Cool finds of the New Year

Yard sales have been woefully sad this new year, but the thrifts seem to be picking up! Hit one of my favorites Monday AM, & was rewarded for my early arrival. I know Christmas is over, but no one told this sweet little family of Japanese snowmen...do they do snowmen in Japan? The Papa is the biggest @ a mere 2" tall, and he came with his wife & son & daughter...for .50! I grabbed a shopping basket, something I seldom do @ this TS, but I was afraid I'd drop one of these little guys on the floor. Glad I did. At the end of 15 minutes, had a whole basket of goodies, and a 3.00 and change total at the register. Needed a new pastry cloth...still make my own pie crust...and this one even came with a rolling pin cover. The "paper" apron cracked me up, especially when you read where it was made! Typo, or is there a place called Chian that I've not heard of?? Was this made to be worn over the short-lived paper dresses of the 60's?? The rusty keys, sadly no skeletons, and the teeny little pony shoe will be used in an upcoming craft. Since I stopped smoking...13 days ago...TaaDaah...I seem to have tons more energy and my brain seems to be coming back on-line, creatively. Now, if I just stop sleeping , maybe I'd have more time to create all this things swirling in my brain!! Scratch that..I get too damn cranky with too little sleep. I've saved $40 by not smoking for 13 days, so I'm treating myself, & best friend Steph, to Renninger's Antique EXTRAVAGANZA this Friday! I've not been there in forever, and it's supposed to be really cold {20's...BBRRRBbRRr!} on Friday, but we're both from Massachussetts and we're really excited about it! I know I still have a pair of gloves here somewhere, and 1 remaining winter coat ...1400 dealers are calling!!! Can hardly wait!! There also may be a little surprise there on Friday, but that's all I'm saying for now. Don't want to jinx it...my luck has not really been the greatest lately...bring on the JUNK!! See ya'll soon! *elaine*

Hello... 2009!!!

So, last year I kept saying 2008...it's gonna be great! This year, I am trying very hard not to do any obvious rhymes for 2009...2008 started out great & ended up being a pretty terrible, horrible no-good year for so many people & their families. My heart goes out to the folks who have lost jobs & homes & hope...also my prayers & my belief that things can & will get better. I ended off my old year by beginning my third attempt to quit smoking, in as many years. I'm not a stupid individual by any means, and I know how bad it is, but I also know how hard it is to stop. So, any of you who may read this, and have any good advice for making it stick this time, post it here! It's been 4 days of semi cold- turkey, and I'm feelin' okay....but then again the sky hasn't fallen yet, this week, which seems to happen quite often in my sometimes dysFUNctional family!! I'm saying semi cold-turkey because I'm only using the patch during work hours. I work in a very small, very busy sorority/fraternity shop, and my boss really frowns on my dragging customers into the back room or using my sometimes sarcastic, non-nicotined sense of humor on customers that may piss me off!!! I can't imagine why, but I guess I'll have to follow her rules... I've worked for the same great lady for 17 years, so I really don't want to piss her off!!! And she just happens to be one of those people you love to hate...she quit 10 years ago...no patch, no gum...no bitchin' & has never looked back! I am in awe!!! Okay...enough of the smokin' stuff. I'm ending this post with some favorite Christmas stuff that got put away today, and for some reason, I felt like I would really miss them until next year...so here are a couple of my faves...until next week, or the sky falls...Happy New Year!!! Bring on 2009....I think I'm ready!!! *elaine* PS The Father Christmas was made by moi...12 years ago. I made them for 5 or 6 years and sold all but this guy. He was still sitting in the shop on Christmas eve, and I brought him home...so glad I did as that was the last year of production! The tiny little nativity was found, for .25, @ a yard sale the day before Christmas...who has a yard sale the DAY before Christmas!!??? Even worse, who GOES to a yard sale on their way home from work on Christmas eve??!!! I do..I do, apparently! The nativity is the size if a deck of cards, made in Japan, and the tiny figures are so sweetly painted...I just love it! I had to re-moss the roof, and also added the star...the extent of my "crafting" for December 08...told ya it's been a rough year!! :o}

Farewell 2008

Only 2 hours to go for this old year. It's not been a good year for so many people and I know we're all hoping and praying for a much better year ahead. My family, personally, has had some major problems...and here we are, ready for a new year, and the problems haven't killed us yet, so I guess they're just going to make us stronger. I'm praying for more strength, patience, tolerance and understanding to survive in this world of ours that gets a little more confusing as time goes by. Walked outside tonight to find this beautiful sunset over "my" lake...seemed like the perfect image to end the year. I've heard that happiness is seeing a sunset, and knowing who to thank. So... Thank you for the beautiful sunset ,Lord... Happy New Year and may 2009 bring peace and blessings to you all ...*elaine*

Ch-chhh-cchhh-changes...

