*** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

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Nancy
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Nancy » Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:54 pm

Bought bday gifts for dgkids that were fighting over a flash light here earlier in the week so got each of them one on a key chain these were a hit.

Pumpkin is cleaned and cooked.

Did not find cherry pie for h. will continue to look for that :idea: maybe need to think cheese cake w/ cherry topping!

Got some rolls for dinner w/ dd & family later on in the week Fri. or Sat. in the evening. H. has to work both of those days.

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Harriet
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Harriet » Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:52 pm

Nancy, I just finally found a cherry pie for HRH - he had been disappointed saying were there not going to be any pies anywhere for purchase except pumpkin and sweet potato! :lol: Wish I could have just picked another up and sent to you through that transporter we never seem to get invented!

Invited dcousin for Thanksgiving.

gift tag making:
Found unruled 4x6 cards for making gift tags using my own stickers for designs. Could only find white but that's fine. I'll fold the card in half for a 2x3 folded gift tag. I was at the office supply store and noticed they also have card stock in small packages in metallic gold or silver - that's nice, and each sheet would make 4 tags. If I just use the white I won't even need to cut, though. I can keep that gold metallic idea in mind for next year.

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Ivy » Wed Nov 21, 2012 10:28 pm

I made DD a beret from the Red Heart's site, it hangs down in back, making it out to be the most beautiful slouch hat I've ever seen. I plan on making a Dfriend one and myself and maybe my sister, too. :idea: It looks so rich in off-white Caron Pound yarn. Any off-white 100% acrylic or wool would do, too. Or any color.
Touch the earth, love the earth, her plains, her valleys, her seas. Rest your soul in her solitary places. ~Henry Beston

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Nancy
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Nancy » Fri Nov 23, 2012 1:41 pm

A few HGP cards are up:
Put up Christmas / Holiday wreath. Have it upstairs. x
Turkey day week review how did you do?
Decorate put up creche' down stairs. x
Put up tree. :arrow: later
Think about sorting through mags. for sub. ideas and culling out ones no longer needed. Update add. book & holiday letter. x

DIL just called with a heads up the girls are getting a sewing machine to share so we will be doing something along those lines this holiday season. :mrgreen:

Get stocking stuffers two left to get.
Get cherry pie filling. X found some low sug. and a pie already made so I bought both froze the pie.
Make fabric gift bags.
See holiday lights here it's the Locomative park it's been lit. and I've not see it yet this season.
Oh there's a recipe for Christmas Potpourri in it!

New Years Planning.
I found battery operated candles at the $1.00 store no smoke great for
any holiday!
Sort decorations ~ put out green & red calico bears dgd will help with those! x
Get craft supplies some done make up gift basket ~ I have the basket & tins :idea: dgks could make basket liners for those!

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Ivy
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Ivy » Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:22 pm

I did a bit of decorating today; listed on pwyc.

We decided not to put the electric tree up and to put up fewer decorations this year. We've had way too much out and up and it's such an ordeal when we go to put things away. Just thought we'd simplify this year. :idea:
Touch the earth, love the earth, her plains, her valleys, her seas. Rest your soul in her solitary places. ~Henry Beston

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Harmony
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Harmony » Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:29 am

DH looked at the little tree I put up and said it was good that we down-sized the tree. It's been a couple years since I've put up the big white one. I think he was grateful it is up and he didn't have to bother doing anything. Then he said maybe it's enough, what I've done on the inside; that maybe we don't need the lights across the front of the house and up in the trees. I think he's not up to doing it this year, and really I'm not either, but I don't know how I feel about not doing anything outside. In almost 20 years I've always had lights up outside. It's hard scaling back. It's sad. I'd put one of those lighted reindeer statues on the porch, and that'd be easy, just to set it and plug it in, but I have nowhere to store something like that. Sigh...more changes in life.

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby BookSaver » Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:23 am

Harriet ~ Such a clever idea, using blank cards with stickers for gift tags. Useful all year with birthday stickers and such. :D

Ivy ~ Please post links to the slouch hat patterns you've been using that you liked. I haven't crocheted in a year and would love to try a new pattern.

Harmony ~ Any chance of finding a price low enough for a lighted porch decoration that after Christmas you'd be able to donate instead of storing? Or borrowing something? Most people have an extra oddball piece they'd love to see someone else enjoy. I've also seen some pretty solar yard lights that change colors, they don't take much room.

