Decorating for Christmas

I am slow this year in decorating for Christmas. I am usually done the first weekend in December. I made about 100 of these santas in various colors. I use to be in craft sales with me dad. He would make the wood benches and I would make the stuffed santas. I am doing aqua and brown colors in my living and dining room this year. I am trying to use what I have without going out to buy anyting new. I hope you all are enjoying the fun festivities of getting ready for the Holidays. I have some finishing touches to do on a Christmas Quilt. Will post when I get it done.

New email address

I have a new email address:
sduffy55@hotmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Many blessings to be thankful for this year. I have a new job!! I was at my previous job for 14 years. I felt the need for a change/challenge. I have been at my new job for almost a month. I am loving it. There are alot of new things to learn. I am glad to find out I am not too old to learn something new. I am busy making christmas quilts. The quilt I have on my table is from a pattern by Thimbleberries.

I hope you all have many things to be thankful for this holiday season. God Bless. Has anyone been watching Joyce Meyers lately? WOW! I have really been touched by what she has been talking about.

Enjoy the Day

This is where my husband and I usually enjoy our meals. There is a nice kitchen window to look out and see the beautiful day. We are living in the house he grew up in. We have slowly been remodeling it, room by room. The kitchen is the last room we did. And we are really enjoying it. The house is over 100 years old. His father grew up in the house too.

"The year has turned its circle,The seasons come and go.The harvest all is gathered in And chilly north winds blow.Orchards have shared their treasures,The fields, their yellow grain,So open wide the doorway Thanksgiving comes again!" by Annette Wynne (I think!)

Over the Hills and Through the Woods

I went to visit mom and dad the other day. They live 15 minutes away from me. This is the valley I travel on the way. We had snow over the weekend and lots of wind so the leaves have mostly fallen off the trees. Southern Minnesota is a beautiful place.

Kitchen Has Fall Look

This is my kitchen. I love collecting cookbooks. But I could only fit so many on the shelf. I have cookbooks all over the house. It is really hard for me to walk by a new cookbook.

I have a new job!! I have been working at this place for 14 years and felt it was time for a change. I have been praying that God would lead me to a new place. I have been dealing with a couple of really nasty people. So through it all I have learned forgiveness and patience. I am so thankful to be moving on. It has been quite a journey. I wonder why some people feel the need to have power over people. It is a dangerous thing when a person has to feel power over people. Well on to a new job. Kind of scary, starting something new, but so thankful and yet excited. At 54 I am not so adventurous as I use to be. This really is a step of faith for me.

New Grandson

I have a new grandson! Meet Wyatt. We went to visit him last night. He was born October 14th. Wyatt came 3.5 weeks early but he is doing just great. Wyatt is my 2nd grandson. It was so nice to hold a little baby. He is a sweeite.

Dad's Homemade Shelf

I have this shelf on my living room wall. My dad made it for me and I painted it. I painted it black first and then white washed it and used sandpaper to lightly sand some spots. The black paint worked really well in acheiving this look.

Bonfire Days!

I went to a craft fair last weekend and found this cutest wreath hanger. I had just the right spot in an empty corner in my dining room. I am looking forward to putting something really cute on it for Christmas. My dad planted a patch of white pumpkins for me this year. I am having so much fun putting them around the house. Love the little white pumpkins.

"Ho, for the leaves that eddy down, Crumpled yellow and withered brown, Hither and yonder and up the street And trampled under the passing feet; Swirling, billowing, drifting by, With a whisper soft and a rustling sigh, Starting aloft to windy ways, Telling the coming of bonfire days." by -Grace Strickler Dawson, Bonfire Days

Bathroom Needs Pumpkins Too!

I like to decorate the bathroom too. Where there is a empty space a person can always add a pumpkin or two.

To Pumpkins at Pumpkin Time

I have white pumpkins scattered throughout my house. I love the oranges and golds, but it is fun to mix in the white pumpkins with my blues and browns.

"Back into your garden-beds!

Here come the holidays!

And woe to the golden pumpkin-heads

Attracting too much praise.

Hide behind the hoe, the plow,

Cling fast to the vine!

Those who come to praise you now

Will soon sit down to dine." --Grace Cornell Tall, To Pumpkins at Pumpkin Time

Fall is Right On Time

"Scarecrows, corn rows, pumpkins on the vine, leaves curl, wind swirls, fall is right on time." -Author Unknown.

I found this cute clock in the clearance bin. I bought it for $15.00. You can tell I am always on the look out for a good buy. Or else God just places me in the right place at the right time!

Hope you all are enjoying this lovely weather.

