Happy New Year!

Wishing you peace and happiness in the new year...

Home again...

Arrived home safely on Sunday evening after spending a wonderful few days in Vermont with the kids.  We had our Christmas tree...

which the Fox in Sox kept a close watch over.  I remember how the kids used to open gifts and beg to have their pictures taken...not this year!

Max was happy to have HIS picture taken, with his new penguin! 

We had more snow in NJ than we did in Vermont, but it was just so pretty up there.  I was fascinated with the frost on the trees as we would drive through the higher elevations!  I guess that's why Andrew calls me a "Flatlander".

When I arrived home there were some wonderful gifts waiting for me.  First was this incredible pair of Evangeline mitts from Amy at abc creations.  They're gorgeous and I absolutely love them!

And second was this beautiful package from my Charming Girls Secret Santa Swap partner, Kate.  She sent a tissue box holder in a gorgeous Christmas fabric (I need to go buy tissues to fit it!), along with a little chicken pincushion, a 2" Omnigrid ruler with a ribbon on it (I hung it on my tree!) and a fat quarter of fabric.  Thank you so much Kate, I love everything!

I got back to real life today...worked a Weight Watchers meeting, then ran to the quilt store to drop my Pfaff off for service.  Tomorrow is my first day at the real estate agency where I'll be working...I can't wait!  The new year holds a lot of promise and I'm looking forward to seeing where it leads me!  I hope that the new year brings you wondrous journeys as well!

Christmas Memories

Kelly has asked for our Christmas memories...the one that stands out from both my childhood and my children's childhoods is waiting at the top of the steps for permission to come downstairs to see if Santa came.  You see, we'd be awake early and had to wait for my parents to get up.  Then my mom had to go downstairs and start coffee and my dad had to set up those BIG lights (remember those?) so that they could take pictures of the festivities.

When we had children, it seemed like a fun thing to continue.  I would get up and make coffee, tea and hot chocolate, my husband would take the dogs out and the kids would sit at the top of the steps and wait, not so patiently, for us to say they could come downstairs. This picture was from 2007. Last year was the first year where we don't have a step picture...because we opened gifts on Christmas Eve after mass.  This year will be different too...not only will be open gifts on Christmas Eve, but we'll be at Andrew's where there are no steps!

I was so looking forward to having a white Christmas in Vermont...who would have thought that we'd get two feet of snow in New Jersey the week before Christmas?  It was nice to be snowed in over the weekend.  But then, I had all my Christmas shopping done and everything wrapped...I know that the storm was a major inconvenience for a lot of shoppers!

I've completed my December project...the center of Andrew's quilt is finally together!  I'll be bringing it up to try out on his bed...it turned out pretty big, so I'm not sure if I'll be adding borders to it.  I do love it the way it is...I hope he does!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Charming Christmas

Joan asked us "Charming Girls" to post pictures of our favorite Christmas "corners" in our homes.  I didn't do much decorating this year since we won't be celebrating Christmas at our house, so this is easy...I only put out my favorites!

Right now the treee is up, the red and white lights are on and it's waiting to be decorated.  We'll do that tomorrow night when we're all home. 

There is ONE ornament on it though...

Right now it's a Phillies kind of Christmas!

I do love my nativity set, which we got from Avon when we were first married in 1985...we keep talking about getting a new one, but haven't managed to...it just wouldn't seem like Christmas without this one!

In the foyer there's a little table with my snowmen...I think they may stay out all winter!

And above that table are two very special Santas...

That's a peek into my favorite Christmas corners...I hope you enjoyed it!

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

The Fat Quarter Shop said I should post a letter to you, telling you what's in the shop that I'd like for Christmas.  There are so many choices!  I'd put down everything, but I like my friendly, neighborhood UPS man too much to make him work so hard!  I think if I were to wish for anything, it would be this Winter Joy Fat Quarter Bundle.  I love the fabrics and the colors...they would make such a sweet quilt for winter!  Maybe with a nice flannel backing...so comforting.  A cup of hot chocolate and a good book, wrapped in my Winter Joy quilt, snug by the fire...I may not move until Spring comes!

So, I think I've been a good girl...and if you bring me this little gift, I'm sure there will be some really good cookies waiting for you!

Love,
Carolyn

Walking down the street we saw this...

I really wanted to run through the brick wall and see if the train was on the other side...

Distractions

I've been watching these guys this morning...they seem to be having so much fun!

December Goals

I hate having posts with no pictures, but that's what I've got today.  My first December goal has been reached...I passed my NJ State Real Estate Licensing Exam!  My only quilting goal for December is to finish Andrew's quilt, which you can see here. Anything beyond that will be a surprise!  I do have 2 customer quilts to quilt, I plan to get started on those this weekend.  And I still have to do EVERYTHING related to Christmas...the shopping (I've done a little!), cards, baking, decorating, etc.  How many days until Christmas???  You know, this having to go to work thing really gets in the way!  :o)