Barbie these days? Hookers R' Us? I walked out of WalMart Barbie-less!

This is an example of a Barbie of my youth...the sweet, normal headed, fluffy haired, toothy grin, lovely Barbie wearing a lovely, modest dress. I guess I was expecting to see this version or something at least near this version of a Barbie. She's Superstar Barbie from 1977 in case you're wondering(she was a favorite and I had the giant size one too). So jump to the weekend when I went shopping again and was determined to get a Barbie for this little girl. Driving for 40min, I had time to think...about Barbie.

What it all boiled down to is that Barbie didn't look like MY Barbies or even the Barbies my sister played with 14 years later. And it's been the mid 90's since I've shopped for a Barbie, so it bugged me to see Barbie looking all 2008. Still, I realized, the Barbies I'd bought for my sis in the late 80's & 90's were a far cry from my 70's Barbies. Of course MY Barbies were a far cry from the Barbies 20 years before me...those Barbies of the 50's & 60's with their weird fuzzy hair and slanty eyes and clothes that would have looked strange to a nine year old in the 70's. Of course when I got older I appreciated the old style of Barbie. I even have several 50's & 60's repros and I adore them, but as a little girl I would have thought "ugly, ugly, ugly".

Barbie, I realized is a gal who changes with the times. She is truly the "It" girl of every decade. And who am I to scoff at her for being able to change with the times? This, I suppose, is what makes Barbie so timeless and so popular.

And the SuperStar Barbie, pictured above...she was a re-do in her heyday. A change from the "old" Barbie of someone else's youth. SO I went into Toy's R Us and spent a good 30 min. in the Barbie aisle. I enjoyed shopping for Barbie this time around and found a fun set that included lots of little outfits. Cause the most fun thing about Barbie is brushing her hair and changing her clothes(even if they are trampy)! I saw Barbie in a whole new light. Actually an old light...the same light I saw her in 30 some odd years ago. She's a girl of the moment and yet she is timeless. And she can do anything she wants to do...drive a pink convertible, live in a town house, have pink hair and wear the latest fashions, be an astronaut, a "TV Chef", a ballerina, or even a teacher. I fell in love all over again.

And Santa...if you are reading this, Superstar Barbie is now a repro and available for purchase. I've been really really good this year and so if you could bring her to me this Christmas, that'd be great!

Dilemma

I went a little crazy this year and spent more money than I should have on Christmas Cards. Vintage 50's Christmas cards, to be specific.

It' Mark's fault. He brought some home from Goodwill. I fell instanly in love w/them. Then I snagged a stack(minus envelopes) at a flea market. Ever obsessive, I bought a set still in the package on Ebay(with envelopes!).

They are darlin'! I realized today that Vintage Thingies Thursday is alive and well, so I'll save most photos of them for next week. But I'll give you a peek at a few of them...I love them. The sentiments are not too gushy and not too snarky, but just perfect! And the fonts are gorgeous. OK, reading that last sentence, I realize that only a true geek would gush over a font. Sheesh. But am I wrong?Here is my dilemma. I don't think I can bear to mail them! Is that insane or what? They're just so wonderful and such a fun piece of the past that I don't know that I want to part with them, but I certainly don't need more stuff junking up my house. But what if I mail them to someone who *gasp* throws it away after Christmas? I can't stand the thought.

Crazy, I know. Certifiable even.

What would y'all do?

Holiday Napkins & Coasters

I've been sewing again!

I was up past midnight last night making coaster & napkin sets for my friends for Christmas. I think they turned out nicely for the most part, but they were much more time consuming and aggravating than I anticipated.

My friends, however, are totally worth it!

Two Christmas Trees and a Birthday

The week of Thanksgiving, after much aggravation w/it falling over(twice) and having to buy a new tree stand, I got the first of my two Christmas trees up. Last year I waited till the week before Christmas to put just one up. I'm feeling ahead of the game Christmas-Spirit-wise. Gift wise, I'm SO behind...note the complete absence of gifts beneath the tree.

On to tree number two. I have wanted an aluminum 50's tree for as long as I can remember.

Knowing my love of all things vintage and kitschy, a lady at work offered me a 7 footer that had been sitting in her attic for years. Of course I jumped at the offer! I'm only slightly embarrassed to tell you it's been in the back end of my Jeep since Spring.

However, it's currently standing happily in a corner of my bedroom! Had I realized how big it was going to be, I'd have put it in the living room and the white one in the bedroom. Still, I must admit it looks fabulous right where it is! Don't you agree?

And now I am on a quest to find the perfect tree skirt...or fabric to make the perfect tree skirt. That big base that needs covering holds what used to be the inner workings of a rotating tree stand...it no longer rotates, but I can live with that!

The photos really don't do it justice.
I think I'm in love.And on hand to help me put up this delightful piece of Christmas past? The whole family. They'd come down for a Birthday lunch for Mom.A perfect way to end a terrific afternoon!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Final Five Handmade Christmas Gifts

These are the last of the gifts that I made for Chirstmas '07.

