Variable Star Christmas Party

Last night was the Variable Star's Christmas party. Rosanne hosted us and served a wonderful chicken lasagna. We also had salad, stewed onions, bread and christmas cookies.

After a wonderful dinner and good conversation we got down to the business of the evening, the gift exchange. This year we said to simply bring a "hand made" item in a brown paper bag. It did not have to be quilt related, just something handmade. Here were the results of this groups creativity.

Carol with a christmas tree made by Wendy and Rosanne with a garden whimsy made by me.

Jo with a necklace of antique buttons made by Pam. Melanie with a box of home made breads from Jo.

Me with a christmas wallhanging made by Rosanne.

Pam with a wall hanging with felted designs from Becky.

Roxie with lemon cookies and "puppy chow" from Melanie.

Wendy with a watercolor painting by Roxie. And Becky received a bag that holds your hot iron made by Carol.

It was a wonderful evening except for 2 missing members, Barb and Claudia.
Hope to see you at next month's meeting.

Holiday baking

Finally feeling better and doing the worst thing someone watching their weight should do, filling the house with baking. But since I need every cookie for gifts it makes it easier not to give into temptation. Last weekend I did a new chocolate cookies with Andres peppermint & white chocholate chips in them. Today I baked a new cookie with oats and flour, pecans, bitter sweet chocholate and shaved milk choclate. I think they look pretty good. See.

Also made some Russian tea cakes which I have never made before but have enjoyed..

I also mixed up a batch of my old standby "refrigerator cookies". This makes a large batch, so I split it and put toffee bits in half and almonds in the other. These will get baked up tomorrow at mom's house. All I have left is chocolate dip some pretzels and marshmallows. That should be enough holiday baking.

It's hhheeerrreee.

That first dreaded snow storm of the winter season. Freezing rain, then accumulation. Oh well, if you live in Michigan you can't expect anything different. But it was awfully pretty first thing this morning.

This was the view from my office window about 3 pm today.

Thanksgiving

I hope that all of you had a great holiday. I ended spending 3 days in Portland instead of just 2. But we got a lot accomplished. Thanksgiving was just Mom, Dennis and I. And of course mom had been secretly cooking all week so instead of going over to the VFW we ate at mom's house. Then a little card playing and a walk on the new walking trail near my mom's house.

Friday was the day to get down to work on Jennifer's quilt. I don't think mom was really sure about all the fabrics I had picked but she warmed up to them. So we cut and sewed all day and got all the blocks made and arranged.
Only got one picture because the battery finally ran out in my camera after 2 years.

I started sewing some of the rows together Friday night. We had some debate over the borders. Mom decided that she like the brown polka dot print. So we started out the day by sewing blocks together and then the rows. We took time time out to visit the local quilt shop and found more of the print mom wanted for the border. But while we were out we drove to Lake Odessa to visit the quilt shop there. It ended up being the town holiday craft show day with about 12 sites with vendors. We visited a shop and the antique mall and then headed home. It took until six but we got both borders on and the quilt top is finished. Now it's up to Mom to decide if she want to hand quilt it and have it machine quilted. To be honest we made a queen size and I think it's too big to put up on her quilting frame so it will probably have to be machine quilted.

I also worked on and finished a holiday table runner for the VFW craft show next weekend. I dropped that off on Saturday.

Hope you had a great holiday weekend.

Holidays

Well, we knew it would happen sooner or later. The grandkids get older and marry and move away so the holiday gathering gets a little smaller. I guess for Thanksgiving it will be Mom, Dennis and I and she suggested that we do lunch at the VFW that way we don't have to cook at all. We did this last year and it was actually ok. From the sounds of it the weather is supposed to be wonderful so we may finally get a walk in on the latest spur line of the Portland walking trail.

We're not ones much for the whole black Friday shopping thing. And usually Mom and I bake cookies the day after. You know the one, Grandma's recipe that uses lard. I suggested to mom that neither one of us really needs the cookies around at the holidays. So I suggested that we have a mini quilt retreat. We can set up tables in the family room and sew all day. We would like to make a couple of tables runners for the VFW craft show on Dec. 3, and we could also make one or two on the glass whimsies for in the garden. Below is the first and only one I have made so far..

Amazing what you can to with an old vase, bud vase, wine glass and candle holder.

These are the fabrics I have been collecting to make a quilt with, not sure if all will go in but it should still be fun.

Still working on finishing up the kitchen, had planned to get a lot done on Saturday, but when I woke up my knee was locked again. Took almost 3 hours to get it so I could get around. I did manage to get to an estate sale just before the end on Saturday. Got a couple of good buys, 24 glasses, 8 each of rocks, water and tumbler for $4. for the new kitchen and two chairs to go with the new table. Styles don't exactly match, but I liked the chairs and I got both for $12! They are bentwood with a few differences. The back splats are curved on the front and flat on the back, and I now notice a stripe down the left and around the edge of the seat. I think they may have been used someplace like a fraternal lodge or maybe grange hall. Not sure but I like them.

Hope this isn't a repeat.

This fall the Variable Stars went down to the Hankard Inn at Pleasant Lake for a quilt retreat. Hankard Inn has become out go to place for retreats. I noticed to new additions to Jan's flower beds. I thought they are a great way to use up old vases and items left over at my brother's estate sales. Here were a few...

I have made one and my mom and I are thinking of making at least one up for the VFW craft show out in Portland the first of December. Now everything I find becomes a possibility. Thought about glueing odd shaped wine bottles?!

Kitchen Remodel

Ok, so here are a few more photos.  I wanted to go with wood cabinets but didn't want anything too dark or too ornate, you know KISS.  So I went with a shaker cabinet.

This was before the crown molding was added, pretty straight forward cabinets.

The flooring as you can see above was white before.  Big mistake.  So below is the new flooring.  Something that doesn't show anything, yea.

Last photo for now is of the back splash and counters.  In my dream file I had photos of white 2" x 4" subway tile backsplashes.  I also knew my biggest splurge was going to be quartz countertops.  Once I had the counter tops picked I decided that the white back splash might be too big a difference in color.  So I started looking at alternatives.  Tumbled marble, etc.  Finally I came up with these 1"x2" porcelan tile that I thought went well with the counters.

more to come