HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL

                                                             WE'RE ALMOST THERE....
                                                                      Farewell 2018...
And Almost done here, too:

                                                        STARRY STARRY NIGHT.....
When my hand gets sore from rotary cutting --like from "Crossed Up" I turn to my latest craft...
Diamond Painting...
I wish our night tonight would be full of stars, but the old year is going out on its rainy way...
Stay safe all .....

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I want to thank all of you for your continuing support and comments on my
little blog here in Blogville....;))) they bring me much joy and comfort.....


I hope you have a Healthy, Productive and 

                                               HAPPY NEW YEAR 💑

Hugs, Julierose La Blageuse ( Singing "Auld Lang Syne"-euse) 

CROSSED UP

                                                         Crossed-Up center is together...
                                                             I 💖 how it came out;
Now to sew the side triangles on...................
I don't really like the stark white, but nothing else goes either....
Sooo,
I am hoping I can use a quilting stencil to make a four-corner design....
and fill those corners with hand quilting....
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AND...here...........
another G R A Y Sunday is before us....

We will be watching The Patriots game this afternoon ...

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Dinner tonight will be  Thom's spaghetti sauce and meatballs with my
own homemade garlic bread....👫;))))yum..

I hope your Sunday is filled with quiet and sewing...

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse  (Go "Pats"!-euse)

AMARYLLIS' ADVENTURE

these are





short stemmed...

New to me....

Just beautiful...............................................💓









and my White one is coming along slowly...now has two shoots....

Here is Dawn's lovely ornament watching its progress..;))))

                               Isn't she adorable--thank you DAWN
                                          (click click to see all the others
                                                    she made this year.....

***********************************************************
Off to try to trim so i can then sew
 Crosses----
(they make me cross, as none of the center crosses seem
long enough...aaargh)...

And so it goes--Hugs Julierose, La Blageuse (cross-euse)!!

CROSSED UP

                                                          Ready to sew tomorrow...
And here is the story:

LORI'S looks like this:

                                           CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?



But, mais, oui, I REVERSED  the directions; and I cut 4 of the red crosses 
and 8 of the white  crosses...
                                          I think I'll call this one "Crossed Up"..lol..
                                          .typical...;000
there must be a reason
that I canNOT. seem to :.......................... follow simple directions...

At least I saw the problem and switched the little 
3-patch
rectangles...
P H E W ...

                            I am going to have a lil' glass of vino after this debacle....

                                Dancin' to the beat of my own drummer.......;)))))))

                                        Hugs from rainswept House on the Hill,
                                     Julierose, La Blageuse (crossed-up-euse)

....

SWISS CROSS WIP

                                                       FOUR OF THESE

                                                   EIGHT OF THESE

                                                   

                 

                                                                 SEWING SET-UP

                                 This tutorial may be found at LORI'S BLOG for December 24th......
                                                              Aren't these blocks just so adorable?
                                                                             💖Thanks Lori..💖

hugs, Julierose La Blageuse (crossing-euse)

A-BLOOMING CELEBRATION

                        HERE IS THE SURPRISE AMARYLLIS BURSTING INTO BLOOM.....

                                and it looks like there will be a lot more to come;)))

                              AND MY NEWER ONE HAS DECIDED TO EMERGE....
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                             Here is my shocking pink, florescent  Christmas cactus...

                                                                Isn't it just lovely?

                                                         I guess it's happy here.......
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We had a lovely day on Christmas Eve at our son's home....
full of hugs, love, and laughter...
We are so blessed.....💕

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And look who's waiting for Santa....all ready for a good night sleep....

                                    My grandgirls:      Willa (L) and Fiona (R)....
************************************************************

Thom and I  had a quiet, simple, restful Day yesterday --

I made brisket and potatoes and green beans Almondine...
with some chocs for dessert ---compliments of DAWN  (gobble, gobble)
;))) thank you Dawn and I love the pretty tin.

& now I will HAVE to eat up
all the chocs PDQ huh?

so I can use that pretty tin
to store my quilt pieces in..

                                               ????RIGHT????LOL;)))

[I am cutting pieces for LORI'S "Swiss Quilt" tutorial Christmas gift to all of us...
thanks so much Lori..such an adorable mini quilt...]

