Thanksgiving Weekend

What a wonderful Holiday weekend!! I love this time of year!!

Thursday (Thanksgiving day) we went over to Kevin's mom's house for a Thanksgiving feast. My parents and youngest sister came over as well, so it was a nice full table and a fun afternoon of dominoes! (Whenever we get together with the family, on my side or my husband's side, it is all about the games!! We love all types of games-and can get quite competitive-it is hilarious!!)
Friday I was able to take the day off of work, so I got up and did a little Black Friday Shopping and then cleaned the house and did laundry and felt very domesticated all day and loved it! I also started addressing Christmas cards...we got our Christmas cards in that I ordered from Snapfish last week, and we also got the photo books just in time so that we could show them to all the family over the Holiday weekend. (I love them, however there are a few pictures that are really dark and I am disappointed in that! I am not sure if I should see if they can fix it or not, they were really expensive, but I hate to complain!) Friday night we had our Movie Night in our neighborhood, it was soooo cold, but we did have a few families come out to enjoy our outdoor viewing of a Christmas Movie to start out the Holidays!! Next thing on the list (I am in charge of our Social Committee so I set up all the events for the neighborhood) is our Annual Caroling Night. But that isn't until December 21st, so I have awhile before I have to think about that. (We got the newsletter finished and delivered so everyone knows the date already!) I did a little bit of sewing, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. (However, I have gotten 3 more finishes checked off the WIP to do list since I wrote last-so many friends are expecting, so baby stuff is what I have on the to do list right now-along with some Christmas projects!)
(Trying to decide what to do with this fabric, I am thinking a Christmas table runner maybe?)

Saturday I ran by Joannes (had to get some of the specials they had going on-I spent more than I should have, but I got over 20 spools of thread at 50% off plus an extra 20%!) and then up to mom and dad's house for our family Thanksgiving! It was another big meal and fun day of games (Last Word and Up the River Down the River) and ended with a Christmas Movie! (Holiday Inn) I love it when we are all together!!Sunday I didn't feel good, but was feeling up to meeting everyone in Town Center for a little shopping and dinner before Mary flew back to TX and ABC&Z headed back south. I am so glad I was able to feel up to it, because we ended up finding Kevin's Christmas present, which means I think I am nearly done with all my gift shopping!!
(These were taken after dinner on Sunday evening-the boys decided they wanted to sit in the back of the truck on the way home! They are so silly, thankfully we were able to convince them this might not be the best place to sit for a four hour drive in the cold!! The last picture I told all the adults in the back to smile and snapped the picture. (I had been just getting the boys and everyone else was in the background talking so I thought I'd get a quick shot) Look at all the cheese'n faces (and whatever kind of face it is that all the husbands are making!?!)...I love my family, too funny!!!

Weekend activities

As usual, I kept myself pretty busy this weekend. (We didn't go out of town or anything, but I did have to work Saturday morning...no fun!)

I did a little shopping, some sewing, and rearranged & organized my sewing/guest room. (Which was a big job, and really isn't completely done, but it does look better!!) I listened to Christmas music while I was sewing and it was quite chilly here on Sunday so that helped to put me in the mood for Christmas. (Plus I was mainly working with cutting out the Christmas fabrics for some projects!!)

Saturday night my dear hubby took me out to see the new Twilight movie New Moon. I haven't read the books yet, but they are on my (forever long) list of books I want to read! Maybe I will get around to them eventually. However, I am not a big romance reader or movie watcher...I have to be in the right mood. Most of the time I like mysteries when it comes to books, (but I am also addicted to anything that has to do with Austen or the Bronte sisters!!) and for movies I normally lean towards RomCom or Action. (I really wanted to see 2012, but we decided on New Moon, because we knew my sister was also seeing it over the weekend, so we saved 2012 to maybe see with the family over the holidays.)
Nothing against New Moon, because I won't complain about seeing the beautiful abs on Jacob (is that o.k. to say that since the actor is only 17?!? Kevin was like..."Why did they have to run around without their shirts on the whole movie, that wasn't necessary. If it was because they change over and their shirts would rip, wouldn't their pants rip too, that just doesn't make sense!" and I was like..."Because if you worked that hard to make your body look that good, wouldn't you run around without your shirt on all the time!!" back to the movie review...) but the longing, desire and sadness that Bella is feeling, which is the base of this movie, is really quite depressing. Don't plan on leaving this movie with a smile on your face, because it leaves you torn in my opinion! (But again, I haven't read the books, so I don't know what I am getting myself into when I go, unlike everyone else who has already read the books, and are just going to the movies to see what they already know will happen, be acted out.)

Here are some pictures of a bit of what I was up to this weekend.

Some sewing (these are two miniature quilts I had made the tops for awhile back, and had quilted a few weeks ago, I finally got around to putting a binding on them. They were great for practicing while I am learning how to machine quilt!)
and cutting,
some movie watching (two more Christmas movies watched!!),(There was also some other shorts that were super old on here as well, fairly interesting, but not something I will have to see every year. I think kids would enjoy it, because it tells the story, but isn't really scary and is short!)(I have never been a big Looney Tunes fan, but this one was really not worth my time. If you are a Looney Tunes fan and want to borrow this, and never return it I would be fine with that...just let me know!!)

and picture hanging. (The picture had been knocked off the wall in the stairwell when we moved in our new bed and was craked, having cracked glass in a photo hanging on the wall had been driving me crazy, but I wasn't sure where I needed to go to get it replaced, or if I needed a new frame or what, luckily I saw a glass replacement kit at Michael's and picked it up and it was perfect!!!)

