Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Hodgepodge

It's time for Wednesday Hodgepodge


1. Share a favorite moment from your Christmas holiday celebration.
This year we had Swedish pancakes made by my brother's girlfriend's dad, they were pretty good, though I missed the mimosas we've had previous years.
2. What would you say has been the biggest news event during your life so far?
Probably September 11, 2001
3. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. What say you-like or no like? Would I find this color anywhere in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade to either?
It seems like a nice color, though I'm not a big fan of red. Most likely I won't add it on purpose, if it shows up, it shows up.
4. Would you rather meet your ancestors or your great grandchildren? Explain why.
I'm going with ancestors, because I don't plan on having children.
5. Share one life lesson learned in 2014?

6. What was your best or favorite purchase made in 2014?
This is like when I'm doing surveys and they ask me to remember what I purchased in six months. Right now, what's on my mind as my favorite purchase is this little purple octopus keychain I bought at the SC aquarium last week:
I wanted an octopus that said South Carolina aquarium, but they didn't have both, so I got the octopus. I really don't think about purchases much after I buy them, plus I didn't buy anything huge this year.

 7. What is one thing you're looking forward to in the new year?
Honestly, I haven't planned much further than this week. I was so stressed with the holidays and gifts and getting ready for this trip that I haven't even thought of the new year.
8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
The high is 8 today, it's hard to come from South Carolina where the highs were in the 50's and 60's back to Iowa where it snowed yesterday and the windchill was 12 and today's high is 8.
 So, here are some random photos from my trip. An alligator:
 Some churches:



 
Head on over to Joyce's to see what other people answered.

Monday, December 29, 2014

12 Days of Christmas Swap Reveal

I participated in Chaotic Goddess Swaps' 12 Days of Christmas swap again this year. I had so much fun last year, I decided it would be one of the one I did this year. And it is time to do the swap reveal (actually it was last week, but I've been out of town)
12 Days of Christmas Swap image
I was paired with Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, here's what I sent her:
 A snowman stocking, a corkscrew, a wine bag, a couple crosses, snowmen, egg ornaments, a nativity set, chocolate, a necklace and a "W" ornament.
She said she collected snowmen, liked wine, collected nativity sets, that her faith was extremely important, liked brown, and nutcrackers. It seems she really liked that golden cross which was so hard to wrap. I finally had to wrap it in a padded envelope and put it wedged in the corner of the bottom of the box, I loved it and so did she, so it worked out great, but I had to ship in a larger box because it didn't play well with the other gifts.
Wendy mailed her giant package so it arrived on December 1st, so I had this package sitting in my kitchen for 13 days, let's just say it was hard not to open it.
 Every day started out with a wrapped box and the words "On the ___ day of Christmas, my swap partner sent to me" and then inside my gift. Of course, I deleted my pictures of the first day.
 An owl to hang upon my Christmas tree. It is actually sitting below my Owl tree.
Day 2:
 Two purse mates, the owl is also sitting near my owl tree.
Day 3:
 Three bathroom items, a cute reindeer towel, L'Occitane bar soap and cinnamon sugar hand soap
Day 4:
 Four hot cocoas, I haven't tried these yet.
Day 5:
 Five kitchen items, the owl mug is under my owl tree.
Day 6:
 Six sherbet candles.
Day 7:
 Seven words to Santa.
Day 8:
 Eight Chocolate candies, four tiny reindeer, Santa, and three Lindt chocolate truffles.
Day 9:
 Nine sparkly flowers.
Day 10:
 Ten pretty note cards.
Day 11:
 Eleven antique buttons, I love these, they have gone into my pile of hoarded buttons.
Day 12:
A 12-inch snowman plate.

I love everything I got, I'm sure it was rather hard to come up with multiples especially toward the end of the song, but she did very well.

Head on over to Chaotic Goddesses link-up page to see what other people got.