I Love Fall

The pumpkin pillow was my first attempt at rug hooking. It really is a fun craft. I made the quilt out of 10 flannel fat quarters. There are just too many fun crafts. It is hard to do them all when you enjoy doing them all. The little scarecrow came from a store. The nights are getting chillier here in Minnesota. I had to put another quilt on the bed last night.

"I love fall! Fall is exciting.
I'ts apples and cider.
It's an airborne spider.
It's pumpkins in bins.
It's burrs on dog's chins.
It's wind blowing leaves.
It's chilly red knees.
It's nuts on the ground.
It's a crisp dry sound.
It's green leaves turning.
And the smell of them burning.
It's clouds in the sky.
It's fall. That's why...
I love fall." - Author Unknown

October Gave a Party

"October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came - The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band." -George Cooper, October's Party

I found this little table for my sunroom at Hancock Fabrics for $70.00 in the clearance isle. I was so excited to bring it home. Don't you just love a bargain! I can't resist putting pumpkins all over the house. Call me Miss Pumpkin.

Autumn Has Come to the Dining Room

I usually put white pumpkins etc. in the dining room, but it looks like it has taken a different route this year. But, I will find a place for my white pumpkins. Still contemplating. I just love to sit back and enjoy it after it is done. I wonder why a person's house is so inviting during the autumn season. Martha Stewart Crafts was on QVC this morning, there was some really cute stuff.

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn." by Elizabeth Lawrence.

Dance of the Autumn Leaves

I made the wool pillow last year. It was a pattern from "All Through the Night", Dance of the Autumn Leaves. I love working with wool and applique. The quilt is the very first quilt I made. It was from a book by "Timbleberries". I really enjoyed making all the different blocks. The bench is really old. It use to sit in my Great Aunt Evelyn's summer kitchen. It was white. I painted it a mushroom color from Martha Stewart and put it in my dining room. The hat boxes under the bench store some of my china.

Harvest Pumpkin Quilt

I finished this quilt last year but never put the binding on it. I am just about done working on the binding. I am using a green to match the leaves. This pattern came from a book by "Thimbleberries". I admired this pattern for years, so I finally put my mind to making it. I just love it. Anything with pumpkins and leaves pulls at my heartstrings. I have this quilt in my sunroom.

Pumpkin Angel

I made this pumpkin angel a few of years ago, her pattern was in one of the crafty magazines. Her eyes are made of a black snap and her nose is satin stitch embroidered. She was fun to make and I have enjoyed putting her out in the fall. Sometimes I put her on a shelf or have her hanging over the kitchen cupboards. This year I decided to put her in the sunroom to watch over the pumpkins. I found the black metal house at a fair one year and I pretty much leave that up all year, setting it in different places throughout the house. And I love using the battery candles.

Decorationg for Fall

I have brought up the totes from the basement! Let the decorating begin. I did buy a new harvest angel this year and put her on my basement door. She was only 9.95 and who can pass up such a bargain for something so cute! I just love the way my house looks in all her "Fall Finery". The house becomes cozy and warm. I am a little slower this year at getting the decorating done. This weekend I am hoping to go on our annual fall day trip to buy some pumpkins, sip hot apple cider and see the start of the beautiful colors on the trees. In southeastern Minnesota we have the most beautiful fall colors. We have Apple Festival this weekend and Cranberry Fest next weekend in Wisconsin. The fall is jam packed with Autumn festivities. Hope your days are crisp and colorful.

Pumpkin Quilt for Niece

I finally finished this pumpkin quilt for my Niece. I started it last fall and finally took it out again and finished it this morning. I finished the binding before I left for work. I think binding is one of my favorite parts of the quilt process. I used a pattern from "Thimbleberries". I taught myself to quilt using her books and patterns. They are so easy and always turn out so nice. I am looking at this quilt and thinking how cute it would be in my house, but I made it for a special gal, so I want her to enjoy it. I know she will really appreciate it. She saves my homemade cards and uses them for decoration. So I know she will really like this quilt. I am so excited to give it to her. Love this time of year. I am going to start getting out my pumpkins and fall colors for the house. I am a little slow this year.

New Wall Art

I went to the neatest home party show called "Uppercase Living" . You can buy almost any word or saying you like. I painted 3 squares of auqa paint on my wall and then I put the words on top and framed them all. It turned out kind of cute. Peace, Love and Faith. I just measured and used blue painting tape to frame out the part I wanted to paint. I bought a sample of paint at my local hardware store for $3.00. It was cheap and easy. I had the frames left over from some pictures I know longer use.