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas..

hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (starting to think of 2019-euse)

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL

                                 Have a Joyous and Wonderful Christmas All
                                             Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse 

ALMOST....

                               Will they be pink, red, tipped with green or what?????
                                                        They are Almost
                                                                  ready to bloom....

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                                 Meanwhile this Amaryllis is Almost ready to emerge.....

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AND....................................

                             We are Almost packed --except for the refrigerated foods.....
                                             for Monday's trek to my son, Jeff's to
                                                        Celebrate Christmas on the Eve
                                                                 Our almost-Christmas get together

*********************************************************

Thom and I listened to Beethoven's 1st Piano Concerto this morning
(which I performed at 18--so many eons ago now as part of my
College audition) ;
and had a S L O W morning....
over coffee and cinnamon toast...
chit-chatting about our days at Hartt College...and relaxing.
Christmastime is made for memories....

*****************************************************
AND
A L M O S T 2019... another year in the books....
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year..

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (almost, nearly, soon-to-be
                                                               celebrating-euse)

Oh and P.S.  Another "ALMOST:

I am doing a few more lines of hand quilting while watching the Patriots Game...
Two more side triangles and then 4 corners to be quilted on my "Pomegranates
in the Rain"...I will make this my priority for 2019....
linking to Kathy's Quilts

FRAGMENTED

LITTLE CRUMBS









AND

           







ORTS                             
 

                                                     AND                                                                   





                                               TINY BITS











AND...........................................................................................

                                                               LITTLE PIECES....
                  "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad......
                                              I simply remember my favorite
                                                                   "strings"
                                                    And then I don't feel so bad..."

Here are some of my favorite strings/pieces/throw-away fragments:

And more..................it's really endless....

                                                            ORT CITY HERE.....;}}}}}

Hugs, Julierose
La Blageuse (crumbing-euse)

WINTER SOLSTICE

                                            STARRY STARRY NIGHT---Bringer of Light

I have gotten about 1/2 done of this diamond painting...I love the light filled
sky--the whirls of color.....

I thought on this the longest night of the year I would post this light bringing
picture.....

It is gray,rainy, and windy here--the sky deep in clouds..... 
Last night on our way home from the ER we saw the most brilliant Star--
Saturn...burning brightly 
and tonight during this deep deep darkness.................

                                             We want to hold the LIGHT in our hands......
                                           dreaming through this longest night of our year...

                                 An Angel of Light will be watching  over us.....
                                                             while we dream......

Stay warm and be filled with light, good will, and hope..........

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (dreaming-euse)

CRAFTING CHRISTMAS { BTBD**}

          A few days ago  **(before the back debacle), i dried oranges and limes
and strung this garland across our fireplace...my first try--
AND....as you can see some of them broke off 
but these were the ones that didn't get blackened 
(I think my oven was either too hot or i left them in too long...or something..[sigh] 

Anyway.............

here are the others piled in an old glass dish of my Mom's:
AND>.............💖    👪    👫   💕

                 on my buffet in front of an old picture I just love of our family 
:                    
                                           BEFORE Fiona and Willa were even born....

                                                           Doesn't time just fly??


                                   The oldsters (Thom and I) are on the top right

                                            my son, Jeff  and DIL, Lindsay, Top left 
                 
                    and my daughter, Candice and SIL, Steve, are in front with their four--

[L to R: Steven (now sophomore in college!!); Connor and Gregory (the twins,
 now sophomores in High School) ;and Cassidy, now a senior in High School...]

               All atop one of my Grand-mere's lovely crocheted table toppers...

I so often gaze at this photo and it brings me back to our 
(semi !!) younger years..

Christmas time is always full of memories, remembrances of younger days, and
friends and family now long gone...
But...............
Happily the good times warm our hearts
with fond recollections...of days gone by...
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I didn't do a whole lot of decorating this year, but will certainly try to perfect my
citrus baking/drying during 2019....
I also want to grow more herbs for 
drying this year in pots on my deck..
maybe make some lavender 
"Mussie-tussies" they would be lovely interlaced on a tree....

                                                I hope all of you--
                                              my cherished followers--
                                       will have a wonderful and joyful
                                       Christmas and Holiday Season..

