Up on the housetop reindeer paws (?)

I was filling out a friend's Christmas game the other day. It's one of those trivia games where you have to guess the song. The question was, "Where do reindeer put their paws?" Paws? paws???? Cats have paws, reindeer have hooves. AND it's, "Up on the rooftop reindeer pause." As in pausing before old St. Nick hauls himself and his bag of goodies out onto said housetop and tries to shinny down the chimney hoping that the kind folks who live there have left the flue open. Otherwise the song becomes, "There's something stuck up in the chimney, and I don't know what it is, but it's been there since last Christmas." So, on Christmas Eve keep those

flues open. ...just saying...

I love reindeer. I have lots.

Basically, I just enjoy decorating with old beat up stuff and animals. Here's the reindeer vignette on the dining room table.

The shepherds abiding by their flock over on the buffet enjoy watching them too. I put those little battery operated votive candles around them at night. I use to think they were kind of cheezy, but then I realized that I could possibly lower the cost of my home owner's insurance by using them. Kidding. I'm just kidding. They are great though and available just about everywhere!

This is my Wendy Addison addition to the collection I purchased at Marshall Field's

(Macy's) at their after Christmas sale last year. I didn't grow up in Chicago but I adopted it

heart and soul and it is STILL Field's forever and always to me. Nothing says

Christmas like a lovely vintage looking piece hanging on an empty wine bottle.

This empty bottle has two dressed up

piggies (animal theme anyone?) and it

is called Le Snoot!

I had to save it. Wouldn't you? The wine was Merlot and really pretty forgettable but, the bottle was worth the $5.00 I think I paid for it. I am a wine snob, you know...

The Christmas season is in full swing. Get out your fancy duds, favorite bottle of wine, sing your most precious Christmas carols and deck them halls! Hallelujah, holy cow, and

where's the eggnog!?!

Yes, we need a little Christmas

I finally, finally got the white tree put up as well as my manger scene. The white tree always makes me smile. It's really beautiful. I don't think it shows up very well in the photo and I still need to make a star for the top. I usually have an angel I put up there, but she decided to take a trip to Bermuda with Mrs. Claus so I'm going to work on plan B.

I also managed to get the manger scene all arranged. I love putting up our nativity scene. It's a combination of three different

sets. One I made in a ceramics

class years ago. Remember ceramics? Does anyone do this anymore? Some

of it turned out well, others not so well. My sister

always said that the Mary I made

looked more like a hooker instead of the Virgin Mary. She was more of a Madonna-esque sort of Mary only she actually predates the singer Madonna. She's buried in the bottom of the box now. I use a much more suitable looking Mary.

This Mary does not have the 70's eyeliner that I put on her.

I also have lots of animals. I didn't put them all out. I have a fox, and a bear, and a skunk, and chickens, rabbits and 3 little mice thatI put up on top. The list of animals is quite extensive. A friend even gave me a manatee one year to add. It's kind of ridiculous, really. It became a Noah's Ark type of manger scene. I exhibited restraint this year. That is hard for me. Really, it is.

This is the side with lots of shepards. I always liked the shepards in the Christmas story. My favorite part of Christmas is Linus from Peanuts reading the Christmas story. I can hear his little voice reading the King James version:

	And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
	And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
	And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
	For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
	And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
	Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And that's how it should be. Peace to you and yours.

I've got JOY!

Susan and I went to Vintage Living for another class. We made these gorgeous banners. Mine didn't really photograph too well, but let me assure you it's absolutely gorgeous! It's completely made with vintage papers, laces and trims. Stitched down on artist's canvas. It says JOY!!

Have a joyous day.

Printing directly on fabric. Yes you can!

Tutorial for the day:

If you iron freezer paper to a nice smooth fabric you can run that fabric/paper right through your inkjet printer.

Cut the freezer paper to an 8 1/2 x 11 size. Cut the fabric you wish to use the same size.

Iron the waxy side of the paper

onto the fabric. Don't iron too much.

If you do the wax will all melt away.

Just enough to "stick" it to the fabric.

Run your fabric/paper combination through your inkjet printer the same way you would paper.

The fabric side is the printing side. Remove the paper and iron the fabric to set the picture. It works like a charm!

This is much cheaper than the transfer paper you can buy.

Keep in mind that there is no sheen involved. You will lose some detail because of this fact. Obviously, the smoother the grain in the fabric the clearer your picture will be. I printed one photo of my mom and one graphic that I had stored on my computer. They turned out very nice. All ready to make more fabric collages.

If only I didn't have to go to work...

Bookends

All finished. I've added a bit more trim, some hand sewing, buttons, vintage flowers, and I tucked an old photo into the pocket. I also attached 2 strips of fabric with these words on one, "Long ago, it must be, I had a photograph."

The other one says, "Protect your memories"

Bookends

Time it was and what a time it was

A time of innocence, a time of confidences

Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph

Preserve your memories

They're all that's left you

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel

I went to the flea market this weekend. I'm lucky in that it is only about 10 minutes away. There is a lovely lady there who has the most wonderful vintage fabric and she was selling little scraps

and remnants for .25 a piece! I KNOW!! How spiffy is that!! For $6.00 I walked away with a huge stack. I was feeling quite smug.

I'm preparing for my spot on an upcoming edition of "Hoarders." I'm sure that the producers will be calling me soon.

Have a fabulous Wednesday.

Where the boys are.

The boys are at my house! Yes sirree. They arrived in the mail on Halloween. I won them from Marsha over at Tumblefish Studios. If you have not been to see her work, run, don't walk, now!! She's amazing, and seeing her work up close and personal is even more amazing. Jack (he's the one in the colorful witch's hat) was in Somerset Studios!! Actually, I think the 3 dream police were too.

The pictures are Marsha's work. I just added background and a little sign from Lorie Davison at Scrapbookgraphics.

Heeeeeeeeeeeere's Jack!! Thank you, Marsha. I am in LOVE!!!

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Saving the world one shirt at a time.

Halloween is over. This is not a mummy. This is an old sheet on an old ironing board. I bought a new old iron at the Goodwill yesterday. Me and 20,000 of my closest friends were there. Do not go to the Goodwill on Halloween if you can avoid it. However, I wanted a new iron. My old iron is at least 20 years old. It's yucky on the bottom, it doesn't steam and, well, it's seen better days. So I wandered around the Goodwill and low and behold there was a lovely more new iron.

My grandmother used to cover her ironing boards with an old sheet. Hers did not look like a mummy standing in the window. But unless you are laying on the floor of my bedroom you will not notice the underneath side of my ironing board. And if you are laying on the floor under my ironing board you deserve what you see!

I like to iron. I really do. I know I don't have to iron my husband's shirts but I like to. I look out the window and solve all of the world's problems, and mine as well.

I read once that when you are going through a very stressful part of life,

do something normal. Something you don't have to think about.

It let's your mind relax, but not too much.

Ironing does that for me. I'm not stressing today. Nope. Not at all.

Just ironing with my new $2.99 iron!

Here's a little Sunday quote for you from Jane Austen. "Ah! There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." Hope you have a

real comfortable day.