Christmas Vacation!

Bill always gets the holiday week off, so we took advantage of the time to get out and do some exploring. It is also a great time to use the coupons and sales to get some needed items like a new coat. I finally found one that is duck cloth, warm inner but not heavy so I can have something to wear when we go on adventures.

We had one day that was considered warm, warm enough that my hands didn't freeze, that is. It was a great day to go for a drive and enjoy the ocean. It seems everyone was out enjoying it, as well. A few were doing some parasailing which looks like fun to me, though I am not sure I have the strength to control the sail.

Lots of surfers, birds and action going on at the beaches, but I realize, I need a zoom to get good shots of those. I did catch this little guy who was running back and forth on the beach.

The treat was, as we were coming home, the sun was going down. We went down a side road and stopped at the pond to watch the sunset. A wonderful way to end a day.

Another day we went to the Watch Hill lighthouse. It was a bit cool and breezy but a perfect place to sit in the car and just enjoy the views. From here you can see the rhode island and the long island sounds.

Today we went to go to a park on the opposite side of Westerly. The river runs through Rhode Island, and empties into the ocean. The park was small but a nice little walk with views of a graveyard across the river.

I found a road from here that took us across, into Connecticut and to Barn Island. We have been here to paddle, and I wanted to just go for the views.

When we got there, I noticed a lot of people parked at the hiking trails. We have never been on the trails, I assumed they were just short walks to look at the estuaries and it was too swampy to walk. Well, I had to go check it out and I was surprised to see nice trails that led through the area with views of the inlets and areas in the woods.

Lots of old growth trees, reformed by the weather and storms.

We even got to see a blue heron, another time I wish I had a zoom. The area is so beautiful and peaceful, definitely coming back to do more hiking when it isn't so cold.

Before we headed home, we went further down so I could get some shots of a church with my wide angle. I plan on using churches in my area to do new pieces, so I took shots and this one was an experiment in art photography, you can see some of the church, lots of character for a new piece.

I hope everyone is having a nice week and rested from the holiday festivities. I did make something new this week, but was so tired when we got home, I didn't get a chance to finish it off. A few more days of goofing off and then it is time to start working on my projects again. I hope it will be a productive year for all of you. May the new year bring good health and blessings to you all.

The day after!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, or just a good day for themselves celebrating in their own ways. We had a nice time with the kids, it wasn't perfect but spending time with the family is what was important.

My son decided he wanted to cook and he wanted to smoke the turkey. Well, he put the turkey in and a few hours later the power went out. It was a few hours, but it finally went back on so we ate a little later, but that was ok. I am not sure what he did with the turkey when the power went out, but from the gastric distress we got after, I would say he might have let it sit out too long;)

We relaxed at home in the morning, still fighting off our own flus so we enjoyed some quiet time and a little Christmas with Bean. Bean loves presents and knows a wrapped package means a treat for him. He loves his new colored balls.

I didn't go overboard with the kids, Alex is too young to care so he got more clothes and Nick got some trucks to go with his big block set. I also got him a coloring set with a magic marker, it only shows color when he draws on the book, so that saves on marks all over the house. Alex has a unique way of opening presents, he uses his teeth but he loved ripping them open.

Alex is also getting his personality, he was making a lot of funny faces at me, maybe because grandma makes them back.

Nick loved all the attention I gave him and the presents. A set of books with an electronic reader, he loves anything electronic, so a good way for him to get into reading, his way.

The boys are ready for dinner, was hoping to get all the family at the table, but the boys were happy to ham it up for me.

Now it is time to get back to normal life again, whatever that may be and where ever my creative motivation takes me. Lots of projects to finish and new ones to start and ideas to try. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and can enjoy creating new things for the new year.  Here is a blast from the past. I got a new dress for Christmas and it wasn't home made, lol.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate the season in other ways.

I finished my Christmas pillow and still debating on making a corded edge for the outer edge, I think it will finish it off nicely. Maybe after the holidays, since I have no desire to go to any stores this weekend.

The design is by Bird Brain Designs, the pattern a gift from a  friend.

Today we took Nick out and had some fun at the submarine museum in Groton Ct. He had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing with grandpa.

