A Doxie Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from two sweeties: Sweet Pea and Tumpy! These two like to find their spot on the back of my couch and snuggle together. What better way to spend a cold winter day? Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas... hope it's everything you have hoped for and more!

Merry Christmas from Pen Pen!

Christmas goodies

This Santa mug filled with candy canes is a "classic" Christmas decoration for me. I have always wanted one and found this one at Wal Mart last year. I used it on my desk at work and our employees loved it. I no longer have the desk (yay!) so I am using it in the kitchen this year. My children are enjoying it now. Our church is putting together gift baskets for the widow ladies in our church. (men too) Each lady was asked to bring items to help fill the baskets. I made chocolate covered pretzels and have them packaged up in little bags like the one below.

I also bought clear glass votive holders and put an apple scented votive in each one. Each bag also has two extra votive candles wrapped in tissue paper. Very little $ spent, but will help add to the basket fun!

Fa la la la la la la la la!

It's beginning to look like Christmas at Pen Pen's... here are a few pic's to share. I added a new gold bow to the wreath this year, but everything else is practically the same as last year.

A dear friend painted this old window for me, as a gift, a few years ago. Isn't he cute?

My December stitchery, finished this morning, and quickly put inside the frame! whew! Notice the little black penquin on the right... my daughter made this while in high school when she took a pottery class. We live in pottery country and I thought it was very cool that she got to actually make pottery in high school.

The top of my Singer sewing table that I bought myself for my birthday!

And the tree... and if you look closely, there is a dog underneath. No presents under the tree this year... no way!

Christmas Decorating

Okay, we brought the tree down from the attic last night. I have not had my tree down and decorated since we added the dogs to our family. To those who don't already know, dachshunds are very destructive. No sooner than I had put the tree skirt on the floor, they started sniffing and chewing on the buttons. The skirt came right back up.... will not go back down unless I'm here and expecting "company"... LOL There will be no ornaments near the bottom of the tree this year. My dear daughter, to which these dear dogs really belong, has her home all decorated.... very pretty with nothing interferring with all the pretties! I'll keep you posted....

Come Christmas!

Thanksgiving was great! Three hours to our parents' homes, eat, and eat again, and three hours back to our home. Six hours on the road and one speeding ticket later, we are back home and ready to think about Christmas. I hope to spend this weekend pulling down the fall decorations and bringing out the Christmas ones... can you believe it's already here again? This is a photo of my kids, their spouses, and a cousin having Thanksgiving dinner together. It's always fun listening to the laughter at their table... something is always funny. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have fun with your Christmas preparations!

Guest Room Preview

Here is a preview of my new guest room. The valances were made from two panels that I picked up from a thrift store. I cut them down last night and it was one of the easiest projects I've ever done. I have another panel leftover that I may make pillows with; not sure. $5 The tops are different on my valances, but I think I like them. If I decide otherwise, I can make another pocket valance like the one over the window seat. I do plan to put a new cushion on the window seat... this one came with the house and is pretty old. The two pillows you see below went with the room's old color scheme. They will be going to my daughter's house soon.

I need to buy pillows: this is a new bedspread with shams... the beige pillow covers were another thrift store find. I have to find pillow forms to tuck inside. I love these! You see a small scrap of valance fabric on the bed too.

Below is another thrift store find: an old plastic "froo froo" frame. ($1) I'm going to paint it and make a padded bulletin board to use in this room. It will probably have pictures of my new grandbaby tucked inside all its ribbon holders. :D

I am very open to ideas and suggestions, so please leave comments!

Where I worship

Our church had been without a pastor since Father's Day. It had been a difficult time for our church, but we had some very faithful men who kept it going, while praying for and seeking a new pastor. Meet our new pastor: This sweet couple spent their second Sunday with us yesterday and we already love them so much. Church attendance was great yesterday and we could really feel God's sweet spirit in our services.

This is a picture of the outside of our church. It sits next to a major highway and I love seeing our steeple peep out above the trees when driving on the highway.

This is the inside of our sanctuary. We have a beautiful building and some very sweet members who make it even more special. Yesterday's service was "What to do when you fail, not "if" you fail, but "when" you fail." Last night's service was about "Why we still carry our own burdens, when God tells us to give them to Him." We may still have the burdens, but He will help us carry them, making them a whole lot lighter.

I don't have the guest room ready yet. Of course some things didn't work out the way I had planned. Maybe soon, I'll have pic's for you.

Guest room

Next week there will be pictures, I promise, of my newly decorated guest room. I have always wanted a guest room, but never had a house large enough to have the extra room. Since my kids have married and moved away, not only did I get my own sewing room, but now I get to make my daughter's bedroom into a guest bedroom. My husband is hanging new curtain rods for me right this minute, as I type. I have a small purchase or two to make this weekend and I should be ready for pic's next week. And then.... you are all invited to come and sleep in my new guest room. :D

Sandra Lee's Cinnabons

click on the pic. to enlarge for the recipe... these are so good!

Cinnabons!

Do any of you subscribe to the magazine "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade"? I just love her! I grew up with my mom being a semi-homemade kind of cook and Sandra Lee takes this style of cooking just a step beyond what I'm used to cooking. Easy and delicious recipes. Today I made Cinnabons from the Premier issue of the magazine. Of course, mine aren't as pretty as the picture in the magazine, but boy! are they good!

My frosting doesn't look as pretty... it is in its "melting" stage in this photo.

But I promise they tasted just as good as the Cinnabon's we buy in the mall. With her recipe, you can make about 12-16 rolls for the price of one in the mall. Made with frozen bread dough, they are so easy to make. If you want the recipe, email me. (you can probably find it online)

Thanksgiving Ready!

I have been working like a mad woman, cleaning house this week. I think the cool temperatures are finally putting me in the mood to clean and get my house ready for the holidays. I have this wreath stand that I only bring out during the fall. I don't know why I don't buy or make seasonal wreaths to leave it out year round. But I do really enjoy it on my fireplace.

I decided I had brought in too much junk from the thrift store, so I decluttered my kitchen. I took the tablecloth off and went for simple, simple, simple. With the room clean and everything wiped down, it just feels better.

I moved my singer sewing base table into the livingroom, as it was adding to the clutter in the kitchen. I brought out my favorite pilgrim figurines to enjoy for a few weeks.

I bought a new pumpkin scented yankee candle and added a few touches of orange to the mantel. I saw a beautiful glass mosaic shade and base for the candle at the yankee store, that I plan to go back and buy with my $10 off coupon. (did you know if you register online with yankee candle, you automatically get a $10 coupon???) Don't look too closely at the embroidery.. it's still October's... I didn't get around to stitching November's stitchery. Maybe I'll get one done before December rolls around.

I finally stained my thrift store ($1) deer yesterday. I added a pretty orange bow around his neck. You can see a little of the Christmas cactus I bought on clearance after Christmas last year. It has grown tremendously throughout the year and I'm hoping for pretty blooms soon! We're still not sure what we'll be doing for Thanksgiving this year... we are hoping to visit my parents and celebrate with them. (kids do the cooking... mom provides the house) Some of our family will be working this year, so we aren't sure who will be present ... but we are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Applesauce Pie... so easy!

I wish I had taken a picture of my applesauce pie, but I forgot, and it didn't hang around long enough to beg for a picture. My friend shared this recipe with me and it was so easy... so quick.... so pretty! I hope you'll try it.

Applesauce Pie

2 cans crescent rolls

1 quart applesauce

1 stick butter

cinnamon to taste

sugar to taste

Melt butter. Spread half of it into a 9X13 pan. Layer one tube crescent rolls in bottom of pan. Cover with applesauce. ( I mixed cinnamon and sugar with my applesauce to flavor and sweeten it) Layer with the other can of crescent rolls. Mix remaining butter, sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake at 375 until brown! Yum!

