New Year 2012 Wishes

Looking back at my year, I can now see the changes

Some happy, some sad

the year we are leaving behind is the first full year without my mom,

each day of 2011 has made me a little bit stronger and tad bit wiser (I hope)

The year 2011 had me looking back at all the years before and now with the arrival of

the New Year 2012...I find it's time to look forward

 a little time to reflect...and a whole new year to grow

May the dawning of this New Year,

fill your heart with new hopes,

open up new horizons and bring for you promises of brighter tomorrows.

.~X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.~

The first of my Valentine's Day Offerings is up on my Selling Blog

~click here~ to visit

Happy New Year!

Traci

Unfinished project from the past....unearthed

Have you ever had a project that you never completed? 

Tucked away and forgotten about...

FOR YEARS

Here is one of those projects of mine...unearthed while organizing after Christmas

Started so long ago that we will count in decades rather than years, LOL

An Elsa Williams ~ Crewel Embroidery Kit

started long, long ago........then forgotten

with Spring being the next season to welcome

and while in the midst of Winter

Let's see if I can finish this

The kit is called "Floral Festive" Bell Pull

so old it's out of print, unfinished

and already in need of repair (broken wool thread)

This is the work to be done.....not really that much

I figured instead of crocheting the winter evenings away (which is what I usually do

after Christmas), I'll put a few stitches into this project from time to time....

.

How many days til Spring?

Happy Stitches,

Traci

Ho.....Ho.....Hum

Another Christmas tucked into the Memory Book!

and....you know what?

I'm tired of boxes, packaging, tape, little rubber bands and those

tiny plastic things that secure everything into those boxes & packages!

I do believe we have everything UN-packaged now....grrrrrr...

you need knives, screwdrivers, scissors,  and lots of patience to get a toy

out of a box these days.

Even Spencer was having a hard time

Everyone at the homestead had a nice, quiet, relaxing Christmas though..

yesterday was the day to clean-up and organize.

One more Christmas party to go, but not until New Year's Day.  That's when my family will gather here

for good eats and the gift of gab.  Presents just for the young ones (which will include more boxes, eeeeK)

Christmas Eve morning we had a beautiful sunrise so I ventured out with the camera

Casting Shadows

Sun through the Pines

Icy.......Burning Bush Berries

Also took the trio of pictures I used for my new header....the sky was so blue

We are off to town to refill the pantry today

TTFN..........Traci

From my Family to Yours

**~**Merry Christmas**~**

~May the Joy the Season brings be with you my Friends~

Traci

Merriment in the Mailbox.........today

Stopped at the mailbox on the way home from the Christmas Party at school

and

What to my wondering eyes should appear

no bills(well yes one) but gifts from thee to me

I kinda figured that OLM aka Marie from Primitives by Olde Lady Morgan had something up her sleeve when she asked for my address a few days ago (maybe I should have been scared to give it to her...I think she could play a good trick! hehe), but there was also a package from sweet Tammy at A Primitive Place

Maygan was excited to think that we had gotten a box of Capri Sun Juice bags in the mail, LOL...

Thank You Tammy!

Tammy sent me this Prim Doll she made...she is the sweetest lil' baby I've ever seen.  She looks so well loved but I can

guarantee that I am gonna love her some more...look at her patches and mends! just my style :)

She also sent a lovely Coverlet Piece in Blue...  This is my first "official" coverlet to call my own and

I will think of you Tammy every time I look at it.

You made my day so much brighter!

And, Marie...OLM...my friend

The awesome Snow Guy you sent me is so happy to be out of the package and in PA!  He is kind of wondering where the heck the snow is though....

Would you ladies just look at this guy!  I bet you're smilin' too, just like him (and me).

Thank You Marie for your act of kindness and thoughtfulness, you have brought a smile to my face today

and know that each time I see the lil' Snow guy you sent to me, I'll be smilin' too!

Thank you Marie and Tammy!

I will treasure you gifts always, they have already found their home within my home...

I would also like to say a thank you to Lois for the Christmas Card I received today

and a special thank you to my Sweet Annie for her card as well..I have already passed it along...

