My friend Linda has collected a yearly ornament for at least 10 years. I didn't understand why she liked them so much. It seemed strange to me.... hanging all of the old year ornaments on a tree. After all, everyone could tell when you purchased them.

Pottery Barn used to carry them....but no longer. I guess not many people saw them the way Linda did. Now she has me collecting them too. She hangs each year from her chandelier. As we celebrate the New Year at her home, I look up and see all of them hanging down. As Linda and Bill's friends sit around the table laughing, talking and eating the ornaments shine in the candlelight. They remind me of the years we have celebrated together and all of the years we have been friends.


This one is hanging from my chandelier. I'm so thankful for all of your comments and friendship this past year.

Wishing all of you much happiness and joy in the New Year!!!

Until later,
Alma

 A short update today....I still have company and not much time to update the blog site .... 
Winter - our final Loose Feather pattern for 2011 was sent to the distributor last week. They will be shipped to the shops soon.


 Above is the back cover of the pattern showing the two bonus projects.

The picture above shows all three patterns stitched together....Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Barb and I are busy planning another series of Loose Feather booklets for next year.

Until later!

Alma

 Sometimes I'm so busy running around trying to get everything right....I forget that maybe the most fun part is the chaos! Everyone in motion.









Finally! Whew!!!




They did great....especially when you realize what a sugar high they are experiencing. While decorating ginger bread houses you have to eat as much candy as you glue to the house. After the kids left, Dave fell asleep on the sofa. I think making all the cars for Miss "N" above wore him out.

Until later,

Alma

It's the simple things that can make the holidays memorable. I found this string tied with a bit of greenery at my local antique shop.


 

     The tree is finally decorated. It seems harder to get it all together....but so worth it. All the vintage glass balls have been hung with whatever wire we could find.

     The tinsel you can see in the lower left of the picture above is some I've used each Christmas for about 23 years. I haven't been able to find any more like it and it's my favorite. We pick it off of the tree at the end of each season and reuse it the next year. My husband and I laugh about which of our children might inherit the tinsel. We were trying to decide if they are tinsel worthy. Jeff.....you are definitely not getting it! (He's the one that globs it on the tree and then laughs!!!)

     Are you ready for the holidays? I looked at the calendar and I'm starting to get worried. It seems like I have 5 minutes to prepare before the kids arrive home again. I'll need food to feed them....lots of food. I spent all Thanksgiving around the stove and am thinking it will be the same at Christmas. I took a class last night at the Culinary Center of Kansas City on cookie decorating. Diana Cooper taught the class and she was great. The class started at 6:30pm and finished at 10:00. Every second was filled with great information about frosting, baking the cookies and small details that can made a cookie really sparkle. 

I was the first one done. (Not a good thing when you see my cookies.) I was boxing up my cookies and Diana saw my plain gingerbread boy. She wouldn't let me leave until I added eyes. Now the cookie is just too funny....I swear I can see the fear in those eyes, with good reason too. He must know that Dave can eat a cookie in one bite! 

 

     I never felt the need to purchase 3-D cookie molds. But after making the reindeer above, I'm sold on the idea. I showed Dave this Rudolph cookie and said, "Look what my life is coming to!" At least he adds much laughter to the season.

     I'm imagining one beside each Christmas plate on the dinner table. He could be an appetizer. (Now his eyes are beginning to look a bit fearful too aren't they?

     Diana baked all the cookie parts and we only had to decorate. She had about 30 people in her class. That's a lot of reindeer parts! When she demonstrated how to put Rudolph together and put on his eyes I about fell out of my chair laughing.


     Royal icing was used on the mitten. I had to first pipe the icing around the cookie to form a dam. Next "flow" a slightly watered down version of the icing inside the "dam" to cover the mitten. You can tell from the close-up I need to practice the piping part. When Diane came by my table she looked at my cookies and said she liked the coconut on the mitten. She was the best....I knew she was trying to find something positive as I was working.