Who turned down the thermostat?

I know, I live in Canada and it is the end of November but it was SO cold last night for the Santa Claus parade in Kingston - more so than any other year I've been involved (I've lost count, for sure the last 4 years).  On the way home, the thermometer in the truck was reading -9°C!  For those that use Fahrenheit that would be about 15°F.  And the wind was just whipping so with wind chill it was WAY colder.

My husband always works until he drops for about two weeks before the parade helping his company after his shift to get their "float" ready.  Most places grab a pickup truck...nope, they theme decorate a full sized transport and all 53 feet of flatbed truck!  Here are two pictures of just the flatbed part...

One of Santa's elves getting ready to go in the misfit toy castle...

Mommy the helper elf who walked as part of the "toe patrol", meaning that I went slightly ahead of the transport and moved "toes" back so they wouldn't get run over..

Cameron as Hermie the wannabe dentist elf, and my husband as Yukon Cornelius... there was the abominable snowman as well, you can see that character in both the shots above of the float...

And if someone thought the spirit of Christmas was lost, just look at this little face smiling down...

I can't say the parade kick started our Christmas spirit (it was too stinking cold) but it is always the kickoff to the holiday season.

Does your family have any traditions that put you into the spirit?

Christmas has come and gone

I hope that everyone reading had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. We started the season on the evening of the 23rd, my last day of work until the 4th of January (a much needed break on my part....) when I stopped for the last minute items we were missing and a run to the LCBO. Christmas Eve was spent with my inlaws, we all attended the family service at St Luke's Church (a video in the church from 2010 for the Silent Night Project) - Cameron had a part in the service as the "older" angel and Caleb was a giraffe in the manager scene. Then DH treated us to a wonderful roast beef dinner including the Reverend and his wife and children. Rev. John is a huge part of why Cameron LOVES going to church - he is young (37) and when the minister wears jeans to service it really puts the younger generations at ease. John had another service to attend in a nearby community so he was only able to eat and run but his wife and children stayed until just after 9pm - watching Santa on NORAD Santa Tracker and just enjoying the season with us.

Our Christmas Tree 2010

Christmas morning, we had some excited boys...

We were home most of the morning and then spent the rest of Christmas Day with the inlaws.

Boxing Day and the 27th were with my family.

Today we took down the tree and tried to get the house "back in order". We have friends coming tomorrow for a visit as well as Dani and Todd coming for our traditional New Years Celebration on Friday. I did get a litte baking done before the holidays....here are my "christmas trees" before they were devoured.

If you are looking for the cookie cutters that I used, you can find them here....Page 48 of the Regal Christmas Catalogue - next time I will bake twice as many cookies for one tree.

So, our time has been very busy but wonderful to be with our family and friends, we feel truly blessed and look forward to wonderful things in 2011.

And stayed tuned, I'm working on a final happy dance for 2010!

and here we go...

So the highspeed is in....the poor old computer (bought it before I went on maternity leave for Cameron and he just turned 8 in November) on the other hand isn't as happy. At the moment we do have it online and the kids are loving it to go on all the kiddie sites to play games etc (coolmath4kids is wonderful). But hubby and I feel something is lacking....at the moment I am posting from my hubby's work laptop but with the lovely cheque that Dalton McGuinty sent this week - I think we are going to upgrade to a laptop for home as well! Keeping the old desktop for the kids and the laptop will be for DH and I.

But on to stitching - I have been doing some, not a lot but a little. I had two mystery stitchy pieces that I had hoped to get done for Christmas this year but that isn't going to happen so they have a real great start on them for 2011!

Here is something that I started and finished and have gifted to Charlene, whom rides to and from work with me most days...

It is a JBW design on black using ...thread! I have no clue what I stitched it with!

So Christmas is almost here, the boys had their Christmas concert last week....

Here is Caleb with Tasha already to go...

and Cameron in a similar pose....

They did a fantastic job and to top it off - I won the "Let's get baking" raffle basket so I now have more Christmas baking stuff than I know what to do with! And with me working until the end of the day on the 23rd and still with shopping to get done, I can't see much baking in my future.

If I don't make it back to here before Christmas, I wish you a wonderful holiday with family and friends....and before I forget...

A New Year = New Start

Wow, blogger was playing with my post, I've been in three times to edit it now... Anyhoo... Christmas Eve, our tree....

