My box of goodies from a Secret Santa arrived! Suzanne Melkoski * ,( Colorado Lady)
hosted and coordinated this blogging event and I thought it sounded like fun.She assigned each of us a fellow blogger to send a package to. We were not to reveal who we were, the package is from a SECRET Santa. Since I did not know the lady to receive a package from me I had to read over her blog to figure out what she might like, and this was fun. Kind of like being a detective, a mystery. Suzanne also e-mailed each of us a list of likes from the person we were to gift.That helped a lot.I hope the lady who received my package was as pleased with hers as I am with mine ~ Blizzard my cat made sure he was comfortable under the wrapping paper he shredded as he watched me unwrap and ooh & ahh over my goodies.
Look at how clever my Secret Santa is. The gifts came wrapped and numbered, each with its own note. "
It's all about the Christmas cheer. This little box that we have here. I hope you do enjoy the gifts, Ive sent you for your spirit to lift." ~The gifts did indeed lift my spirit!
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I know you like a cup of tea, or tea for two as the case may be. The cups are pretty, vintage too, This first little gift from me to you." Oh the teacups are exquisite. I will do a Teatime Tuesday post very soon featuring these precious teacups made in Occupied Japan, yes, they are vintage!
"And what is tea without a treat, some Finnish bread for you to eat. My Grandma's recipe, I did bake. Called "pulla", sort of tastes like cake." ~ My Secret Santa BAKED bread for me !Isn't it beautiful bread? It smells so yummy , perfect for breakfast this morning.
"And then of course, what good is tea without a bit of sweet you see. Some M & M's , the almond kind I heard that you had these in mind." ~Oh yes, I did, I did! I ate most of these right away too.
"And if you're hungry after that, Then take your coat, take your hat, And off to eat egg rolls and test your Chinese at the Panda Express." ~ I will, very soon!
"And finally, when all is done, And gifts you've opened , one by one. You can place this last one by your tree. The real reason for Christmas, for all to see."
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And when they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with joy," Matthew 2:10
Thank-you my Secret Santa. You are so creative and thoughtful. I love all the gifts you packed into this box that came all the way from Romeoville, Illinois. Merry Christmas to you and yours as we Rejoice exceedingly this season and all through the year because God chose to send His Son to save us from our sin and bestow on all who believe in Him eternal life. "...for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11
This is what beckons me in as I pass it from the bedroom to go downstairs and get my first cup of coffee. " Hurry back Kathy, you have so much fun and inspiration awaiting you here...".
This is one of many pictures before I started making this room a place I wanted to be.(Click here * to see previous post on this room ) This room was quickly becoming the room I avoided , it was full of bins of fabric and projects I wanted to finish but moving bins and boxes to do simple tasks made it a dreadful room to be in. I knew that if I did not get this room in order and make it a place I wanted to be in , well, it would fill up with things that would turn out to be clutter and also useless, fit only for landfill. Before(above )...
...after.My precious husband was quick to be upstairs measuring and figuring out how we could use the space efficiently. Our first plans fell aside because the store we chose to supply the storage needs was out of our choices. We shopped around and although this is not as pretty as our first choice, it was perfect for my needs and saved us at least $100.00 or more.
Before...this space was truly ugly and hard to use for many reasons. It is also one of the spaces I tend to use most frequently, making this room a place I dreaded using, but NEEDED.What to do, what to do? Well, again, our original plans fell through, but my husband came up with this....
...look , my fabric fits here, no more stacked bins!There is also a place between the units where I can store long narrow items, canvas I need for locker-hooking, the type of canvas that will not fit into little cubicles.This space also allows me to store loom accessories that are long and narrow . I can see what I have and store it in a way that makes it all accessible and to me. I love seeing fabric folded, rolled, stacked, and waiting for me to choose just which one or two will be perfect for my next project.
The basket was purchased from Goodwill for $3.00 and holds all my laces, trims, and brick-a-bracks for fabric embellishing. The boxes are free from the grocery store and hold my Wee Little Sheep, all wrapped in tissue paper and ready for adornment and carting off to bazaars.
Maybe not as tidy and picturesque as a magazine spread on craft-rooms and studios would show, but this room is organized, comfortable, warm,affordable, and works very well for me. It beckons me , I want to be in this room. I put my music on, or watch recorded programs that inspire me here. I teach my granddaughters how to sew here, and give them a place to use the assembled art products such as beautiful paper, glitter, glue, paint, beads,fabric & trims ...embellishments and many other things they choose to use.
The last place left to get in order is the sewing area. The place to the left of the sewing machine holds projects I and my granddaughters are actually working on. This means these projects will be finished and the wire baskets will quickly be re-filled with new projects. So much more organized and efficient for me. The sewing machine pictured here was retired just this month, replaced by a new /old Singer sewing machine from a friend, and an industrial Singer sewing machine I bought brand new. I wore this Kenmore sewing machine out. Although the motor is fine, most of the stainless steel attachments have worn out and broken off. I was having to put bits and bobs here and there to make things work and breaking at least 3 needles for every purse made of handwoven fabric. Time to make the sentimental give way to the practical. I am keeping my old Kenmore, gift from my Grandmother via my mother, but moving on to new things here.
I have been getting things in order around our home and am currently going through paper-work and re-organizing our study & filing system.Within the next week I should be done, the shredder will have made much more nesting material for our chickens and helped us free more space to use for LIVING. After the craft room & study are done I will breathe a sigh of relief and feel more free to again be involved outside our home and in the blog-o-sphere. The new year around here is one of purging and expectation, how is your new year coming along?
