FiNiShEd ProjEcTs, YaRd WoRk & My ChRiStmAs HoME 2011 & SoMe GrEaT NeWs..:)

Good Morning my fellow bloggers and newest friends!!!..hope your saturday is starting off right..its been a while since I blogged again..so will catch you up on whats been going on..I started my christmas decorating on monday..and finished up and tweeking yesterday..you know how that goes..you think you are done and then you find you forgot something..blah, blah blah..so you tweak a bit.;) lol..well its offically done..but first I wanted to show you some projects I just finished up a couple of nights ago..they did not make it to my show..so they are listed in my etsy shop..:) I love how these shelf/mantel scarves turned out..and I am so loving Gingerbread men this year..can't get enough of them..and still making more as we speak..I used my sizzix on this one above and below..I love my sizzix..I am asking Santa Claus to get me a Silouhette cameo for christmas this year..I want to do vinyl cutting etc..my glass blocks were a huge hit and I want to make more and do signs etc.;)

I will tell you this post is picture heavy..so be prepared..notice the smoke coming from the chimney..its heart shaped..I love this little gingerbread house with the gumdrops framing the door..;)

I love the saying on this one..I am going to make candle cozys with this saying..I am making some for my church gals that I visit..and the candle is vanilla gingerbread..and do they smell yummy;) these gingerbread men/gal are cookie cutters that I have..

okay for the yard work portion..It was an absolute gorgeous day..so Tucky and I went for our 2 mile walk and then I came home motivated to get the yard work done for the winter..had the last of the leaves to rake up and mow..

oh how I do love a tidy yard..

swept off the decks, so no slipping and sliding on them..its dangerous..so I think we are done for the winter..did the front and back yard..feels good to have it done for the year...

okay hang onto your seats here is my home decked out for the holidays..the front of the house..

all aglow..:)

I love my vintage snowman and santa..got them both for under 10.00 each.. and do you spy a kitteh on the porch? that would be our Stanley Steamer..or stan the man as we call him..the girls swoon over him..he is my big squishy kitty..

ahh yes the blurry photo..we all have to have at least one..but you get the picture..

my neighbor gave us that wreath years ago..and it fits in so nicely at my home..love it's rusticness.;)

I made the hot chocolate sign..I also sold one this year too..it was my first sale.;)

I love this little trio of snowmen in the wagon..my girlfriend purchased it..and then decided she didn't want it..so now its mine..and another vintage santa...

love it all lit up at night..

the front door..

little wreaths with my snowflake vinyls that I got at our church auction last month..I almost forgot these..so up they went yesterday..

Santa is up in the upstairs guest bedroom window..so everyone that drives by or walks by will see him peeking out..

and my burl ives snowman..oh the memories this evokes..and I do think rudolph is on tonight..and yes I am recording it..I watched Frosty last night along with the new elf one..still need to watch "yes Virginia there is a santa"..I love all these programs..and then I have my dvd's of christmas favorites..the waltons homecoming..young pioneers christmas.(if you have not seen this one you must) it is my favorite hands down..you can only get it on VHS..last night we watched christmas vacation..do you watch/like the old shows we watched as kids?

ahhh electric sex looming in the Laundry room this year..adds a nice soft glow doesn't it? another one of our favorite christmas movies.."the christmas story" my little sister gave this to me years ago..and our neighbors that live just across the way from us..their grandson owns the original house used in the movie..and he has restored it back to the "christmas House" he even makes the lamps..he has quite the money maker..

I got this really neat copper collander years ago and made it into a lamp..see the sleeping kitty there?

I have lights in the bottom..they shine out of the star holes..

my kitty spoon rest and salt and pepper shakers.;)

This is the tree that I took to my show..I added a few ornaments too it..it sits in an old firkin that I need to paint..

so far the kittys are doing a good job of leaving this one alone..

the curtains I made a couple of years ago..I love how prim they look..they have a nice glow in the morning.;)

another one of my favorite sayings.;)

my little whimsical, I call it my "who" village..

it adds such a nice glow at night..

my little mouse and candle stick that I won from Soft in the head 2 years ago I think..he comes out of hiding (the hutch upstairs) and graces the shelf at christmas..I added the bucket of coal..he's not getting the bucket of coal for christmas..how could Santa resist that face..there will be a nice piece of cheese there for him on christmas morning;)

onto the dining room..my hutch has my Santa collection and my home interiors manger scene..

love those vintage santas..and that one in the center is a cluster of santas..I love this one..I noticed (the gal that I got it from has a snowman one..may have to check out her home next weekend and see if its still there.;)

I added 2 little plates that I got at the thrift store and some vintage cookie cutters..

Cindys little triangle mouse has joined Mrs. Claus in the dining room..my friend Kimmy made me Mrs. Claus..usually she sits with my 3 trees on the vanity..but I didn't put them up..cause I knew they would have been destroyed by our two little monsters..that are running through the house as we speak..you would swear they were cattle running through the house..they are fast..;)

here is how the vanity is decorated this year..no big trees..maybe next year..

this tree was in the kitchen..now its here..love my little snowman collection..I made the stitchery.)

ahh the stockings hanging by the wood stove to dry out..;)

the kids stockings hanging waiting for santa to fill them..

I did this last year..drug out my metal laundry clothes hamper thing I usually use it in the summer time when I take out the wet laundry to hang on the clothesline right off the back deck..but at christmas it holds my two "honey and me" santas and there are stockings and a mitten hanging as well..

I put in my favorite christmas books in the side pocket to read..one of my favs is the tasha tudor christmas book.;) love all the photos and the story about her.;)

my little elf sitting in a candle box that firecracker kid made..

now for the stairwell.;) I got that big santa head at a huge gift show..I love its vintage quality.;)

a wooden santa and trees watch over 2 little wool felted animals..a reindeer and fox..I added vintage red ornaments to an old jar..

the bedroom..I added a garland strung with white lights and a chenille chain garland..)simple and effective..

these three seem to enjoy it..have the winter quilt on now..and the flannel bedding is on now..(has been for about a month now..love crawling into flannel sheets at night..so that is my tour..hope you enjoyed it and I didn't bore you too much..

I went to rite aid the other day and they had those spice organizers..and I had been wanting some..and they happened to have them..so I got 2 of them..and think I will go and get 2-3 more..just wish they weren't so spendy..so I organized my spice cabinet..and threw away alot of stuff and now I can actually find stuff again..I love being organized..:)

oh and another bit of great news..its offical..I have hit the 70 pound mark!!! just hit it this morning..:) I am doing the happy dance..only 12 more to go...I seriously can't begin to tell you how much better I feel mentally and most of all physically..I feel so good..I love being able to do anything now and not be tied down because of this weight..my body doesn't ache like it used to..I am off both of my blood pressure meds..and my prilosec..that in itself is amazing..now I hope to keep it off with all the holiday baking and the goodies coming my way....I just hope folks are respectfull of it.;) okay I am off to get some hot mush and get some baking done..I have my monthly doctors visit this monday and need to take in some holiday cheer...will post those goodies as I make them..I hope you all have a wonderful weekend..thanks as always for your love, kindness and friendship..I do love you all even though I haven't met you..I feel like we have been friends for years.;)

(((( hugs))))