Props for Christmas Pictures on Thanksgiving Day

 You have to stay ahead of the game. That’s s why I do my Christmas pictures on Thanksgiving Day. That gives me time to get some Christmas cards made and who knows if or when I’ll have them all together again before Christmas. 

I’m a sentimental, strive for asymmetry in everything, bothersome momma/mawmaw. Yes, I bother the adult kids with my ideas. The little kids aren’t always fond of my ideas, especially the boys. Last year I did matching pjs for my obligatory pictures. Some were not happy. 

This year my plan was to make my people happier. I decided on matching shirts and a banner. I ordered iron on names with a Santa hat design decal. I bought black t-shirts, ironed the names on, thinking this would be much easier than changing into pjs. I made the banner by buying a blank canvas pennant banner from Walmart and 2 packs of shiny letters from the dollar store. Easy, simple, and kind of pretty. All this right under $50. 

Here’s how the pictures went. 

My vision was all in a nicely straight line, holding the banner, smiling with the matching shirts showing. Yea, right! 

I take what I can get. 

Read here to see what I have left on my to do list before Christmas. 

Gin 

Thanksgiving Meal aka Groceries

I did get all the food for the Thanksgiving spread. It’s all cooked and eaten with no pictures to document. My own personal tradition is I make 3 spare dressing mixes with a side of broth that I gift to my adult kids to take home and cook the next day to have some fresh cooked dressing of mine that they love. I give it ready to cook so it doesn’t sit out all day and then they either travel home or stop at their other side of their family for visit. If I don’t specify right away that I have a spare stash for them they will ask me if I made the spare ones. So as a mother does, I spoil them even as adults. I did make 4 spares this time, one to give to my sister who would enjoy it the next day. 

A Chris & Brooklyn stayed over to go hunting and Wyatt came over to stay while his parents finish the remodel of their farmhouse bathroom putting the floor down. So we finished up the leftovers. 

The littlest hunter of the family. 

Our Thanksgiving Day was a thankful day, a lot of food, conversation, and playing around. 

Read here to see what I have left on my to do list before Christmas

Gin

Two Necessities Checked

Two more to do things on my list before Christmas are checked off. Go back and read here about what needs to be done in a small amount of time. 

The new dishwasher shopping was a blessing in disguise. The first day we looked I refused to pay $600 plus for a dishwasher. It was looking like I would just do without a new one. All appliances have gone up in price and are few in stock. The guy at Lowe’s have a hint to check back the next day for early Black Friday sales. We returned the next morning and bought the only dishwasher in the sale for $299, marked 1/2 off. That’s on my thankful list. 

I leave you with my eye appointment story. My eyes are so bad, I’m really blind as a bat, eye dr said my sight was beyond help with a new prescription. I see an eye specialist next week. Probly bad cataracts. 

Gin

Girls Day

 Holiday / Schools out for a week time with the 2 grand girls for 3 days. Sometimes I have all 3 big grands for school holidays, but this time only the 2 girls. So we have done what girls do - shop, cook, decorate, shop again, craft, and shop. We’ve been busy is an understatement. 

They use their own imagination to make something out of things they like in my craft stash. They are very creative. They get it from me I think. This was one thing from today. 

Isn’t it the cutest Frosty ever? The sun is so bright he would have surely melted today if he was made of snow. 

Read here to see what I have left on my to do list before Christmas. 

Gin 

Grand-dogs Stay-Over

The kids ask and I deliver almost everytime for everything. This was no exception. I’ve done it a lot. Trent/Natalie & family going to Alabama for the weekend for pre-Thanksgiving with her family. My job the weekend was to dog-sit the pups.  

Joy & Annie. Larry calls them Lil’ Dog & Big Dog. I call them both a joy because they are no problem at all. They are well mannered.

I think they enjoy themselves at mawmaw’s because I give extra treats and extra belly rubs. Sweet Annie does whine a little if she’s not right by my side. But nothing that a little snuggle doesn’t help. 

