Christmas 2014

Whew - what a day! All that build up and usually at our house there is a flurry of activity in the morning and then it is pretty calm for the rest of the day. NOT SO yesterday.  I am not sure what happened, but I was exhausted by the end of the day. And I woke up exhausted which is why this blog is late. I had to go back to bed!!!

I think it was almost TEN AM before we even started to look at the presents. Yep - that's how excited everyone is in our house.   And at last - I get to reveal some items that have been in the works for a LONG LONG time.

Here are my SANTA SACS..................   These are patterns by Quilts by Jen. I picked them up at the CreativFestival in 2013.  I had two of them made for Christmas 2013. And then well - I didn't use them so they went back into the Christmas box with the stockings. I was DETERMINED to get the last two done for this Christmas and I am happy to say that I completed them a couple of days ago!!!!

Our Santa Sacs (replaces our stockings!)

However one of the bags I made last year - well let's just say that we couldn't use it this year so I made a patch for it so we could use it.

The Girls' Santa Sac - initially they were NOT going to get one

And do you think I could find the fabric in my stash that I had made the bags out of? Nope!  Wasn't' in the quilt stores either so I found a substitute. And then - yes - you guessed it!!!!  I found the missing piece of fabric in a project box!!!!   Oh well - I will leave that fabric with the Santa Sac and in the event that I need to change this name again - I will be prepared!!!!  Oh - I should leave some of the applique fabric as well!!!!   Now that there isn't a rush - I may take it apart and redo the lettering. I know - it is just a Santa Sac but.....

So do you want to hear my families' comments?  "So cute" and "Where did you get those??"   Seriously????   Where did I get them? Oh well.............   at least they did appreciate them.

M with her Santa Sac - oh yes - those sacs were loaded with great stuff - bulky stuff like socks and underwear. 

Then it took forever to get the requisite Christmas photo in front of the tree. I don't know how many pictures I snapped and NONE of them were good.  But this is what I got!!!!

Sammy definitely did not want her picture taken!!!!

Sammy: do we have to have another picture. I just want to open presents!!!!

Ooops - where did Sammy go????

And then Sparky had to stick out her tongue. Oh yes - this was a comedy of errors

Sparky: "it's all Sammy's fault. She keeps moving!"

OK - everyone smile and it's a wrap!!!!!

Oh here is another with just the girls. 

And my majestic Sparky!!!!   She is exhausted today! Wait until you see what happened.

Here is M and me in our new Christmas PJs which I finished in the morning.  NO - I did not make the T-shirts. Just the pants. 

Opening the Santa Sac. Hurry up!!!!!!

Oh my! Those treats are for US!!!!

Sparky with her Christmas dog cookie

M opening her Santa Sac - notice she stole my Christmas bow

M and Sparky!!!

Sparky: Hey - do you want a picture of me now? I'm ready

Sammy having fun with her new Santa toy!

So the box that M is holding in her hands has a story. I probably tell the story every Christmas, but here it is again. When she was almost two or maybe three, I was making a quilt for her for Christmas. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get it completely done for Christmas. And I have always loved boxes with the wrapping on the lids so you could just plop the lid on and the present would be wrapped. As predicted - I spent that Christmas morning sewing on the binding. when I heard her get up - I simply folded the quilt - put it in the box, plopped on the lid and the present was wrapped!!!!

M with the ANTIQUE wrapped box - OK - not an antique but about 17 years old!!!

And look - it's a quilt!!!!   (by the way - the binding is completely sewn on - but still needs a label!!!)

M: "oh it is fuzzy (plush) on both sides!!!!"

Do you think she likes it????

I got that quilted up last week or the week before. And the binding on. I stitched a lot of it while I was getting my new All-Season tires the other day!!

Sammy just taking a breather!

M opening her last present. 

By this time it was getting late and we had to juggle a late  lunch, dinner and a movie.

I made some snacks for lunch.  We had shrimp and mushrooms.  I know - not very balanced, but it is Christmas after all!!! Hey - it could have been chocolate and wine!

Mushroom appetizer

Me in my TWO matching scarves. I got a purple one and an orange one. My new PJs just happened to be pink, purple, yellow and orange. Both scarfs matched my new PJs so I wore them both for the rest of the day - yes the tags were still attached. 

As we were working in the kitchen - M was reading out the recipe while I made it - I happened to glance out the window and NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!    There is Sparky, proud as punch, walking around the backyard with something in her mouth. A rabbit - a BIG rabbit.  Seriously???   I thought she would be too old to catch a rabbit.

Sparky with her rabbit

She was looking for a hiding spot for it. Eventually she found one and came in. Then I caught her with it again and managed to trick her into coming into the house. (there is NO WAY she would let me take it from her). Then I proceeded to get rid of the rabbit.  While I hate doing that kind of stuff - I did live on a farm so that task did conjure up a couple of unpleasant memories.

It was a beautiful day and she was determined to find that rabbit again. So she spent a large portion of the day outside. And for some reason, she was very interested in this green bush.

Sparky having fun in the backyard

Oh yes - she got right in the bushes. I didn't look to see what was in there

Even little Sammy had to get into whatever was going on as well

We had to try out the new family gadget. An automated tea maker. Yes - we are becoming a tea snob family. We have so much tea in this house!!!!  This is the Breville tea maker. You put your loose tea in the strainer, then you set the temperature and the timer and when it is time - the tea maker boils the water and drops the basket into the (correct temperature) water.  Then the tea is steeped and ready to drink!!!!   All automatic!!!!   How cool is that.

Automated tea maker

The control panel

I gave Sparky a bone to keep her occupied during the day. Of course, she had other plans and then I could hear her gnawing on it. But when I went upstairs - what did I see????    Oh yes - that would be Little Sammy gnawing on the bone with her few remaining teeth!!!!

Sammy gnawing on her (I mean Sparky's bone)

Then back to finishing dinner. Christmas dinner isn't such a big deal for us. I let M choose the menu since she doesn't want to eat the turkey.  So we had vegan shepherd's pie which is very good, quinoa and cauliflower and I did a small turkey breast for those that wanted turkey.

I had not given much thought to it - but all the food was the same colour!!!!!!!!!!   Oh well - we had fun and that is all that counts. 

M had one of her friends (Y) come over for the day. It was all great fun and then we got ready to go to the movie.

Y and M

We changed our minds several times over the preceding days as we picked the movie. Finally settled on Interstellar. Yikes - it is almost three hours long and of course - I had NO idea what the movie was about.

Let's just say that our brains were spinning when we got out of the theatre. The girls really enjoyed it. There were times when it was frustrating, sad, but above all - it was THOUGHT provoking.   If you haven't seen it - you should go.

And then home and to bed. I was exhausted!!!!!


On that note - it is almost lunch time! And I have barely done anything today!! Since I did nothing yesterday - I have a few things that must get done today.


Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!