Going inside a submarine was an adventure for him, a few times he started thinking it was time to get out, but he made it through and had fun climbing through the hatches and up and down stairs.

 We picked up some lunch and enjoyed a picnic at the point. We got to sit on the porch of an old home and enjoy views of the long island sound.

On the way home we stopped in Mystic Village and checked out some shops, Nick was awestruck in the Christmas shop, and I had to watch what he was trying to put in his pockets, lol. It was a fun day and I am sure he is as tired as I am.

Christmas will never be the same for us. We will have the joys of our son and his family, but Danielle will always be missed and a big part of our hearts. I still send her a note or add a photo of her childhood to her Facebook page each Friday. It is my way of keeping her memory alive. This is the card I made for her, for Christmas. May all of you who have lost loved ones, may you find peace and joy in the memories of those who have gone before us.

Christmas is Coming!

Time sure flies by, but I am pretty much set for the holidays. There are a few things I might get this week, but the shopping is done and the kids are cooking, so I can relax and enjoy working on my projects.

Today I received a wonderful gift in the mail from my friend Anna. She made a beautiful hanging pillow with my free design. You can find the design Here!

I love how she finished the pillow, beautiful fabrics and stitching, I will treasure it.

This weekend we had snow on Saturday, so a day at home. Sunday was rain on and off, but not so much on the southern shores, so we headed south.

The nice thing was, not that many people so we were able to park at the ferry area and check out the fishing boats. The seagulls let you know where the boats with the fresh catches are.

The rain held off but it was really windy, so even though the temps were warmer, the wind put a chill in the air, as it came off the ocean. It was still a nice day to get out and enjoy the rough seas and fresh air.

We drove around to the lighthouse, and watched the surfers enjoying the waves. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I am still working on my snowman, but he will be done in a  few days, lots of stitching on this piece.

This and That Friday!

This week has been busy with getting the last of the cards and packages done, last minute shopping for the kids and lots of cleaning. Even though we are eating at the kids this year, I always clean the house before A holiday, no spring cleaning for me. I find it is best to clean when I am redoing the decorations for the season since I have to take things done anyways;)

I got a surprise package from my friend Karen. She made me a little angel quilt, love minis and fun to hang around the house.

And she sent me a few patterns and some material. One is the exact weight I need to make pillows for the beach room, so another project I can start after the holidays. For now I am still in the Christmas mood and I just love the snowman door stop by Bird Brain Designs, so I am working on it now. No rush but bad weather this weekend, so maybe I can get him done.

The original is done in blue thread, but I thought I would go with colors.

I also made up more pillows, two dozen in fact. Bill took some to work to hand out, this time I am just handing them out, a great way to put a smile on someones face and share the holiday spirit. I also made up some little cards to go with them. I didn't attach them since I have a batch of mini bags that I got last year, it fits the pillow and card perfectly.

I hope you all have finished your shopping and have time to relax and enjoy the holidays. You are welcome to use the card saying, I found them online and put them together, I think it is a nice way to present a gift too.

I also found a fun project to make for Christmas or any time of the year. A sock owl and they show a no sew method, so fun project for the kids too. I might just try some myself. You can find the pattern at Crafts n' Coffee.

Weekend rush!

Well, I got out cards and a few packages, but not as many as I would have liked, I think I am just burnt out this year. The good thing is the kids are cooking dinner, so we will go to their house and I won't have to worry about the mad rush to cook and clean this year.

I didn't want to over do it and I really miss seeing the kids, so we went to their house and I got to enjoy some time with the boys. Nick as always wanted to spend all his time playing with him, which is fine with me.

I realize I have to pay attention to where my focus is, I keep shooting and end up with blurry kids, and the fact that they are in constant motion doesn't help, lol.

Nick had just finished making a mini gingerbread house and eating all the candy off it, that might have had something to do with it. I bought over some old glass ornaments and Nick got to put them on the tree.

Alex loves playing in his chair and is just happy watching everyone. He was making some funny faces, but the minute I pressed the shutter, he stopped.

When we got to their house, we were greeted by a flock of chickens, I guess the neighbors let them run loose. It is a large neighborhood in the woods, so cars drive really slow down the roads. This guy was keeping his eye on me.

