Love Leigh Things

A little note to say....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Thank you all again for the blog love.  I will be back in a few days and sincerely look forward to visiting with you then.

Christmas MeMe And A Gift Banner

Look up!  At the banner!  WOOHOO, it was a lovely emailed gift from Barb!  She took my girls and made them into a too cute banner.  Now how nice is that?  Thank you so much Barb!

What is a Christmas MeMe without a picture of goodies from the other ME, Mary Engelbreit? 

A few goodies Michaels had in the sale bin!  Gotta love that!!

Now for my MeMe.  My all time favorite Christmas ornaments are all of the ones made by my boys!  I adore the song Silver Bells!  If you ask me the best sentimental Christmas movie is, It's A Wonderful Life.  The funniest, A Christmas Story.  You knew I was going to say that after the Leg Lamp post!  You would get tired of reading if I told you about my favorite memories, but they all involve my Grandparents!!!  They were the best with lots of character and big ole hearts!! I have never met a gift I did not like, if it came with love and or caring.  My favorite food at the holidays in King Leo soft peppermints dipped in milk.  Do not say yuck unless you have tried it!  I do not know why I only eat that around the holidays?

A few of the last minute felt goodies goodies that I have been working on.  Thankfully, (keeping my fingers crossed) I have a few hours of free time to finish these up before the big day!

Just in case life gets busy, and you do not make it back here in the next few days. I want to thank you all for the blog love and wish you A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!    

The pouting started.....

I bet the header had you thinking I was talking about one of my boys didn't it?  Nope, it was me!  I had a dental appointment yesterday.  It did not involve any drilling, root canals or anything of the such.  It was just a routine exam and cleaning.  So why do I dread it so much?  I started whining the night before and it continued right up until I went through the portal of the damned doorway to be checked out.  The ride to the dentist was a prime example of what a nice person I was.  Hubby driving, boys in the backseat listening to their mother be a crazy, b*^&%ing fool really good example.  Not that they need one.  They love going to the dentist.  They go no matter who has the appointment because of free video games in the lobby.  That is not enough for me!  Nothing would be.  Well, okay maybe a free Louis Vuitton, just maybe.  The boys in my world are not normal.  They have never cried about getting shots either.  My oldest gets them all of the time, allergies.  I however just stopped crying when getting shots within the last few years.  I can still well up if I think about it too long though.

Just to make me feel better, I know that is the reason.  The wallets from Laura came in the mail yesterday!  I cannot unveil my Mother's.  I want her to see the pretty wrapping.  But, I was soooo tempted.  Her wallet does match the kitty paper.

They were all tied up in pretty red ribbon! 

Here is my wallet!!!  Isn't it too cute for words?  There was a little magnet and tag included!  Now that is a way to stop me from fussing at least until I find something else to harp on!

Just in case you were wondering my dental exam was just fine, I was even paid some compliments.

It is coming right along!!

I spent afternoon baking banana nut bread for my (insert wonderful adjectives here) husband!  I am totally schmoozing giving him the credit he deserves!

(After the turkey cake, I really hate to bring this up!  oh never mind!!)

This is why, I am giving out the credit love today....

I know it looks scary now!  But, this is going to be my very own studio!!!  GO ME!!!  I am very excited!  Dear Wonderful Gorgeous Hubby has been working on it all day!

I also spent some time trying to learn my camera.  I really never have used all of the features on any one I have ever owned.  I actually sat down with the manual and read some things about this one!  For example, I did not know that my camera would take B&W photos or that it would do sepia tones!

My sepia Santa!

I still have not mastered the low light feature...

But, I am making progress...

I am still working on my Christmas MeMe.  I will post it soon!  Hugs!!

If You Think You Are Having A Bad Day....

think about his.  Late last night, I wrapped our gifts for other people and put them under the tree.  This was after my youngest had fallen asleep.  I bet you know where I am going with this.... Yes, he got up today and thought Santa had visited!  Poor little one!  Just to complete his day, our weather forecast has changed.  What was going to be our first snow is now a flooding rain!

On a happier note....

I machine embroidered these waffle weave towels!  I think they are too cute.  I can't take any credit, as the machine does the work.

My mother and I got lucky and ordered each of us one of these beauties last night!  There are a few left.   I will post photos as soon as they come in!!!

I wanted to thank everyone for the blog love!!  I have received so many nice emails and comments!!  I really really appreciate it!  Oh and I have been tagged for a meme by the WONDERFUL and TALENTED Anne, you know I love those!  I will post it soon!

It's Not a Charlie Brown Tree...

he is little, but a real cutie!.

