Happy New Year!!

Enjoy!

What I Don't Want to Put Away!

I got the above piece from Nathalie this past week!

The girl knows exactly what I like!

Buttons, birds, stitching as in thread and lace, etc.

And... house shapes!

The sweet little cup that says Mother on it has a little nest with an egg in it!

Obviously this can stay out year round!

Sorry...I could've done a better photo,

but I'm trying to get my blog updated

before Margaret in Switzerland gets her's done.

Speaking of MARGARET..... she sent me some goodies, too.... below is a little piece she made...

It's so sweet in person.... must hurry...

These little women were complaining that they had not been shown on my blog

this Christmas! So here ya go! I love them and hate putting them away....

Behind them you can see some paper houses friends sent me last year. None of them sent me paper houses this year. Why is that? Well, I guess Nathalie will say it's because she sent me a wooden house shape this year?

Below are some wonderful, special things from Anthropologie that my kids gave me...

The bird behind the bunny is actually from Crate & Barrel... but we love him, too!

Each year Anthropologie

has some wonderful

wrapping accessory...

below is this year's...

we could make these!

They are all sitting on a little tree quilt I made MANY years ago!

I should show you all those .... maybe next year!

Okay...gotta publish, I think Margaret is still working...

Joy to the World!

Peaceful Christmas!

Image from Patty.

Go see her December journal!

Merry Christmas from Art Dog!

The Wonder of it All!

I treasure the old.....

from my mother's collection from the 60's...

and the new....

from Silver Bella Class 09...

Angels I bought on Ebay years ago ....

the ones in the back state on the bottoms they are from U.S. Zone Germany....

the red and white angels are from Japan.

The nativity was from a ceramics class that I apparently excelled in!

Don't lose the wonder!

There Has Been Born for YOU a Savior!

My Silver Bella buddy,

Natalea,

celebrated 400 blog posts

by having a giveaway in November here!

And..... I WON!!

So I sent her a favorite quote ....

More of Natalea's work can be found in the next issue of Art Journaling, published by Stampington & Company, which will be on newstands January 1, 2010!

I am NOT sticking that in a journal!!!

wreaths....felt...embroidery...

This is my wreath from Pam Garrison's class at Silver Bella 09.

I got the vintage bells from RubyFloy!

See my hands and camera in the middle below!

Have I become lax????

Anthro Shopping and Old Friends

This post is really for those in the Houston area

that do not realize

Anthropologie

has opened a store in Town & Country!

Who knew?

My photos are always taken quickly because I'm afraid they are going to ask me to stop!

In case you are new to my blog, you may not understand

my obsession with paper and with birds.....

but I was really excited about the current decor...

These two pictures are of their peacock creation....

I didn't take a picture of the actual bird body on the top of the furniture....

the tail captivated me!

And...look at these ostriches...

Do you see how they copied my paper wreath?

..and here is a personal aside....

I met my dear old friend Pam for lunch yesterday...

Pam, see you even wore a hat at my wedding!!!

That's because I wore a hat...

Here we are today... or yesterday....

over 30 years later.... Pam is now a missionary in Mexico!

You should go check this out!

I told you about Jo Packham, our guest speaker at the Silver Bella Luncheon....

she's the editor of "Where Women Create"....

she's having a wonderful

Twelve Days of Christmas giveaway on their blog!

You simply must

go see and leave comments

so you can have a chance to win wonderful things!

I'm telling you this because it's Christmas

and

I'm in the giving spirit!

Hope, Preparation and Joy

There is a darling little girl that turned 7 last week....

that sits with her family across the aisle from me in church most Sundays....

or somewhere close by...

and sometimes she comes and sits with my husband and I.

I made the little glitter house above for her last week.

It's on a box and I put some little girl things inside

(I just so happen to HAVE a lot of little girl things in my art room!! Don't we all?)

Below is my matchbox for the first day of Advent...

you saw that here.

Nathalie is showing each one of the matchboxes each day on her blog.

You really should visit her each day to see.

You should also visit Nathalie's Etsy Shop!

She finds the most wonderful treasures

and

she also makes some beautiful things she offers in her shop also.

Go forth and shop!

Early Morning Visitor

Upon getting a second cup of coffee and glancing out the back window...

I saw something strange on the fence.....

I took A LOT of pictures!

I'll spare you the ones with his head

turned totally around

and the ones

of him peering down.

Didn't get any of the annoying Texas State Bird

accosting him.... our noisy Mockingbird!

Mr. Owl could not be bothered by Mockingbirds

or by the woman in the window

with her camera!

I was hyperventilating when he flew down to the patio! After grabbing the big bug and eating it... he looked at me as if to say, "Take a picture, why don't you?" ..and he left! I'm still watching for him tho.... First the snow.... then an owl! What's next? Christmas!!!

Snow!

.... snow is quiet.... snow has almost melted... it was a good day in Houston!

Snow?

I've seen some snow in the kitchen the last few days....

I'm making a few little glitter houses for some friends!

And I received a wonderful package this week.... a sweet surprise from Cindy Ericsson!

You can tell by the outside of most packages you receive if it's from one of your art friends!

Inside was more wrapping....a beautiful map of Hawaii and

a photo card she had made!

I love the layered dress!

Isn't she pretty!

And...look..... snowflakes!!!

Could this be a foretelling of what's to come?

It's NEVER snowed two years in a row in Houston, Texas!

Really? Yep, never since they've kept records!

hmmmmmmmmmm!

Birthdays for little sisters

My little sister had a big birthday last week.....

She thinks she's old!

I should be so young!

Of course I had to MAKE something to commemorate the day!

Something with the NUMBER on it!

I knew when I was in Omaha at Silver Bella that

I was going home and make this for her....

I had already made the sewing machine cover.... I left some of the embellishing

up to her since she is a quilter! We'll see what she does!

All the crocheted flowers and trim were

done by our Mother. We lost her in 2003.

I cut up an old doily and edged the machine cover with it.

Some of the buttons and "stuff" are from her button box

and the pink felted wool bird is from an old family blanket.

Happy Birthday to Fonda!