My little town

Today I only left the house to buy groceries. I took my camera along to find a pretty picture for my blog. This is one of my favorite houses in my town.... love the fall colors. I would love to own an old house like this. (click to enlarge)
Have I ever told you that I live 2-3 miles from the "king" of Nascar? This is the entrance to Richard Petty's place. We bump into him from time to time, but don't know him personally. The locals say he is a very nice man and if I ever see him when I have my camera handy, I will ask for a picture with him. :D

Below is a picture of my new roof. We finally got it finished last week. We have had so much rain, it took almost six weeks to get the guys out here to replace the shingles. It looks so much better... but of course, now, we need to spruce up the landscaping and yard to make it all look very pretty.
I've been sewing burp cloths today, while thinking of my new grandbaby. Today marks week 22 of my daughter in law's pregnancy... still no name for the little boy. I look forward to meeting him in a few more weeks!

Wednesday Smile

Today I want to share with you one of the little hidden treasures in my neighborhood. So many times, I have driven on the highway and seen this little place tucked away on a little side road. Yesterday I decided to drive off the highway and find this little place. I'm so glad I did, because I truly enjoyed seeing this charming little spot near Level Cross. As I was taking pictures, I saw an elderly gentleman, dressed in overalls, working on another barn a few buildings behind this one. He threw up his hand and waved, so I walked back to where he was, to speak to him. He was Mr. Frazier, the owner of this sweet little building.

Mr. Frazier has several barns and projects to keep him busy. He enjoys collecting old things and recreating old barns as a hobby. Don't you just love his old green truck?

Mr. Frazier was very sweet and invited me to come back "anytime except Sunday" and he would be glad to take me and my family on a tour of his buildings and collections. Sunday is church and family day.

Please click on the picture to enlarge so that you can appreciate the true beauty of Mr. Frazier's hobby. I hope this makes you smile, too.

Baby's room

This picture is so tiny, but I stole it from my daughter in law's facebook page. We went over to their house last night to see the baby's nursery. I hope you can see it well enough to see how CUTE it is!

Baby is going to be rotten!

Fall, blooming azaleas, and teeth!

It is a dreary and cool rainy day in central NC... a good day for staying inside. I do plan to hit the grocery store today for the sales, but hope to stay in and stay warm today. We've had a lot of rainy days the past month or so. I usually don't notice how much rain we get, but we have been waiting and waiting for our new shingles to be installed on our roof. We've had several scheduled dates, just to wake up with rain and have the installation postponed once again. So, it's supposed to be fall, right? Look at my azalea that sits by the front door. It has a flower on it! This side of the house gets a lot of sun... that's the only reason I can figure it bloomed. It's a cute little surprise, huh?

It's been a busy week for me so far... vet appointment, shopping, dental appointment, hair colored.... but it has been a good week. I did find out I need about $700 worth of dental work. I have broken/chipped four lower front teeth in the past few weeks. I am a clincher and the dentist thinks a bite guard may help to protect my teeth. I am a little skeptical, as I tend to think my teeth are just getting weaker with age... but I guess I'll give it a try. If it works, it'll save me $100-$150 everytime I break a tooth. I no longer have dental insurance since I started working part time, so of course, now my teeth are going to start costing me lots of money. :o(

I will do whatever I can to save my teeth... I do not want to wear dentures. Working in a nursing home, we have lots of patients without teeth... some wear dentures, most don't. I'm always amazed when we get patients who still have all their natural teeth. That's my goal... to keep those teeth so that I can amaze the nurses when I am admitted to the nursing home.

Babies... how sweet!

I continue to be amazed at the generosity of people. Bloggers are truly a great bunch! I won a giveaway at Kimberly's blog. Kimberly has a great blog (s) and is always very busy creating. Look at these adorable baby bibs she created and sent to me! My little grandson will be so cute in these next fall. (he arrives in March) Thank you Kimberly... I love the matching bags to go with them.

I have a sweet friend at church who bought me a diaper bag! Isn't this the sweetest thing ever? I really should ask my daughter in law if she would like to have it, as she will probably get more use out of it than I will. Isn't it adorable?

And speaking of babies... in my last post, I was very torn on what to do about our living situation. Yesterday morning I went for a job interview and was offered probably the best job situation I could ask for. When I left the interview, I had full intentions of taking the job and moving to a new town with hubby. After the interview, I attended a funeral with my parents, and had the privilege of standing beside a couple with twin girls. Those babies were coo'ing and chattering during the entire funeral ... making the sweetest baby noises ever! By the time I got back home, I no longer wanted a new job... I no longer wanted to move.... I just want to hold my new grandson... and hear his little coo'ing noises anytime I want! My husband rolled his eyes and told me I was the most wishy washy person he knows.... which is true... I cannot argue with that. Once again, he went along with whatever my desires are, and told me that he is perfectly fine to continue commuting... for me to stay home... and wait for the baby. :o)

Happy Birthday Mama!