Merry Merriment to You Friends,

Traci

All U Can Eat Cookie Buffet.....The last of the 12 Days of Christmas Gifts revealed

The clock is ticking down, only 4 days until Christmas.

There was more I wanted to do....maybe after the holiday

Did get the Cookies baked...made 7 different kinds last Saturday

and we did Cut-Outs last night.

Welcome to my All U Can Eat Cookie Buffet

Will be putting together a few cookie trays for neighbors and friends today.

Also wanted to share the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts

Day #6

Day #7

Day #9

Day #10

Day #11

Day #12

I have been busy planning & organizing the Christmas Party for Maygan's class.  The big day is tomorrow!

I so love to see the excitment in the eyes of a child this time of year...

Austin made it home from college night before last...so everyone's here.  It's really starting to feel like Christmas as the beds are all full. 

The only thing missing is SNOW!  Tomorrow is the official 1st Day of Winter and we have green grass in these parts, very uncommon.  It is raining like cats and dogs as I type. 

Well, I suppose I better get to wrapping, not one gift is ready for giving...

Blessings to All,

Traci

Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot.....Thank You to three special ladies for the beautiful Christmas Cards you sent to me.............Teresa, Angela & Angie

so sweet of you to think of me this time of year!



Silent Bid Auction ~ High Bidder

without further ado, I am proud to announce the

Silent Auction High Bidder is

Penny Duffy with a winning bid of $250.00

My sincerest Thanks to you Penny, you have helped do a truely amazing

thing this Christmas.

There was a total of 14 bidders for the auction...

Thank you to all the bidders

Jean

Teresa

Felicia

Robin ~ CC

Penny

Cyndy

Brandi

Robin ~ MM

Jenny

Merrie

Kendra

Lynn

Carmen

Ann

And, Thank You to those who sent

Monetary Donations

Granny Trace

Barb

Sheila

Carol

Robin

Lorna

Once again I would like to extend my appreciation to those who donated

so many wonderful handmade goodes, you made this possible

Carol & Tim ~ Lecia ~ Tammy ~ Gina ~ Brenda ~ Jean ~ Patti ~ Teri ~ Eve ~ Marie ~ Pamela ~ Mary

Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone who posted about the Silent Bid Auction on their blogs and facebook.....couldn't have done it without you.

So with great pleasure and a combined group effort, I will be sending

the receipent a total of $382.00!!!!!

Last Call for Bids......Benefit Auction Closes at 9:00pm tonight

If you have been thinking about bidding and haven't done it yet...

The Silent Bid Auction closes tonight

at 9:00 pm est

There is 20 items up for auction....

The Highest Bidder will win all of them!

If you would like to bid

~click here~

Remember, all of these Primitive Handmades have been donated by

fellow blogging friends and are going to be shipped FREE of charge to the

High Bidder

Blessings,

Traci

The Gift of Giving.....and Friendship

Friendship is a blessing,

its the best you have to share.

The talents and the wisdom,

the capacity to share.

Its being there to lend support,

whenever needs arise.

Its making sure that others know,

they're special in your eyes.

Friendship is a blessing,

and to all who have a friend,

its one of the most precious gifts,

that life could ever send.

 

by Emily Matthews

 

My sincerest thanks to all of those who have showed

support in my effort to help a friend in need.

You have filled my heart with such joy this Christmas Season!

It has amazed me the outpouring of kindness & love that I have

been shown the last few days.  I never could have imagined that a small gesture on my part would

 come to this.  So many people joining together to make a difference in someones life.

I wish I could share just a wee bit of what I am

feeling right now, my heart is full of joy, my eyes, full of tears of happiness.

May the Lord bless each and every one of you!

Traci

Tomorrow night, I will announce the winning bid for the Silent Benefit Auction.  If you have not visited the Auction yet, please stop by, if only to share your appreciation with those that have made this a success, follow the links to their blogs and say Thank You for making a difference!

Last and Final Update to Benefit Silent Bid Auction

First of all..........let me say THANK YOU!