I made half aprons for my girlfriends(quicker, had more to make). When those were done, I went a little crazy and decided to make two full aprons, knowing they'd be harder, take longer, and I might not finish them in time! But this pattern was so cute, I couldn't resist trying. It's called Flirty Skirty from the Threaded Pear(but I got mine on ebay). It is supposed to have pockets on the apron skirt, but I couldn't get that to look right, so I put a pocket on the bib instead. The red teapot/cherry print apron was a gift for my grandmother Doris. I left off the ric-rac trim. Mamaw Doris isn't a ric-rac kind of lady.I found this yellow cherry print fabric at our local quilt shop and had to have it. It made a perfect apron for my sister -in-law Robbie. She liked the ric-rac trim, as do I. I am definitely a ric-rac kinda gal and I'm pretty sure I NEED one of these aprons for myself.I also made three lap quilts. Those went to my brother Shea, my sister Jackie, and her husband Scott. I had some full length pics of the quilts I made for Jackie and Scott which I've somehow lost. Maybe they will send me a full shot of them. Hint, Hint. For Jackie's I used some really fun yet girly fabrics I found at JoAnn Fabrics. Her quilt top is strippy pieced and I am pretty proud of it. Much prettier than my first attempt. As with that first quilt, I used the easy lap quilt pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing. Scott's quilt is a funky black & white fabric I bought at Hancock's. It was already laid out in strips so I only needed to find a coordinating backing fabric, machine quilt it together and apply the binding. I really like the way it turned out...and it was quick..which was good('cause Jack's took forever!). Sadly they still didn't make it to Poland in time for our family Christmas Eve Gift Opening Extravagana! But they did arrive shortly thereafter.Aren't they adorable?! I'm talkin' bout the kids, not the quilts.

This next quilt was for my brother Shea. This is in the pre-assembly stage. It's a good idea to take pics of these strippy quilts before putting them together....I'd never have remember the layout if I hadn't.Here's the finished version. These fabrics also came from my local quilt shop and are reproduction fabrics from the Civil War Era. I love the dark fabric and subtle prints. On this one, I tried something new and made the binding myself. It took a little longer and I hit a few snags, but I like it better than the pre-made stuff...MUCH easier to hand stitch and it just looks nicer.

Everyone seemed happy with their handmade gifts and I'm glad I decided to go that route. But next year, I am getting an earlier start. I barely finished them all in time for Christmas!

It would appear that I have not fallen off the face of the earth...

Although it seems that way. It's been forever since I've sat down to at the old blog or read any of my usual blogs and I'm ashamed at how behind I am at answering emails. Things have been NUTS between working late, Christmas programs at work, making gifts and having the plague. But things are calming down a bit now, so I hope to jump back into the bloggy swing of things.

I had a great Christmas this year. Spent it, as always, with Mark and my family. Jackie and Scott were there via Skype, so they got to sit on the gift unwrapping circle. It was almost as good as having them there! We laughed, we ate too much, we watched movies and just sat around together. It was good. Very very good. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. If I never got another gift, but could enjoy their company, that'd be OK. I remember after Bryan passed, I said to Mom and Shea that he had been a gift to us. And he was; in fact, he was a gift to every single person he ever met. But I believe that Mark, my parents, my brother Shea, my sister Jackie & her husband Scott are God's gifts to me as well. And not just at Christmas time. I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful family but I am thankful for every minute that I am fortunate enough to spend with them!

Speaking of Christmas, I DO have pictures of the handmade gifts that I made this year. Note to self: DON'T wait until Thanksgiving to start if you plan on making gifts next year! Here's a quick rundown of the half aprons I made for my girlfriends.

This first one was for my assistant and good friend Pam. She's would tell you she's afraid of color in her house and that everything is beige...so I went with this cute beige/brown combination of fabrics. She dug it.You've seen this one. It went to my dear friend Sheila. She's given me vintage fabrics and pillowcases to embroider and gave me lots of advice and help when first took up embroidery. Like me, she enjoys vintage things and antiques. I think this fabric, the embroidery and style(it's the only one with a gathered waist) made it just right for her. Trish got this next one. She and I are so much alike, it's scary. We also have very similar taste in home decor, so I thought this would be perfect for her. Of all these aprons, this is the one I'd pick if I could only choose one. But I wouldn't wear it with my snowman pj's, I promise! This one went to my friend Stacey. She has animal prints in her family room and dark red in her kitchen. And if you knew her, you'd know the animal print is "her". Very vivacious! She and Trish can make me laugh till I'm sick. No, I didn't put the initial on backwards...it's a mirror image(although I was pretty tired by this point so it could have happened!). Here's the pocket detail.Another one you've seen. The Santa apron ended up a gift for my principal, Cristy. When I gave her the gift bag she said, "I hope this is what everyone else is walking around here wearing!" She wore hers all day and managed make a Santa print apron look sophisticated.This apron was a gift for my friend Cara. Cara(originally from Mississippi) is what I imagine a Southern Belle to be. First off, she's gorgeous. I'm not kiddin'...knock-out gorgeous! And smart. And funny. She's another one that makes me laugh till it hurts. She's also very stylish in a classic way...never trendy, but always stylish. I wish I could be like that. I thought of her the minute I spotted this fabric. So there you have it. They loved them! Silly of me to worry that they wouldn't. Several of the gals put them on and wore them all day at work! So cute! I'm glad I did handmade! Here's a quick idea for wrapping ANY gift(not just Christmas). I literally finished the last one the night before I planned to give them. I didn't have enough gift boxes or any gift bags on hand. I'd been too busy being sick, working and making stuff to think about that. I did have some brown paper wrap that I use when I send boxes to Jackie. So I wrapped the un-boxed aprons in that and made bows from leftover fabric scraps from each apron. Turned out really cute and it looked deliberate rather than last-minute!

I also made two full aprons and a quilt as Christmas gifts. I'll show those off later.