Christmas Day and the elves are STILL working

Got up and proceeded to work on more secret projects. I made good progress before it was time to get the day going and I had EVERY intention of doing more work on them, but the rest of the day just went crazy and I'm going to finish the project TODAY!!!!!   No big deal  - the important thing - these items will be FINISHED and at this point in my life - I am OK with one or two days late, but FINISHED - well that is divine!!!!!!!


After a quick trip to Tim's to stock up on tea -we proceeded to open our stockings and presents. Let's just say that Santa was very good to every one this year.

Our traditional shot of the tree, the kid and the girls!!!!!

I don't know who was more excited, M or the girls. The girls were in the midst of the presents like they were two year olds!!!!!!

Sammy got a pretty bow for her collar and a new STRESS toy. Sparky got bones - poor Sammy doesn't have many teeth left so she doesn't get bones. But she loves her stress toys!!!!

When Berke came over - Sparky was right there - even got into the box that his presents came in!!!!!!

Two of the items that I finished the day before were the annual Christmas PJ pants. Then we forgot to get a picture of them (like we did last year). As soon as M gets up - we are going to get a picture. They are so easy to make and I had purchased the flannel MONTHS ago. It was washed and ready to go, but WHERE were the patterns. I searched high and low and could not find them anywhere.  (However - I did find a couple of other things that I want to make - but am I allowed to add them to the shelf?????)

I did find one thing last night that I want to make because I don't have one. And that is a small case to put my hand sewing stuff in. Needles, thread, scissors, etc. I have a nice pattern that I found in a drawer (I knew it was there), along with a few other patterns for the same type of thing (they are now in the proper place) and the drawer is empty. However I also found some printouts from an internet chat group dated 2001 (oh god) about different pattern ideas for a small sewing case. CRAP - over 12 years I have wanted to make one of these and never got around to it. That is just SAD!!!!!!!!     Enough of this procrastinating - this is the year to get STUFF done that I WANT TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did find a pattern envelope for MY PJ pants, but while everything else was there - the pants pattern was not. I am expecting that I will find them inside some fabric waiting to be sewn - but where could that be??????     Hmmmmmmm - anyway - added MORE scraps to the flannel scrap pile which is one of the things that I want to clear up this year.   AHA - found three PJ pant patterns in M's sewing drawer and I made due with those.


The other secret thing that I got done on Christmas Eve was a Couch Cozy. Do you know what a couch cozy is?????   Well - it was on the Oprah Winfrey show YEARS ago. Many years ago. You could buy them, but I also found a pattern for it. This thing has been cut out MANY years ago and has been shuffled around so many times. Matter of fact - there are TWO cut out. One for a GIRL (that would have been M) and the other was for an adult (that would have been me). But since she is way too big now for the GIRL one - I made the adult one for her. I will make up the girl one and give it away.

Honestly - she looks like a flying squirrel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For some reason - I added extra to the length of the thing and there was no need. It drags on the floor - I may cut part of the bottom off and resew on the feet bands. It basically is a bag of fleece with a zipper and arm and leg holes. Yes - there are bands for the feet as well as the arms. I could only find a separating zipper that long and I had never worked with that ribbing for the bands, but between the sewing machine and the serger - I made quick work of getting it together. And that means a UFO - is GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     Yipppppeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!


I may have to make Berke one and I see that M slept in hers last night!!!!!    It really is a neat thing and toasty warm. Hmmmmmm - might buy more fleece and make one for me!!!!!    BUT not until I fix hers and make up the small one.



Speaking of squirrels - the little buggers are in my backyard. Not only in the backyard, but on the bird feeder. I always thought they got on the feeder from the tree that is fairly close by. NOPE - I watched the squirrel jump up from the ground and then slid down the pole to the baffle (which is supposed to prevent them from getting up the pole).

On the ground

Jumped up to the pole and then slid down to rest its butt on the baffle - I need one of those CONES of SHAME for dogs to prevent them from getting up here. OR that baffle thing goes but I can't get rid of it until spring. 

Then I grabbed the other lens and got this picture after we chased the squirrel into the trees.    I love using that zoom lens. Just a pain to keep having to change it. 

Then it was pretty much time to go to the movie. We had purchased tickets a couple of days ago and even had reserved seats. OH BOY - not exactly the nice, Disney kid friendly movie. And I chose it!!!!!!!!!    We went to see Wolf on Wall Street. Oh my - that movie would made anyone blush - the amount of nudity, sex, drugs and cursing was out of this world!!!!!    I was probably the only one who didn't realize that was part of the movie. That is how clueless I am about movies. I guess next time we go - I won't be the one to choose the film!!!!!    And it was long - three hours. Normally I am antsy, but I have to say that it wasn't that bad. No - not because of the nudity, sex, drugs and cursing!!!!    Just an interesting story. About greed and money.


After that - we zipped home to find our turkey cooking merrily away in the oven. We spend a couple of hours in the kitchen - making appetizers, desserts and mains to go with the turkey. I was trying to wash up the dishes, but they were being dirtied faster than I could wash them. But it was great fun!!!!!!  

Yummy mushroom appetizers - they went very quickly!!!!   (made by M)

Berke and M enjoying the champagne. YES - I know - not only did I take them to an inappropriate movie, but then I fed them champagne for dinner!!!!!     I'm going to hell for that one!!!!     Well they have to grow up sometime!!!!!!

The vegan shepherd's pie that M made the day before. It has lentils in it and was quite tasty!!!!!

 YES - we also had turkey for the turkey lovers among us. Berke and M were quite helpful in the kitchen - they made the cranberry sauce and the gravy. Like I said - I was trying to wash dishes!!!!


Then we were sitting around waiting for the dessert to bake. We reminisced about Christmas' past. And could NOT remember what we did last year. So we got out the tablet and looked at the blog. Oh boy - did not even mention dinner so that is why I am mentioning it NOW.

Well - there are still 20 minutes for the dessert to bake. WAIT A MINUTE - we have a YULE LOG as well, so we brought out the Yule Log and had a piece or two of that while we waited for the dessert. (Hey - it is Christmas after all and I heard that calories consumed on Christmas Day do NOT count!!!)

The Yule Log

Cutting the Yule Log

And FINALLY the main dessert was ready.

Apple and pear crumble - made by Berke!!!!

Well I am not sure if I am happy with Santa - why?????   He brought me an APPLE product!!!!!

A cute little NANO iPod. I love it. BUT there were no play lists on it - so I have to figure that out myself. DRAT - oh well - how hard can it be?????    It is NOT making the play lists that are hard - it is getting the songs to make the play lists. Hopefully tomorrow we can have a go at that.   One thing I will say - the ear buds are VERY COMFORTABLE - the most comfortable I have ever worn. I love them!!!!!

Here is a note for all those movie/TV watchers out there. We went to that movie - three hours long. Guess what - I did NOT make my 10,000 steps yesterday!!!!!!!!!!     Yep - because I was sitting in a movie (having popcorn for lunch no less), my body was NOT moving and therefore NOT counting steps. Just saying................



On that note - I have NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING that needs to be done today. Well I still have those secret gifts to finish up, but NO PRESSURE. I am almost delirious with delight!!!!!!!!!!!



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!