A second set of kid family stopped by with their pup so we had 3 grand-dogs, 2 grand-kids, 1 daughter, and 1 son-in-law hanging out for the afternoon. 

Look here to read about my schedule of things to do list before Christmas. I’m checking them off one by one. 

Gin 

Single Star

 When I create a quilt, I tend to go big or go home. In big I’m meaning big blocks. The bigger the block, the quicker it’s finished. The bigger the block, the easier it is. Maybe that’s just me, but I do prefer bigger blocks to make up a quilt. Though, I’ve made some with as little as 2” squares, but not many. 

This big block quilt is called Vintage Star. The original pattern is big. But, of course, not big enough for me. So I doubled or maybe even tripled the size of the pattern to make a very large quilt. 

It’s made with a Kaffe Fassett designer fabric line. If you’re not a fabric enthusiasts, that’s a line of fabric that is always gorgeous with bright beautiful colors and designs.

As I began to quilt it, I wasn’t liking all the different flower designs together. I’m kinda a matchy, matchy kinda person. But it’s growing on me looking at it from afar. Tell me if you like or not like. 

And, look here to read about my schedule of things to do list before Christmas. I’m checking them off one by one. 

Gin 

The Schedule

 It’s beginning to get busy here with the holidays just days away. There’s  the grandkids in and out. One of the little ones has been here 4 days in the last two weeks. And two more with plans to come stay a few days next week with school being out for Thanksgiving. 

 All the while:

I’m finishing up a couple quilts

I’m getting the house ready for company

I’m needing to get the grocery items for the big meal aka Thanksgiving 

I’m needing a new dishwasher (mine died)

I’m getting Christmas photo props ready for Thanksgiving Day for my obligatory pictures 

I’m dog-sitting two grand-dogs this weekend

I’m trying to fit in an eye-appointment next Monday 

I’m down for a dance recital attendance Dec 4th

I’m scheduled for overnite babysitting at one of the kids house Dec 17/18 

I’m putting my tree up Thanksgiving weekend no matter what 

I’m wanting to be at the last dirt bike race and the last  softball tournament of the season 

I’m sure I’m forgetting something like getting Christmas gifts.

The silver lining is I should have something to blog about through the end of the year. 

Gin 

 

Going Simple

 Thanksgiving Day is 14 days away. I love and enjoy Thanksgiving day and the days leading up to that day. 

I’m going simple in decorating with a thankful banner strung across the mantle. 

And a really simple sunflower arrangement on the dining table. 

I have pretty “paper ware” plates and cups and competition games for the family planned. BUT, I won’t be going simple with the menu. The turkey and all the trimmings will be served. My favorite being the dressing and baked corn for the main dish and for desert my fav would be pecan pie and pecan pralines. 

There’s a little decor on the back and front porch with pumpkin pillows in the chairs and swings from last year. 

Then I add a touch of Christmas on Thanksgiving Day with matching pjs for the grands so I can get my obligatory group picture of them for my Christmas card. 

All this sounds simple enough to me. 

Gin 

Oh geez!!

 Oh shoot!! I forgot to keep posting. My plan was to pick back up on my blogging but somehow I forgot all about it this last week. 

I must congratulation my oldest grand on 2nd place in the final dirt bike race of the season in the SERA series. Second Place out of 7 qualifiers in the PeeWee Division ages 7/8. 

He fought hard for 1st and was leading several laps on and off. 

That ended the year and a new season starts in Feb 2022. And to top it off he placed 2nd in his division for the year and will be acknowledged at the end of year banquet and receive several valuable aùwards/gifts. I’m so proud of him. 

The last few days swas spent with the youngest of my grands. He stayed over with us for 2 days. We did everything in the book including eating. Dry cereal was his choice of things this week. How do they know to pick out the marshmallows first??!!? 

I enjoy all the grands!

Gin