I am so happy with all the wonderful donations of Primitive Handmades that I have received to

benefit the Silent Bid Auction.  And to be completely honest, a bit overwhelmed!
I think that my computer is acutally smoking from downloading pictures and returning emails, LOL!

But ......(and I really hate to do this)

As much as I would like to keep adding to the auction, I am now going to end donations being accepted. We only have 4 days until the auction ends and are on a very tight deadline of December 20th. Thank you for your understanding!

Dial up those prim friends and family members....you can pool your money and make your bid,
then divide all these treasures up later.  Or just tell hubby you need the credit card, LOL

Get your mouse a clicking and get those bids a coming in

You won't believe all the prim goodness up for auction, in one place and for one bid!  There is over ELEVEN ITEMS!!!!
Not only will you have a special Christmas getting to unwrap all your new treasures, but you will be making someone else's Christmas special as well.

To place your bids
~click here~

Thanks Again & Wishing Everyone a Blessed Merry Christmas!
Traci

New UPDATE! A fellow Blogger needs our Help..Silent Benefit Auction..more handmades added

We can measure the value of these donated items but the value of friendship=priceless

There is a fellow blogger and friend to many of us that needs some financial help.

I am not going to name any names, she doesn't even know that I am doing this.

But I would like to help anyway that I can, and I can by having a Silent Auction

Handmade Folk Art Penny Rug

Made by me, it is dated and signed.

Measures 13" x 7"

...............................................................................

Donated by Firecracker Kid Primitives

Primitive Rolling Pin Keep

click photo to visit their blog

~click image to enlarge~

Handmade by Carol and Tim

Barn Red over Black...aged finish

..................................................................................

Super Cute Prim Bunny Doll

Donated by The Rusty Thimble

Handmade by Brenda

.......................................................

Primitive Prairie Bonnet

Donated by Farmhouse Prims

Handmade by Lecia

(the famous bonnet maker, herself)

.............................................................

Handmade Burlap Teddy Bear

Donated by Tammy~A Primitive Place

..............................

Handmade Primitive Snowman Doll

Donated by Jean ~ Prim Crafts

...............................................................

Three New England Christmas Tree Lights

Donated by Patti ~ Raspberry Lane Primitives

..................................................

Let It Snow Handstitched Pillow

Donated by Teri ~ White Sheep Farm

.......................................................

Two Stitched Penny Rugs & Mantel/Shelf Scarf

Donated by Gina ~ Cat Nap Inn Primitives

.......................................................................

Handmade OOAK Doll

Donated by Eve ~ Lee Hill Primitives

....................................................

Handmade Nightblinded Angel Doll, Gingerbread Doll,

Grungy Gingerbread Garland and Stitchery Snowman Ornie
Donated by Marie ~ Primitives by Olde Lady Morgan

aka OLM

...................................................

Sister & Brother Silhouette Set, Mother & Daughter Heart Box

& Silhouette Spectacles Case - A lovely collection of Colonial Inspired Goodes

Donated by Pamela ~ Our Pioneer Homestead

................................................................

Handmade Santa Doll

Donated by Mary ~ Prairie Homeplace

The way this is going to work, is anyone interested in placing a Silent Bid, please

email me with your bid.  You are bidding on ALL  ITEMS/Lots together.  No bid is to small, as I know that any little bit will help.  The Silent Auction will end on Tuesday, December 20th at

9:00pm EST.  I will email & send an invoice through Paypal to the winner, as soon as I receive payment, I will then in turn send a paypal payment to the receipent.

**Items will be shipped Free of Charge to the Highest Bidder by those donating the goodes**

Any and all money proceeds from this Silent Auction will be sent to our friend.  I will post the winning bid and also let her know who it is, if at that time she wishes to make an announcement, that is up to her. 

Place your bid by emailing me

So, lets band together and help out!

Blessings,

Traci

If you do not want to or can not bid because of financial reasons, I completely understand.  Believe me, I know that money it tight this time of year.  But, you can still help out by sharing this on your blog and/or facebook.

I know that your help will be appreciated!

