It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas

Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived and little bits of Christmas keep popping up in our home.  I'll blame it on this guy for an early bloom.  Ok, all the Christmas stuff out at Target probably didn't help.

Isn't it lovely?  My son planted it as just a sprig ten years ago.  It thrives best when neglected.  I find that is the best plan with my house plants.  When I give them too much love they seems to look sickly.  I also planted an amaryllis bulb.  The pot it came it was functional but not so pretty. Thank goodness I had yarn and could fix that problem.

Since I had my Christmas plants out I decided to get a few Christmas books to look at.  I enjoy looking at all the pretty decorations.  I do have to remind myself that those are staged pictures.  My house will NEVER look like those books and that's OK.  

I have my Christmas craft projects in Christmas bags.  The green bag is holding yarn for a gift I'm making for my niece.  She will get pot holders.  The pattern is from My Rose Valley.  It is the vintage pot holder pattern.  It is a pay for pattern and can be found on ravelry.  I am very pleased with the pattern, easy to follow and a very pretty final project.

The penguin bag holds Christmas colored yarns and a couple bead kits I picked up at the craft store in the dollar section.  I call this my bag of distractions.  Rather than work on current projects I can make Christmas coasters or snowflakes.

I've picked up few other early Christmas treats.  The tiny candle and snowflake candle holder is from Bath and Body Works and I can't resist holiday candy and cookies.  These will not be opened until December or at least until after Thanksgiving!   Well maybe I will only open the cookies today.  The plan is to start putting up the Christmas tree.  A cookie will go nicely with decorating and watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  I'll bet I can rationalize opening the Kisses too!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  If you are celebrating Thanksgiving I wish you a Happy and Safe holiday.  To those not celebrating the holiday I wish you a Happy and Safe day.

November Winter Project Link Party

I'm linking up with Jennifer for the Winter Project Party.  I've made a bit of progress on the Cozy Stripe Blanket.  I would make more progress if I'd stop staring aimlessly at the television.  I'm still proud of what I've accomplished even if I'm already feeling like this may go past winter.

I think this photo has hit an all time low for crumminess.  It really is hard to believe I have a degree in art and my major field was photography!  Arrrgghhh, I'm sure my former teacher would be appalled.  I seem to think about the photography aspect after the fact.  I was in Walmart today and saw a gift set of Calgon.  Anyone else remember those ads "Calgon Take Me Away.?"  I know I'm showing my age with that trip down memory lane.  After I left the store it hit me I should have taken a picture of it then I could have used it as a clever picture for my post election discussion.  Speaking of politics, the election did not go as I would have hoped.  That being said, I know for as strongly as I feel about my position those on the other side feel equally as strong about theirs.  We won't change each others minds.  May kindness and compassion on both sides be what leads us.  I am so happy for the opportunity to vote.  It is such a privilege.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day.  I'd like to say Thank You to everyone who has served this great country. Without your sacrifice we would not have the amazing country to call home.  Thank you.

Decorating for November

Boo!  We survived Halloween.  We didn't have as many trick or treaters this year.  The kids in the neighborhood are growing up and each year there are less and less.  It was still a fun evening, and there was lots of candy for everyone.

Today I put away most of the Halloween decorations.  Maybe by next year I will crochet at least one more coaster.

The full picture of the kitchen table shows there are still piles of stuff.  No use hiding it.  It's a part of our lives.

These are the placemats I'll use for Thanksgiving.  Maybe I'll get four coasters crocheted to match them.

I finally changed my chalk board sign.  Writing in chalk is not as easy as I remembered from school. The bird figurine next to the chalk board looks like it's reading my sign.

Here's a few more of the November decorations.  I wonder how long it will take the cats before they go after the scarecrows hair?

I have my trio of pumpkins for the dining room table.  It's uncanny how Binxy can walk through a room just as I'm taking the picture.  I know she's coming to see what I'm doing.  She's always hopeful yarn might be involved.

Yes, that's the cat's food on the table.  If it stays down on the floor the dog eats it.  I did at least put  their bowls on a tray.


I'm noticing I take a lot of pictures in the exact same spots.  I will try and mix it up for my next post.

Happy November!