Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Monday, December 4, 2017

A Little Bit More Christmas


Hi Friends!

I've been doing a little bit more decorating.
My sweet girl friend Shirley gave me a subscription
to The Country Sampler Magazine for my birthday
back in September.
It inspired me to paint my old sled.


And hang my polka dot skates 
on it.

  
We also went to a smaller tree this year.
It's about one fourth the diameter around than 
the old one.
I love how it takes up less space and I don't have to 
move a living room chair to the bedroom
during the Christmas season.


We have a lot of relatives coming
to visit, so Steve put two pork butts
in the smoker.
After pulling this pork, 
I can put it in freezer bags and then
bring them out for pulled pork sandwiches
for an easy meal. 

 
I've also been working on painting two new signs. 


And organizing my rubber stamps.


I haven't used them for so long
and all my old ink pads dried up.


So I purchased some mini pads on Amazon.
I was wanting to make my own 
Christmas cards this year, 
but with so much company expected,
it will have to wait until next year.

That's okay . . . I would trade
crafting time for family time 
any day of the week :) 

Thanks for visiting:)
 
Keep Smiling!
Your blogging sister,
Connie :)
 

51 comments:

  1. How organized you are! Preparing the pork ahead and freezing it is such a great idea. And your stamps... all neatly lined up.
    We bought one of those narrow trees a couple of years ago and put that one in the living room. I still have the older tree and put that one in the sun room where I have more space for it.
    I like the new signs that you're working on but then I seem to like all your projects.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so sweet. It's nice having some of the harder work done before company arrives; I hate spending all my time in the kitchen while everyone else is visiting. This will help free up time for me to be visiting, too :) I've been asking around to see if anyone wants our old tree, having this skinny one frees up another place to sit in the living room, which will also be nice when our company arrives. We downsized to a smaller home. So we went from living room and family room to just a small living room. Our new tree is perfect for small spaces:)

      Delete
  2. I like Country Living Magazine. They always have such good ideas in there. Your sled looks great with the skates hanging on it. I'm loving your rubber stamp area there. Looks so organized and all those stamps to choose from.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ann, come on over and play with me! You probably have some creative rubber stamp tricks that you could teach me:)

      Delete
  3. I like your tall slim tree, and the old sled looks pretty painted. That pork looks delicious!!! I can just imagine what a good sandwich that will make!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He smoked it low and slow for ten hours, so it's going to be wonderful. Nice to have it done in advance, that gives me more time to visit and less time in the kitchen cleaning up and washing dishes:)

      Delete
  4. Nice collection of stamps and ink pads. I am still working on my Christmas cards to send out. Most of the cards I had made went to my Hospice group. There's still time though, one card at a time. That pork sounds delish!!! I have a little table top tree that comes out every year...just have to decorate it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Louise, I am so thankful and appreciative of Hospice. My sister is on Hospice care and they are so kind and caring . . . it has to be a very hard place to volunteer. I'm afraid that I would go home broken hearted all the time. Have fun making your Christmas cards . . . homemade cards are the best:)

      Delete
  5. I sure wish you would come over to decorate and organize for me! I make my cards every year, but send out fewer each year. I do have a prototype made for this year, but I guess I need to get in gear to get the cards made. Christmas is sneaking up quickly!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You I wish you lived closer . . . it would be nice to have someone to make cards with . . . it gives me more motivation. This year I just don't have the time. I have one more quilt to get done before Christmas and the clock is ticking:)

      Delete
  6. Love, love, love the sled and skates! I never think of things like that and you used what you already had! Brilliant! The pulled pork sandwiches are smart too. I like to make ahead whatever I can too. Your crafting area is so organized. That's my goal for after the holidays.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My crafting space only looks organized when i'm not in the middle of a project, or two, or three. Do you do that? Have many things going at the same time.

      Delete
  7. The decorated sled and skates look wonderful - two things we here in NZ don't associate with Christmas at all :-) And I love your signs too - Farm Sweet Farm - just perfect - an idea I may just have to borrow :-) Pulled pork sandwiches for guests sounds just fabulous, and your stamping space is glorious - what a great collection you have!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your Christmas is probably beach parties and palm trees . . . maybe we should swap houses some Christmas, LOL. Do it on a year that we have tons of snow:) You should paint a sign like that . . . I borrowed the idea, too LOL.