Or there's always the simple folk-art craft of a vertical post with stiff wire swirled around it in a tree design, then wrap the wire with your string of lights. Inexpensive because you already have the outdoor lights, and after Christmas the post and wire get reused or tossed.
***

I'm out of time again for putting up our big tree. I liked what I ended up doing last year and will probably repeat it. I cleared space on the kitchen counter for a tiny glass tree on a pretty placemat, with a jar my sister filled with dried flowers and a string of white lights. I think I had a couple other little ornaments there, too. I turned on the lights every day any time I was in the kitchen doing dishes or cooking. It was the first thing I saw coming in the door. Just enough to have done something festive, but small enough to set up and clear away very quickly. I had to sacrifice counter space, but that spot tends to collect junk anyway, so I much preferred it looking pretty.

Next week I'll be teaching my sewing group friends how to fold fabric strips into 8-pointed stars. I still need to make more for teaching samples, and then I'll have those stars to decorate my desk.

Oh, that reminds me, I have a small metal tree in storage that will be pretty for displaying the teaching samples at the beginning of the meeting. Must pull that out and put it in the car this week.

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Harmony
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Harmony » Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:33 pm

I know DH is undecided about outside lights. He has said he can manage to get the lights up. So, he goes back and forth. I know that was my thinking when I first struggled with the idea of not putting the village up or the big tree. Not doing these things reinforces our thinking that things are getting tough for us to accomplish. This is my 2nd year without my village, and I am more comfortable not having it this year. So, I guess it will take time before we are settled in new Christmas routines.

Today I got big gift boxes that will fit those quilts. They won't close entirely, but they will work.

Booksaver, I am keeping my eyes open for something easy like you mentioned.

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Ivy
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Ivy » Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:37 pm

I haven't been here for awhile, hence I didn't see the request for links. Sorry.

http://www.redheart.com has the "Track Stitch Beret" #WR1789 and it looks like a nice slouch hat when it's on when it lies down on the back of the head. DD loves hers. :D

http://jjcrochet.com/blog/mens-free-crochet-hat-pattern/ This is a men's hat, but I believe a woman can wear it, too. The cuff is "tricky", but fun to do and it turns out great. I made it in forest green for our Dson.

The "Very Easy Slouch Beanie" is a ravelry pattern. I don't know if it's okay to post a link to a raverly pattern here on another site because of copyright, etc..., since you need to be a member of ravelry to access their free patterns. :?:

It's called, "Ravelry Very Easy Slouch Beanie pattern" by Acquanetta Ferguson. You can join Ravelry for free with a user name and password, too. If you go there, if you become a member, there will be pages and pages of slouch hats, too. I made this one in 2 rows white, 2 rows black and DD absolutely is crazy in love with this hat! She's very petite and is 4'9" tall and she's turning 41 in Dec., so she's an adult woman and loves how it looks on her. You can make this hat in a solid color, stripe it every row or every 2 or 3 rows. Whatever your fancy is.

The "Track Stitch Beret" has Treble crochets in it and SC, too, so it makes a unique pattern. It makes the beret look like you bought it at a high-end dept. store. I did it in off-white, which added to the richness of it. I want to make myself one, too. The designer was an awesome one! They recommended "Eco-Cotton Blend" yarn, but I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn instead. It comes in sizes of Small for 20" or Medium for 22". I did it in 20" and it fit both DD's and my heads. When you go to the site, they also have a blue one pictured, so you get a good idea how unique the hat looks. I'd give it a 5-star rating, if they had rating systems there! :!: :D
Touch the earth, love the earth, her plains, her valleys, her seas. Rest your soul in her solitary places. ~Henry Beston

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Harriet
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2012 ***

Postby Harriet » Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:22 pm

A few more gifts purchased. HRH and I have discussed gifts for all 4 children and have some ideas, have also discussed our own gifts and how to limit them. I have left the books purchases for most of the children on the list "on the back burner" long enough. I'll sleep on it a little longer and make a decision. Found out that dd32 is giving them all board games so that sounds unexciting enough to make me wonder if I should do toys instead.

HRH is photoshop-ing a background on a photo a little bit so it won't look so distracting, then I will send it to WMart through Snap fish and it will be sent as a small gift in one Christmas card. I'm also going to get him to scan an antique photo and I'll send the copy in a 2nd cousin's card to ask if it is her grandmother like I think. I considered being too embarrassed to do this, because I don't know who sent me the photo, but if I don't ask I could lose the opportunity for our branch of the family to know and that's just unacceptable.

BookSaver, I feel silly because I knew about teaching the folded star class but I guess I thought you were teaching something else. Hope it goes so well everyone has a beautiful ornament.

Harmony, you will take so much enjoyment in wrapping those presents. (camera, camera, camera)

(I was meaning that upon opening, but now that I think of it, take that important before-you-wrap photo, too.)

Turkey day review, Nancy? Let's see, reminders for next year:
Ask for help with dishes.
Make my OWN recipe for sweet potato souffle.
Square paper plates aren't as sturdy as round.
Overall, we had a good one.


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