On Saturday we hit a few stores and then went around the ocean roads to enjoy the views. It was nice to just get out and see the ocean, but too cold to walk on the beach. I love this area, you can park and watch the boats, though I had to get out to take a photo.

A few more things to send out tomorrow and then I will relax and work on projects for fun. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Christmas Rush Time!

Well, last week I said I had planned on getting everything done this week, and that is what I get for Jinxing myself, lol. That night I slipped on the icy porch and I didn't fall but all the twisting to keep from falling, threw my back and ribs out. So, I have been resting mostly and getting what I can done and I am almost there so I will be able to get my cards and packages out by next week.

I am finishing some projects, just a few touches to go and I did finish the first lighthouse pillow, I had made. I realized it was too loose and filled in the spaces and then finished it off. I also found some pretty snowflake material and made up a batch of balsam filled pillows. I added different sized snowflake buttons to the middle.

I hope you have all been able to finish up your projects and spend some time just enjoying the holiday and family. Have a wonderful weekend and for those in the snowy areas, stay safe.

Christmas Pillows!

I loved making the pillow with Cheri Saffiote's free design, that I had to make two more. One was for me, the one with colors and the other two will be gifts. Though, I have been buying new things this year and not sure where I have room for the pillow, lol.

This one is done on a tea towel, I think it would be better if I used towel yardage to fit it better, this was wider than I realized. I also added a few extras to balance it out a little. No tea stain on this one.

I also finished the red work pillow. I like the thicker thread but I think the red is a bit bright, but also nice for Christmas, it will bring out a pop of color in a prim room. Mine was done a little smaller and using more color. I added an extra tree and some stars for balance and they were both done on tea stained fabric by Moda.

You will also notice the star mat on the chair. I was the lucky recipient of the star rugs, that Kelley made to fit my dining chairs.

You can find the design, as well as others, on Buttermilk Basin's blog, still more freebies to come on the hop.

I also had an idea to make a stocking with wool roving. I found a mitten cookie cutter and used that, by putting the roving inside and felting it. I made them too thin, so I ended up putting the two together and just made one. I think it is not worth using my roving on something like this, better with wool or old sweaters.

We did a lot of shopping this weekend. Presents for the kids of course, but I am refraining from over doing it, they are still young, and Nick loves mega blocks, so I am adding to his collection. We also did some antique and thrift shopping, love finding Christmas items that are hard to find and we finally found a tree we liked. My grandmother had a ceramic studio and made a large beautiful tree that I loved and Bill decided he loved the ones he saw in the store too. Most are expensive and we found this 13" tree at an antique store that has booths. It has bulbs and birds and just the right size to put on top of my book case. Of course my red glass angels come out for Christmas.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I am hoping to get all my gifts ready and cards and done by this weekend, so hopefully that works out. I would like to have some rest time this year and I also found some fun snowflake material to make lots of mini pillows to hand out at Christmas. Last year I hid pillows when I went out, this year I want to hand them to people who need a smile or even the clerks at the stores. I can imagine what they go through in a day with all the crazy customers, so they deserve a smile too.

Christmas!

Well, another year has gone by and I never got half the things I wanted to make, done, lol. I really need to start now for next year, I still want to have large quilts to hang around the house and patterns I bought years ago and never got a chance to make, so I guess it is time.

I also have pieces I made and didn't finish, so those will get done next. It is hard to keep up when there are so many wonderful freebies this year, I still have Buttermilk Basin's christmas quilt, Cheri's Blackbird Gathering quilt and now another blog hop hosted by Buttermilk Basin.

I had to make Cheri's piece, love her designs and this was fun to do. I have an idea for it, so I will show you when I am done. I kept it in red work, but I really want to try one in black, with red and green too. One will be a gift, one for me. I also think this would be nice as a pillow, lots of possibilities.

This weekend was mostly shopping, a few gifts and a few things for me. We went to a few primitive stores and consignments, but not a great selection or things that interest me. We did get home in time to run over to the lighthouse, before sunset. It wasn't too cold so we were able to walk around and take photos, but the sun wasn't as spectacular, mostly yellow and orange and it was gone. I wanted to look from the other side to see if I could get the lighthouse with some color behind it and I am glad I did. The best part of the sunset is when it gets darker and the sun is beaming across the ocean, the color was spectacular.