      Delete
  8. That is a lot of stamps. I have some too, not that many but I haven't used them in years.
    Like the old sled.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found that old sled at a yard sale and I wasn't going to paint it until I saw the pictures in Country Sampler magazine . . . it just looked like a perfect way to display my polka dot skates for Christmas :)

      Delete
  9. Love your decor, Connie. We, too, bought a pencil tree this year and love the sleekness of it - we liked it so much that we put it up as soon as we bought it in late November ..... we've never ever had our tree up that early. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sweet husband loves Christmas, so we always put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I enjoy decorating and making his Christmas bright and cheery . . . we do it simple . . . lights, tree, cookies and we always watch "It's A Wonderful Life".

      Delete
  10. Hi Connie :) I LOVE your polka dot skates and the sled!! Very festive, I'm loving this time of year. We're getting our tree on Friday and we usually go for a big one. We don't have much space either, but we make do! The sign looks great, I love that "farm sweet farm"!! Look at all of those stamps!!! Wow...I've never tried that particular hobby, but it looks very interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have fun getting your tree. Our daughter and granddaughters get a permit every year to go into the woods and cut their own tree. They make a day of it and have so much fun. I bought that old sled at a yard sale a couple of summers ago and I think it is going to be a favorite decoration to put out each year. I debated back and forth on whether to paint it or leave it weather wood :)
      Like I said have fun getting your tree . . . I hope you put photos of it on your blog:)

      Delete
  11. Love how cozy and organized your workroom is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, it's only looks that way between projects, LOL. You would not want to see how messy it can get when I have two or three projects going on.

      Delete
  12. I really like the look of your vintage sled painted red and green. You have a good sense of decorating. You're doing s good job of planning ahead. The holiday season is definitely here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It will be nice seeing all of our family that is flying in. Sorry, that it couldn't just be for holiday fun and cheer . . . but it's nice that they are all coming in to see their Sister & Aunt. Why is it that we only get together for weddings and deaths? I wish that my family wasn't so scattered all over the country.

      Delete
  13. I love the sled and your skates! And I would love to 'borrow' some of your stamps! lol I've just gotten into that with the altered books I'm making. My original black ink starting acting dry and I read to turn it upside down. I did and now it's working better. I turned several of my ink pads upside down. So far...so good! Holiday hugs! Diane PS I'm having a giveaway...so come on over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, that is a brilliant idea . . . just turn them over :) I'm going to do that with the old ones, I've saved them just for brushing them along the edge of a page or paper, but now I'm going to turn them over and see if I can get more stamping out of them. I'll be over sometime today and enter your give away, thanks for letting me know:)

      Delete
  14. I use to get the country sampler magazine, then I got all caught up in cardmaking and went to getting those instead... love what you have done with your sled, love the old fashion ones! Good idea for quick meals when your guest arrive, who wants to be cooking the whole time, you want to have that time visiting :) The sign you are working on is looking great, and you have a great set up for your stamps, would be nice to have them all out to see what you have, mine are all in drawers, or containers. Enjoy your time with your family!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Connie, those stamp shelves were a surprise present from my niece's husband. She's the one that got me into stamping. One day there was a knock on the door and in he walked with these shelves, he had made some for her and decided to made some for me too:) What a sweetie pie!

      Delete
  15. We always loved decorating for Christmas, too, Connie. Always put our tree up the day after T'giving...I am running later this year...just got my tiny tree up and decorated today.
    I love your slim tree

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've visited your blog and absolutely love the decorations that you have been putting out. Now I'll just have to come over and see your tree :) God bless you sweetie . . . surround yourself with family, you have a wonderful bunch there that love you beyond words:)

      Delete
  16. Hi Connie,
    Just catching up on blog reading. Oh do I ever need to clean out my pantry. And that pie and those gloves BOTH look like artwork! I have a dress that supposedly belonged to my sister when she was little. I was planning on giving it to her this year and your idea is really good! I was going to make a doll to put it on but maybe I'll do the hanger idea instead! Your tree is pretty. I haven't gone to an artificial tree yet. I told my Shug when we got out of the basement I was buying the biggest and prettiest tree I could find and he best not say a word! I did and he didn't! Enjoy your company. Those roasts look delish!