Flea Market Fancy Freaks Giveaway

Oh lovely flea market fancy how wonderful you are!

I found out about another giveaway that sounds divine!

I had to post about it.

This fabric is adorable!! I could just eat it up!!

Isn't that pear just too cute!!!

Christmas is in the air...

It's beginning to seem a lot like Christmas around here.

Not really because of the weather,

it isn't really that cold here yet, which is normal...(this is GA),

but because it is

just

that

time!

Kelsey and I started singing Christmas songs on the way home from Valdosta last weekend, and Kevin and I watched a couple Christmas movies this week. (Starting with The Muppets Christmas Carol, I think we have 3-4 versions of A Christmas Carol so we have to start with one of them so that we can space them out in between all the other movies!) As anyone who personally knows me, or reads my blog would know, we are big movie people. We have to get started early with our holiday movie watching or we won't get them all watched. (Which in reality, we still never get started early enough to get them all watched. We have over 30 and I don't even own several of my fav's from when I was a child!!)

Another reason why it is starting to really feel like Christmas around here is that I started working on my Christmas swap blocks!! (I needed a break from the pile of WIP's that need completed...plus January will be here before you know it and that is when the swap blocks are due!!)

Here are some pictures of the Christmas fabric I am playing with!

Oh, and guess what my dear hubby did on Tuesday night?!?

Did you guess?





Did you guess bring home some beautiful flowers for me?





If you did then you are right!



What a sweetheart! I absolutely LOVE them!!

(And yes, that is a huge glass beer stein they are in, I don't own any large vases, so that is what my flowers always get put in...even though it isn't beautiful, I really like it because it is big and thick and sturdy!)

Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday!

Weekend in Valdosta

This last weekend I got off work a little early on Friday and drove down to Valdosta with my Dad and my sister Kelsey to visit with Bethany and her husband and kids and to help out with her yard sale. (Mom had already driven down on Thursday.) We had a blast visiting, doing a puzzle, watching movies, and working the yard sale. Betsy was having the yard sale to raise some money to help with all the extra expenses that keep coming up with the adoption process they are going through. So we had been collecting "stuff" for awhile (clearing out closets, etc.) and I took a few more things down with us when we went. (But then I picked through some of the things she was selling and brought them back with me!! I love having sisters who are basically my size so that we can share clothes!! Plus she was trying to sell our Care Bears mugs from when we were little! I don't think so!! I quickly snatched them from the sale table and brought them back inside & stuffed them safely away in my bag!!)

Saturday evening their church was having a little fall festival so we took the boys to that and they had a blast. I love family weekends. I know I say this often, but I can't say it enough, I am sooooo blessed with my wonderful family! I love them all so much and I am so thankful on a daily, well make that hourly, basis for their support and love. A girl could not be more blessed when it comes to family!In those last two pictures Zi was a little too busy eating his popcorn! He could not be bothered with smiling for the picture-and Mr. C looks like he is disctracted as well! Sorry Auntie Em, no good pictures for you, there are just too many fun things going on all around!

The boys had some cotton candy and absolutely loved it!! So cute with their mouths turing blue!! Mr C. says it was his first time eating cotton candy, and I believe him because he has a crazy good memory! 6 whole years without a taste of that yumminess! But I guess that is what you get when you have a Earth Mother mom. Betsy loves doing things the all natural way if possible (when affordable) so it really isn't all that surprising that he hasn't tried it before!!) Good thing they both had dentist appointments scheduled for Monday!!

There was a beautiful sunset Saturday night while we were heading out from the carnival over to Zaxby's for dinner. I had to get a picture of a few of their decorations (LOVE the sign and HAD to get a pic of the elephant!) and of the fam! (or at least who was here-we missed you Kevin, Travis and Mare Mare!!)

Sunday Kels & I drove back a little early so we could try to get some stuff done at home, but my back was killing me and I was dreading having to do anything! (Oh the joy's of having broken my back in a car accident as a teenager-I am not a fun person to travel with! This is how I know God works modern day miracles, because I didn't have any back trouble on our European trip and we were gone for 3 weeks!!) Imagine my relief when I walked in my door and my wonderful Mr. (I sure to love that guy!!) was working the vaccuum and had cleaned the toilets. (Good enough for me to call the house clean for now, I know I will have to get around to the dusting and the sinks eventually, but not now!) So I was able to spend the evening curled up with a good book! (Which I finished and was great...but I can't talk about it because I am actually giving it to my mom for her birthday so I don't want to ruin it for her!)

Monday I wanted to make up for my lack of sewing over the weekend so I got home and got straight to work and quilted the other quilt for the Downy Quilts for Kids project. (Three down, 7 to go in my WIP's pile!!) Now I just have to wash them and they will be ready to go. I am a little nervous about the washing part because the fabric came to me precut and I don't think it was pre-washed and so I am afraid it will run, not sure what I should about that because I don't want the quilt ruined. They suggested using a color catcher in the wash, but I have NO IDEA what that is! I am not a domestic goddess...although I would love to be, that is just not me!! I guess I will run by Target tonight and see what I can find! Plus I got a new cutting board at Micheals last week because I had a coupon for 50% off! This one is much bigger than my current one (which is looking worn) so I am excited about having the larger surface to cut on!