Christmas Presents

I went to Charleston, SC over the Christmas holiday. We left on the 23rd and came back on the 28th. We decided to do stocking stuffers for presents, as we didn't want to bring anything big on the airplane, here's what I bought for people.
First, my brother
Chocolate Monopoly game (he collects Monopoly games), two K'nex Mario toys, an ISU reindeer and a tiny reindeer ornament.
For my mother
 A Santa bag, Santa bingo art piece, and an Iowa ornament
For my dad and my brother's girlfriend
 My dad got the chocolate (he's very hard to shop for), my brother's girlfriend the cloisonné bird and Big Ben ornaments.
We also decided to do a White Elephant gift exchange, because my brother's girlfriend's parents were coming and we didn't know much about them and they didn't know much about us.
 I bought all the chocolate in the picture for the exchange.
These are from a gift exchange with a friend:
 a dark chocolate hazelnut bar, paper owl garland, dark chocolate minis, walnuts, cocky pin, symbol from Supernatural pin, and wings from Angel pin, elephant garland, and a handmade owl.
 Her mother made me bug and alligator chocolates
And here's what I received from my family gift exchange
 Stuffed owls, a spatula, socks, chocolate Santa, yodeling pickle, button snowman, USB drive, and an Amazon gift card (not shown).
The yodeling pickle and Amazon gift card are from the white elephant gift exchange. If you push a button on the pickle, it will start yodeling. I inserted the tab back into it and taped it on, so my suitcase didn't start yodeling on my flight home.

Advent Calendar Days 17-24

So, I returned from my trip to warmth over the Christmas holiday last night and today I'm catching up on all my online stuff. I'm doing it a little backward with posts on here, first I'm doing my Advent calendar post, then Christmas presents and lastly my 12 Days of Christmas Swap reveal. I'll do my trip posts later. Here are my days 17-24 of my advent calendar.
Day 17 was in a cute tin I bought at a garage sale:
 Inside a wooden snowman I bought at an art fair wrapped in a green hanky.
 Day 18 was a box my friend gave me for my birthday, sadly when I took off the number sticker, some of the paint came with it.
 Inside were some random pieces from my house, a sailboat button, magnetic bookmark, a charm, clay mermaid and some other randomness.
 Day 19 was a balsa wood box I picked up at a garage sale, I intend to alter it some time down the road.
 Inside vintage buttons, also from a garage sale.
 Day 20, a cute card holder
 Inside more vintage buttons from a garage sale.
 Day 21 was in a glass box
 Inside some rocks I bought at the state fair.
 Day 22 was a cute cloisonné box I won at bingo
 Inside some very tiny toys from a garage sale
 Day 23 a shell box from a garage sale.
 Inside some plastic animals from a garage sale
 Day 24 another box picked up from a garage sale
 And inside some tiny worms also from a garage sale.

I liked having gifts to open every day, I didn't like that I'd seen them all and knew sorta what I was getting. I will probably not make one for next year, I know I have too much stuff and I'm trying to cut back, so opening gifts of more stuff isn't very satisfying, even if I'd already bought it.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Advent Calendar Days 11-16

Here are days 11-16 of my advent calendar.
Day 11: a fun gift bag
 filled with all kinds of art supplies: some stickers, chipboard, flowers, jewelry
 Day 12 is a cute little wooden box
 inside is a couple of cute animals and a fun bead
 Day 13 a cigar box I altered with some dictionary paper, vintage trim and a beaded butterfly
 Inside is some Dove peppermint bark and the RAK that Kathy at Kluless made for me
 Day 14 is another cigar box
 inside more random stuff, some washi tape, trim, toys, old keys
 Day15 is a metal box
 Inside a brass W I bought wrapped in a fancy napkin
 Day 16 an old box
 and inside: lots of buttons
December 13th was the day to start opening my gifts for the 12 Days of Christmas swap, I have gotten some cool gifts. Those pictures will be up after Christmas.