On Sunday we drove to Woodstock Ct. I wanted to visit a primitive store and we couldn't find it, but we did find a few antique and prim stores and a Christmas barn. It was fun browsing but I found the prices to be higher than other stores, but it was fun to look and there were also antiques mixed in. The owners are also very friendly and helpful. Woodstock is definitely a place to visit and I can imagine how beautiful it was, during full foliage.

One thing I love about driving around is, I find new things. We were taking a short cut from one main road to another and my bad eyesight took us down the wrong one, but it still got us to the same destination. It took us across this bridge and I noticed some trucks below, so I had to check it out. It is a part of the Quinebaug River Trail, we found a new boat launch, can't wait to try it next year. Looks like a beautiful stretch of the river, to paddle.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Now it is time for me to get the boxes out and get ready for Christmas.

Christmas Stockings and Holiday Fun!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday, ours was wonderful and ended on a bad note when my son got mad at me for not letting him do things his way and left in a huff. When it comes to my computer, nobody messes with it;) But, I enjoyed the time with family and my sweet grandsons, so that is what I will remember.

I also finished the stockings, not perfect but they were a pain with the felt, I prefer to felt into wool, much easier and it blends nicer. Plus the roving they give you in kits feels more like acrylic than wool, so not the best product, but still fun to do and an easy way for a beginner to try their hand at needle felting. I forgot the eyes on one, but fixed that before I gave them to the kids.

I outlined the designs in black and added a few embellishments to make them more fun.

It is always fun to have the kids here and Bean loves playing with Nick. Bean found someone who loves leaves as much as he does.

The secret lives of boys and dogs.

Dinner was delicious except for my stuffing. I made my cornbread stuffing but decided to try adding pineapple, bad idea, it was too moist and tasted like desert, way too sweet and mushy.

After dinner was photo time. My son bought a santa suit and Grandpa got to wear it. Well, this is what  happened when we tried to get Nick sitting with Santa.

He had no idea it was grandpa and wanted no part of Santa, even a gift wouldn't get him to smile. Alex was quite happy to sit in his lap and loved the beard, it became a struggle to get shots without losing the beard in the process.

And then the family shot, of course we all know how those go. When you get a couple to smile, there is always one who is making a face or being goofy, or looking in the wrong direction. We were able to get a few fun ones in.

As you can see, the fireplace behind santa is actually the tv, works great with the close up of the kids, but shows with a larger photo.

And like all things, we finally end our day with a smile, Nick finally sat on Santa's lap without screaming and gave us the best smile we were going to get;)

Have a wonderful weekend. We are spending ours, relaxing and long rides to out of the way stores with no crowds.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This weekend was a slow one, seems I have been overdoing it and my body let me know, so this week I am resting and trying to get a bit done, so we are ready for Thanksgiving. I did finish the stockings, so I will get photos and show those on friday.

This weekend we did a little shopping and on the way home I wanted to stop at one of our favorite spots, Pettaquamscutt Rock. It is a small park with a trail leading to the rocks, so not a big climb but spectacular views from the top.

Bill and Bean enjoying a view from the top, it goes all the way out to the ocean. There was a storm out to sea so you could see the thick clouds rolling across the sea.

Looking to the left, you can see the Jamestown Bridge.

Since it was a short walk, we walked along the bottom area for a bit, you can see how tall the rock is, and on the right it is higher and a popular spot for beginner rock climbers.

As we headed home we enjoyed the colors of pre-twilight, it warms up everything and made a beautiful scene at the farm.

We stopped at our local seafood store to get scallops for dinner and while Bill was getting scallops, I was able to get a few shots of the local harbor.

Still a few sailboats docked in the harbor, won't be long before they come out.

The fishing boats are always docked at this pier, a popular spot to drop off the catches of the day.

The rest of the week has been rest and letting Bean play outside, he loves leaves and rather play in those, than play ball.  I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of my local area and I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.