WEEK 27 AND LIFE

Happy 5th day of Christmas.  How are you spending your 12 days of Christmas?  If you don't celebrate.....how are you spending the last few days of 2018?  Do you make resolutions? (I don't)  Do you pick a word for the year? (I don't)  Do you consider January 1 a way to start fresh again? (I do)

Since this is the last post for 2018, I decided to write what I wanted to write.  Not just about crafting.  But, since this is mainly a crafting blog, let's start out with that.

Still working on the Advent Scarf 2018.  The progress keeper is where I was last Sunday.  I was a bit further along until I noticed I had gotten off row count somehow last night.  Out came 4 rows of knitting.  I have put 2 of them back in though.  I am on December 18th, so only have 5 more days of pattern and then the ending ribbing.  I am averaging 3 days of clues each day.  It should be done by next weekend.  (fingers crossed)

I have not touched any other knitting or crocheting this past week.  We have been so busy, I am lucky to have found time to work on the scarf.  However, working on this scarf and learning some of the Japanese stitches has inspired me to learn more.  Therefore, Amazon got a little business from me.

Going through this, I have visions of socks with lovely intricate patterns on them in the near future.  Not to mention, fingerless mitts, hats, shawls and possibly even a sweater!  Looking at the designs as a whole, it scares the stuffing out of me.  Yet, the creator of the Advent KAL told me to just look at it one stitch at a time.  It worked!  I have not thrown in the towel and am looking forward to learning more of this type of knitting stitches.

We hosted a party last night.  We have this party every year for MANY years and have so much fun with friends and family.  It starts around 2 in the afternoon and ends around 10 in the evening.  There is lots of food and fun.  There just might be a few adult beverages involved in it too. (Hence the reason the scarf got off count)  To get ready for this annual event, hubby and I go to great lengths to make sure our home is welcoming to all.  We spent the week doing normal cleaning, lots of food prep, recipe searching, decluttering and finishing up decorating Christmas.  Since it was a short week, we really had to scramble to get it all done.  Even our dogs got groomed for the event.  While they were at the groomers, we vacuumed all the furniture and then to make sure there was not copious amounts  of dog hair on it 2 days later, we did this:

I told hubby, it reminded me of Grandma's house.  She would cover her furniture so it would not wear out.  Anyway, it worked and no one walked out of here with dog hair on them, other than when my dogs crawled into their lap.

I have to show you something that is becoming an event for our Grand Daughter.

She and our music director at church love to have tie contests.  She won this one.  The last one was a toss up (tie).  She loves to challenge him periodically to the contest.  BTW.....She just got glasses a week ago. I think she looks pretty darn cute in them.

This year has been pretty tough.  There were all those 'firsts' to go through without my mom.  Christmas day was the hardest ever as that would have been her 91st birthday and then, the day after was the 1st anniversary of her leaving this earthly life.  I found my eyes leaking off and on during those days.  Especially when I was working on decluttering my craftroom.  I still have all of my mom's beading supplies as well as a needlework Christmas stocking she had started and never finished.  It is still on the stretching frame.  The memories are sweet and yet sad at the same time.  

I am so ready for a new year to begin.  In preparation of making lovely new memories, I have been getting some supplies ready for it.

My new journal for 2019.  I get them at Hobby Lobby.  It is a lined journal and while many people prefer dotted journals, I like having lines to write on.  There was also an order for these:

They are bleed proof markers.  Since I like to do a bit of artwork or use stencils for fun, I wanted markers that don't bleed through.  I also use colored pencils (which I have waaay to many of).

There should be one more delivery today from Amazon.  It is my stickers for bullet journals.  I. LOVE. STICKERS.!      

They look like so much fun.  

Tomorrow marks the 1 year anniversary of my MIL's stroke.  It was a blessing she was visiting us when it happened.  We were able to get her to the hospital in 20 minutes of the stroke.  She has regained most of her abilities.  The only thing she can not do is walk.  She is wheel chair bound and that frustrates her quite a bit.  She celebrated her 91st birthday in May.  Unbelievable!

I think that about sums up everything I wanted to 'talk' about today.  May God bless all of you in 2019!

Until next time.................Happy Crafting!!!!