HaPpY AnNiVerSaRy to Me!!

Hello there everyone!! today is our 25th wedding anniversary at exactly 4pm Utah time..man how time flys..this was taken 2 days before we were married as we were getting a family portrait of my family and Mike came along and we had some photos taken..this was December 1985..hence the big hair and look at all that makeup and false eyelashes..We are going to our good friends Sarah and Travis' house tonight for strombolli, dip, and chips and rocky road brownies and some card playing..we love phase 10..if you haven't played this you must..it is so much fun..on another note my little sister is celebrating her anniversary tomorrow!!..I think its like 15 years...any way I hope you all have a safe and wonderful new year!!! and that 2011 is a better year for us all..(although I can't complain about this year)..although I would love sales to be better..wayyy better.;) take care and thanks for all you wonderful folks that stop by and say hi..I love!! hearing from you.;)

ThiNgs To KeeP mE BuSy ThiS WynTer..:>)

Hello there my fellow blogging buddys!! how are you this wednesday? Last night we went out to an italian restaurant for my girlfriends "hubby" birthday..Not my husbands birthday..if he was turning 32..that would make me a huge Cougar and people that is just tooooo darn young even for me..I wish we were 32 again..lol..and Sarah gave me this wonderful amaryllis plant and I love!!! the color of the plant and the pot..now lets just hope I don't kill it..I don't do houseplants..so we shall see..

I added a little lamp to the hutch just now..it just needed something..and I sooo love ambient lighting as I know you all do too.

I ordered some more penny rug patterns and wool felt to keep me busy this winter..I have had so much fun making these..and I am getting inspiration from surfing the web as well..

This one is going to be fun to make..I love how the hair twists at the bottom..I got these from Erica's website..They have some wonderful patterns and material there..

here is the wool that I got..I plan on making some americana penny rugs too.;)

I have been doing a little organizing in my craft room and here is my wool station..next to it in the little basket is my stamping stuff..

I also took this lidded basket and organized my stamps here too..I love to be organized...I work so much better when I am as I can find stuff..and I am so happy that all the christmas decor is down..it feels so good to breathe again..I love neat and tidy..must be the OCD in me..but I function better...

I made this the other night..(it doesn't look real pretty)..but it sure did taste good..I made this fruit braid for christmas to take over to our friends house..it is using that bread recipe that I told you all about..the center is cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla..mixed all together and spread down the center..I used a really good raspberry preserve on top and sprinkled sliced almonds in it..then I did this "not so fancy braid" it was my first time..so will perfect it over time..;) hubby wants me to make a meat strombolie braid now..so if anyone has a recipe they would like to share...please let me know..Well I am off to get some oatmeal and then start sewing..going to try and get a package out in the mail today for a fellow blogger..Theanne this is you..;) I hope you all have a wonderful day today..it was sunny earlier..but now back to cloudy.:) at least its not raining...it is going to be nice and when its nice its always cooooollllddd..Take care and thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment..I truly love reading them..and I appreciate you all.;) (((((hugs))))))

ChRiStmAs GooDiEs & DeCoRaTinG...

Hello there!!!! I hope you all had a wonderful christmas this year and that Santa brought you lots of goodies..Santa was good to us this year..I thought I would share with you some of the highlights.;) above are the "kids" stockings hung by the chimney with care...They each got a stuffed toy, the kittys got catnip ones of course

and Tucker was truly our kid at christmas this year..he knew he was getting something and he was jumping up and down to get to it..it is a fuzzy shaped bone and it squeaks and he loves it..of course he wanted to help the kittys open theirs and maybe try to play with them...lol..

Here's Margaret beating the snot out of hers..

Pody could have cared less as with Gracie and Sunny and Millie..didn't care..

Stanley didn't either..he just wanted to sit next to the fire..

Nap-a-pop is our other kid at christmas..he loves his catnip toys too.;)

Here is Margaret having morning coffee with Mike...(coffee is not good for cats) but we put a drop on our finger and she gets this weird look on her face and she even rolls in coffee if it has spilled on the ground..she is truly italian I tell you.;)

some of the christmas highlights..my good blogging buddy Cindy sent me some cute cute prim kittys..and some wonderful handmade ornaments for my tree...I love these Cindy..you will see where I put the kittys shortly..:)You have to go to Cindys blog to see what I sent her.. Hopefully she will post it tonight..;)I also got a GPS from Hubby...if you don't have one..get one..they are so much fun to listen too..my voice (on the GPS) is an australian man and I love how he pronounces some of the streets and names..it is really cool..I also got some neat books, one on cats and how they can live peaceably together..I have to read that one quick..we have issues here and we both hate that they all don't get along..too many kings and queens I guess..