Just a very quick post to say "Happy Birthday" to my mom. I hope your day is happy!! I will be over to visit late this afternoon. You're the best!!!



ps... yesterday I went with my son and his wife for a baby ultrasound. Our new grandchild (my first) will be a BOY!!!

Fall on the Porch

No, I didn't fall on the porch today... thank God. But I did put out my fall decorations. You will recognize most of it from last year. I added the pumpkin topiary and the plant with the scarecrow head this year. The scarecrow head was made by Yorkie's Primitives and I received it in our fall swap this year. It smells so good! Another view below... yes, the same old tired decorations. I hope to buy new stuff at the end of the season this year. How do you like my upside down pot for the plant stand.... I need to find a clay colored one... maybe I have one out there somewhere.

Below is a closeup of my topiary. I can't remember who to give the credit to for the idea, but one of you wonderful bloggers had made one this year, and I copied you. Leave a comment if it was you, please!!

I had fun making this topiary this morning.... nothing like raffia and hot glue! I need to buy two fall flags and spruce up the flower beds... and my outside decorating will be done.

Sweet little corner

I really haven't done much fall decorating this year. I do plan to work on my porch this week. The summer stuff outside is very "tired". My livingroom colors are basically fall colors anyway, so this hangs by my back door all the time. Click on the picture to read the sign.

Yesterday's cheap thrill

Yes, I stopped by the Goodwill store yesterday when I went to buy groceries. I bought this little glass dish for .49 cents. I then bought a bag of candy pumpkins for $1.88. Isn't this cute sitting on my sewing machine table? I love cheap thrills!

Sewing room view

I finally sat down to sew yesterday for the first time in a long time. It was very enjoyable, especially with having my machine in front of a window. My livingroom is on the back side of my house, so we never see what's going on in the front. Yesterday while sewing in my son's old bedroom, I enjoyed watching traffic go by, I saw the mail lady deliver my mail, and I saw the flower delivery truck delivering flowers to a neighbor. These are things I miss by being in the back part of the house. I think I will enjoy my new sewing room view, as I do love being nosey. :o)

** Now, for the rest of the story.... can you see that red pin cushion on the sewing machine? Later in the afternoon, one of my dachshunds jumped in my sewing chair and stole the pin cushion without me knowing. It is a new pin cushion that I had just put a few pins in that morning. I was guessing I put about 20 pins in it. One of the dachshunds showed up at my feet with the pin cushion, its leaves were missing and all the pins were gone. I went into panic mode! I could only find about five of the pins ... I vacuumed and swept every floor in the house. Still in panic mode, I called the vet to see if he thought they could have eaten the pins. "Yes ma'm, dachshunds can eat anything." He recommended I bring them in for an X ray in a couple of hours. So, $240 later, my dogs are okay.... no sign of pins in their little GI tracts. The mystery still remains... where are the pins? And ... did I mention how much I enjoyed sewing yesterday? :o)

It's almost fall!

My swap partner received her goodies so now I can show you what they were. Here is a picture of what I sent to her along with some autumn recipe cards and patterns for the entire set of embroideries for her frame. (a different embroidery for each month) Unfortunately, the little brown creamer dish was broken during transit, but she was able to glue it back together. :o( Below is my Singer sewing machine table all finished and starting to be decorated for fall. Tongue in cheek.... the most expensive thing on the table was the flower pot... that I bought from Wal Mart yesterday for $5. The other things are thrift store finds (napkin, deer, little metal frame) and the rest were gifts from bloggers. Aren't blogging friends the best????

I have two boxes full of fall decorations in the garage, but cannot bring myself to start putting them out yet. The weather is gorgeous here today... cloudy, breezy, and almost cool. I think I am going to stay home all day today and sew. What a great day!