TWO-COLOR QUILT CHALLENGE (oops! 3 color)

I joined in the fun of the "Two Color Quilt Challenge" with "Sisters Choice" but after I had it almost finished I realized I have 3 colors. I guess the cream threw me off. So now I have a 3 color quilt instead. I am not quite done with it, but thought I would show how far I did get and then kind of put it away after I realized it had 3 colors. I did have good intentions of creating a 2 color quilt. When I do get this done I will be putting it on my dining room table for the spring. I love Kim Diehl's patterns. I have her 3 books. This is a table runner from "Simple Seasons" everything in the book is great.

IN-PROCESS

I have this quilt started, it went so fast. I just have to applique the birds on the circles and then quilt it. I just love the pattern and the fabric. I think I am going to use it in my sunroom. Or it would be cute as a table cloth in the dining room. Amy Butler fabrics and the pattern is by Barbara Brandeburg. Love their stuff.

MINNESOTA QUILT SHOP HOP

While we were vacationing the Minnesota Quilt Shop Hop was taking place. So we stopped at a few of the shops along Lake Superior. There are some really fun shops along the way. And of course I had to buy some new patterns and you can never have to much stash. These shops are truly Up North quilt shops. Tucked into the woods and some along the Lake.

GRAND MARAIS

This is the Harbor in Grand Marias, Minnesota. Lake Superior. My daughter Hollie and I try to go here every year in August. It gives us energy for the coming year. She is a teacher so she gets relaxed before she starts her new school year. The splashing of the waves has to be the most calming sound in the universe.

Hollie and I are watching the sun set looking out at the Harbor in Grand Marias. We dont do a lot when we go to Grand Marias. We sit alot by the water and read our books and take naps. We think that Grand Marias is pretty close to what Heaven might be like.

This is the view from the deck at the Hotel. There is a class for Kayaking. It looks like fun but have never tried it yet. Maybe next time.

Hollie and I like to hike along the Lake. This is looking at the Light House in Grand Marais. The sun is getting ready to go down and it is so peaceful and beautiful.

This is my 2nd favorite place to visit, it is the "World's Best Doughnut" Shop. It sits right next door to the book store. So I get up every morning buy "SOME" doughnuts go and sit by the lake and read my bible in the quiet hour of the morning as the water is lapping on the shore and the sea gulls singing. The doughnuts are just so yummy, you cant have just one.

This is one of our favorite places to visit on vacation. It is a book store "Dury Lane" and it sits by the Lake. It is the cutest little shop and it is crammed full of books!! We go in there everyday and browse and buy a book. I have found some of my favorite books in this shop. Then we go outside and read and watch the water.

Anne & Buster

I won I won!!! I entered a drawing for the cutest print at "Donna (Cookie) Gotlib" from the land of "Cookie Sunshine". And I won this cute print. It is of Cookie's baby sister Anne and Buster. I found a frame at "Crate and Barrel", it is glass with a frame all around it, the print fits in there perfect. I have this hanging in my living room and it makes me smile when I look at. The poem that came with it is so cute too. I encourage you to visit Cookie's blog site. Her Art will bring lots of smiles to your day. Thank you again Cookie for your Art that makes me Smile.

I made this quilt for Hollie. She took a trip to Montana and brought back 10 fat quarters. So we used a pattern that uses 10 fat quarters, backing additional. It reminds her of all the pretty colors of Montana. She has this quilt in her living room

My Mom

My mom loves to drink her coffee out of a cup and saucer. I collect them, so when she comes I try to give her a different one each time. This is mom at my dad's tea birthday party. She is such a sweet lady. You would love her, everyone loves her. I wrote an essay on her one time and won! I had to read it in front of a group. I won the whole collection of "Dearest Dorothy Books" by Charlene Baumbich. If you need some light and fun reading, read that collection. My mom is great. Her faith in Christ has always been my inspiration. We lost 2 of my brothers when they were 21 and 22, they died a year apart. Her faith has held her up and she is just such a loving person to all who know her.

Dad

This is my Dad, we took him to the Veterans Hospital on friday for Cataract surgery. Lots of prayers going up. And everything turned out great. His surgery was a success and he is seeing much better. I took this picture of him last year on his birthday. We had a birthday tea and we all had to wear a hat. It was really fun. My dad just loves to try different foods. He is a really a good cook too. His name is Thelvin and a real norwegian. Love my Dad!

Shop Hop Winner

I went to the Quilt shop where I won a 2nd drawing in the Shop Hop. It is packaged really cute in this burlap bag. The pattern and materials are to make a belt. I think I am going to make a belt for my camera. The pattern and packaging are from Sweet Wraps by Sweetwater. Should be cute, a quilted belt. It is always so much fun to win something! I dont usually win anything. But I have been winning lately. God must have figured I needed a little reminder that life is good and He provides that good life to me. I will have fun making this belt.