Seasons Greetings everyone and Hello Patti! I just love your Christmas present. So pretty! I love, love, love beads! I know the tree you mentioned. It was gorgeous with all the different glass shapes and colors. I believe the lady made it with ceiling grid suspension wires. Like the kind you use to hang the metal framework that holds the ceiling tiles in place for a dropped or suspended ceiling. I remember because I looked at the hardware stores for them. They come in packages of like 50, in pre-cut lengths. IÂm gonna say 4ft.or 6ft. lengths of 12 or 16 gauge wires but IÂm not sure. I donÂt recall what she used for the base or Âtrunk or how she had the wires affixed to it. Seems like it looked like a thin, hollow piece of fence railing, like the kind used in the top rail of a chain link fence? Or it might have been a cylinder type curtain rod/pole. LOL! My memoryÂs only so-so these days. I need Spring and sunshine!

Those dishes are really pretty. And I think you could use all but the Santa plates year round. Your son must have been observant when you were drooling over them at the store or in a magazine, huh? What a great guy! Sounds like you've been having fun at the after Christmas sales too, all your northwoods items are great. Luvs

I did the Shakespeare in the Park in August or September, then did another one for my son's wedding finishing it in October, then started all the disappearing nine patches toward the first of November. :) I cut them all out at one time, then I finished one per week so that I could get them to the quilter. Now it is time to quilt for me! I have several landscapes and wall quilts that I want to attempt. Jackie

Very good advice! Last summer I worked at computer for hours listing our collections, tools, etc. and approx. worth at that time in case anything happened to us. My DH has collected model cars for years so we gave him name of trusted relative to advise him on value. (This person has much larger collection & could afford to buy them all. Made detailed list of things each kid loved & had been promised. (One child had always been fascinated with bookkeeping ledgers used in my parents business in the early 40's- the others cared nothing about them.) Also listed things we wanted dear friends to have...like fabric for a quilter, craft supplies to another, etc. Attorney said his fee would run higher if we listed all in our Will, but if I typed them all he would sipmly add the list as a codicil to the Will. I was so determined to finish it all my DG thought I was ill or something. It was simply something I felt compelled to do, and am so glad it's done! Suzi