I know it's not 2009 just yet, but I'm thinking of changing the look of my blog for the up and coming New Year. There are not a whole lot of choices here on Blogger, but I think I'll try out this one and see if I like it. It still has the greens & orange that I like, with a little purple (from my old hippie days) thrown in! Actually, I kind of missed the hippie thing by a few years, but that didn't stop me from wearing a dress handmade from an Indian print bedspread, and water buffalo sandals to my Senior Prom..circa 1972! Gawd...what was I thinking? I'm sure my mother wanted me to wear something pink...and frilly...how we must have butted heads on that one! So I'm going to end the old year...and I have to say I'm not sad to see it go....with some odd, old stuff and a new look to my blog. Back soon! *elaine*

Where are you, Christmas?

Have ya'll ever heard the song by Faith Hill that goes..."Where are you, Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away?" That's my theme song for this year...I have always loved Christmas, but due to many circumstances beyond my control, my spirit is low and I'm having a very hard time finding it. Today is the 14th...only 11 days till Christmas...and I've done 2 decorations...no shopping, no cards and still no tree, and have only given a passing thought to Christmas dinner. Seems there is so much bad in the air these days, I just can't seem to shake the blues. So, with that in mind, I'll post pics of my 2 decorations, and go sit by the lake, and try to remember the true meaning of Christmas. These bad times shall pass, but the true meaning is always here, we sometimes have to look a little harder to find it. Merry Christmas everyone...I'll be back in 2009. Until then...peace on earth, and prayers for a better year to come. *elaine*

WHOOPS!

Ignore the previous post...was trying to do something and hit a bunch of wrong buttons! When will I ever get the hang of this computer thing??!! Time to pull out the "PC's for Dummies" again? :} elaine

being 30something: fast on friday...#comments

being 30something: fast on friday...#comments

Thanksgiving dinner cooking disaster! 2008

Well, another Thanksgiving Day has ended. Our 2 guys were here for dinner, and it was almost like when they were small boys, and still at home. Had to remind myself that they are 32 & 28...but it brought back some very fond memories that had been on a dusty shelf in the back of my brain... a quiet celebration...except for the moment that our turkey, which had been cooking nicely on the grill on the porch, decided to have a major flareup while no one was paying any attention to it.."I thought YOU were watching the grill!!" kind of moment! We snuffed out the flames...grabbed the bird off the grill...and took it into the kitchen...can you just imagine the comments? "It doesn't look that bad, Mom" (my oldest)..."I like stuff burnt, Mom' (my youngest)..."It'll be fine, Hon...all you've got to do is scrap the black stuff off" (my eternal optimist husband)...all I could do was stand there, staring at my charbroiled, blakened beyond recognition 20 lb. turkey, sitting on the lovely platter from Japan...and think "How will the hot dogs in the freezer go with sweet potatoes?" I went to my computer and googled a turkey hotline...they have plenty of advice for an UNDER cooked birds, but precious little for a tukey that has been incinerated! Sooo...went back to the bird, started scrapping off all the black stuff that I could, and amazingly the meat was unharmed...even more amazingly, it tasted really good! Disaster averted...the hot dogs are back in the freezer! :} The rest of the day went beautifully...and ended with a sweet orange sunset over the lake. As my guys were leaving, the youngest says, "That was an awesome dinner, Mom. Can you burn the turkey again next year?" AARRRGGHHHH!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving all...*elaine*

International Button Week... part 2

My blog would only allow me to upload 5 photos, so here are the rest of the pictures I took this morning of my buttons etc. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge...and BOY! do they enlarge! Good thing I dusted the jars before i took the pictures!! :} *elaine*

International Button Week

I recently found a neat blog called Button Floozies that I just love! This last week, the author of that blog declared an International Button Week. I've had fun exploring other people's collections, and decided to show some of my own accumulation of buttons, and other vintage sewing goodies. My blogging has been pretty lax in the last couple of months, so I'm giving myself the proverbial kick in the butt to get me going again. Happy Sunday! *elaine*

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick note to say Hello...and to wish everyone who sees this a very Happy Thanksgiving. With all the difficulties we, as a country, are facing this year it may be harder to see all that we do have to be thankful for. Whether our loved ones, our special friends, our health or our personal good fortune...we all have someone or something to give thanks for. Do not let this day go by without telling those people how much you appreciate them, or thanking God for our personal well being, or extending a small helping hand to someone less fortunate. Happy Thanksgiving to all. *elaine*