I gave hubby some waterproof overalls..he works at a Marina and this time of the year with all the rain..these are much needed..he was really surprised by these..he also got 7 new ps3 games.. and some shirts too.:)

I had a sneaky little elf named Karen mail me this cute little ornament for my tree..i got this on christmas Eve..I love this Karen thank you so much..

Okay here is what I gave our friends that we spent christmas day with..I made Sarah these cute little rag slippers..they turned out so cute..

Nataly got a pair too..and you notice their names are on the right foot..that was so they knew which foot to put them on..

and Nykol got some as well..

Nykols shirt

Nataly's shirt..

Their dad's (Travis) shirt...

and his Apron..he is in the airforce..so I made the uniform blue and he is a sergeant in the airforce..;)

I made the kids each a pillow ornament for the tree..they will take these with them when they are all grown up and have trees of their own..

I also made them candy cane holders..the two outer ones are velvet and the gingerbread man is corduroy.,;) All of this that I made was done on Christmas Eve..I was a sewing fool..;) but got it all done..

This was their basket filled with goodies..and Sarah got the snow angel doll too..

I made her a towel to go with when she makes bread she can use it to cover the bread for rising..I also gave her the ingredients to make the bread too..;)

and this is what Naylin got for christmas..I found this about 5 houses from ours.it has a broken wheel..so hubby found the parts for $3.00 and fixed it up good as new...I embroidered his name and made a little tag for him...he loved sitting on it..his little feet are just about touching the peddles..so a few more months and he will be riding this..his sister Nataly however was enjoying it ..;)

Its a little radio flyer..how retro is this..it looked brand new.;)

Sarah made me these blocks..I made a similar pair for Cindy..with a different saying.;)

she also made me these advent blocks...she used scrapbook paper and decopauged them onto blocks that she cut, painted, sanded and stained for me.;)

and look what else she gave me..this wonderful christmas quilt that she made..I love this..its on the edge of our bed right now..will put it in the amoire with the other quilts soon...Millie loves it..keeps her all nice and toasty.;) so you see we both had a wonderful christmas this year..parents sent us money and a hickory farm sampler that we have been enjoying as well...

Well yesterday after church I came home and took down all the christmas decorations..as much as I love the holidays..it is nice to have my home back..and I couldn't take down the decorations fast enough..it was just driving me nuts..and when it drives me nuts..I take care of it lickety split..so from 3-8pm..I took down and put away..and redid some things around the house.This is the vanity that had the christmas trees on it..it usually houses the pictures of our babies.;).Hubby had made us ham and bean soup..so I took a break and ran some to my friend Sarahs house for her family..they loved it..they had a long day..they had to take the inlaws back to the airport..and it is an hour drive there and an hour drive back..and I knew she was wiped out from christmas..and we had plenty to share..:)

see the kittys Cindy gave me..up on my prim cabinet with my other kittys..I love it now..

I also got a bees wax courting candle from Hubby, if you look inside the cabinet you will see it..it even comes with little bees that you can put on it..and see the little framed picture (enlarge photo) its behind the candle..Tammy from country girl at home made this for me as a thank you for making Luke his little stocking..which if you go to her blog you will see it at the end..it looks so good with the other stockings.:) thank you so much Tammy I love this..you really made my day..;)

I moved the box back over in the dining room and put in prim stuffed eggs, and salt dough cookies that Carmen made me..I have my strawberry jam in there and it looks right at home there..I may put my easter glass eggs in there come easter..I would like to keep this as a "theme" box..we'll see I guess..

