FLOWERY GIFTS

                                       I RECEIVED THESE LOVELY GIFTS FROM
                                                       Barb  (click to see her latest post )
                                           Thank you so much, Barb--
                                                       and the burning question is
                                                                      will I be able to WAIT???

                                                AND.........they are squishy, too...;--*}}}

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My cactus is just about ready to burst into bloom....hopefully....

Last year it got to this point and the buds all dropped off...maybe I over-watered? I am
being stingy with the watering this year.....

AND a new Amaryllis has been added to the "Surprise Amaryllis" here:

  This is really a good North light window to bring them into budding...
                                         The red potted one is the new white....

                    I cut branches from our trees and stake them with fabric selvages....
                                  as they get pretty tall and floppy when in bloom....
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My new little fairy lights along my bare (I want to make a mantel cloth this year) mantel..

The photos are of my son and daughter and their children...along with a couple cards...

As you can tell, I am not really decorating much this year....just a few little things to
brighten up these gray afternoons...
we often sit here to have a late afternoon glass of wine....
and as it is just off the kitchen, I can keep a watchful eye on what's cooking...;)))

The picture above was a wedding gift for my MIL long ago; and it is from France...
we had it re-framed and we just love it...
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I did another bit of sewing on Butterfly this morning while the plumber
is replacing our shower faucet--(drip drip drip all night!!)

AND.................of course (!) he found no separate valve for shut off........
so,
 we are without water during his work on this..
and..................
He has to cut a piece of our wall out to reach the pipes....(oh noooo)

Isn't it always something??? 
I will be hanging some quilt over the new entry
door to the pipes, i guess...
perhaps my Butterfly will land there to keep
Georgie Porgie company--remember him?

He hangs in State over our toilette.....(I wasn't happy about the crooked blocks --but then
maybe they are pretty apt as a lot of politicians are...well, maybe a bit bent??) ;0000
The Sweetie Man loves it and insists on leaving him there...????

And so, my pretties, I leave you with wishes for a good sewing day....
hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (1.5" block sewing-euse)

SUNDAY SAMPLER (picture heavy)

Awakened to another gray and foggy morning--soooo, DH took me out for breakfast and then we shopped for the next couple weeks at BJ's (HELL0 Cape Cod chips ;--))
 Goodbye Mr. Atkins!!)  I guess I'll have to check the "Naughty" box
 for next year already!! ;-ooo

This will be a picture heavy post BECAUSE:

See what Santa Thom got me--a wonderful tripod--loving this!  Perfect gift....

                               {Just had to try a candlelight shot--} 
Prepping my dinner salad for the evening....
one resolution for 2016 is to have ONE big salad every day--and
since we ate out and I had hash brown potatoes (who can resist?? Pas Moi!!) 
no lunch and salad for supper....

AND here are a selection of gifts i received:  (Quite a haul) there are more that
I will post later on ....

FOUR new books--love that Longmire series, two candles for my deck this summer
(See how they are supported on those little low holders?? How neat!!)
AND

                                 TA-DAH:  My new Miguel Ruis Journaling book,,,
                                 600 pages of blank graph papers.....to play with!

I have prepared January's 31 days like this so far:

the circle calendar date stamps every graph paper page,
 the header will be the day of the week and the weather 
(I have to wait for those stamps to come in--DH gave me [almost heh heh] 
carte blanche to shop online for "STUFF" for my other presents from him--
what a sweetie!!  
The lower section will be my foodie & walking section; 
the rest will be my journaling and art stamping and/or sticker workings....
I washi-taped two pages together to  avoid ink bleed-through yesterday--
harder than it sounds actually!!

SO, gals: .  This is my "Fauxbonichi" (FB) (you can see YouTubes on this 
type of journaling online).

                                                              AND

I have sewn the first vertical row (left) together for Steven's quilt and hope to get the 2nd done today.  
I am so excited to see it finally coming together!!

I asked Cassidy (next in line for a quilt) her fave color and it was:
                                                      PURPLE
                               yay!!  a COLOR I CAN REALLY DO A LOT WITH......

I have done 49 circles and am stopping here for now--just too hard
 (emotionally )  for me. 
 Perhaps, I will pick them up in a bit...
and am continuing my Grief Cloth work.

I will be absent for a bit; making my New Year's Resolutions [this year feels like I
want to for the first year in a LONG time] 
and 
generally catching up with myself....a quiet time....

hugs to you all and
                                                       HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR
Julierose, La Blageuse (graeful-euse)

CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

See that big box in the back of these goodies??? Well, I got this in the mail this afternoon from 
Dawn , my bloggy good friend at "sewyouquilt2.
 Two little dolly quilts : one for Fiona and one for Willa with matching little kitty pillows that they will just love.  (And I love that card--it has a yummy sounding lemom curd recipe on the back.) 

AND--that's not all:

These goodies, too--a Quilt registry book (what a fabulous idea to keep track of all your quilts from AQS) and a little kleenex holder and two really adorable snowmen pins....And, and...

A batik candle mat to die for; and scrapbooking doodads--you can't  really ever have enough of those!

Wait, we're not done yet...see I told you it felt like Christmas:

A Leisure Arts "Easy" (yay!) Applique pattern book and An Easy Summer Star pattern and
blue fabric--which I dearly need.  Did I get it all??? I am just blown away...

Thank you so much, Dawn; how sweet and generous of you to send me all these great items and to take the time out of your busy days to make those cute little quilts and pillows for my girls.
Sylvester the cat says he will be visiting Fiona and Willa along with these  two cuties this coming Monday..

A wonderful surprise -- how lucky am I??  :-)))) (Geeze, I love that cat face)

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse