What a gorgeous Santa!

Here I am hangin with a Santa gourd made by my DIL's Mom. She is an excellent decorative painter and she doesn't even use patterns! I got to supposed intermediate level tole painting in classes, but I always needed a pattern! 

I love my Santa, Geani!!!!!

Rescued plant from my Aunt!

When my sweet Aunt Dot passed away last year, I found this little pothos plant in her kitchen window. It was already withering away from either too much water (there was no hole in bottom of pot), or too dry from lack of watering after she died. I'm sure, when she was alive, she knew exactly how much or little water to give it and it was happy in the kitchen window! My Aunt Dot was a great gardener, inside and out! Anyway, after she died, I could not bear to see her little plant neglected, so my cousin let me bring it to my house! While I get her pretty ceramic pot cleaned up and a hole drilled in bottom, I decided to transfer it to a temporary home in a plastic planter with new Miracle Gro soil, and I popped it into a gorgeous yellow pot I found at the thrift store that was brand new from IKEA! I printed a label with dots on it, since her name had to be DOTTIE! Isn't she just so pretty in her new temporary home! I'm thinking she looks happy!

You just gotta see this, even in (? language)

Here it is the eve of Christmas eve, and I came upon this, which I just found to be amazing.  I will probably never try these things, but I feel just seeing it will blow your mind!  I can't understand a word spoken on this video, but it is clear he is making the coolest stuff from green soda bottles!  WOWZERS!!!  Have fun!
ME RR Y  CH RI ST M AS !!!!!!!!!  HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

3 finished ornaments

Here's a heart I was doing with my 5?year old granddaughter. Of course, her contributions were minimal at this age. I put a red heart inside (although I think I missed a stitch over on left edge), and she wanted half the ornament edged in silver and half in gold!  I really love this patchwork look!

Here is my finished snowman! I ended up doing background in a blue cause I think it looked most like frozen ice????? It was what I had on hand and I think it turned out cutely! Thanks for all your suggestions!

This one I just sort of sat down and started free handedly making this evening. It's kinda weird, but if you use your imagination, it can look like something! I've heard possibly something Scandinavian or if held a certain way, a Christmas tree of sorts! :)

These are just too much fun to sit down and do.  I like designing them myself. It's just much more relaxed that way. I hate having to follow a pattern where counting is involved!  It hurts my head! Hehehe.

Happy Holudays to all!

Julie

A rose explosion and update on size of butternut squash!

This morning:

This is how we make snowmen in south Florida!

I drew him out on plastic canvas with a grease pencil, filled in the details first, then filling in snowman last. I use a #16 plastic canvas needle, and worsted weight yarn and specialty yarns, which are my gold and silver ones, for details. I first thought I would fill in the background, but now think I will just do an edging in a color and have it be cut out more like you would imagine an ornament to be. What color should I use to do that? Any good ideas?????

Xoxo-Julie

Beautiful butternut squash bloom!

Well, here it is this morning! WOWZERS! I didn't expect to see blooms like this, and in such a vibrant shade of my new favorite color!!!!!!!

Check out my last post to see the tiny squash!

I've got butternut squash!

Here are my butternut squash plants! Lookin good!

Check out the flowers!

Can you see the tiny butternut under the flower bud?

This is fun!

I really thought the plants would vine down all over the ground since they are planted two tires high, but they haven't and I am wondering what I can do. There are a ton of buds popping up, and no room in a tire to support big ol butternuts!!!  Does anyone know if I can transplant them into the ground at this stage?

I have a party dip to share with you.

I took it to a party last night. I got this recipe when I was in Iowa a few weeks ago. This was the third time I've made it since I got back, if that tells you anything!!! Hehehe.

Mix one block of cream cheese with very finely chopped green pepper and either onion or shallots. I used about 1/5th of a green pepper, and a very small bit of sweet onion (maybe like equivalent to a 1 inch square. Then you take the smallest can of crushed pineapple and put it in a strainer and squeeze the crud out of it until you can't squeeze any more juice out. Then dump the pineapple in with the other ingredients and mix well. It tastes better if you make it a few hours to a day ahead so everything has time to marry together. I just love this stuff and it has been a hit wherever it goes! I serve with Wheat Thin crackers. 

Happy Holidays!

Julie

Highlights of the last few weeks!

I'm making some plastic canvas holiday fun!  This gingerbread man looks crazed and evil. Hehehe.

Last week I went to Iowa for my Aunt's 90th birthday and look what was running around everywhere! Deer! So sweet!

The night we got there it snowed! Here are my sister and I outside the front of the hotel posing by the snowy bush! Lol. I am the short one!  I was especially excited since I had not seen snow except one other time when I was about 15.  

We had icicles hanging all around the bottom edges of our vehicle the whole time! Pretty neat!!!!

Meanwhile the grandkids were having a sunny day at the park in Lake Worth, Florida!!!!! 

When I got back home we had dinner at 5 Guys Burgers, went shopping at Barnes and Nobels (DIL, and grands seen here in kids department there), and then we hit up Gelatto Gratto for some delicious cold stuff!

Emily wearing her chocolate Gelatto!

Daughter and I visited a nature center and wildlife refuge in Hobe Sound, Florida. I cannot recommend it highly enough! It was exceptional. The staff, the animals, etc. here is a cute little 5 dollar wire and bead ring I just fell in love with and had to have!

Here is the most outstanding creature we saw there: an Eastern Spotted Skunk!

I did not get a photo there, but here is a photo of one courtesy of Wikipedia.

(http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_spotted_skunk)

Looks so much different from the skunk I know of that is black with a white stripe!

So that is all of most of what has happened around here over the past few weeks! Still working on plastic canvas projects with the grandkids and we are all enjoying it very much! I think it is much easier for little hands to manage, for sure.

Had a nice Thanksgiving at my brother and sister in laws place, and celebrated daughters birthday yesterday! She turned 24. That is my baby too! I don't like this getting older business!!!!

Happy holidays!

Julie