A Goodbye to 2012 and a Welcome to 2013

As 2012 draws to a close (and I'm not sad to see it go), my wish for everyone is a safe, happy, prosperous and most of all - "healthy" New Year!!!!    May we all find much calm, peace and joy in the new year!!!

Snow, snow and more snow!

We have been lucky up until now - last year we had very little snow and it appeared this year was starting the same way.   Then the winter storm hit last night.  

 There is a concrete bench under there - normal sitting height, so this should give you an idea how much snow we had overnight.

 This is my wire mesh snowman - a typical snowman top hat in blue, but the snow makes it look like a "gnome" hat!

 They plowed us out at 3 AM this morning - you can see the huge pile at the end of the driveway and the tip of the mailbox just showing next to the tree.

This was Monday night before the storms and the snow, but I liked the house all decorated and lights on in this picture.

Post Christmas Breakfast

It has become a tradition that every year between Christmas and New Year's Day, I would take my daughters and grandchildren to breakfast. I thought perhaps tradition would be changed this year, but Heather was home for Christmas, and so......here we are at Cracker Barrel this morning.   We had to pick today as the weather does not sound good for the rest of the week.   As always, we had a great time, lots of chatting and laughing and a great waiter who accomodated us by taking several pictures!!!!

Christmas Concerts with Grandchildren

I have nothing new and "quilty" to post this nice snowy morning.   One of my favorite activities this time of year is going to my grandchildren's Christmas concerts.   Sadly, I only have pictures from one as I didn't have my camera with me for the others.   But, this is my youngest, playing trumpet and singing at his elementary school concert.   I'm so proud of ALL my grandchildren!!   They have inherited the musical gene and have been raised in a house where they learned to appreciate the value of musical education in a person's life!!!

 Playing in the Brass Quartet

 Ukelele Club

He knows he's getting "Nuttin' for Christmas"

So, as not to be biased........my other 2 - watching the concert!

ArtCGirlz Makes the News....in Batavia

We're in the news!!!!   OK, so it is only in Batavia, but still a pretty impressive article!   My art quilt group has a show going on right now thru the Genesee Arts Council and we are the featured article in today's paper.

You can read about us by clicking on the link below!!!

http://thedailynewsonline.com/entertainment/article_31ef2746-3552-5fd5-a6df-7ee29762cf78.html

Quilt Guild Christmas Party - Stockings, Poinsettias and Barn Quilts

Yesterday was my guild Christmas party.   I am president of my guild and we had a lot of business to do as we had to cancel our November meeting when there was no power in the VA building.  

The VA had appropriately decorated the room for us!

My friend Kathi ran a secret santa stocking exchange.  My good friend Melanie Watson drew my name and this is the stocking she made for me.  I LOVE IT!.    I love it mostly because it is obvious she put a lot of hard work into it to personalize it and make it mine! (Well, there is a lot of purple in it.)

We also welcomed Marija Vujcic who showed us how to make prety poinsettia favors for our gifts or ornaments for our tree.

My friend Martha did this quilt for show and tell.........isn't it cute....such a good play on Wizard of Oz!

Barn quilts are all the rage now - mostly they have always been large quilt blocks, made of wood and put on the side of a barn.   My friend Tracy and her family has a business and they started making smaller ones - these are 24 inches by 24 inches.   Here are two of the first ones they have done.  I love it!   I've got my block all picked out and I think there is room on the peak of my house for a small one like this!!!

Bottlecaps2....painted....ready for art!

And, so now they are painted!!!!   What do you think - some look like cookies, or candies!   Nope, that won't be it!   I still have to even find out if they will work as I'm planning!  

I used jacquard fabric paints which I probably wouldn't have done normally, but seeing as how I'm housebound right now (unless I can find a chauffeur), I had to use what would work!  I've gotten slowed down a little on this project - hoping to pick up steam and "get it done"!