Craft Day Tea Party Baby Shower...

...sounds fun, and it was!

On Tuesday, Shawn and Bethany and I drove out to Karla's for a craft day with Beth, and Mary (who brought all of us a pack of her French dictionary pages) and


Lauri (who also gave us lovely crafting goodies).

(And the doilies in both photos are from Shawn.)



So why the bunny ears and hats you ask?


Because it was also a Tea Party--an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party--in honor of Karla's Alice Tag Book Swap.


Complete with pretty little tea sandwiches that Shawn made :)


Karla had the table beautifully set...




...and placed a tiny little frozen charlotte doll wrapped in vintage flocked wallpaper at each seat!


The party also honored Shawn who is expecting a new addition to their family next month--she is holding a picture that Karla painted of Bethany holding her new baby brother:)


Even Karla's dog, Twinkle, dressed up for the party!

It was really a special day!!!

Marilyn

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

In the midst of Christmas busy-ness, it was fun to have a craft day at Karla's yesterday. What better time of year to be with good friends!

Even Karla's dog, Twinkle, got in on some crafting fun with Beth!


Add in a very nice lunch and an ornament exchange and I'd call it a party!! I brought this ornament...

(front)

(back)

It went home with Beth...and I got Karla's...


AND one from Beth, who brought one for everyone:)


I adore both of them--there's nothing like a handcrafted Christmas ornament!!

Beth also brought two pages for my Round Robin book...talk about feeling like Christmas!!





On the way back home, I made a stop in downtown Lawrence...


"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, la la la la la la"

Marilyn

A Pretty Little Christmas...Blog Party

Heather (Pretty Petals) is hosting "A Pretty Little Christmas" Blog Party today. She has invited everyone, that wants to participate, to blog about your own Pretty Little Christmas...anything you like...whatever makes your heart sing. Sounds like fun!

So, here goes...WELCOME!

First, I want to show you the Holiday Book that I started making on craft day last week, and have now completed. It was a fun project!


Now, let me show you what makes my heart sing...the Christmas decorations and ornaments that hold extra special meaning...


From my very first Christmas, this angel bell--a gift from Santa Claus. I love her heart shaped lips and chubby little cheeks:)


When Rick was two years old, his father was away at Christmas, in Korea, serving in the army. In the gifts that his father sent back to the family that year, was this Santa and reindeer for Rick. It's great fun...each Christmas, at least once, we sit on the kitchen floor, wind it up and watch Santa travel in a big circle. There is a bell on the back that rings and sounds like an old bicycle bell:)


Giving Santa a little help, perhaps, are these elves...



My mother loved Christmas and always decorated BIG for the holidays! I think it was about 25 years ago that she was running out of room for all of her decorations and asked me to go through some of the older things and keep what I wanted. The elves came home with me and I love them as much today as I did years ago. They kind of remind me of Snow White's seven dwarfs, if only there was one more--maybe it's Dopey that's missing. (hmmm, it suddenly occurred to me how politically incorrect the Snow White story is.)

This angel also came from my mother--she gave it to me because she knew how much I loved it. I photographed her surrounded by the glass ball ornaments because Mom used those a lot in her decorating. She had glass ornaments tucked here...there...everywhere! It was beautiful.


The box that the angel came in is great too. Adler's was one of the big department stores in downtown Kansas City, and downtown was a hopping place when I was growing up. Department store windows were filled with magic--decorated trees, motorized dolls and woodland animals...there were holiday lights everywhere...and huge crowns hung across the streets.


Rick and I have inherited several ornaments, some from his parents and some from mine. I really love them all...


but this little church that came from Rick's family is one of my favorites.


The ballerina ornament was my mother's. I thinks she looks like she could be a dancer in the Nutcracker ballet.


I love the winter ivory clothing this young couple is wearing. Mom loved dolls so it was natural for her to be attracted to, and buy, porcelain doll ornaments.


A tiny bear that was Mom's when she was a little girl. So sweet.


And I just had to share these vintage greeting cards with you!




