The morning after .....

A bittersweet relief .... sad to see the joy of the holidays pass by again, happy that the hustle and bustle is complete for another year. I hope everyone had a fabulous time with family and friends and had at least one very special moment, near and dear to them!

I certainly did. I was working on a very special project the last couple weeks before Christmas, totally stressed trying to get them done in time. Couldn't share it until now because I didn't want to take any chances of spoiling the surprise!

My mom passed away September of 2008, and my sisters and I spent a good part of 2009 sorting through her belongings and getting her house in order. I was able to quietly gather up enough of her clothing, the pieces that we all recognized and remembered, to make a couple quilts.

Yes, they look like the "quilts of many colors" that don't particularly match, but they are beautiful to us. They hold years and years of great memories!
All bundled up with love ....
We cried, we laughed ... very special moments!

I only wish she'd had a larger wardrobe so that everyone in the family could have one .. but I'm sure these will be passed down for many generations.

Merry Christmas!!

Wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas surrounded with family, friends and everything special to you. May God bless everyone with a happy, healthy, prosperous and blessed New Year!!


Here's the last Christmas project for this season ... a dimensional tree, all done with Ten Seconds Studio metal, all glittery and full of sparkle (that you can't see in the photo) .... now we're onto planning and cooking the big meal, wrapping presents and tying up all the loose ends for this holiday season.

Have a very merry and bright one!!

Wish I could make time ....

... Like i make dinner, (thanks Terri for putting that idea in my head) because there just isn't enough of it to go around during the holidays! Everyone is feeling the pinch. Don't we all wish we had the time to bake all our holiday special recipes, to check out all the beautiful holiday displays and special shows, to really enjoy the shopping trips to pick out the perfectly special gifts for friends and family .... yes, its all about having the time to really enjoy the special moments of the holiday season!!

My hat goes off to the working moms, who have children at home, and that have to keep up with all the demands of the holidays. I don't know how you do it except with the help of an angel or two!!

I've been spending alot of time working on a very special project, which I'll post about when its done .... a true labor of love!

Through the hustle and bustle of the season, I hope everyone has a little time to just sit back and enjoy their families, friends and many blessings!

Are you ever guilty ....

... of not seeing what's right in front of you?

I love leaves, fall colored leaves .. on trees. I love fall colors .... I travel to Wisconsin, New York and into Northern Arizona to see fall colored leaves on trees. They're beautiful.

But this week I opened my eyes and this is what I saw right next door to me ...
I've lived in my home for almost 5 years now. I've noticed these trees before, but never really paid attention to them. But last weekend, the sky had a patchwork of clouds with sun shining through and it brought a beauty to these trees that I had never "seen" before. They looked like they were on fire they were so aglow .... unfortunately I didn't have my camera in hand at that moment, but it sure got my attention. Now, I see these trees everyday and admire their beauty.

Take a look around you, is there something you're missing? Look at the distant landscape, the close landscape ... do you take the mountains for granted, the sunsets? How about the people that surround you ... when was the last time you took a moment to really appreciate your wife/husband, your parents, your siblings? kids? pets?

In these busy and trying times .... we sometimes forget just how fortunate and blessed we are.

Take a moment and look ......