First Blog Year in Review

My blog was born on January 2, 2010, and what a wonderful first year it has been for me!  I've made many new friends and had the privilege of visiting  many of your homes through your posts.  I'm so honored that you have taken the time to come by my place today to take a peek at my simple life.  Please come often, stay awhile, and leave me a comment.  I look forward to spending more special time with you this next year.  Love you all! ~ Sherry

P.S.  And last of all, this is the link to my very favorite post of the year.

This post is linked to Show and Tell Friday, Pink Saturday

Peace and Contentment...

...my theme for the holidays, and hopefully for every day. With a warm fire in the fireplace, a Christmas movie playing on the TV, my sweetheart in his recliner, and the boys in other parts of the house with their own interests, I settle down into my chair for a happy time of cozy crocheting. 

I'm making tea towels for my new tea cart.

After I finish the crocheted edging I'll start on the embroidery I've already stamped off.  I'm looking forward to many peaceful, cozy warm evenings of stitchy delight because when I finish this one...

...I have another one just waiting to be picked up and made lovely.

Post linked to: Take a Look Tuesday, Transformation Thursday

Enjoying a Wintry Day Hibernation

Our frigid temps kept me close to the fire yesterday.  So most of my busyness was carried on in my little sitting room.  But that's okay, I could occupy my time for weeks in this, my favorite room of the house.



Being very inspired by Twyla and Lindsey's red and pink Sugar Kissed Christmas, I've been wanting to make pink and red stockings to hang on the mantel of my newly painted fireplace, and I got one of them finished yesterday during my hibernation day.

The stocking is now hung by the chimney with care... on one of my wonderful new hooks.  I had an inspirational idea while in the Dollar Tree the other day! (Most of my ideas are not original.  I'm quite the Copy Cat.)

But I saw these Purse Mate hangers that are made to keep purses off of floors in public places. You get two of these handy-dandy hooks for a dollar!  The statement on the box claims the hooks will hold up to 30 lbs!  Thinking about my yet-to-be-made Christmas stockings, I thought, "Ah-Ha, the perfect solution!"  Now this may not be a new idea to all of you but I have not seen them used for this purpose before.  In fact, since I don't watch TV and never see commercials, I didn't even know these little things existed until my trip to the Dollar Tree.

Here's the top of the hanger, all cutesy and with a diamond even!  I know, no one can see the top when it's hanging on the mantel, but it still makes me smile to know I have diamonds on my mantel.

The bottom has this non-slide stuff so that it will stay in place even when the stocking is filled with goodies.  Now I've just got to make sure that Santa gets the message that he can't put more than 30 lbs in my stocking.  By the way, do you think 30 lbs of chocolate would fit in my stocking? 

With one stocking made, and not wanting to start the next one yet (my ADDness kicked in), I moved on to the next fun attraction without leaving my warm room.  Deciding to visit some of my bloggy friends...

...I get yet another cup of coffee and throw open the doors to my computer cabinet, where I go door-to-door checking up on my Blogland friends.  I probably came by your place.  Sorry I didn't leave a comment, but I had so many places to visit before getting back to my projects.  I'll try to stay longer and chat the next time I drop by.

After visiting, I spent a little, just a little, bit of time over in my reading corner finishing up with...

....one of the best books I've read in a looooong time.  Really!  Check it out, I highly recommend it! 

After peering out my back door for the thousandth time at the dreary landscape (even the birds in my birdbath were a dreary black!), I decided to do something about it.  So, putting on my heavy coat, gloves, and wrapping my scarf around my face I venture into the front yard with pruning sheers in hand...

...and snip some cheery bright red berries from my Nandina bushes and relocate them to a grapevine wreath I had hanging on my backyard garden bench.  Yes!  Much better!

And then today, I woke up to a 13 degree morning!  Oh, but I have more puttery plans to carry out in front of my fireplace and they include these:



I really need to bundle up and head to the grocery store for a little food before our wintry mix gets here tomorrow.  What is a wintry mix anyway?  

I've enjoyed our visit today.  Come back soon, and don't forget to leave me a comment, so I can return your visit.  Hope you have a great day and stay warm!

This post is linked to:  Outdoor Wednesday, Whatever You Want Wednesday, Show and Tell Friday, Pink Saturday

I Finished my Afghan in Time for Pink Saturday!

I finished up my crocheted afghan that I posted about here and here.

I sort of made up my own pattern for the edging as I went.  I like that it ended up looking kind of lacy.

I made the afghan for the camper but after draping it over this chair, I liked the pop of color it added to my otherwise pastel living room.   I just may have to make another one soon.  I still have plenty of left-over yarn from other projects and I like to have an evening project to work on so I don't fall asleep in front of the TV.

This blog is a happy participant of: Pink Saturday
                                                     Get Your Craft on Thursday

Going for the Gold on Pink Saturday...

...and spray painting it.

Being inspired by several creative bloggers, I have been on a treasure hunt in my own home looking for things that would benefit from a redo. I found this little candle holder and decided it would fit into my decorating scheme better if a different color. I forgot to get a "before" picture but I also forgot to paint the bottom of it, so there's no doubt what it looked like before, bright, shiny, metallic-looking gold.



And here's what I'm still working on when I get away from my spray painting for a while. I've got the blocks all made, now for putting them together. I'm making this into an afghan for the camper. The blocks are not all pink, those are just the ones that crawled to the top for the picture on this Pink Saturday.



I want to thank Beverly for sponsoring Pink Saturday and for featuring my blog this week. I want to welcome anyone that is visiting here for the first time. Please leave me a comment. I love meeting new friends!

What a Glorious Weekend!

I've never looked up the word glorious in the dictionary, but in the little dictionary I carry around in my head it means full of glory and wonder and that is the perfect description of my weekend.

Our precious daughter and son-in-law came home for a few days and they, along with my sweet hubby, me, and our two sons traveled to Huntsville to join with our extended family and friends for our niece's beautiful outdoor wedding.

But now with Heather and Matt on their way back to Indiana and Neil and my boys back at their jobs, I'm home and ready to delve back into my happy routines and hobbies. My work is all stacked up for me. :)



My afghan project continues to grow block-by-happy block.



Also awaiting my attention are my little paint pots...



They're so sweet, all holding hands while waiting for me.



They are such pretties that I couldn't stand to keep them stashed away in an ugly old shoe box, so I dug through my projects-in-waiting box and found this tissue box holder. I thought it made the most elegant of homes for my little paint pot friends. They seem to be very happy in their new home.



I have started on my newest paint-by-number picture. I'm loving it even more than my last project. The paints are going on so smoothly. It just smooths out the rough edges of life for me. I am finding painting to be the most glorious of hobbies.