Christmas Is Nearly Here!

 It's the eve of Christmas Eve & Bill has made it home for Christmas, no kids this year as they're all with the significant other's family with next year being our turn with the kids again.

We'll have the furbabies, the black & white ones with bob-tails. 😄

We're trying to keep with the traditions that we've done through the years. Tomorrow is the fish dinner with salad, a Hungarian tradition, then on Christmas day the stuffed turkey with homemade cranberry sauce & other vegetables. The day will come & go like any other day that ends in 'Y' but we will hold ourselves as being one of the blessed ones with healthy family & friends doing the same in their own little bubble.

Baxter & Bridget love the wood firebox & ask for it to be put on when the great room feels chilly. Bill & I laugh because our old Boris did the same thing with the gas fireplace to be switched on for warmth.

They cozy in there until their bedtime around 7-8pm then the cat sleeps in the same place!  

Rexton the Manx is sleeping on top of the heat register! She has been doing that all week, she's been laying on different registers & you know what that means! Cold weather is coming & has arrived!!

The winds this morning we had winds in the mid-60s', burr but by Christmas, the south winds are going to give us double temp's 10+C, crazy weather in the Atlantic northeast this year!

We had our first real snowfall yesterday, so glad Bill was home last night & has already neatened the lane & parking area up. I'm going to put thee geese in their Santa suits today.

 

I thought I would add some organic Christmas to the kitchen decor by drying this lemon & cloves out for the Jim Shore table topper. I like the way it turned out & will do it again next year!

Now for some treats for the feather friends outside. I follow Home is Where the Boat Is & Mary is always fixing up treats & sharing recipes, check her out. The recipe called for everything that I had in my pantry so I made these bird/squirrel treats!

These are the Christmas Eve treats that will hang from the evergreen tree & because the cookie cutters are open on both sides the birds can enjoy them as they hang there.

They can then be removed when empty & used again& again.

For now, the birds have been enjoying the suet balls that I made from the same recipe.

It was such an easy recipe here it is:

Suet Ornaments For Birds

1 cup lard - 1 cup peanut butter - 1 cup all-purpose flour - 3 cups cornmeal

Add in's oats, birdseed, unsalted peanuts -(I used 5 cups of birdseed)

Melt lard & peanut butter in a dutch oven or large pot over low heat.

Stir in dry ingredients then add in's of birdseed & other nutritious bird food.

The mixture must hold its shape.

With string already attached to the cookie cutters, fill & level them off or make balls of suet as I did & place each in their own paper cup.

Refrigerate overnight or place in the freezer & keep there until ready to use.

I'm lucky to have the sunporch as it is not heated nor is the garage & they have kept well there!

I'll be making this treat again after seeing the price of bird suet, the price of everything has really gone up!

This is my newest Luna & Friends animal, I called him Billie the Badger.

This is his cute badger tail! I also made him poseable by adding two layers of 18 gauge wire to his arms & legs.

He is 16 inches tall & has the same body type as Luna & Alfie so all their clothes are interchangable.

I was looking through my stash & had a chuckle & idea with this pant leg of Mitchell's that I cut off & made shorts for him. I cannot throw out good fabric that could be upcycled & now after 16 yrs it is going to be remade, or the new term 'upcycled'!

The overalls for Billie the Badger! Just enough, & I got two back pockets, the straps, & the front pocket from one jean leg!

I was so pleased with this little fellow! He even fits into the camo runners!

And now they are a trio of friends around the Christmas table! I made a tiny Christmas table cloth for them& used my embroidery machine to make a ring of red bells to accent the Christmas theme.

Yes, we have snow for our Christmas...I think if it lasts for another two days.

Bridget is not fond of the snow! She goes out & is right back in again. Baxter looks up at the tree for the squirrels that usually chatter at him.

There is comfort in the purity of the winter snow.

And now the winter begins & with each passing day, the days will grow longer!

Love this character! I've thee red fox cut out & ready to sew, I'll show him in the new year.

He's such a handsome badger!

I crocheted this outfit for Alfie Lupin last night. I had a pattern for the hat & made the vest with pockets & scarf from my head as I was crocheting. I used the whole ball of Irish 100% wool, made in Canada!

Going through my old stash of sewing materials I discovered this 'Pillow Case Doll' that I had started over 20 years ago! Where does the time go?!! I finished embroidering the stamped cross stitch & then cut the pillowcase apart to create undies, the bodice & the bonnet. These dolls were popular back in the day & I think I purchased this one at Mary Maxium's in Paris Ontario.

I was going to darken her with a tea stain but like her white purity & over time the fabric will age on its own. So for now I left it.

She is faceless, this is her lying straight out. I used tulle to give body to the sleeves & gown skirt.

The back is plain, the bodice has vintage lace that came from a relative's factory in New York. Thank you, lice, I try to add these things into heirloom pieces that I'm putting together for the future generations to come.

Billie the Badger, that fellow is everywhere!

Bridget fell asleep with her stuffless stuffie. I'm so happy that Boston's do not want to destuff my little woodland creatures like they did to the Grinch & Cindy Lou, Christmas past.

Right now all is calm all is bright!

I want to thank you for your visit & I am wishing you, wherever you are, health & happiness as we enter into another year!

Wishing you, a Merry Christmas & the very best in the New Year 2021!

Cynthia