Ahhhh Simplicity..the way we like it.:)

I have my white strawberry curtains back up again..

well that is it..The house is back to normal again..and when I put stuff away I get in organizing mode..so I cleaned, mopped and reorganized some things..I am going to go and sit on my butt the rest of the day..start a fire and relax and watch TV.. I hope you have a great day today and a wonderful week ahead..we are going to dinner with Travis and Sarah tomorrow as it is hubbys 32nd birthday and on friday it is our 25th wedding anniversary..not sure if we are staying home or going to Travis and Sarahs..:) take care and thanks for stopping by and saying hi..I love hearing from each and every one of you.;)

MeRrY ChrisTmAs WiTh The "RiGhT" FaMiLy..

Christmas with the Right Family

Make this year’s grab bag even more fun!

Everyone sit in a circle, holding the gift he brought for the grab bag. Someone reads the story below, reading slowly enough for the gifts to be passed. Every time the word RIGHT is read, everybody passes his gift to the right, And the same when it is read LEFT. This gift each person is holding when the story ends is the gift he keeps.

Christmas was almost here, and Mother RIGHT was finishing the Christmas baking. Father RIGHT, Sue RIGHT and Billy RIGHT returned from their last minute Christmas errands.

“There’s not much LEFT to be done,” said Father RIGHT as he came into the kitchen..

“Did you leave the basket of food at church? Asked Mother RIGHT?

I left it RIGHT where you told me to, said Father RIGHT. I’m glad my shopping is done said Billy RIGHT. I don’t have any money LEFT.

The hall telephone rang and Susan RIGHT LEFT to answer it. She rushed back and told the family, “Aunt Tillie RIGHT LEFT a package for us RIGHT on Grandma RIGHT’s porch. I’ll go over there RIGHT now and get it, she said as she LEFT in a rush.

Father RIGHT LEFT the kitchen and brought in the Christmas Tree.

By the time Susan RIGHT returned, Mother RIGHT, Father RIGHT and Billy RIGHT had begun trimming the tree. The entire RIGHT family sang Christmas carols as they finished the decorating. Then they LEFT all the presents arranged under the tree and went to bed hoping they had selected the RIGHT gifts for their family. Now I hope you have the RIGHT present for yourself, because that’s all that’s LEFT of our story….except to wish you a Merry Christmas… Isn’t that RIGHT?

if any of you are planning on playing any games or need a white elephant game to play..I have the game for you..we played this at church on the 16th and it is so much fun to play with a group of people..

I am still sewing and almost finished with some projects for my friends tomorrow..I will post them all on sunday of what I made them..I hope you all have a very merry christmas and all the best for an awesome new year!!!! thanks for the wonderful friendships that I have made throughout the years of blogging..it has been so much fun getting to know you and I hope to one day be able to meet some of you..have fun and enjoy each other..:)

Gina ;>)

The BaKinG iS DonE, PrOgEcTs FiNiShEd, & A FaVoRiTe ChRiStmAs MoVie WaTcheD..:)

Good morning everyone..I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders..my holiday baking is done..I made sugar cookies, chocolate cherry cookies, fudge, rocky road brownies (they are to die for), everything but the kitchen sink cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, gingerbread cookies, oreo cookie/cream cheese dipped in chocolate balls, homemade hot cocoa, zuchini bread and banana bread..I want to make the brownies one more time..but will do so after christmas..I just got bite of one of them to see how they tasted and I want to make more..so here are the bags of goodies and I am heading out today to be an elf and deliver them..

Hubby took some to work for some of his friends..I gave one to my postal delivery girl and my waste management guy just got his..;)

I finished up my penny rug last night..I love how it turned out and I had so much fun doing it and embellishing it..haven't decided if I will keep it or put it on my etsy site..if anyone is interested in it..please let me know..

I finished up my jar for my girlfriends kids..I will put oats and glitter in it.;)

This is on a white apron for the bosses wife..

this is on a tan apron for the boss himself (hubbys boss)

This is for our friend Travis..

cause we think he's nuttier then a fruitcake..a play on words.;) lol..

I watched my favorite christmas movie!!! you can only get it on vhs unfortunately..I watched it for the first time back in 92 on t.v..and fell in love..a must see for the whole family..

and I ordered this on amazon..I love amazon and it came yesterday...can't wait to sit and thumb through it..I started too..but wanted to watch my movie..well Kids I am off to get breakfast and get ready to go out and deliver my goodies..then onto get a few groceries..then home to sew some more.:)..I hope you all have a wonderful day today.;)