Christmas Eve, my FIL and boys enjoying Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur

Cameron on Christmas morning...

Caleb on Christmas morning...

And Tasha, so excited on Christmas morning...NOT

Then we had Dani and Todd for New Years....here is where Caleb spent a lot of time :-)

The "boys" playing on the Wii... And here is my ort jar on January 2nd (because I forgot to dump it ...oops)

And my BRAND NEW start for 2010 - Ink Circles Kaleidoscope which I started in the morning of January 1st. Here is a picture as of last nights (Jan 3rd) stitching...

So I'm back at work today...no stitching all day in my jammies anymore...until the weekend.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Years and I wish you nothing but great things for 2010.

A quiet day...

After all the crazy times around Christmas, the kids and I are home alone, enjoying some quiet time and time with the new toys! Christmas Eve was lovely, my inlaws were over and my MIL and I took the boys to the kids advent at church for 4pm and arrived home to a wonderful salmon supper prepared by FIL and DH. Then on to our tradition on new jammies and a new movie for the evening. Boys in jammies and we watched Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaur (well, they watched, I stitched). Then inlaws headed for home and the boys vibrated their way to their beds. Christmas morning started around 6:30am (not bad for a 7 and 3 year old in the house) with excitement that "SANTA CAME!!!!" and the gift opening that followed. Brunch on Christmas Day at the inlaws was lovely, gutbusting filling but very tasty and the rest of the day was spent just chatting and enjoying everyones company. The kids all received new movies so the DVD player was setup in the bedroom and the four kids (aged 13/9/7/3) took turns watching their movies and napping. For the first time since DH and I have been together we were able to come home on Christmas night, normally my Aunt or Mom have dinner on Christmas day but they changed the plans this year which we were fine with. So home to sleep and then up on Boxing Day and headed to my parents. Late lunch with my family and a sleepover. The morning of the 27th was just like Christmas all over again for my kids, with my parents and brother and sister-in-law in the morning. We opted to go out last night for Greek - which was FABULOUS and then home again. Today DH is playing in a couple of games of hockey with his workmates and then they are going out celebrating - he plans to stay in town at his friends so it is just the boys and I today. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we are looking forward to ringing in the New Year with Dani and Todd again. All the best to your house from ours for 2010!

'tis the season to be...

very busy :-)

It all started last Saturday (Dec 5th) with the movies with my boys (Planet 51) and it has continued on since then. Me, the one with no social life has done the following in the last couple of weeks...

Dec 5 - movies with the kids - Planet 51

Dec 6 - church with Cameron for Advent

Dec 8 - supper and then the movies with the work friends - New Moon

Dec 12 - Saw the comedian Derek Edwards live at the theatre with my DH

Dec 13 - Church with Cameron for Advent and surprised DH with tickets to see So You Think You Can Dance

Dec 15 - holiday luncheon with the "senior" staff members

Dec 16 - evening stitching with Trista

Dec 17 - another planned evening with Trista (gotta get those christmas things done!)

Dec 20 - Church with Cameron and then Cinderella at the Playhouse with boys, Tracy, Kenton and our Moms

And the list just seems to go on and on! So if I don't get a chance to be back here anytime soon I wanted to tell everyone to have a wonderful holiday season!

I'm alive

This will end up being short and sweet, I have no pictures and I have not been stitching. But I am here, swamped at work and just realising that I have A LOT happening between now and the end of the year. I've been visiting all my online friends and leaving comments where I can, I hope to have things sorted and slowed down shortly, if not, then I may not be above water again until the new year! Stay tuned, I have a couple new events happening that will require stitching but I'm not allowed to spill the beans yet (and neither one has anything to do with me, so don't be thinking it!).

First finish of 2008!

This was supposed to be done for my MIL for Christmas but I didn't get it complete until this past weekend and the photo uploaded until today so here it is! Sorry for the hoop mark, my MIL was at my home on Sunday so I finished it quick and sent it home with her, she can press it and frame it!

Christmas in the Adirondacks Kit

Dimensions Gold Collection Petite

Stitched on kit fabric, 18 count white aida

Started August 2007

Completed 20 January 2008

Hello 2008!

