WOYWW 291--Warning...Very Clean Desk!

I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of a continuously clean desk. But my craft table is rarely this clean, calm and polite. It's partly because of all the holiday happenings, and partly because I now have a terrible cold and cough from, no doubt, exposing myself to huge crowds of after-Christmas shopping at the mall and Target. My sister was with me, and she has the same cold and cough! 

By the way, it's What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday where we peek at each other's lovely, mad and messy workspaces around the world.

I've not posted another thing to my blog is how bad it's been. And now after posting this, I'm back to my Call the Midwife holiday special and some hot tea. Feeling a little weak. Hope this runs its course soon. Call the Midwife is making me feel better - I was so excited they aired the holiday special on PBS.

When I get better, I have plans to make a cute bracelet with those beads, start a scarf with the huge skein of pink yarn from daughter, and finish reading my Downton book I got for Christmas! Hugs!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

WOYWW 290--Making My Own Gift Boxes

 Merry Christmas Eve desker lovelies! I am barely making it to What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday hosted by Miss Julia. But I thought if she can take the time to do this linky party on Christmas Eve, I can certainly take a few minutes to link up and see what's going on with workdesks around the planet on the day before Chrstimas!

Do you make your own gift boxes? Because for the first time I can answer yes to that question. Woo hoo! Since I love making envelopes, I thought I would love making gift boxes, and months ago I had ordered the We R Memory Keepers gift box punch board from Amazon. And then it sat. And sat. And then it got put away and I almost couldn't find it! But now, here it is, and yesterday I had so much fun making little boxes, and it's so easy. I'm especially happy I can theme the paper I choose, which is scrapbook paper, to the recipient. My daughter writes, and so I used a Christmas paper with typewriters on it. My nephew plays the trumpet, and I happened to have Christmas trumpet paper. How cool is that! Now it's time to really clean up the desk (see the rest of the mess above), company's coming for Christmas Eve dinner. We're having turkey, ham, scalloped potatoes, spinach dip, bubble buns, green beans with bacon, cheesecake and more. So, yes, I'll be starting the new diet right after Christmas!! Happy Christmas everyone.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Sunday Threads

No words from God will ever fail.
Luke 1:37

Thread a Needle, Enjoy a Steamy Mug

Coffee and cross-stitch is soothing to the soul.

I heart tea.

Hot tea and hot mess desk!

Coffee in the morning sun--off-camera, I'm knitting.

Favorite panera breakfast to fuel up for a day of crafting.

Lots of embroidery to do!

Tea with Tinkerbell

Love that pearl cotton floss

More reindeer making with a little mocha coffee.

A cup of colored pencils to journal about the day!

WOYWW 289--'Twas the Week Before Christmas

Once upon a time it was What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday, and all through the house not a creature was crafting...not even a mouse.

The worktable, a mess, the chores not done...the crafter was working on a gingerbread house for fun.

Just as she was back to her sparkly aida cloth there appeared...

happy mail!!! From those two UK lovelies, Jan and Julia so dear.

It was one of Jan's beautiful tote bags, the best kind of surprise. The crafter squealed and got a sparkle in her eyes!

So from my gingerbread house to yours a happy Wednesday to all, I am packing up my tote bag to hit the mall!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Sunday Threads

For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

Habakkuk 1:5

WOYWW 288--A Crafty Morning Is a Happy Morning

Oh my--it is a dark morning and this photo was taken minutes ago on an actual USA Wednesday morning. 

Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday!

I have a lot of crafty catching up to do as I survey the landscape and drink my coffee. Stitching on my reindeers makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something at least--I am adding beads and words to each one too. But I am happy to report that I made one of the variegated cross-stitched reindeers into a combination card and baby's-first-ornament for a baby shower I went to last weekend. I stitched in the baby's name, stitched it onto the cardstock, added a ribbon handle and bob's your uncle. Now I am once again abandoning my happy place to get to the office--Minnie (my cat) will keep my chair warm.
Happy Wednesday!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

November Photo Journal

November is such a busy month in our family - several birthdays, school activities, and the beginning of the holidays! I am still getting my head wrapped around the fact that we are well into December! But being together is the important thing.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

WOYWW 287 - Craftin' Kitty on My Workdesk

She's after my reindeers

 Well, I've been in the middle of Christmas decorating, and trying to get back to my craft table to clean up, and start stitching with my freshly cross-stitched and beaded reindeers, and then this happens. It's my sweet, funny, bossy tortoise shell kitty Minnie wanting to help. 

Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday by the way. Visit all the desks in this happy hop!

Minnie is about 13-years-old and runs the household. I always say there are a lot of brains in that tiny kitty head! She is also my constant companion. I always have to make sure there are no needles or exacto knives pointing up on my desk, and now you see why. 

