So.....Did You Know Christmas is Coming??

How could you possibly not! Signs of it are everywhere and frankly, I LOVE it! Yesterday I made my Christmas cookie list....double batches of 13 different kinds plus homemade marshmallows (for hot chocolate and coffee), divinity, and puppy chow. I'll be shopping for the ingredients next week and baking will begin shortly after. A concentrated week or so of baking should get it all finished.

We've put up all of our decorations except the tree, we're getting that next weekend. Until then, this small fiber optic tree will do, it sits on my entry table. I bought it on clearance last year for only $5.00 and am thinking of making pretty beaded earrings to be hung on it at Christmas time (and worn during the year.) I'll also bead some sparkly garlands for it.

This is the "catch all" table and there looks to be only a couple of things ditched there at the moment. In my attempt to get uber organized (thanks Bren!) I fuss a bit when they all start leaving too much there. It's become more of a temporary stop these days rather than things being dropped there and left.

Today I have a short job with my husband and then am going to a friend and neighbor's house to help her start a Home Manangement Binder...and to do some of my laundry. We are still washer-less. My husband has been making weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) trips to the laundromat. He just washes the clothing and brings it home for me to dry, fold and put away. It works for me, I don't want to have to go to the laundromat and hand washing the clothing has been tearing my hands apart. With a week gone by since having my hands in laundry soap, they are finally mostly healed now. I was supposed to bring laundry to Bren's house (she generously told me to bring it all when I visited her) but I FORGOT it. ugh. It was ready to go, too.

After those things, I should finally get to knit for a while. I'm making more dishcloths and, once I get a few more finished, I will finish off my table runner. Once the machine is out for the binding of that, I will also sew the final few seams on the humbug bags, making all my Christmas sewing complete.

Now is the time I can start thinking about my post-Christmas quilting....which I can begin to plan for as soon as the aforementioned things are finished. I know I want to finish the applique quilt and get it on the frame. And I think the blue and white will come back out also. I'll be planning some more "message" table runners for my sewing table and dining table and also want to plan out some new tops to make this next year. Last year I concentrated on finishing projects and finished a lot of them (see my sidebar) but I made hardly any tops. This year I still hope to finish quite a few quilts, but to get the creative juices flowing with color and designs as well.

So there it is. My day, month and weeks ahead in a not so small nutshell. Do something to prepare for Christmas today...ho ho ho!