The only thing I have had time to make in past few days is a new pillow for YaYa.  Oh, I made some more of the "feel good bags".  Those go quick!

Isn't this some of the cutest fabric! I gotta run, Christmas parties to attend.  HoHoHo!

Can you believe it....

only

14 days to go!!!

I have been baking some of my favorite cookies.

These are the cookies that everyone requests over and over again.

We call them Poor Poor Joe's.  Because he loves them so much!  If you are wondering he is my stepfather and got the name Poor Poor Joe from my boys.  We do not know why they started calling him that.  I wonder if it has anything to do with living with my mother??  Just kidding, she really is great!  Thank goodness she has a wonderful sense of humor!

Here is the recipe if you are interested:

1 (18oz) tube of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

1/4 cup of cocoa powder

1/2 cup of sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup of walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup of white chocolate chips

1.  Mix the cookie dough and cocoa until blended.  Add the remaining ingredients.

2.  Roll into balls (about a tablespoon full) and put on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Rainy Old Monday

I spent the weekend finishing up most of my Christmas "to do's".  A lot of which I will post about later.  Because it is so dreary here, I am going to post some blog eye candy and feel goods! 

I made a lot of these flannel feel good bags, most of them already have new homes.  These are all I have left, I need to make more.  I am not sure of the real name, so I named them "feel good bags".  You can use heat or freeze them.  I got the idea and instructions for them at Hollyhocks. Can you tell I had a lot of red flannel?   

Okay, I got this is the mail from The Felt Mouse!  Check out her ETSY shop for some other cool goodies!  Maybe, it is not such a dreary day after all!

Isn't this one of the cutest potholders ever?!?  I probably would have bought it, even if it was not for a good cause, Pancreatic Cancer Research!

I gotta run.  I have things to do, go through blog land clean, bake and make!

I have been tagged!

and I am rather excited about it! Laura tagged me in a Seven Random Things tag!

Okay, here goes...

1.  I cry watching The Price is Right, when I feel someone really deserving wins big!

2.  My addictions are fabric and home/craft magazines.  Especially the ones from Japan, England and Australia.  Oh, and my new one is blogging!

3.  I am very shy, causing some people to think that I am arrogant.

4.  I have a wicked sense of humor! Notice the last blog entry!

5.  I am LEARNING to do what makes me happy and not worry so much about others opinions.  I am just trying to find my niche.  Watch out ETSY I am on my way, haha!

6.  I listen to Fergie.  My favorite all time song is Right Here Right Now by Jesus Jones.

7.  My compliments are always sincere.

If you want to participate, just post seven random things about yourself on your blog and that you were tagged by me.  Then tag a few more blogs and let the blogger know that you tagged her (or him).  This is a choice...no hard feeling if this is not your thing!!

I tag:

Lesley: Because she is a super crafty woman who just cracks me up.

JenaVeve: She taught me how to make Mini-Puds with American Moon Pies.

Charlotte: Because she is now one of the cool kids and she has a magical winking fish!

Barb:  Because of the beauty she sees through a lens.

Lina:  I think she has the best advent calendar ever!  Plus she has snow pictures!

Marisa: She has the insider poop on cool Japanese fabrics, etc...  Oh, and she is a quilting wiz kid!

Sam:  Because she is a cool crafter with a cute kitty.  Plus she is new, go give her a nice welcome!   

I found out about this after my last post, so some things may seem a little like Groundhog Day!  Oh well, still spreading blog happiness today!

For the slightly off-kiltered

I love love love the movie A Christmas Story (1983)!  When you just need a laugh, it can't be beat.  If you have seen it, then you know I had to have one of these!

For those of you with a tacky side (oh come on, you know who you are!) here is some eye candy!

Please notice the writing on the box.

Gotta love those fishnets!!  Yes, she gets proudly displayed in my dining room for the holidays.  Can you imagine what the neighbors think?

Okay, on to the serious stuff!  If you make the paper napkin cards I posted about, place something under your card when you iron.  Just to protect your ironing surface.  I did not have a mess, but if you get your iron overly hot you might.  A magazine would work.

                                                                

Here is a link to a post on Laura's (She is an aromatherapist) blog  Click here: My Little Orange Kitchen: Rennaissance  This post tells you how to make your own facial and body scrub!

For a great laugh read http://moogsmum.blogspot.com/ She is crafty beyond belief and hilarious!

Give new bloggers a chance!  http://hellofortune.blogspot.com/  Okay, I know that I am fairly new too, but hey, I am spreading the joy today!