Lastly, a peace dove that I made two Christmases ago...


May your holidays be filled with peace and joy.

Thank you for taking the time during this busy season to come for a visit!

For more pretty little blog parties, click the button below...Heather has a wonderful list of participants for you to visit.




Marilyn

A Good Mail Day and Falling Leaves

Michelle, 3rd Eye Muse, offered a giveaway during Vanessa's Anything Goes Halloween Party and I was the lucky winner of one of her Mock Sugar Skulls. Making it extra special, the Mock Sugar Skull was a piece on Michelle's Ofrenda (Altar) that she created for Dia de Bloglandia, along with a God's Eye that she also included in my package. THANK YOU, Michelle, for such special gifts that will certainly play a part in celebrating Day of the Dead, 2009!


Today, I completed this stitchery of Our Lady of Guadalupe (pattern from Sublime Stitching)...quite possibly another piece for Day of the Dead.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Interesting how quickly trees can go from this...


and this...


and this...


to THIS in less than two days!


I'm not sure I like what it means...

Brrrrrrr!

Marilyn

Halloween Party and GIVEAWAY

Update...Monday, October 20th

Vanessa's A Fanciful Twist Halloween Party is simply delightful! There are wonderful parties happening everywhere. Many, I haven't had a chance to visit yet, but I hope to. (Vanessa is planning to keep the blog list of partiers up until the day after Halloween.)

Right now, though, I want to announce the winner of my giveaway...
Ele, A Bit of Pink Heaven will be receiving the Scaredy Cat Mini Quilt.

Thank you, Ele, and everyone who stopped by, for adding so much fun to the party!





This way to the PARTY!!!!!

That's right, just follow the others...






What's that? They're all going in different directions?!

It's okay, don't worry, you can follow the jack-o-lanterns...





...you've found it, you're HERE!


WELCOME!



Come in...other guests have already arrived.

Shall we check out some of the costumes?


Cute...

Cute...

Show offs!

Forget something?

You too? Maybe the two of you should get together...

What do you mean it's not a costume?

Scaaarrry...

Copycat...

OK, this is getting out of hand!

Why don't I show you where to find the food and drink?

Now, I'd much rather craft and make art or play on the computer than spend time in the kitchen, so instead of just offering you candy corn...


or smelly cheese,


I've asked for help with the party refreshments...
from the professionals!



And they've certainly done what they do best!



Looks like one of the guests is giving the treats
a "fanta-bulous!" rating...



Rather dance? OK, "walk this way"...






Oh, LOOK! It's a full moon!

Perfect for trick or treating! How about a refresher course?


Let's go ask Alice...

"It's easy...knock on the door and shout..."

Ready? Let's go!


Go on, you know what to do...
Trick or treat!

Oooooo, you're quite good! Isn't this fun? On to the next house!


Meeeooooowwwwww!
Relax, it's the neighbor's cat!


Yes, this one IS a little spookier, isn't it?

You say you want to skip that house? OK, that's fine...

This next one doesn't look at all scary!!!

Trick or treat!!!

(from behind the door we hear the sound of chattering teeth and then......."EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!!!")

It's Master Scaredy Cat...poor little fella, it looks like we've scared HIM!


Oh my, we're very sorry!

I think I'll stay here with Master Scaredy Cat until he settles down some. You all go on to the other parties...I'll catch up with you later.

But, wait...

PLEASE, before you go, be sure to enter for a chance to win
the original design:), one-of-a-kind:), created especially for this occasion:),
Mini Quilt Rendition of the Scaredy Cat Place...

(appx. size is 9"x9")

Just leave a comment on this post before 10 pm Central Time on Mon., Oct. 20th. You don't have to be a blogger to enter...just let me know how to contact you if you're the winner.

Thank you for making my party one of your stops during A Fanciful Twist's Halloween Blog Party. I'd love to have you visit again soon, so please come back anytime.
And THANK YOU to our hostess, VANESSA!

Go ahead now, your friends and lots of other parties are waiting for you.

E N J O Y !!!

Marilyn