So today I'm so tired from post Thanksgiving housecleaning and current Christmas decorating and grocery shopping - my crafting time got squeezed out. Maybe this weekend I'll have my mojo back, I can fire up the Gilmore Girls, and get some scrapbooking and stitching done! Reindeers will be turned into cards and ornaments. Have a happy week!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Sunday Threads

For when I am weak, then I am strong.
1 Corinthians 12:10

WOYWW 286--Coffee and Cross-Stitch

A nice morning is coffee, cross-stitch, and a little phone conversation with my sis. I am having some time off from the office this week and getting ready for turkey day. I've already had my big mug of coffee--that is actually a little mid-morning treat in a small mug with a splash of caramel mocha, oh yeh.
Have a visit of work desks around the planet at What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday.
It's the day before Thanksgiving, so I'll be making ahead a few of the dishes for our beloved Thanksgiving dinner! The cranberry sauce is very easy to make ahead with fresh cranberries, orange zest, water, half sugar and half splenda, and a little simmering on the stove, then right in the fridge it goes. Baking a spice cake with cream cheese frosting, and making hubby's favorite spoon cornbread is on the list of make-aheads. It's a few less dishes to worry about while the big turkey's roasting. And when it's time to relax, it's back to those little reindeers. Have a happy week lovelies!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Around the House - Planning Turkey Day

 This is my spa--cross-stitch and coffee. Tonight, it's actually a decaf caramel mocha. I love these little reindeers stitching up so quickly with variegated floss in any color really. Very relaxing and very festive.

Before that first early frost hit, I had to pick all the tomatoes from the garden. They are ripening on my cool greenhouse sunporch as I'm planning Thanksgiving dinner for this year.

We have the Butterball turkey - a fourteen pounder. We are planning an early evening Thanksgiving dinner time this year. The Butterball will start roasting around 1 p.m., stuffed with oranges, onions, and rosemary and basted throughout the cooking time with a butter, wine, and olive oil mix. The stuffing bakes in its own pan, and the day before I put together the cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and orange zest for an amazing flavor, and the spoon cornbread. There will also be a fresh veggie tray to munch on, smashed potatoes and our famous bubble buns which rise for hours and get topped with butter when they come out of the oven. I'm already hungry! I'm also baking a spice cake with cream cheese frosting, and probably some brownies for the kids. Happy turkey day everyone!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Sunday Threads

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
She can laugh at the days to come.
Proverbs 31:25

WOYWW 285--Organizing Snippets of Sentiments

Well happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday to you! Thank you for visiting me. I feel so blessed to have gotten the loveliest visits last week with happy birthday wishes and sweet thoughts.  Thank you so much! It made my week and made turning (uh-hum) "54" a lot more like turning forty fourteen!

I am posting a quick one today - I've been cutting out sentiments from some old books bought at a library sale, for that very reason. I'm gluing the snippets to card stock to keep track of them, and then I will Mod Podge them. They will be ready to cut out and use in all kinds of projects!

I found an old large martini glass, and it went right on my craft table to hold some skeins of floss I'm working with. I thought that was festive--but it might be a little more festive with say, a mangotini in it!

I'm also still cross-stitching reindeers and watching Gilmore Girls! Netflix makes it so easy to watch a whole series you've never seen before. It was fun to hear that some of my UK crafty pals watch it over there too. Have a wonderful week!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Sunday Threads

God is greater than the burdens you are carrying.
Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you.
Psalm 55:22

WOYWW 284--Lovely Piles

Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday! (join the fun over at Ms. Julia's blog, Stamping Ground)

My sister's birthday is the day before mine.

Weeks ago I seemed to have entered the messy desk dimension of the universe, and I can't find my way back out! For some reason, I have to have everything right out in front of me--the gelatos, markers, aida cloth, gelli-printed tags waiting for embellishment, my datebook, and even nail polish. Somehow I started watching Gilmore Girls while doing the treadmill two miles every morning; realized there are billions of episodes (I never watched the series before) and so now I find it a relaxing thing to watch while cross-stitching and tag making at my table too. 

The cross-stitch reindeers are coming along (thank you Gilmore Girls) and under the stack of tags is a brand new Mollie Makes! Thank you to Lunch Lady Jan for sending me my first issue ever...because then my Barnes & Noble started carrying it, and my daughter got me this latest issue for my birthday.

But when it comes to this piled up craft table, at some point, you realize, this is all going to have to be cleaned up, reconfobulated (is that a word) and some serious things happening like diecutting and sewing, and using those wonderful cutting mats that are all buried right now. That's life in the crafty corner.

My daughter and I on my birthday Monday--hello 54!

Toodles and have a wonderful week lovelies!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch