I'll give this thread another jab to make sure it's done, LOL -- Ei - love the nails and color (& the salad sounds major yummy!). 'bug and Chelone - Im sorry to report that the Giant food stores apparently dont know about the shelf life of cranberries - they can be found in neither fresh nor frozen form (luckily I have some of the latter in the freezer) -- I am not going to go on the NoVA quest to find the durned things today - I did however, decide, that an FB recommended ale could welcome in the new year - so Blue Moon it is... Kathy - I had hard time stopping laughing at the "need to finish the Xmas cheese" -- I said tht w/ the fig/goat cheese appetizer -- until I discovered it seemed 5 lbs had hit the scales somehow.... so into the trash the last slurps went; and the ham to the freezer for travel to PA, etc.... Already hit the book store and stocked up on some mags (not enuf garden ones out right now, bummer); a couple of net flix, a pizza for later, and ta ta... I hope someone can start the New Year/ New Decade Idyll.... Jab, jab -- happy new year to all (Im happy to grow 4 Inches upward also if someone will supply the diet..). --Cindy

Moni, You're a master. Your work is beautiful but I couldn't help but notice that you give most of it away. That made me laugh a little, because I can sew anything, but I have no clothes. LOL I hate hand work and even sew buttons on using the machine whenever possible. I took a knitting class once many years ago which was taught on my luch hour. I could do it, but I hated it. I don't really like crafts either but did a lot of them with my children. Susan - Have you done hats on a loom with your granddaughter. They have round looms at WM for around $12 (a little more at the hobby store) a package which has four sizes in it. You can make everything from baby hats to large adult hats. It is a knitted hat when you finish, but the construction method is like making those little woven pot holders that everyone made as a child. It's fun to use different size yarn and different colors and is a project they can do by themselves after they have a little adult lesson or two. I have a set and bought a set for one of my granddaughters that likes crafts. She can do about anything and is now quilting. It is a good project for left over yarn, and it seems like the "real" knitters always have a little left over from their projects.....so if you know a knitter...wa-la. I went through a stage of doing those one year. I think it was the year of the broken foot. LOL Anyway, my husband wanted one for working outside, my daughter wanted one that looked dressy that she could wear while she was doing open houses where the heat wasn't on, my granddaughter wanted a trendy bright one, and my grandson wanted one with school colors. You can do one in a few hours, so you can make lots. Good easy project. I started them because we were doing them for a hospital project. I even made one with OSU colors and bought a little emblem to sew on the front for my husband. He got his masters at OSU and really liked the hat.

thanks kmcg, I appreciate the validation It's hard when you don't know something. I do like the fabric. I know I could probably find something better that I like if I look, but I know I could look forever and continually find things I liked better and never end up buying anything. I know me. I'm second-guessing purchasing the house. I want things to come easy to me, I want to know and understand things easily and I want things to go the way I think they should. Throw in something I don't know about and I'll try to find a way to understand them and learn, but that's just not feasible for everything and that's why I look to others to get guidance and knowledge, opinions and ideas. Also, when things aren't as easy as I thought I'd be, I do start to second guess myself. DH is a pure doll. He'll do anything to make me happy. He really surprised me when we went to look for a sectional. He picked out a wonderful fabric for the couch AND the 2 fabrics for the 6 pillows AND a rug too. They all work together nicely. I found the main fabric for the couch in the living room and we looked through all the fabrics there and the diamond pattern is the exact same coloring as the couch fabric, but nothing else we find for the accent chairs so we went with the chair we liked and looked through their fabrics. The picture of the yellow fabric is actually on a chair in the show room and we put both the couch fabrics on there to see how they matched. Could we find a better match, possibly, but again, we could have an empty living room for a long time if I keep going and going. If I start second guessing something we've decided on he asks me "I thought we decided this was it, why are you still looking and driving yourself crazy?" And it's true, it's what I do, and he knows me oh so well. Before I order the couch I'll definitely go back and take both swatches and lay them on the couch in the showroom and give it the final thought before I order. k9arlene, the pattern in chairs is really not big and I feel it's more of a solid look than a pattern, but I really don't care for a solid - maybe a tone on tone, but not solid. DH just likes a love seat, more seating for people. We won't be laying down on any of this furniture, that' what the den is going to be for :) I will try to check the thread for any additional posts and update when we make a decision. Thanks!!!

I won't need a wrap. I can count on my hot flashes to keep me warm. Planning to wear black boots, knee high. I know not everyone will agree with that, but it works for me. They are dressy, not cowboy boots. I have a blue necklace that I got in Switzerland years ago that I will probably wear. The blue looks off in this pic, but you'll have to trust that it's the right blue. It looks almost white here, but it is light blue. Also, for anyone following my earlier MOG dress saga. I am wearing my "original" MOG dress to a wedding in a few weeks. Since I wasn't in love with the rhinestone that was sewn to the V in the neckline, I carefully removed it so I could wear a funky/blingy necklace instead.