Something New

Went into the shop this morning and heard parts of a loud discussion. The minions were having a disagreement on how the outside of Buns and Roses should look. One camp wanted it to look traditional while the other (wild and crazy) camp wanted something totally different. Well, since I usually side with the wild and crazy camp, I had to throw my two cents in too. This idea popped into my head when I woke up the other day and I figured it was "minionesque"! LOL! (Wow, I can't believe spellcheck didn't pick up on that one....) I was thinking of putting pink gingham wallpaper on the outside with black window trim!

Sort of French, maybe even an Eiffel Tower somewhere. I thought of a good way to do the windows too...I'll just put a heavy coat of clear gloss on some printer paper (remember when it was called typing paper?) to make it translucent. At the moment, work has slowed to be able to complete another project today, glueing a map to foam board with spray adhesive.

Be really careful when you use this stuff as it is highly flammable. It even contains propane! Good thing it is going to be warm outside today cause that is where we'll definitely be using it! Along with masks and goggles! I'll just have to get a picture of that one! LOL! Anyhoo, you're probably wondering, "Okay Deb, what's up?" Well, after I am done here, I am going over to my other new blog to write a few things. It's called "Twice Across America" and I hope you become members and follow along as this is going to be an amazing adventure. So with that, I will hop on over there and start typing info there for you. Both of these blogs will be running, so please continue to follow along here too. Have a great day!

First Look at Buns and Roses...

My poor minions felt bad for me yesterday and when I went into the shop, they were all teary. I dried their eyes and let them read the rest of the post and they all cheered up and went on with their day. This morning however, they were determined to cheer me up so with our resident rock star at the piano,

they started with a lively collection of Christmas carols! They started singing so robustly, some of them fell off the bleachers and I had to pick them up and make sure they didn't hurt themselves!

As you can see, Bob's "puppy" is practicing his photography for the Christmas card they want to send out this year. I got into the spirit also and broke out my blinking Christmas necklaces and we just had a jolly old time!

We were all starting to wear out when I decided it was time to pull out the pieces for the Buns and Roses shop.

I'm not sure if I want to finish the whole inside or if I just want to fill the bay windows with pastries and flowers and leave it at that. If I finish the insides, there will be display cases to make and lots and lots of little goodies and bouquets to make. I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble when you have to put one eye up to a window to see in....decisions, decisions. If I don't finish the inside, I could use thin rice paper for the windows so the light inside would show or maybe some wavy plastic that can't be seen through clearly. I will figure it out. The minions vote to have it unfinished inside so they can sneak in there and eat up the goodies without being seen...I think they just want a place for parties with lots of banana daiquiris...I'll have time to think about it while I sand alllll those edges! LOL! Have a great day!

Christmas Thoughts

I decided to finally hang some decorations on the tree today. I didn't get too many on before the tears came. I wept from my heart and deep from my soul. My children are all far away and one of them is overseas in harm's way. I wept for them all. As I sit here looking at the tree, I realize that sure, Christmas is about family and lots of other things but the primary thing, no, the primary person we are celebrating is Jesus Christ and his amazing birth. It doesn't matter exactly when on the calendar the amazing event took place, we have chosen Christmas to celebrate this perfect gift to us. The baby that would become the child that would become the Man who would hang on the cross and die for you and me. And He didn't leave it at that...He rose from the dead and promised all of us who believe, eternal life. Yes, my focus was temporarily sidetracked by sadness, and I know that there are many others out there who are shedding tears too. Just remember, Christ loves you and came to earth to give us a most beautiful gift. A gift of love, a gift of eternal life in heaven. Hope your Christmas is full of love and family and friends, but most of all celebrate Jesus.

Oh Christmas Tree....!

This was one of those years when I wondered whether or not to put up my tree. It can be alot of work and my youngest son won't be able to be here this year. But then I figured Ben wouldn't want me to go without a tree and then we found out we'll be having company on Christmas day so let the decorating begin!  My Dear Hubby carried in the three bins from the shed and then pulled the box with the tree in it off the closet shelf along with a fourth bin. Good grief, how did I get so much stuff! I put all of it up last year when Ben was here, but this year will put up about half of it. Once the tree was out of the box, here is what it looked like.

Every year, I laugh at this thing and call it my Charlie Brown tree. But after considerable fluffing and arranging, here is what it looks like.

