A gift from the North Pole!

As I posted before, this week is incredibly busy, so I'm sure you can imagine how excited I get from packages in the mail!

I love these little boxes that look like books...

but even more exciting is what can be found inside! Isn't this shuttle gorgeous? I don't think it shows well in the picture, but the background is mother of pearl. I love anything related to the sea, and lighthouses are among my favorite designs. Thank you for another beautiful shuttle, Rita!

Yes, I did receive a tree shuttle last week. That one was one of Rita Richmond's shuttles. This one is a Moonlit shuttle that she decorated. The Moonlit shuttles are great for traveling... I don't have to worry about dropping my crochet hook!

My friend Denise ordered a reindeer shuttle for herself. When she showed it to me, I just had to order another. Yes, I said another. Last year I ordered a blue one and a red one. They're just so cute, I couldn't resist! I also ordered one of Rita's new chocolate shuttles... yum! This looks good enough to eat!

Last week, Denise and I exchanged Christmas presents. Denise is so clever in coming up with themes, and this year she focused on books. As I said, I love these book boxes!

There were lots of goodies inside!

Denise loves making thread pickers, and I love using them! Well, I don't like picking out double stitches, but I do enjoy having pretty pickers to use!

Denise also has made several of these beautiful Ice Drops designed by Nicola Bowersox, based on Wally Sosa's 2015 Birthday Motif. This one is definitely on my to-do list!

My biggest surprise was one of Rita's shuttles that Denise special ordered. Denise loves pink, and I love blue. So, Denise commissioned Rita to design "Friends" shuttles for us. Yes, Denise did receive Rita shuttles from me, but not ones inspired by my ideas. Luckily, Denise loved the shuttles I gave her!

I finished the Christmas stockings about an hour ago. Now I really need to concentrate on my sister-in-law's mantle runner. I'm not sure I can finish in time, but I'm sure going to try! 

Makin' a list and checkin' it twice!

I'm taking a breather. It's been a busy weekend, and I'm gearing up for a busy week. A lot has been accomplished, but there's still so much to do! I decided I need a checklist...

☑ finish decorating (I finally added my favorite Ice Drops to my tree!)
☑ ravioli made
☑ Christmas shopping done
🗹  presents wrapped (I'm getting there)
🗹  grocery shopping
🗹  banking
🗹  Christmas stockings made
🗹  mantle runner finished
🗹  catch up on reading blog posts (may never happen)

Although we've been busy, it's been a fun busy. I enjoy getting ready for family get-togethers, but I pace myself. I don't worry about everything being perfect. I just want my guests to feel comfortable, and I want to be able to enjoy the festivities!

My shuttle collecting continues! I love my new shuttles from Rita Richmond. Have you tried the shuttles that she makes? The have a wonderful feel and hold so much thread. I also like the Moonlit shuttles that she decorates. The hooks come in handy when I'm traveling.

I also ordered the newest design from Emiko Suenaga. The detail that these two ladies put in to their shuttles amazes me!

Can you tell that I love sapphire blue?
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From slow to stop

That's right... there has been no tatting in this house since Friday... no tatting, no sewing, no weaving, nothing... zip, zero, zilch! Why? We've been decorating for Christmas!

My nutcrackers are all standing at attention, guarding the Christmas tree.

I love m little tabletop tree! There's much less disruption to my living room arrangement than when we had a big tree. My little tree skirt is in terrible condition. I haven't been able to find a small one that I like, so I see a tree skirt in my sewing future! In them meantime, a cloth napkin is the only decoration under the tree.

When Eva, Aidan, and I were cleaning over the past couple of weeks, I minimized the collection of pretty pieces in and on my curio cabinet. I felt much more inspired to decorate.

Not all of my nutcrackers fit on the windowsill, so these five guard the entertainment center! The Santa was a gift from my mom. He holds a pickle. We always hide a pickle in the Christmas tree. The person who finds the pickle first gets to hand out the presents. Dave bought the tallest nutcracker and the popcorn shop (which can be turned on for lights and animation) to add to this year's decorations. When it comes to decorating for Christmas, Dave wants an overabundance of everything. I sometimes have to tell him no!

My Grandma Jones's drop leaf table now holds three chests that hold tatting shuttles. I'm getting closer to finding and organizing all of my shuttles. When that day comes, I'll do a re-count and post pictures for all those who are interested.

Can you see the tree on top of the clock? My sister-in-law gave it to me for Christmas the first year Dave and I were married. The joke is that when we take the decorations down, I frequently forget about the tree on top of the clock. I usually don't notice until way after everything is put away, so it stays up all year!

Dave thinks that Christmas trees should have ball ornaments only, so the tree in the sun room is decorated to his liking. Eva and Aidan did most of the work for him this year. It does look pretty at night!

I was so pleased to have inherited my mom's hutch. Dave and I looked for one for several years, but none were as pretty as my mom's. I don't remember when Mom got it, but I have always loved it! The plates have always held a place of honor on the hutch, and if someone else in the family ever wants this beautiful piece of furniture, the plates go with it!

I love the angels on top. Dave has put lights up there for years. This year we decided to add a touch of greenery.

Do you see the candle on the kitchen wall to the left? My Grandpa Green made that. It used to have a big red bow, but it was getting pretty sad looking, so I removed it. I suppose I should put another one on to dress it up.

So, are we done? No! We set up two trees in the dormers upstairs today. They still need to be decorated, and they need tree skirts. The Christmas villages need to be set up in the sun room, and we need to find where we stored our Santas. We haven't started on decorating the kitchen yet. I'm not sure what Dave has in mind for this year, but it's sure to be cheerful!

Everyone will be here for Christmas this year, so Dave and I have also started reorganizing and cleaning the upstairs. We finished one of the two bedrooms today. The study area is a disaster, so that will take a while. The good thing about all of this is that I've been ruthless in getting rid of things that someone might be able to use. If it's in good condition and something that someone can truly use, we're taking it to the Salvation Army. The reality is, most of what we've saved has outlived its usefulness, so it's headed for the trash bin.

I think I'm really going to enjoy this Christmas!