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that, " I did and he didn't" . . . I've been doing that about dinner lately. When the first words out of a man's mouth when he comes home from work are, "wants for dinner" . . . I started replying, " You'll see when I serve it and you will eat it and like it". I've been trying to teach him for 42 years, that the first words should be, "Hello sweetheart, how was your day?" Then it's okay to say, "wants for dinner", LOL

      Delete
  17. Your signs look great -- I love that rooster! The pork looks really delicious. Have fun with all your company!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. It's always nice to have the main part of a meal done ahead of time. He smoked that pork for about 10 hours, slow and low, it is delicious:)

      Delete
  18. I'm so envious of all those stamps! wow. How sweet of your niece's husband to make those shelves! as much stamping and card making I do, I only have maybe 20 stamps! I love stamps and always want to but more pretty ones, but the scrapbook papers and fabric come first. Your sled and skates look darling too....love the old sled. Used to have one as a child. Good idea to cook ahead of time. I always think when we have company I wish I could use paper plates and bowls, plastic silverware and tin foil pans! I spend way too much time in the kitchen cleaning up! Can't believe we're so far into Decemmber already. I'm making cards too and had better get with it! I have some done. Making them simpler this year. Wish all of us bloggers who live within a state of you could have a craft day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Come on over and we'll stamp together :) When our daughter lived in Bend, I would probably drive very close to your home each time I visited. It's too bad that we didn't know each other then:)

      Delete
  19. Love the sleigh, so cool! The fab skates look brilliant displayed on it. Lovely Christmas tree and my mouth is watering at the thought of pulled pork sandwiches! Yum yum! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Chris, thanks for popping in to say hello . . . I wish that there was a way to pass you a pulled pork sandwich through the computer screen, LOL. Who knows, maybe someday :)

      Delete
  20. Hi Connie, Brrr. 26 degrees at 12:45. Had a dusting of snow on the ground this morning! I continue to love those shelves for the stamps. I don't have that much room but racking my brain. Think maybe I could leave the Christmas and Birthday stamps in their drawers and make a smaller version on the wall for all the rest. Hmmmm .We put our sled out aso with greenery and bow. Thinking about painting it. Haven't gotten around to making Christmas cards yet either! Stay cozy and warm! Nancy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nancy, I debated about painting my old shed or leaving it weather wood. I like both looks :)

      Delete
  21. Isn't it great to have a space dedicated to your hobbies? I love seeing all your stamps lined up all nice and neat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a blessing and a joy and one that I wish all creative people could have. I send a lot of years like so many women moving my sewing machine to the kitchen table and then packing everything back up before meal time. So, believe me when I say how very grateful I am for the wonderful space that I now have :)

      Delete
  22. Love your Christmas decorating! Mmm, those smoked pork butts look good. I bet they taste so delicious. Have a wonderful time with your company!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Melanie, thanks for stopping by to visit. Our company all left this morning at dawn . . . it was specially sad to see my brothers leave because I don't get to see them that often, especially the one that lives in Florida. We have had more company in the last three days . . . our little house was bursting at the seams, but it was wonderful :)

      Delete
  23. beautiful christmas decor...love the skates and sled!!

    WoW!! that's a lot of stamps!!

    have a happy weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found that old sled at a yard sale a couple of summers ago . . . I got so excited when I saw it. I like old vintage things that remind this old vintage girl of her childhood, LOL.

      Delete
  24. It sounds like you have a lot of lovely times awaiting you during the holidays. Your tree looks so cute and so do your skates on the sleigh. I hope you enjoy all your company and what a blessing to have a husband who can cook!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Gloriade, we had a wonderful time with our company. They all left this morning at dawn, but next week we will be having more. I just wish our family didn't all live so far apart. It would be so nice to be able to see each other more often.

      Delete
  25. Connie, I absolutely adore your polka dotted skates! I may have to do that with mine. Sometimes I have a hard time altering vintage. :) Hubby bought two pork butts to smoke for Christmas Eve. Great minds thing alike. lol! I hosted a club Christmas party here last night and he smoked two turkey breasts. They were absolutely delicious! Your signs are always so stinkin cute! I can't believe the number of stamps you have. I really down sized mine when we finished our basement and I was putting my craft room together. I didn't have anything compared to you. I just mainly kept words and saying, because I hardly use them any more. Had the same thing happen with my stamp pads. Love creating, but family is better for sure!!
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know how you feel about changing the surface of anything vintage . . . I had that problem with painting my old sled, but I gave it only one very spares coat. I think it will weather back again only with a bit more color. I plan on leaving it outside all year and letting the sun, rain and wind give it a good weathering:)

      Delete
  26. Love all of it! what a great stamp collection! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete