Glitter glitter everywhere-

Another area I enjoy decorating through out the year are the wreaths hung on two doors of my home and then at Christmas time especially - a spray is hung over the garden gate doors.
I have a system in the garage for storing all of my seasonal wreaths since it's quite an investment and it's easy to decorate hen they are not all dusty and squished!  With pulling out the December items, they needed attention.  So I started un doing and redoing and made a couple of purchases with more items than I needed as long as I could return what I didn't need with a recent being asking during the transactions.  As long as the items are returned before the Holiday I was told.  No Problem!

The one that was there was so DONE and had served us well for the 15 years it's been there! The photo above on the left shows how bare the decorations were after years of weather, wind and time.  The ribbon started as a burgundy but was so aged all the sparkle was gone, what to do, revamp all of them!
First the front door with the little counted cross stitch pillow was removed from the wreath and all the other bits, then it was decorated with new bows, ribbons, and red and lime Christmas tree balls of different sizes.    The wreath now has white lights allover with a lit red bow.  Adding plenty of candy cane striped doodads to make it even more festive makes me feel wonderful seeing it on the front door.  Very traditional looking scene with the typical red/green colors of the Holiday sign on the outside porch and the Birch wood Reindeer with a coordinating red bow around it's neck welcoming all.

Now for the family entrance side and on the driveway entrance Fuchsia was the color theme.  The spray over the garden gate will be up all winter.  So luckily I found a silver gold ribbons, pearls, fuchsia ornaments, glittery doodads, and varying ornaments made this one really unique.  What do you think?  I think it could easily segue into the Mardi Gras season and beyond!    It truly is OVER the top!  pun intended...

Using many of the same style of decorations for the wreath that hangs on the kitchen door that had to be revamped.  I used plenty of bows,  multi-sized ornaments (some dangling), different flower picks of glittered drums and sprigs, as well as the same "cow udder things" (as DH mentioned last year that were recycled)  to add movement each time the door is used.

It looks really nice and am so happy with those results!  

It's a blessing that even with the recent snow squall that came through, it's holding up perfectly!

This is the system we use to store them.  All of the wreaths fit into monthly marked containers.  The swag and Christmas wreath with those ball hanging down thingies are stored on the garage rafters in plastic bags which require a ladder.   DH and I built two shelves over the garage doors.  One for summer stuff and the other one for winter items.  

System in the garage for storing all the door wreaths.  DH bent some garden hooks and put up a suspended left over  curtain rod.  I can get at these without having to use a ladder, just a nice little hook on a long pole
makes it easy to get down and easy to get back up!

Just had to share with the grands being here last week while school was out, here's a giant Furby cleaning off the car when he arrived at 7:30 am in his pajamas.  That boy runs HOT! and doesn't like to wear a coat.

PGS#3 arriving with here during the school's  Christmas break.  Just turned  7 on 12/8 and is in the first grade.

He's a great little worker.

 Editing this on 1/3/16 since December flew by!

Horse Quilt- CHECK!

It's done.  The finishing touches being stitched by PGD#1 on the quilt she's making for the 10 year old boy in Nicaragua. 
She sewed on most of the binding and finished it by machine stitching a new to her stitch- the buttonhole stitch, Bernina's #45.   The binding was sewn on the back and then flipped over the edge to top stitch and catch it on the front. 

Looks great Honey.

 

It was finished with 24 hours to spare.  The Cupcake Kids, the group name of our younger members guild of our local guild were to be the night's program for the December's Christmas meeting.  Of course with that snow storm coming through our region, the meeting was cancelled.

 

Here she is showing her grandfather the completed quilt on Tuesday afternoon after school.

 

Awesome Job Kiki!


I did the quilting for her since most of the others in her group sent their quilts out to be quilted, so there's no regrets about me doing it for her.   (I really don't know why I put off chores like this like I do, it went along nicely.)

Just a 1/4" echo stitch was quilted on all the yellow bands, then a large meander on the top horse fabric, the green haddock sides (this fabric I had in my stash for decades!), as well as the bandanna print used on the bottom section.  That bandanna print I had recently purchased to bind a community quilt in October.  It seemed more suitable for this so I used something else to bind that other one.  I tried to "stitch in the ditch around the oval brown band surrounding the centered horse but I got a little off on some of the lines, Oops, oh well it's good enough and its done! 
To finish it off with a bit more quilty detail, a tighter meander was done around the horse using the same colored thread as the rest was quilted.    All pictures are click able for a closer look if you want.  Not perfect but DONE!

An American Eagle printed Fleece was used for the backing and it's seems a perfect choice since this was made in America and going to someone in a South America.   No labels are required per the groups' decision which is fine by me.    I hope the recipient enjoys it for years to come.  Initially we had a crayola panel and  thought it too immature for a 10 year old boy, so we just hope he likes horses.  VBG


Other things going on around here were to revamp the Christmas wreath on the front door.  I deemed it outliving it's purpose as the metallic horns were rusted beyond redeemable.  Took over an hour to remove all the decorations to "fix" and update our look.  Some of the older red berry cluster were ravaged by feathers or fur, not sure which, but they are all gone.