 I've been busy with other things so have only been able to get the strings of bubble lights and the garland on so far. Oh, and a few icicles too.

I have packages to run to the post office tomorrow, so hope I can get to the bajillion ornaments! May these days before Christmas be a time of reflection on the true meaning of the holiday. Have a great evening!

It's a Blizzard!

Well, maybe not quite a blizzard, but I did have lots of fun sewing snowflakes on Elsa's Christmas stocking. I started by finishing up Olaf. I even found his missing foot! It must have stuck to me and randomly fell off because I found it over by the sewing machine. Once he was was sewn on, I thought he needed a little Christmas cheer so cut out a stocking cap for him. I sewed on some sequins and found a sparkly pom-pom in my stash so sewed that on too. Here he is!

I started sewing on the snowflakes and just bumped the container with the sequins in it....so now my living room rug is sparkly too! LOL!

After I picked them all up and dumped them back into my plastic divider box, I was thinking, "Why did I spend all that time with tweezers separating them by color?!" Oh well, another project for another day. When I went to WalMart the other day to try to find white felt by the yard, they didn't have any. So I bought a pastel pink which coordinates nicely with the blue and goes with the roses on the front. I cut out my stocking shape and carefully pinned it on.

I got about half way round sewing it together last night but then had to hit the trail. When I showed it to the minions this morning, it sparkled in the sun and there was a collective Ooooooo! from all of them. Guess we are all set in the bling department! I will finish this up today and you will see a final picture before it is mailed off to my dear granddaughter Elsa. Have a great day!

P.S.  It's finished! Couldn't wait to add the picture!

Went a little crazy with the snowflakes, but the minions made me do it! LOL! It will be on it's way tomorrow!

My Eyes are Sew Tired!

The laundry was barking around my ankles yesterday so had to deal with some of that first. Then I settled down with my needle and thread and went to work. I started by sewing the heel and toe onto the Christmas stocking.

After the lace was sewn in place, I was admiring my work when one of the minions came into the living room.

He looked over my shoulder and just said, "Needs more bling." Just when you think a project is close to being done....The kits for these do have quite a few sequins on them so I pulled out my box of sequins and pawed through them. After trying out a few different colors, the white ones seemed to look the best so away I went! Sequins were added to the heel and toe,

then I got the bright idea to sew them around the panel too. After a couple of hours, I was about 3/4 of the way around the center panel.

We had some supper, played on our computers for awhile and got ready for bed. Here I am minding my own business, just brushing my teeth, when I get hiccups. Not just little ones, big gulping ones. Nothing would make them leave. So there is Dear Hubby sleeping peacefully and I'm in the living room hiccupping! I figured I may as well work some more on the stocking so proceeded to sew on sequins and beads for another 2 hours. After I was done with the center panel, I decided to sew some on the edge of the white panel along the top.

The hiccups finally stopped when I was just beginning to sew on Olaf.

After a total of 4 hours hand sewing on this, my eyeballs are toast! LOL! I think I'll finish up the laundry and go pick up a few groceries later today, if the rain stops that is....Be careful out there in the weather and have a great day!

Too Much Fun!

After a long hiatus, I am back at last! My husband's brother and his wife came down for a visit and we just went out and had fun the whole time they were here! It's so nice to be friends with your relatives. My sister-in-law and I had a ball shopping in the Christmas Collectibles shop in Sevierville and then we met up with the guys at Knifeworks. We didn't spend much money, but just enjoyed the company. I found a nice Christmas ornament that will make a nice present for the mail lady and Lisa found some beautiful crystal bears for their new digs. We went out to eat and looked at travel trailers and just enjoyed ourselves for the first time in ages. They are on their way home now and the house is too quiet, so had a couple of ideas; and since I found the doll hair I couldn't find before, went to work. I matched some hair to the mail lady and personalized the ornament a little for her.

Since I had the little bag of doll hair out, decided to make one of the proprietors for Buns and Roses.

He really liked the hair I chose and waited patiently while I separated it into strands I could use.

A little 527 Cement and he is starting to take shape.

I found some glasses for him and he is rockin'! Somehow, he looks vaguely familiar.....

Now I have to quit messing around and finish hand sewing Elsa's Christmas stocking. I'll use a little cotton to fatten up Olaf and sew the rest of the lace on too.

I'm sure I'm going to need some Tylenol for my eyeballs before this is done! LOL! Have a great day!