It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

My to-do list is getting done.
wrap boss's birthday gift (and happily she loved it!); finish-finish Sissy's (new) present; finish-finish "beer;" (decided to wrap it without finishing, but I did buy the frame); finish-finish stockings; finish-finish uncle's ornament; buy a point driver (unnecessary, see above) ; buy oranges; buy cloves; make pomanders with the kids; clean the house; buy a candle holder for Christmas candles in bathroom; call re lobster (10-12 lbs); buy tall purple pillar candle; put up second tree; buy purple paper plates; see if Home Goods has purple/orange/gold table runner (to match the napkins); paint front door, final coat (we're skipping it until spring); put up storm door; hang wreath;paint patches around door and in hallway and it looks terrific!; get rid of chair; put out all cardboard recycling; find a place/way to display Christmas cards; buy ribbon for presents; buy candle for snowman holder that is on display; pick up gifts from framer see below!; buy pierogis from ladies in Port Richmond the dude took PoppaBitch to Syrenka for kielbasa and sauerkraut while they were out there.

Make lobster stew:

Here's step one. I've had to cook it in three batches; my house smells like a seafood shanty.


Auntie's 60th birthday gift.


And Summer Place for my cousin and her husband (and their new summer place).

Now back to work on those stockings! (crack)

The Best Laid Plans

Today I dropped off Animal Samplings to be framed. We got there rather late because I was trying to finish Summer Place. And I would have been successful had I not forgotten that we were having dinner out with my family (my belated birthday celebration) last night. Mmmm Teikoku. I have about four hours more work on it. BUT! I did bring it with me and choose a frame for it, so that I can just send it to them on Monday. Yay! No more trips out to Chadds Ford. The traffic was gnarly today. It's already Christmas shopping season. When I went to Home Goods to get some Christmas-y kitchen and hand towels (we've never had people come to our house for Christmas yet!) the place was a zoo. I checked out the tree skirts too, but there was nothing I was looking for. It's terrible when you have enough skill but not enough time to make the things you see in your head!

At any rate, the woman who helped me with the framing was a doll, but they closed at 5:00 and at 5:20 we were just finishing up our transaction. The other woman there was such a bitch. I apologized for keeping them both late and the nice one said, "If we weren't so busy we would have been able to help you sooner!" The other one just stared at me. She didn't even say good night when we left. I don't know, a customer drops almost $200 on framing, I'm a little warmer to her. Apparently she doesn't know I can take my business elsewhere. Anyway, I've got to get back to Summer Place because it's throwing off my whole schedule for this weekend!

Trumpet Sounds

I give you

Animal Samplings by Hillside Samplings
Stitched with recommended NPI silks
on 32-ct Creek Bed Brown from R&R

Only one more gift to stitch by the 11/17 framing deadline. Summer Place is now my full-time focus project, on the bus, in the car, in front of the t.v., instead of doing housework...

I saw the doctor today. We've taken blood tests and gotten a prescription for muscle relaxants. We'll know more in two weeks. Things have gotten much better. Thanks again for your good wishes.