Last week Michael had 50% off all their floral pics and holiday fixings besides some additional incentives so DH and I made out rather well.  Purchased a bunch and remade our front door wreath.  All the extra cream/gold poinsettias are going back with the crystal branches that were rejected.  Here's the finished project a totally new look.  DH being an old farmer mentioned he doesn't care for the udder thingy hanging down but I like it so it's staying.

School was closed two, I mean TWO days this week.  Talking with my Mom she mentioned that she hopes I keep my sanity and I didn't know what she was talking about.  LOL  Anytime the youngest two got restless and started any horse play, you could hear me say take it OUTSIDE.  and they did.  Were out a couple of times  in a couple hour stretches. 

Yeah Meme!  Your a smart one, tire em out and enjoy a respite to boot.  Not too long after being outside, the littlest one came to the door and said, do you want to see me climb my tower?  Of course I said yes.  Next thing I knew there he was 25-30 feet in the tree. 

"You get down, you're too high", yep and then I said it, "you're going to fall down". 

Guess what.  Two steps down on 2 tree branches then he crashed through all the boughs to the ground.  Thank goodness he was well padded had a softer landing with all the snow and didn't land straddling a tree branch along the way . 

So it ended well.  I shared the story with our daughter when she stopped to get the children after work, and she was amazed that we let them do that.  What did I tell her, "Well Sometimes you just have to let children be children".
Then giggled. 

Happy Halloween!

It's the end of October so besides the trick-or-treaters coming around tonight, today we'll be enjoying the Grandparents' Day at school with the youngest grandchildren.  A costume parade, meeting the teachers as well as a nice turkey dinner we don't have to prepare with both PGD#1 and PGS#3 will be nice.  Yesterday was actually our eldest grandson's 21st Birthday too, or where does that time go?  He is doing well and is still attending his school in Ma. hopefully being able to graduate with life skills next year.




Seems like each month time continuously speeds up to higher warp levels lately and I am always feeling way too rushed.  Several friends have lost their mothers recently so my time has been well spent just being there and attending the end of life services that have been bittersweet.  




I am so grateful that I still have my Mom to enjoy.  She actually is heading back to Florida this am as she was able to come visit for the past 10 days.  Didn't get to see her that much, only several times as she enjoyed time with all of my  other siblings along the way, so that's okay, I can share nicely.  With my schedule and transporting the kids to their respective groups; speech, hockey, gymnastics and hip hop class not to mention all the other trips to town needed it's no wonder I went to bed at 7:45 last night!  Of course I won't mentioned the margaritas I shared with Mom for our last  meal.  I crashed when I got home.




The Scaredy Sheep Scissor Fob is completed and looks nice. CHECK! that one off my list.
Table Runner for that new to me sofa table was made when I got the Halloween decorations out, CHECK! that's off my list too.
The Boo! Table Mat hasn't been started yet, but I still have 20 more hours until October ends, LOL (aren't I ever the optimist or should I say fool).

The pics towards the top of this post shows additional projects I started and finished.  That carved pumpkin showing a witch stirring a cauldron over flames done on one of those perpetual pumpkins.  I started it then had DH complete it since I don't have the power with my arms to control the dremel tool.  It was too difficult to manage with my neck spine difficulties and he didn't mind.  Thanks Honey!.
Also with the help of the youngest two grandchildren we created a beautiful wreath for our front door.  It has black roses, many skeletons, and skulls along with a myriad of spiders and glittery bits of whimsical color spinning outwards.  Looks great if I say so myself and I am pleased.  As for sharing the photos, DH has been taking pictures off our older computer and added them to this one and now I can't get to any of my pictures in the normal pattern.  When trying to download the camera, RITZ pics comes up and downloads them there, not my usual autoplay download so I am totally lost!  It also seems to distort the photos where they are more grainy than ever.  How irritating!  It's been fixed!  Not sure how I can fix that.  I  just need a few more hours, days and perhaps even weeks to manage that.   Grrr........! 
Perhaps I best go back to bed now and catch a few more Zzzzzz's. 

If any body has a tip to get our auto feature fixed, I'd sure appreciate it.

Good Night,
Jane

PS:  Last month's book club selected Morning Glory by LaVerle Spencer my Librarian recommended and I truly enjoyed it.  Right now I'm reading November's selection of Still Alice by Lisa Genova and it's pulling me in. It's about a mid life college professor being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and talking about screening for the APP, PS1 and PS2 mutations. I think I'll be googling that to read more about it. Even though I'm retired, that lab technician nerdy side of me still wants more information. MUWAWhaha ha ha........

Brody PGS#3 with Addison, a friend he's had since daycare, preschool and now they're in Kindergarten together.  
(He's insisting on her not calling him "Brodybear" anymore, lol.)

Witchy McKenna, PGD#1 with a friend of hers she's had since they were infants, Lexus. 

Their Moms are great friends too.