Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas Day-9:30am

Christmas Eve came in dark, blustery, and freezing cold.
But this morning... 
...it's a balmy 15 degrees... 
...with some sun and blue sky! 
Merry Christmas!!
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I grew up opening presents on Christmas Eve night.  I had a package from Janie Junebug that she told me not to open till Christmas--something to play with, she said.  What a hoot!  A whole slew of MaryKay products she found on ebay--for lips, eyes, nails, face, and feet--and even a mirror and a small bag to hold them all.  I haven't worn makeup for years! 
I am typing with "ruby slipper" fingernails.  I feel like a 40s gangster's moll!  Thanks so much, Janie!!  :):)
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I've been working on Karma's present for several days--LOL!
Been a while since she's had her cat grass.  Happy girl! 
Today's real gift to her is the warmer weather.  It's just warm enough for the snow to stick to her feet (she's been out three times already this morning) so that she can race inside to eat her footprints.  ;)
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I've been busy up here.  Made up some more bookcards. 
Only made three holes this time.  I think that's called the pamphlet stitch, but I'm not positive.
Then I pick a color of embroidery floss... 
...to go with each one. 
Stack them up, grab my little scissors, one of my blunt needles... 
...and the zip lock bag full of embroidery thread scraps.  (Yes, I save them to cut into tiny pieces to use in handmade paper--like thread confetti!) 
 
Sewed the bookcards together while I watched TV one night.  Seventeen of them this time.  One's already in the mail.  :)  Now I need to work on making some more regular cards, too, so I have some of those to tuck letters inside.
I've also been working on the bookcase in the hallway now that I finally got the sturdier shelves.  Freed up a shelf--TaDa! 
And after I got this far I decided that I really should purge and freecycle all the magazines on that top shelf.  I haven't gone back to them for ideas for a few years.  (Easier to search online these days, to be honest.)  So I plan to split them up, double bag them, and post them to give away after the holidays here.  I have card making, beading, polymer clay, and watercolor magazines that I remember right off.  Some local artsy-craftsy folk might be interested.
****
Anyways, that will free up another shelf!!  My plan is to move all the Cuttlebug stuff and all the bookbinding supplies into this bookcase--if I can fit it all on those two shelves.  ;)  Gunna try!  
****
Can you hear the sound of dominoes falling?
****
I had a TV emergency on Christmas Eve-Eve.  I lost the picture but still had the sound...only because my sound is not coming through my TV and is coming through my computer tower right now--and I have no control over the volume until the cord (Dagan found one online) arrives that we need to fix it.
****
Dagan asked me to check the cords.  I had checked the ones to the TV, but not the one to the computer tower.  I went to see if it was firmly attached...and it fell right off.  (I don't even look back here if I can help it because I find it quite intimidating.)
I thought I knew where the cord was supposed to go, but couldn't get it back on.  Dagan (what a good son, eh?) stopped by after work and got it back on (in my defense, it was tricky) and the TV working again.  I was relieved to have TV over Christmas, of course.  What would I do without my tech support!  ;)
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The last few days I have baked bread, cooked, made up TV dinners, written letters, done laundry, and made blueberry muffins from scratch.  When I feel better I just keep puttering along.  But that means I've hardly been on the computer.  Maybe I'll have some time today...but right now I feel like shutting off the Christmas music, putting It's A Wonderful Life in the DVD player, and working on some thank you cards.  :)
****
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
May you have joyous eat-your-footprints days!!
****
"I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind."
Leo Buscaglia 

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've done a lot more than I have, which has basically been nothing. My computer's been down, so I had to charge up my Ipad, which I hate--mostly because I don't really know how to use it!! Merry Christmas to you & Karma!!

DJan said...

Sounds like a perfect Christmas Day, Rita. Merry Christmas to you and Karma. And yes, you are so lucky in the tech support department. :-)

Far Side of Fifty said...