Hugs, 
Julierose La Blageuse (filled with gratitude for all my blessings-euse)
..

.

"iT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU..."

                                           I COME TO YOU AS MRS. GRINCH TODAY

                                     and so, mes amies, this long sad tale goes as follows:

I am getting out of my car yesterday after shopping..and 
what do I do??? 
I forget (!!) to unbuckle my seatbelt..yes, I was that foolish....

And so....my back totally went out....YEP! 
My Marvelous Male had to help
me into the house...gasping and groaning....

I spent last night :
                               icing/heating/Aleve-ing/grumbling/up and down
                                 and generally totally beside myself....

Today we were supposed to go to my daughter's for dinner and then to my
Grandson's VARSITY B-BALL game--he made Varsity in his sophomore year..
                                [GO, CONNOR 💖💕💞]
But Noooooooo...
there is no way I can ride in the car for an hour nor sit
in a grandstand...I can't stand it!!  Aaaaargh...
That'll teach me to say, "Gee, my back has been really good lately...."

Sadly, madly, badly, heating-pad-ly/ICING-PAD-LY.... yours,

Hugs (not able to really) with everything on hold...

Julierose, La blageuse aka GRUMPERINA

P.S.  LOOkie LOOKIE
Dawn just sent me some Christmas mail..she is my Christmas 
Angel--my spirits are raised up once again....;)))
Thanks Dawn.................

                                        A Beautiful bevy of gifts.....;)))

CHRISTMAS CACTI, et al

                                               My pink Christmas cactus is ready to burst.....

AND
My older white one....

                                        Not so much....hope the buds fulfill their blooms....

And my NEW White Amaryllis--is forging ahead...

                              I am hoping it will send up its stalk soon...

Looks like:                    THREE SURPRISE SHOOTS ON THIS ONE......

                                               CHRISTMAS ANGEL WATCHING OVER US

and: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas...

                       "We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas,
                                     We wish you a Merry Christmas and....

                                                          A Happy New Year..."

                           Hubby surprised me with this little blue spruce all lit up...;💕💕

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse...(getting in the "SPIRIT"-euse)

STARRY STARRY NIGHT

                            MY LATEST DIAMOND PAINTING EFFORT..

And  I just finished:
WINTER ROSES:

I love how it turned out; but......

it was a difficult piece as the little drills kept wanting
to pop off...

and I've been re-- situating them and using my rolling pin to 
push them back into place...(not good)...;(((

I am going to have to seal this one..before framing...
and I am researching the best sealer glue to use...

As I am still a neophyte in diamond painting, I guess "live and learn"
is my motto...

I have noticed that the little round drills (using on Starry Starry Night) 
are MUCH easier to place and seem to have more sparkle to them...and
they are staying put very well....I am thinking that the Winter Roses canvas
didn't have enough or the right kind of glue on it...and am wondering how you
can tell...i won't be ordering from that company again until I know....ya think??

***************************************************
Terri's Butterfly is coming along....sort of.........

Now to find the ensuing round--nothing seems to "go with" the style and type of 
fabrics in this so far...;((( [sigh]

and I don't have even a smidgen of that peach flowery one...{big sigh}

And no other peach-ey fabrics on my shelves seem to fit... (too many sighs)

I wanted to pick up that round's color somehow...

Well, I still have to dive into the boxes and bags on my upper shelves...just
maybe I'll find something.....wish me luck...;**)))

I am using just my stash, not buying new fabric...so this may just have to be on hold
for a bit...
********************************************
Warmer temps today--in the mid 40's here--so all the snow melted overnight...
Rains on the way....this evening and tomorrow....more grayness....

****************************************
On a much happier note.....♬♬ 
I came across a "String-along" on LORI'S  (click to see her blog)
 today..for 2019...
I am definitely going to do this.  I am not really good at doing "--alongs" of
any type,,,but this kind of sewing is right up my alley..;}}}💃😄
************************************

Have a wonderful weekend peeps💖...I'll be watching the Patriots on Sunday 
(we have buffalo wings and coleslaw planned --an impromptu picnic so to
speak)...and a 
LOT OF "BOXED" STASH SEARCHING....ooff-dah.....

HUGS,
Julierose💜, La Blageuse ( searching-euse)