One more ornament....

I put some of my mother's old buttons and things

inside an empty glass ornament

and

then glued a crocheted snowflake on top...

which is one of many my mother crocheted when she was living.

I gave it to my sister on Christmas Day!

I saw them HERE!

And I'm sure Patty led me there!

Thank you girls!

The Christmas Story

The Christmas Story (2010 version) - as told by the children of St Paul's Church. If you can't see the full screen, click HERE. I got it from Patty, who got it from a friend.... Merry Christmas Everyone!

Gingerbread Houses

BFF Virginia made these for her oldest grandson's Kindergarten Class Party!

They were centerpieces... I believe....

Made from those paper mache houses at Hobby Lobby!

Aren't they great!

She sent me these a month or more ago....

and I keep forgetting to share!

I knew you'd love them!

It's not too late to make some....

Mary and Joseph on Facebook

You need to double click on this video and watch it on You Tube so you can see the entire screen...otherwise you can't see the writing on their facebook walls.

Here is the link if you need to copy and paste it in... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sghwe4TYY18&feature=player_embedded

QB5 Christmas Swap

The QB5 girls did a "junkle ornament" swap for December....

Patty and I (the ones with nothing better to do) got our ornaments sent out into the world... where they have arrived at their destinations.

So I will show you!

Patty did the adorable little bird nestled in tinsel!

Hanging below the little nest is a thimble bell she created!

And it all is suspended from the sweet twisty wires!

Margaret took pictures in the snow of these and I swiped her shot of mine (don't tell her).... Mine is done in a little tart pan.

I bought an ornament from Cari Kraft about 3 years ago that inspired this!

I used some disks I bought at Quilt Festival to glue an image under

and then mounted on a cork I cut down

and glued in the center.

I surrounded it with paper I shredded and even some shredded paper that is so thin and wonderful that I bought from Cari last year.

And the entire swap was inspired by this woman!

Doncha just love junk!

How's Your Decorating Going?

I had to laugh this morning!

I think that pillow says it all....

I don't think I've shown you these.... and if I have, just let me think I haven't....

I used to quilt abit....

I love that I did these.... I pull them out of the rubbermaid boxes this time of year and place them around the house....

Do you have any Christmas stuff that you made 20 years ago that you are showing on your blog?

Tell me so I can come see!

Look at that (not too closely)...

points, log cabin and applique!

Now I mostly use glue.

Music Paper

Do you get the Pottery Barn catalogue?

Or have you been in their store this season?

They are selling bags of puffy stars!

I can't find them on their web site though.

But...upon seeing them... I went home and did a "search".

You should search "puffy stars" and start making them!

They are sooooo simple and sooooo fun!

I used vintage music paper.... that is a key part of them working... using the right weight paper.

I feel like I'm working in harmony with laborers in China

when I sit and do these!

I've also been making wreaths..... do a search .... it's everywhere!

Nathalie got me to making stars a couple of years ago.

Do you origami?

(is that a sentence?)

If I Have Not Love....

First Corinthians 13

~ Christmas Version ~

Author Unknown If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family I'm just another cook. If I can work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love does not envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful that they are there to be in the way. Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who cannot. Love bears all things, believes in all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure forever. So this Christmas, be sure to share the love! Merry Christmas to you and yours.

At the mall...

How was it?

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

William Arthur Ward

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are American.

If not, I hope you had a great weekend anyway!

I will omit the traditional photos...

and just say that I spent some time in the car...

going from one house to another...

and doing some stitching while being driven!

(the little house is on a zippered bag I bought from Carole) It's getting time for Christmas blog posts!!!!

A Video of My Aggie Family

We had a great time at Kyle Field Saturday night!

The Nebraska fans were great! A classy bunch of people!

Now if they could just get rid of their horrible coach!

I feel bad for them!

But we had fun. I've never seen the students rush onto Kyle Field...but they broke a college record for most students at an athletic event! So there were a lot of kids sitting on the track already... one thing led to the other. (on the video...to the left is the Student Section) But it was done well and there didn't appear to be any problems other than with the coaches for Nebraska... seems one (related to the head guy) attacked a camera man. But you'll need to look elsewhere for more details. This is an art blog.

ha!

BTHO tu

Aggie Game Saturday Night

If you read my blog all the time, you know my family is an Aggie Family.

That's Texas A&M University.

My husband was in the Corps of Cadets in the 70's and a Ross Volunteer.

My kids graduated from A&M and so did their spouses.

I married into it.

We have season tickets to the football games.

All six of us sit together... which is a joy!

this was a couple of weeks ago at the OU game.

Mascot below....

This was three years ago when we beat tu at Kyle Field. So Saturday night ....it's BTHON!

ABC.... it'll be fun...we hope!

Chalkboard Paint

No, I didn't paint Henry!

But he is black.....all over...

no other color except inside his mouth and he has black spots even on his tongue!

Makes photography a challenge!

Sunday was his first birthday

and his parents

gave him a party!

Lots of people and I think about 7 dog guests!

Everyone had a great time!

And all the dogs... pretty much... wore hats... at least for awhile!

So...about the chalkboard paint.... I finally found it...at Lowe's! a few weeks ago... I painted an old gaudy gold frame glossy white. I painted a canvas with the chalkboard paint..... I need to work on my chalk writing skills. I think I need some better chalk, too... but I can't seem to remember to look for it when I'm out.

Below is an old aluminum tray that belonged to my mother-in-law!

I knew I needed to have that!

Who knew it was sooooo bumpy in the middle!

This is what it looks like on the back....

I'm hanging it in the kitchen.

I wrote Chalk on it as a reminder!

And after I made those.... I saw this..... go look! Look at this plate!! Have you used chalkboard paint yet?

What's Eating YOUR Flowers?

I think I need a new camera for these kind of shots!

What a little stinker!

He looked just like Peter Rabbit sitting there on his hind legs

with a mouthful of marigolds!

......Charley wouldn't have allowed such behavior!

Inspired Ideas

Just in case you are living under a rock and are "unaware"! Do NOT miss Amy's latest issue here!

No Photographs Please!

I can understand that sign on some of the quilts in the show.

I can even understand it in SOME booths.

In fact there were a couple I felt like I should tell the owner they should have that sign!!!

(but I didn't)

But those... okay.... THAT booth.... that a l w a y s is covered in signs that say

DO NOT TOUCH,

NO PHOTOGRAPHS, NO SKETCHING....

I mean "Seriously?"

I keep meaning to google and see if they have a web site up.... it must be text only and HOW inspiring is that?

okay.... I feel better....

Here are some shots.... random order.... just like if you were with me... I didn't take any of the dining area though...

Can you guess whose booth the above was?

That was just to show you it really is International....

I always love the wool stuff..... this year I gave into it....

I love the junk tables, too!

Thought I'd throw in some quilts....

I could wear this one below!

Isn't it cooooool!

Last year Quilt Festival was earlier.... it was in October... which was so great!

You can go to November 2008 and 2007

to see those years' Quilt Festival posts.

(links on the left)

The gals below made my blog last year, too.

It's a mom and her two daughters.

Their headgear last year was only slightly different.

Then we leave.... we walk across the street to the hotel where we parked...

That's Minute Maid Park at the end of the street!

(where the Houston Astros play baseball)

The Convention Center looks like a giant ship, doesn't it!

....and we walk on this beautiful carpet each year in the hotel.....

The end of International Quilt Festival....

until next year!