Merry Christmas Rita and Karma! Snowy and blowing here but the sun might come out. Everyone has left for other Christmas Gatherings and I am going to gather myself to my couch for a nap:)

Janie Junebug said...

I want to see a picture of you with the red lipstick. My nail polish for today is called Cherries Jubilee. I have a turkey in the oven, and I wish you were here to enjoy it with us.

Love,
Janie, who often feels intimidated by cords

GrandmaG said...

Merry Christmas, Rita!

Deb J. in Utah said...

Merry Christmas, Rita! I love the notebooks you are making. Thank you for your beautiful Christmas Card. Have a wonderful holiday, my friend!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas. :-)

Dana said...

Merry Christmas, friend! It sounds like you had a wonderful day.

TammyVitale said...

sounds like a wonderful busy day - love those book cards! Hope it warms up there. We're in the 30s and I can't stand it! Can't imagine your weather. Our wood stove does fine in the main house but in my office my toes are COLD!!!

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

The sunrise and sky pictures are gorgeous! I always enjoy seeing what creative projects you're working on. Hope you had a great Christmas, Rita!

AliceKay said...

Beautiful sunrise shots. (3rd pic down is spectacular!)

We had snow Christmas Eve and again last night into today. Just flurries in the air yesterday. (Christmas Day)

I'm glad Karma is happy with her cat grass and "footprints". What a cat! :)

Good of Dagan to stop by to check out your TV. I'm overwhelmed by wires anymore. Wire here, wire there....they're taking over. lol

Thank you for the Christmas card. *hugs*

Darla said...

I'm late, I'm late! A balmy 15 degrees? Brrrr! I'll bet your fingernails just dance over the keyboard now that they are all bright and shiny.

Darla

Unknown said...

Love the notebooks. I saw Kirstie Allsopp do them on UK TV - so many crafts - so little time!
Anyway, hope you had a swell Christmas and best wishes for 2014.

Intense Guy said...

Merry Christmas!

Aw, I bet Karma loves her "grass gift"!!

I wonder what's become of Leo Buscaglia....

Marianne (Mare) Baker Ball said...

You really have a wonderful view! You can see all the weather changes. I received your pretty Christmas card, and I assumed you made it yourself, you crafty girl! How kind of you to think of me. We didn't do cards this year, it was just too much. I did post a family pic on my blog though. Stay warm up there, give karma a tummy rub for me! Love to you both! mare

Friko said...

Throughout this year reading your posts I have come firmly to the opinion that you are a marvel. Keeping yourself so happily occupied although life cannot be easy being housebound most of the time is an example to us all.

I take my hat off to you, dear Rita.

Congratulations on having a lovely son, but how could he be otherwise with you for a mum.

Happy New Year, Rita; may there be lots of activity and much creativity too.

And a special, very respectful, hallo to Karma.

Friko said...

o bother, did I click on send or did I not?

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Yeah I know what you mean about all those bloody cords and how intimidating they can look or in my case how much of a jumbled mess they can look...........lol

Karen Smithey said...

It's so good to be back here reading about Leah and Dagan and Karma and you! As always, I love to see all your organizing. I've been down with sciatica since Thanksgiving, so my studio is still a mess from before my Apple Festival...

I loved the card you sent! Such beautiful work!

I'm off to read more of your entries and catch up with what's going on up there in the land of winter--

Anonymous said...

Hey lady!! Sorry I haven't commented in a while, I do try to keep up with you in my email though. Stuart (the hubby) loved seeing Karma with her gift. I can hear his wheels turning and thinking about growing kitty grass for our Max. We do grow him cat nip in the spring/summer. That silly cat just eats it up, glump, it's gone! But he loves it.
he got new treats for Christmas. And a day spent lounging with us on the couch!
So glad to hear you are feeling well, all the things you are accomplishing! You are so amazing!
I hope the New Year treats you well...may all your days be filled with love and light! hugs to you and kitty scratches to Karma!