Short Row Scarf....

I finished the scarf just in time..ready to mail off to my dear friend Shannon...

It was a joy to knit knowing she will love the soft drape of 

this scarf.

Moments in December

Some sweet moments in December..

wishing you a happy New Years Eve..

Panama

When you travel...I feel you must always be aware that you are

 a guest in a different country

 and as a guest

you must show respect for their people and their cultures..

being respectful of how you dress, speak and take photos..

being polite, courteous, and respectful is all part of what

 I believe you must have in your personal internal carry on...

it will bring you much happiness and unexpected joy!

Happy 1st Birthday, Claire❤

What a pair..she has her Mom, Julie's beautiful big brown eyes, Jeremy's infectious smile but she is all her own little person...we are so unbelievably glad you are in our lives, Claire!

Travelling to Panama

We are heading to Panama for the month of January 2012 ...we have rented a condo on the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean..we will have a car and plan to explore the country in the month that we are there...it has always been one of the countries we had hoped to visit...

Both Jim and I we are really excited about this new adventure.

I am planning on continuing to blog and take lots of photos..

I am sure I will constantly be amazed by the country and its people.

Panama is the southernmost of the Central American nations, Panama is south of Costa Rica and north of Colombia. The Panama Canal bisects the isthmus at its narrowest and lowest point, allowing passage from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina. It is marked by a chain of mountains in the west, moderate hills in the interior, and a low range on the east coast. There are extensive forests in the fertile Caribbean area.

taking stock....

A couple of colored pencils...an old ledger...a bit of bling just because...the start of a new journal...another year coming to a close...taking stock of what a wonderful year it is and was.....I hope you found joy in your life this year....

Such sweetness....

Our little granddaughter, Claire, her first Christmas..She will be one on Thursday.
I love the look of amazement! I wonder if she is thinking " do you think these might all be for me?"

Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve.....

Oh happy day,

Christmas Eve

is

finally here!

joyfullness!

Around the house, little spaces of joy and happiness..even more so this year as we are so grateful for Harry's

continued recovery.

mollie makes

{you can buy it on-line today)

here

Finding the right tree.....

Finding just the right tree can be tricky...so I decided to make a few little ones of my own..

just waiting for the snow to fall...

waterless snowglobes that can inspire your imagination!

A little holiday cheer...

Out shopping/looking in Anthropology and Pottery Barn...nothing came home with me...but it is always fun to see the displays....I hope some of your gifts will be handmade....I often think I cherish those ones the most....

Wrap it up!

This little package is heading out in the mail and another one on order..

if you like it..here is how you can get it..

Avery shipping labels #11005

Studio D {Joann's} Stamp

Ek Sucess Mason Jar Inkadinkado Stamp {Amazon.com}

wrap some Baker's twine around the the labels..

put in a  pretty box and send it off in the mail!

Who wouldn't want a sweet gift like this!

Or...make one for yourself!

Lovely gifts

These are a few of the special gifts that arrived by post from my sweet friend Cindy..

a handmade card, 

a felted pillow she made from a wool blanket, then she sewed the trees as well as the beads on to it...

a thrifted Swiss tablecloth, matches and other mementos.

she wanted me to enjoy the gifts she made me as soon as I got it...

thanks to my darling Cindy for creating such treasured items for me to enjoy!

Knitting....

I have been working on this little scarf for a couple of weeks.

As a beginner knitter, my confidence grows with each row...this is an easy scarf to knit.

I just had to learn to do a wrap and turn {w&t}.... 

once I completed 4 rows which is the pattern,
continue to the desired length,

this lovely scarf will become a gift.

Had you had time to knit or crochet?

Snowglobe...

At the end of the last Christmas season,

I found 3 small Martha Stewart snowglobes..they are perfect in there sweetness.

Vintage....

These are a few of my vintage Christmas balls I found last year at the thrift store.  

I must admit they are getting harder to find. The gold one is broken on the other side,

but I know it still has some life left in it.

I adore this shape! have you found any great Christmas ornaments lately?

Christmas bling.....

Just a little glass Christmas bracelet around a shiny ornament is enough to make me smile....sometimes it is the simplest things that cost nothing at all that are meaningful and fun!

 How are your Christmas plans coming along?

Cookies to share...

Ingredients 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely shredded orange or lemon peel (optional)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Place eggs and egg yolks in the well and stir into the flour mixture. Add butter and, if desired, orange peel; stir until dough starts to form a ball. Stir in almonds.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three equal portions. Shape each portion into a 14-inch-long log. Place logs about 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets; flatten logs slightly until about 1-1/2 inches wide. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and light brown. Remove from oven and place cookie sheets on wire racks; cool 15 minutes.

3. Transfer logs to cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire racks and let cool.

4. Makes about 84 cookies.

recipe from bhg.com

Frosting!

I love using Picasa...then loading it up into Picnik (pro) and sometimes it is just fun to use all that they have to offer..many are free...I found this little Avon vintage dear last week..perfect for what I had in mind... I love the  effect of the snow on the photo as well as the frost...Christa and I share and experiment lots together..and share whatever new things we have learned......have you tried anything new on your photos lately..

Gingerbread house

This is just one of the amazing gingerbread houses that I took photos of at the Scottsdale Princess last weekend..The entire lobby was decked out....the smell of gingerbread filled the air, the fireplace was lit, it felt like Christmas here, even in the desert...hope where ever you are, you are are having a sweet day!

Cherished crafts..

Cindy and I both had a kiln and did ceramics..Cindy still does and I been gifted many of her beautiful works..I especially cherish the Christmas ones I have of hers..happy and colorful, they are such a lovely reminder of our friendship....


adding touches of color throughout the house...vintage balls found while out thrifting!


making new little trees out of chenille stems and vintage spools wrapped in Christmas ribbon....with a cupcake topper......have you crafted anything new? what are some of your cherished Christmas treasures?

sweet needle case gift

A few days ago I received this sweet gift in the mail from my talented quilting friend Alanna...I asked her if she thought she could make one for me...and a few days later I received this lovely gift...as well as some vintage spools...quilted all over in fine stitching as well as my name machine embroidered on the front..this little treasure will be cherished for many years....thanks so much Alanna.....

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars...

I made these bars yesterday using the wonderful homemade jam from my Cindy...This is my styled photo shot on a christmas plate that Cindy made me..am I lucky or what! Jim has approved these bars as totally delicious!


These are the beautiful bars from Heather Bullard's blog found here


Raspberry & Almond Oatmeal Bars

1 1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 jar (13oz) best quality raspberry jam
1/2 c. sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Mix together flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix until blended into dry ingredients. Cut butter into small pieces and using a pastry cutter or fork, mix in with the dry ingredients. Mixture will be very crumbly.
Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture and add in 1/2 c. coconut. Set aside.

Press remaining mix into the bottom of the pan. Spread jam evenly over the crust. Then top with remaining coconut crumb mix.
Bake for 23-27 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Cut into bars.
Makes 18-24 bars. Enjoy!