Thank you to those that have donated and as much as I would like to keep adding to the auction, I am now going to end donations being accepted. We only have 4 days until the auction ends and are on a tight deadline of December 20th. Thank you for your understanding!

Spoonful of Sweetness Party Favor & more gifts revealed

Friday Fun Craft

I am sharing a quick and easy Party Favor ~ Gift Idea today

Made these Spoonful of Sweetness Ornaments for

a Christmas party I hosted a few years back. 

You will need:

Recycled Metal Spoons

Drill & Bit

Ribbon (for hanger)

White Craft Glue

Glitter

Small Jingle Bells

Simply drill a hole at the end of the spoon handle for ribbon hanger.  Use an old paintbrush to spread white glue on portion of spoon you would like glittered,  then sprinkle glitter on glue and let dry.

I made little paper hangtags for them that say

"Wishing you a Spoonful of Sweetness this Holiday Season"

They not only made cute party favors but would be great added to your homemade gifts if you

give homemade baked good mixes and/or coffee/tea/cocoa mixes.  They look pretty hanging on the Christmas Tree...the glitter catches the light and just sparkles.

and here......

are a few more of The Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts sent to the Winners

Day #4 ~

 Tina ~Ruffles & Relics

Day #5

Shannon ~ Mamatkins

I'm pretty sure that Day # 6 & Day #7 have received their gifts but

I haven't heard from them...so I will not share those gifts yet.

Day #8

Angie ~ Lil Raggedy Angie

I'm off to make some Olde Socks today...  Have a Great Weekend!

Traci

Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway ~ The Last Hurrah

My final Christmas Picture Share was last night...

Our Family Tree & Living Room

~click here~ to see

well, I knew I wasn't done sharing yet, LOL, I already have a new addition to my decor!

Gary has decided that my old Farmhouse Table is a great place to lay, he's there more than he's not.

Darn Cat!

Winner of the

Twelfth Day of Christmas Drawing

Wendy ~ Ravenwood Whimsies

Congrats! Wendy

I will continue to post pictures of the gifts as soon as I know the winners have received them.  I don't want to

ruin the surprise for them...

Yesterday I ventured out to do some Christmas Shopping...finally.

The weather was so nice, today the temps will be in the 50's (I can't believe this and I know we

are going to pay dearly for it too)  While out, of course I had to stop into the GW.  Is is too early to buy

Easter Stuff?  I spent less than $3.00, this is what I found...

Away in a Manger ~ $.99

~~~Before~~~

~~~After~~~

The stable needed some attention, I simply added some new sheet moss that I gathered this fall

and a Rusty Star to the peak.

Cute Little Easter Tree $.69

not sure if I'll use the tree, but the Vintage looking Eggs were just to sweet to pass up

Mache Container $.79

and it has a nice lid~another great place to hide lil' treasures!

Today I am going to work on the last four gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway Winners.  I am hoping to have them all mailed out by Friday.  And, I'm already thinking about my next giveaway!

Have a Blessed Day my Friends,

Traci

Our Christmas Tree ~ it's all about Family

An Angel tops our Family Tree

Adorned with many memories

Our tree hardly changes from year to year...always the same special ornaments

with a few new additions, of course

many of them made by the kids, some I've held onto since I was a child, other's

received as gifts over the years

~just a few special ones~

Hubby's guitar, My Sewing Mouse & a special one..Christ the Savior is Born

Maygan's First Christmas, Merry Christmas (made by hubby) & Austin's Snowman

The Drysink

Stocking Stitchery, Snowman MD, Crock w/ Greens and my Stick Horse

Candlelight...Night Tyme View

More pewter in old wooden drawers and boxes

The Coffee Table 

Icicle Tree

Christmas Village

Poinsettia & my Old Bibles

Simple Antique Frame, Wreath and yes, another Goat Bell

(hangs on wall above Christmas Village)

I painted this Winter Amish Scene about 15 years ago

So, now I think I am done sharing Christmas Decorating Photos...

at least I think (don't hold me to that)..I may find some more odds N ends

to post from time to time.

Merry Christmas to All........and to All a Good Night,

Traci