Well....we survived! Christmas crazies are done, the tree is down, we have rung in the New Year (with Dani & Todd). I'm back at work with lots to get done with year end as well new things to get ready to go for 2008. So, I'll let you "see" how the holidays were!

My boys on Christmas Eve in their new PJ's, slippers and glued

to the TV watching The Polar Express.

The tree, after Santa, before boys...

Caleb with his new puppy (Pound Puppy)

The aftermath...

The boys having a good time at Nanna and Poppa's on Christmas day...

Cameron "enjoying" a lemon...

Caleb and the newest member of the family on Boxing Day...

And last but not least, I have been stitching! This is my MIL's christmas present that didn't get finished in time but is getting closer and closer. Just more tree's above the stone wall and a little more back stitching and it will be ready for her to replace the photo of the project in the frame which is what she unwrapped on Christmas!

All the best to everyone in 2008!

May your needles stay sharp, threads untangled and fingers warm! Happy stitching....

WIP update

Well, it has been awhile since everyone has seen my actual stitching so I took the time the other day to scan all the pieces I'm working on (because my camera seems to be on the fritz) and here they are for you to look over....you will see a couple that I haven't put online very often and don't really work on much but I will get to them, at some point.

Happily Ever After

Waiting for direction from my brother and sister-in-law as to what else they would like and then stitching that and adding the beads.

Fall Y'All Which I am stitching for myself and hope to get done in the next couple of weeks so I can get it ready to hang for the end of September.

Quilted Quips I've just started this piece which will be a present for my MIL or my grandmother, depending on how fast it stitches up. Here is the actual pattern front as well as the little bit I have done.

Cross Stitch Crazy Which will also be something for myself to hang over my chair where I sit and stitch. Again, the actual pattern front as well as what I have done.

Spirit of Christmas I don't think I will have this one done before Christmas this year, but maybe next year!

And last but not least....

WOLVES ON BLACK This has been my focus piece and I did get a fair amount stitched on the tree trunk at the weekend getaway at Ann's last weekend.

The Spirit of Christmas

Since Mel already guessed the answer I thought I should post a photo of what this project should look like when it is completed. It isn't the best as I went hunting for one online and was unable to find one so here is the best I could do.

As Mel stated this is a Lavendar and Lace pattern and the one I have was published/printed in 1990.

First Fabric Fondling Session

OOOHHHH…. I’m fondling fabric, one of my favourite pastimes! I decided at Christmas that I was going to have a gift sent to me each month, so I signed up for the Silkweavers Fabric of the Month Club and my first shipment arrived yesterday! They are all beautiful and I can’t wait to start stitching on them, but I may change my choice of what is shipped for a couple of months, as I would love a few larger pieces. I signed up for 3 – 9X13 pieces per month and I may change and get into some larger ones.

The three pieces together...

Solos – Unique Hand Dyed Fabric 32ct Opalescent Lugana

Sugar Cookie 28ct Cashel Linen

Solos – Unique Hand Dyed Fabric 28ct Lugana

The Christmas present

I thought I would share with everyone the beautiful quilt that Curt and I were given this past Christmas for our bed. My Mother & Father-in-law created this for us and we think it is absolutely beautiful. It is a king sized quilt but fits our queen sized bed perfectly. I have no need for a bed skirt or anything as this drapes nicely to the floor. I’m hoping to find a couple of decent sized “country” themed patterns to stitch for the head of our bed as the wall looks pretty bare.

My one and only ornament for this year!

I was so focused on my Wedding Blessing this year that I only managed to get one ornament complete in time for Christmas! Oh well, next year for the others! Here is the ornament that I completed for my MIL. She loves cardinals so I try to have something in her gift each year with one. Last year was a table runner with them so this one is for her tree, or she could stretch the wire a little and make a door knob hanger. She loved it. P.S. The grandchildren call her NANNA so that is what we went with. DH and I debated what to put on the top, Mom, Beverly or Nanna....Nanna won.

Pictures to tide you over

Life is still hectic, hubby is working today and the boys and I are getting all the gifts away and trying to get the majority of the decorations down and packed for another year as well. So, I thought I would let you all see the pictures we had taken this year, those that were getting them for gifts should have received them by now so I don't feel like I'm spoiling any surprises.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends (and great food of course) and I wish all that venture here all the best for you and yours in 2007!