The Budman simplicity

 Bud.  The last lonely tree waiting patiently for ornaments, probably the dried oranges from Monahan.  Bud thinks it's fine as is.  We both feel the need for simplicity this year.

 

For those of you that like Yankee Candles, today only, large candles are 5 for $55.  Another nice gift for hostess or exchange.  They go really fast and a lot of fragrances are already sold out.

 

He's telling Missy to get out of the cold as she waits for entrance.  See her little ears in the center?  She is so small.  They are both in now, Nitiot (Nitzy) is still roaming and doesn't usually come in until night.  Their condos are in the garage with the litter and he gives me a hard time every day, having to chase him out.  He runs and hides knowing we will not try to pick him up.  Weird he is.

 

 

 And just to show you how unsettled and indecisive I am, for the third time, the mantel  changed.  I am needing simplicity and just can't take all the small items scattered around.  I had to wear gloves to protect the thumb, except for the feathers.

 

 

The boys were moved to a small cupboard top and I will add a few greens later.

 

Lots of errands today, before the snow comes.  In case I haven't mentioned it before, I hate winter.  Just so you know.

 

Enjoy your day!

 

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Well....

that took a while!  For the first time, I had more email entries than comment entries.  The name chosen is Becky J.   I can't contact you Becky so please email me with your request, I'm assuming it will be 123Stitch since that is where your wishlist is! 

 

Thanks everyone for participating, hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas or holiday you celebrate.

 

I believe this ornament was a free chart but I can't remember.  Hope I still have it in my bulging file. 

 

 

Still no stitching, my thumb crack will not heal regardless of lotion and medicated creams.  Extended more today with more bleeding, just can't hold a needle.  I may go to Urgent Care and see if they will use the glue on it.  Thought I could buy it but haven't found it yet. 

This Santa has a beard of knots, really hard to tell from the photo.  The last several years' favorites were the slim, mostly PS Santas, but this year the rolly polly guys are making me smile.  Not sure whose he is because I sold/gave away most of them.

 

 

 Have a good evening!

 

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Un-corded

 

Found another one.  I have no idea how she reached them hanging from a wall sconce but she sure did ruin them.  Since it's turned cold and snowy, the brats have decided the house is a good place to be, as long as we don't touch them.  Bud likes to sit on my lap, and I can sometimes scratch the other two, but that is not the norm.  I would like to order a cat tree for them but they are so filthy that I must have a cover over those carpeted rests.  I'm not sure Big Bud would even fit from what I've seen in the stores.  Seriously.  They love their cardboard boxes, maybe we can rig a stand for them.

 

I don't know where this came from but found another Santa, this one on teal linen.  Must be from my SIL.  Using brighter colors (especially teal) would not be an option for me, but to my surprise I love him.  Who would think that a bland, raw, unbleached, natural kind of gal would fall in love with aqua-man?  They say the older we get the more we need color, in clothing, shoes, cars, jewelry.  Why is that?  So our failing eyesight can see it?  To attract butterflies?  To stand out in a crowd when we get lost?  To keep us awake and alert?  Maybe a little color in our stitching would be a good thing.

 

I'm going for a pair of glasses after therapy tomorrow and wanted something a little larger which seems to be the style.  I chose a square-ish thin black frame and everyone likes the thick rounded tortoise shell ones that are smaller.  Not sure about that. 

 

Have a good day folks.

 

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The Meander Hill tree

Julia sent me a photo of her tree that she had Meander ship to her last year.  I haven't been there for a month and want to go back and get that tree!!

 

She has some of the same vintage ornaments that were my mom's.  Still have a few.

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A sale on For SALE

Greetings.  I have reduced the prices of the remaining pieces on the For SALE tab if anyone is interested.  Forgot all about them until finding them today and cut the prices quite a bit.

 

And I forgot to say when the giveaway ends.  Tuesday Dec. 12 at 8pm EST.  I've actually received more email entries than comments.  Some of you have mentioned that the posts are no longer sent to your emails.  I use the Reading List on Google for Blogger but have noticed that I am not receiving updates for quite a few sites.  And they are down at the bottom under "hidden blogs".  If I miss a day or two and want to catch up, there is no where to click "see more blogs" and I can't view past today.  Maybe because I am a Google+ holdout.  If you aren't receiving updates, just enter your email again in the right column.

While dusting the little parlor I found my Simply Wool skein in shreds along with several 221 cordings that I keep on hand for Santas.  That little sneak must have been in there.

 

 

It snowed.  Just a little.  But enough to tick me off.

Until I sat this Santa on the cupboard ledge I forgot about the Guardian Bells and what a great little gift they make.  When something is there all the time, you kind of absorb it and don't notice it anymore.  The same thing happens with messy rooms, after living in them for a while, they become acceptable!

 

Have a good one!

 

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Christmas offer for you

Time for the annual gift certificate.  As before, you can choose 123Stitch, Anita's Little Stitches (great accessories and scissors) or any other shop that offers gift certificates.  The gift is $30.00 (USD).  You can purchase the usual charts/threads, but since it is a gift, choose something for a treat.  An accessory or dookie or scissor that you would not have bought for yourself. 

Enter on this post only and please include your last name or email.  With everyone being no-reply and many having the same first name, it will help me a lot!  You can also enter by email by clicking this link samplersandsantas@gmail.com.

 

Good news!  I found the other Kogut Santa.  He was in another box of stitchery I completely forgot about, including the checkered stag.  He is now in his rightful place in the Santa hutch.

 

 

I still get requests for the Postman Santa source.  It is the old hard cover Leisure Arts book titled Christmas Portraits.  They come up on EBay and Amazon once in a while.

Another of my favorites, the ho ho ho design, was also in the box along with several others not shown here.  How many more can I stitch?  It's getting to the point that I don't know where to place them and with simplifying more each year, maybe it's time to stop.

 

 

 

As every year, my exterior decorating is about an minimal as can be, but I feel it goes with the house.  If you've seen it in prior years, it's not much different.  Pretty easy to buy bunches of greens and just stick them inside of a tub.   I don't use velvet ribbon, usually jute upholstery webbing with the red stripe.  This year, I chose cranberry burlap on a roll and just knotted it. 

 

The contractor was here this morning with estimates for labor only, no materials.  I was very surprised at the hourly rate, but hired him on the spot after years of waiting for someone to work with us.  Well worth it.

 

 

I not only rearranged decorations, but also the beat up furniture from the family room.  Replaced with the parlor's pieces.  Not comfortable.  But glad I did because the material on the sofa allowed me to see that I can not live with a pattern.  I need subdued, not at all the fabrics I had chosen for a new purchase.

 

Hope you have a great start to the weekend.

 

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