One Down - How many more to go?

One tree is up and decorated.  I'm really cutting back this year as far as the decorations go.  I want a simple primitive look to all my trees.  

Only three different things on this tree - small grapevine wreaths, red berries and ripped flannel homespun ties.  I did add the Gone Sledding cross stitch piece for a little interest.(pattern by The Sampler Girl - link directly to the pattern - http://www.thesamplergirl.com/catalog.php?item=259)  I put the tree in a wire egg basket and wrapped the base with burlap. 

Have you been in to Dollar Tree?  They have some great wrapping paper.  Both of these are brown craft paper - one is a burgundy gingham check and the other is a gold star.  Love them - $1.00 each and they are made in the USA!  I bought them in Wisconsin in a Dollar Tree, my Dollar Tree here in Ohio doesn't have any.  If they did, I am sure my friend Melissa (Farm Field Primitives) and her mom bought all the rolls!  

Did you go out Black Friday Shopping?  We did - we're crazy I know - but we were home by 1:30.  We got what we needed and headed home.  My sister and our boys were playing rock paper scissors to pass the time.  My husband and our daughter were looking on.   

Later on Black Friday we had to celebrate a birthday.  Our daughter turned 17.  Wow - how did she get to be this old? My nieces loved helping with the candles....

My Mom and her youngest 6 grandkids.  Mine are the 3 oldest ones in this photo.  Mamie (as she is known to these 6) is going to use this as her Christmas Card.  Wish the other 2 grandkids could have been with us so all 8 were in the photo.  

I am offering a Cyber Monday discount in my etsy store.  Use the code Cybermonday for 15% off baskets that are currently in my store.  You can get to me by clicking the link on the right side bar.

~Ann

Pinterest - I think I'm addicted

Have you been on Pinterest and used a Pin yet?  If you haven't, let me tell you, there's a whole world out there just waiting for you!  If you are limited on time - DO NOT get involved with this!LOL. And if you do, don't come blaming me - I warned you!

One of the first things I found was a Pin for a wool throw.  Having lots of felted wool (wool skirts that I felted just a bit too much for rug hooking) I needed a project to use up some of this wool.  

I actually used 2 different projects from www.purlbee.com to create my own version.  I cut my pieces to 6" x 7", as specified in http://www.purlbee.com/felted-wool-patchwork-throw/  and stitched them together by hand using the directions found here:http://www.purlbee.com/trip-around-the-wool-blanket/ 

The edges butt against each other - there is no overlap.  I can't believe how quickly this has gone together.  I have 10 rows with 7 rectangles in each row.  All told my cost is right around $30.00, all wool from the thrift store and the DMC #5, ecru embroidery floss I used was from the thrift store too.  

A great $$ saver tip I stumbled across was this one.....

Do you have candles like this - wax left in the bottom, but the wick will not burn anymore?  

Does anyone use ice cube trays anymore?  I had 3 in my kitchen storage area in the basement and have not used them.  ( I don't like the "taste" of homemade icecubes, we buy bagged ice in this house) I would not suggest using these for making ice any longer, not after this project!

Place each candle on a candle warmer until the wax is melted completely 

carefully pour into the ice cube tray.

Pop them out when cool and you now have wax tarts to use in your tart warmer.  

Not only does this save $, but it also helped me clean out my cupboard! 

Have fun on Pinterest and Have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

~Ann 

And the Winner is........

Thank you to all of you who entered my Birthday giveaway and Welcome to all my new followers - I'm glad you are here.  

The giveaway....one of my handwoven baskets and a snowman I made....

 

I was planning on using a random number generator to determine the winner, but I had several email entries, so I wrote everyone's name on a slip of paper and put in them in the giveaway basket. 

I had to interrupt a heated game of Lord of the Rings Monopoly,  Matthew mixed up all the entries and Daniel drew out......

Jessica at Blessings in the Country, Congratulations Jessica!  Please look for an email from me.

~Ann

My Swap with Linda - You all know Linda!

Like many of you, Linda of Parker's Paradise and I are blogging buddies.  Linda suggested a swap with me a while back, let me share with you what she sent me.....

A box full of goodies

I  mentioned that I love the "let it snow" small framed stitchery on the far right.  She send me four framed pieces and a terrific pillow.  The pillow's quote really hit home for me when I opened the box - love it!  

"Our family is a circle of Strength and Love"  

Linda,  I really hope your package has arrived, last time I checked the delivery confirmation # it was still showing as sitting in our town post office - so much for Priority Mail!  

For my birthday my family surprised me with tickets to see Trans Siberian Orchestra last night.  All I can say is WOW!  What a fantastic show and great music. 

All three of our kids are in orchestra at our school.  (Yes we are very lucky to have a wonderful orchestra program in our school system - and we are a little town!)  We have 2 violins and 1 bass in the house.  All three were enthralled with the performances.  

If you are a fan of TSO and have never been - GO! You will never regret it.  I'm ready to drive to Dayton Ohio to see them again tonight!

Don't forget to leave me a comment on the previous blog post for your chance to win one of my baskets and a snowman I made.

~Ann

My Birthday Giveaway

Today's my birthday and you get the gift!  For my birthday giveaway: an antique clothespin basket and a snowman that I made.

Entry is simple - just leave a comment on this post.  I will draw a name on Sunday and contact you.  Please make sure to leave your email address if you don't have a blog.

There's just a couple of rules - 

1. you must live in the US to enter due to the postage on this. 

2.  you must be a follower of this blog. 

Want another chance to win one of my baskets?  

This basket is in the PAFA giveaway going on now through the end of November.  If you'd like a chance to win this and other great items, check out our PAFA blog, HERE. 

Winter Wonderland Giveaway

 The Etsy group that I belong to is having a Winter Wonderland Giveaway.

My donation to the giveaway is this basket...

For information on how to enter this giveaway click HERE which will take you to our PAFA Blog.

Like the basket but don't want to wait and see if you win?  I have a twin to it listed in my Etsy shop now, HERE

Good Luck! ~Ann