I'm writing after the fact, here is a little look back on the best Christmas we have ever had, filled with love, presents, surprises and dear friends. We even got to ride a camel! Robin and I had never been to the Christmas walk before, but when we heard there were camel rides, we had to go. We would have had some great photos, but I mistakenly had left the camera on no flash after taking some dog pictures (the dogs don't like the flash, of course) so here is an impressionistic view:
This was great fun! I want to do it again, definitely. It would be great to ride one over a distance or at a little bit of a speed - maybe - but Robin had an advantage sitting in front of the hump. I was right on the hump and keep sliding. So if you ever get the chance, avoid the hump if you can, but don't miss out on the fun!
We prettied up the house of course, and have been enjoying the lights, tree, candles, and warmth. One evening in particular, I was sitting in the living room with just the light from the Christmas tree, I had a cup of tea, the dogs were all snuggled up with me, and I was looking through to the kitchen, lit by candles, and watching the snow falling softly through the kitchen door windows. It was truly blissful.
Sideways view, again.
Robin and Spuddie (photo above), and me with Honey, Spuddie, and Holly. Gosh I love my children!
The stockings were hung, you can see the folk Santa to the left, the one I mentioned last post from the craft show, painted on an old tobacco drying stick - a bit of Kentucky history...and all the plants in the kitchen were if full bloom, all four cacti and the violets. It was lovely.
It wouldn't be Christmas around here without the nativity sets, this one by Jim Shore is in the living room. We also each have one in our bedrooms.
My set in my bedroom is my favorite. Robin bought it for me all by herself a few years ago from her own money and it is the most beautiful one I have ever seen. I have it on the shelf on my bed headboard:
Robin and I also decorate our bedrooms for Christmas. Here are a few kitchy little corners in my room - yes mine is more cutesy and Robin's more sophisticated.
This little gourd Santa is painted by the same folk painter lady who did the tobacco stick Santa, though this one I've had a few years now. Here is my vintage red reindeer, I think probably about the same age as me!
Well, maybe someday I'll come back and fix this the right way! Notice too the darling little skunk, same age. Both of these are stuffed with sawdust.
Robin got a puzzle again, you can't see it but she actually put this together on top of the last puzzle she did of St. Basil's Cathedral. I couldn't even look at it - too confusing - but she did it in about a day and a half or so. This puzzle is of one of our favorite paintings. It is Sunday afternoon on La Grand Jette by Seurat. There is so much to study and enjoy in this painting.
Of course I have been stitching as much as possible. I am still stitching on the Country Cottage Needleworks cottage of the month series. I'm not doing them in order, really, except June and November. At Christmas I was actually working on August. I am doing them all on one fabric piece, just as I obtain the right floss colors. I have had to change some of the colors, though, as I am stitching on white, so in place of the white flosses I'm mostly using DMC 3033.
It takes me about a month to do each one, stitching a little each evening before bed.
This is a close up of November, and I also want to show what I did for April, my favorite so far, as it is Robin's birth month. I have changed the birds to Robins!:
I hope to finish July this weekend. More to come about this. I have also joined two stitch along blogs for 2013, I'll post those later - one is a Christmas ornament SAL and the other is for a series of Sheep Virtues by Little House Needleworks that will be similar to the cottages - one each month. I do get great joy from my stitching! I also love to read stitching blogs, and I have noticed something that nearly all stitchers do - I have done this for decades, myself. We all save the little snippets of floss in a jar or some receptacle. Who knows why? They are just lovely, and make one feel a sense of accomplishment - plus who doesn't love floss? Here's mine, for all my stitch friends who also share theirs (don't even try to understand this if you don't stitch). This is a vintage planter of Cosmos flowers I found on ebay quite awhile ago just for this purpose. :). Well, more to share, but time to go enjoy probably the last night of the Christmas tree. I'm glad to be posting again, now that there is a computer in the family once again...(thanks Robin for sharing!) Blessings and Peace for your Happiest New Year yet, God Bless 2013!
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