Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

It's snowing again today in Rio Rancho! Sam & I have been making snowmen. Amazing considering yesterday we had only a couple of remnants of melting ice left in shadowy areas.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and here's Best Wishes to a Happy New Year!

Storm #4 for those keeping track.)

New Blog: Wish Lists & Gift Guides

I've created a new blog (deleted) specifically as a wish list. This is open to anyone who wants to join. Sam and I have already posted - Sam is a little less discerning than I. If you'd like to join, just email me at jessica@cookieaday.com and I will set up up with a profile. You will be able to post your own wish list. No one else can edit your post, with the exception of the moderator (me).

3rd Storm of Season - Is this ME or NM?

The Winter Weather Advisory became a Winter Storm Warning with accumulation estimates of 3-10" in our area. We saw early showers that accumulated then melted away. At about noon, the serious stuff started and this picture, taken about 2pm shows us well on our way to the first 3".

I expect to see about 6" considering the snow fall that continues, and the weather band we see on the doppler.

It looks so much like Maine. Funny, I thought moving here was going to stop me from having to shovel.
I'm late in sending out presents this year. Some of my family will receive gifts after the holiday. There's just no helping it. Some things were late in getting finished, others were late in arriving here. Now the Post Office is giving no guarentees on delivery, and honestly, my local Post Office is so messed up, it's a wonder anything gets where it's supposed to. Most Monday's we don't get delivery until after 6pm.

Our local paper would make you laugh. They suggested we start a letter writing campaign to the Post Office General to express the delivery and lost mail problems with our local office.

Seems kinda like we could call him and tell him we'd done this letter writing campaign (without actually doing any writing) and make a stronger point. Either way, he wouldn't get the letters.

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night..."

Lessons Learned During the Holiday Season

1. Cheap wrapping paper is cheap for a reason.
   
2. Never buy wrapping paper with straight stripes - no matter how square your present, the stripes will always make it look like the dog wrapped it.
   
3. Setting aside small objects for that special project opens a vortex otherwise only visited by odd socks.
   
4. Organizing your crafts is a great way to halt creativity - you are inspired by the clean space to dig into new projects... but you can't find anything.
   
5. Gravity can be controlled - at least by the post office or anyplace that offers shipping by weight.
   
6. Although he has more time than you, don't let the dog do the wrapping.
   
7. Even if you can see your Christmas tree from space, it still won't have enough decorations for your 5-year-old.
   
8. "Well begun is half done" may be a lasting status.
   
9. Collect boxes year round. You may not think that odd shaped box will ever fit another item, until you need it.
   
10. Always buy gift bags. (see 9 above)

Making Ornaments with Sam

On Wednesdays, Sam has a short day at school, so when Sam got home today, we started to make Christmas ornaments. My favorite project is clothespin reindeer.

This is a fun project I remember doing in school when I was just a little older than Sam.

For each reindeer, you need 4 clothespins. You saw the legs off one pin.

Monday night, I had Sam paint clothespins brown, and we left them to dry.

Of course, they got painted a little too heavily and they stuck to the newspaper. We didn't have time to work on them Tuesday night.

Today, we pulled them off the newspaper and touched up the paint. Then we glued the pins together.

Once the pins were glued together, we glued on googly-eyes. The googly-eyes take extra patience because they are so small.

Finally we glued red pompoms on for noses.

Sam liked the idea that they all got to "pretend" to be Rudolph.

I love the googly-eyes.

Latest Beading: Ice Princess Beaded Choker

I just finished this piece and posted it for sale on Etsy. (Click on the picture for an enlarged view.) I thought you'd enjoy seeing a beaded piece for once... it's been a while since I completed a beaded project; I've been so enthralled with knitting.

I recently discovered some new polymer clay techniques, and I've learned some new design tricks, so I'm planning a new set of focal beads which may be sold individually or incorporated into new works.

I also hope to find some time to do some more lampwork (glass bead making) but I think I'd better reduce the doggie population in the house before I go firing up the gas torch. (Nothing like the smell of burning dog fur to ruin your day!)

Too Many Puppies!

Chris is out of town working this week, so John and I are taking care of his house and his two dogs, which means we've got FOUR dogs in the house all week long. (Thank God for a fenced in yard!)

From time to time it still gets a little nuts. Imagine having four dogs chasing and playing and running full-boar from room to room.

I decided to try and get a group picture last night. Even with treats, getting them all to sit still was a project. John and I were ambitious - we even tried to get them to sit in some kind of order. This is the best we could do.

Role Call: (counter clockwise from left) Morgan (Great Dane), Bitsy (Jack Russel Terrier), Chica (Pure American Mutt / Terrier cross), and Stinky (German Shorthaired Pointer).

Vintage Style Keyhole Scarf Pattern

This pattern is perfect for both kids and adults, as it prevents having to tie knots and long ends that can get stuck on ski lifts or trees when sledding. Put this on under your jacket and you have both warmth and safety.

I found this at: http://alison.knitsmiths.us/pattern_beginners_scarves.html
All patterns and images © Alison Hanseland are shared here for individual personal use only.

RIBBED KEYHOLE SCARF

Measurements:approx. 8" wide and 26" long (note: ribbing will usually cinch in making the scarf skinnier)

Instructions:Cast on 38 st. (26 stitches with bulky yarn).

Row 1: Work in 2x2 ribbing across the row, starting with K2 and ending with K2.

Row 2: Continue ribbing by working stitches as they appear, beginning with P2 and ending with P2.

Repeat the last two rows for 22".

Make opening: Work ribbing for first 12 stitches, bind off 14 stitches, continue ribbing over remaining 12 stitches (with bulky yarn, work ribbing for 8 stitches, bind off 10, continue ribbing over remaining 8 stitches).

Next row: Work ribbing for first 12 stitches, cast on 14 new stitches over the gap, join to stitches on other side of the gap and continue ribbing (with bulky yarn, work ribbing for 8 stitches, cast on 10 new stitches over the gap, join to stitches on other side of the gap and continue ribbing).

Continue working in rib across all stitches for 4 more inches.

Bind off stitches in rib (if the stitch is a knit stitch, knit it; if it's a purl stitch, purl it; pull stitches over one other as usual).

Weave in ends.

Wrap around neck, push one end through hole on other end and see how stylish warm can be!