Happy New Year

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2010!!!

Organized Closet

Nothing like putting a mess out on the internet to motivate you to clean up.

My new organized closet ... lots of fabric storage in clear boxes, and I decided to keep some closed storage for the things that were not to lovely to look at.  Everything went back in and I even have two empty drawers.

It's a good way to start the new year!

Starting the new year organized

I want to start the new year a little more organized than I was last year.  I made two trips to get the perfet clear storage boxes and then emptied out my craft/office closet.  This is what came out of my small closet.

I should probably be embarassed that the whole world  a couple people are seeing this mess, but really it didn't look that bad in the closet!  I just wanted to have all the same clear bins, so I could locate whatever I wanted.

Now my biggest worry is getting it all back in .... there is no way that all this 'stuff' is going to fit in this closet.

(that's a cloth shopping bag on the floor ... in case you think I am displaying my dirty laundry)

and this morning I also started priming my ugly sliding closet doors in the guest room ... I only got the edging done and lost interest.

 

I am sure I will focus, and at least the closet will be organized by tomorrow (please, please)

It's now Christmas Past!

The tree is down.  All the decorations have been  boxed up and put back under the stairs til next year.  All that is left are two poinsettias ... and they are not long for this world!

Christmas is gone so quickly after all the build up and manic preparations.

I hope you don't think I'm a Grinch ... but I am glad to be back to normal.

Another great Christmas!!

Traditions .... Christmas Eve ... Oysters and Champagne at Marg and Bruce's

Christmas Day at my Brother Al's

Mom and her granddaughters Allison and Heather

My Brothers Bruce,  Allen and I

 

It doesn't get any better than spending time with the family.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"



Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863)

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'   Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/

The stockings were hung ...

Nothing says Christmas like hanging up your stocking on Christmas Eve ... then racing down in the morning to find what Santa left.  We always opened our stocking first before any of the big gifts.   There was always a toothbrush, a bar of chocolate, sometimes colouring books, crayons or coloured pencils, socks or underwear, do you remember 'soap on a rope'? ... and ALWAYS an orange in the toe.

Some of these stockings would be nice to open:

from House and Home  Magazine

(Loblaws.ca)

From Style at Home Magzine

(Crate and Barrel)

(Pottery Barn)

For newly weds - supermarkethq.com

horchow.com

Country Living Magazine

Hostess Gift

I'm going to visit very dear friends on Christmas Eve.  We stand around their kitchen island, shuck oysters, and drink champagne.  I never know what to take as a gift (hostess and Christmas), as they have everything.  So Sunday afternoon, when it was so grey and dull outside, I remembered a Christmas quilt panel I had in my stash.   I got it out and just started adding borders; then did some really simple quilting. I sewed the binding on while I watched Christmas specials on TV last night.   Voila ... a Christmas lap quilt.

 

For those of you who don't quilt ... I laid the back on the  carpet, sprayed with Quilting adhesive and layered on the batting.

 

Then sprayed the batting and layered on the top.

The adhesive holds the layers together for quilting, so you don't have to baste them.

Quilted and done:

It was all done with fabrics I already had ...easy to do, but I think they will like it!

A closer look at the fabrics:

The back:

'Less is More' Christmas Decorating

I belong to the "Less is More" school of Christmas decorating.

My table centrepiece

My coffee table - bowl of pinecones, dried oranges and greens

A sleeping cat, that plays Silent Night

A twig Christmas tree

Snowmen rollicking on my end table

A cross stitch Santa I sewed

Some folk art (Santa and Tray)

A reading nook in the Family Room with a Christmas quilt

Too many decorations is too distracting for me.  I'm pretty restrained, but festive!

The Tree is Trimmed

The tree is up.

Some of my favourite decorations I purchased from a lovely woman who makes wooden ornaments.

"Believe" is really the spirit of the season.

The green wellie is from a gardening friend.

A cozy snowman.

My Angel topper

HoHoHo with bells

An Angel with nail hair

A happy snowman.

Another Angel and a felt kitten for Sam.

They give my tree a friendly, rustic look.

I can't believe it!

My posts have been less frequent in the past week ... and really for the past month I have been concentrating on a party I hosted on Saturday night for my Brothers .... Allen is turning 60 in January and Bruce turned 50 on Friday.   I anguished over my menu ... my decorations ... the guests.    Everything came together last night ... Allen and Bruce were surprised, everyone had a great time, the house looked great and the food was good and plentiful.

I FORGOT TO TAKE ONE SINGLE PICTURE!!!!!

That is so hard to believe ... I am a scrapbooker and people tease me on documenting my life.  No one else took any pictures, as that would have prompted me to whip out the camera. 

How could I miss this huge milestone ... I feel bad. 

Finished the Quilt

My guest room is a work in progress ... and I just finished the quilt I made for the bed.   Woo Hoo ... almost there.