Christmas Day was a Very Merry Christmas at our house.

The mantle is filled with my Christmas village.

Despite Bob’s concerns that all the heat will go up the chimney, we have a roaring fire!

Here’s the tree…

…with lots of blown glass ornaments collected over the years.  It’s so fun to think of the places I visited and who I was with when I got each of them–like New York, San Francisco, Colonial Williamsburg and the Hotel Del Coronado.

For years I collected vintage looking boxes.  I hadn’t used them in over 15 years.

But this year I dug them out and discovered I still love them!

We did brunch here, with fresh Dungeness crab legs, barbecued pork, gruyere potatoes, my mom’s homemade potato salad and her homemade cheese–along with some Cougar Gold.

I baked cardamom bread…

and pecan sticky buns and orange rolls.  We love our carbs in this family!

Sally, Ray, Dad, Mom and Cole.

Cole (hey! how did he get in there again!?!), Melissa, Matt and Bob.

A very Merry Christmas indeed!

We always celebrate Christmas Eve at my mom and dad’s house.

Mom has a penchant for poinsettias.

She uses them liberally on her tree…

…up her stairway…

…and all her gift-wrap features them.  If you look outside the windows, you can see the ocean!

We didn’t get a group family photo, so here we all are, individually.  My beautiful mom.

My handsome dad.

My skinny sister Sally.

Her husband Ray.

Our nephew  Cole.

DH Bob.

And me, obviously ready to get the opening of gifts underway!

On my recent flight home from Houston, the clouds were so lovely.

I couldn’t keep from staring out the window.

They were ever changing.

I thought how nice it would be to capture their beauty.

But in my experience…

…taking photos through airplane windows isn’t usually very successful.

However, I had my camera in my purse.

So I pulled it out.

I thought I’d give it a try.

My camera is a very basic point-and-shoot.

So, I pointed…

…and I shot.

I was amazed!

They turned out.

They really turned out!!

Then the sun went down.

More quilts from the quilt show at Quilt Market.  These Art-Pictoral quilts are incredible!  I hope you enjoy.

’52 Pickup by Marcia Stein.

Old Pecos Cabin by Michelle M. Jackson.

Facade by Melissa Sobotka.

Forest Walk by Pat Durbin.

Crossing Calamity Creek by Kathy McNeil.

Cone Flower by Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert.

Imagine by Caryl Scheutz.

Mermaids Wineglasses 2 by Sarah McLean.

Wings and Feathers by Mark Sherman.

Mexican Sunflower in Batiks by Jules Rushing.

Peacockiness by Marilyn H. Wall.

Spring Revival by Deborah Kemball.

Welcome to my Garden by Barb Forrester.

Daffodils by Barbara Holtzman.

Let’s All Spring Forward by Rosalie Baker.

Under the Sunflowers by Barbara McKie.

One of my favorite things about going to Quilt Market in Houston is shopping Cindy Rennell’s booth full of antique quilts.  She always has so many treasures.

This Market, not only did I get to drool on all the quilts in her booth, I also discovered that she had an exhibition in the quilt show of antique patriotic quilts.  I’ve collected a few patriotic quilts, and it was a thrill to get to see the quilts in her collection.  I took lots of pictures so I could share them with you.

New York Flag Quilt c. 1900′s.

Stars of Stripes, also known as Liberty Star, c. 1940′s.

Five Point Silk Stars, c. 1940′s.

Patriotic Star made during WWII.

Commemorative Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic Dresden Plate Quilt, c. 1930′s.  The Grand Army of the Republic was an association of the Union veterans of the Civil War.  The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic was the women’s auxiliary of the GAR.  This quilt has the town/location and post in the state of Kansas embroidered on it.

Whig’s Defeat, c. 1930′s.

Presidents’ Star, c. 1940′s.

Six Point Stars with Triple Border, c. 1940′s.

Eagle and Shield and Stars, c. 1940′s.

Eagle and Shield and Stars, c. 1940′s.  This is just like the quilt above, but note the differences made by different quiltmakers.

Victory Quilt, c. 1940′s.  The white star in the middle is a sign of hope.  It is surrounded by V’s for Victory.

America Quilt, c. 1920′s.

Star and Wreath, c,. 1900′s.

Pickle Dish, c. 1890′s.

USA Flag Quilt by Ralph Syverson, Cordell, Oklahoma, c. 1940′s.

Flag Quilt by Home Demonstration Club, Pleasant View, Arkansas, 1942.  This quilt was made as a fundraiser.  Tickets were sold for ten cents each.

Eagles and Stars by Clara Banks, c. 1850′s – 1860′s.

Six Point Connecting Stars Crib Quilt, c. 1930′s.

American Flag Quilt, c. 1930′s.

Mosaic Crib Quilt, c. 1880′s.

Four Block Eagle Applique, c. 1880′s.

Eight Point Connecting Stars with Swag and Tassels Border, c. 1860′s.

Victory Flag, Lola Boyer, c. 1930′s.  This is a 48 star flag with the ‘V’ for Victory added.

Star and Cross with Triple Border, c. 1940′s.

American Flag Quilts/Stars and Bars, c. 1940′s.

Stars, Bars and Shield Patriotic, dated 5-21-19.

New York Flag Number 2, c. 1890′s.

Tumbling Blocks, c. 1940′s.

The last two quilts are from the collection of International Quilt Market.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.  The best part is being with family and friends, but the food wasn’t bad, either!

The table was set…

I splurged on new linens this year.

The dough for the Parker House rolls was smooth and silky.

My goal is always to have the rolls come out of the oven just as we sit down to eat, and I managed the time just right.

The turkey was a beauty.

22 pounds!

My mom brought a pumpkin pie.  I baked an apple but it was camera shy!

And Melinda brought a cherry pie.

Doesn’t everyone have an orange gingham tablecloth for fall!?!

At our last two Redwork Club Meetings, we had doll show-and-tell.

As you can see, we’re all a few years past the doll playing age, but just look at those faces.  Girls of any age still love dolls!  I thought I’d share them with you, too.

This is Patsy Ann.  Mary got her second hand when she was a girl and was very sick.

The ladies of her community refurbished old dolls for sick children.

And they made wonderful clothes to be given with the doll.  She was Mary’s first doll–and she cherishes her still.

This was another doll Mary got–still in the same trunk she was delivered in!

These porcelain dolls are very old.

This doll–and chair–belong to Cortne`.

These are the dolls that came the first time we had show-and-tell.  The big doll in the back belongs to my Mom.  She got her for selling subscriptions to the Seattle PI in about 1928.  She has disks that drop into her stomach and play music!  Also, in the front are two Patsy Ann dolls that belonged to my mom.

Some of the boxes the dolls were brought in were as interesting as the dolls themselves.  I love he pictures of the altar boys on this box of candles.

Mary’s uncle worked for an appliance store and this Hotpoint doll came from him.

This very old, very tiny dolls was amazing in its detail.

Marla brought her grandmother’s doll.

This trunk of doll clothes belongs to Cortne`’s dolls.

Here are a couple of them.

She even had a bride doll!

And a Polish doll–although she’s not Polish!

Cortne` admits to being a bit tough on their hair!

Melinda brought this photo of her with her doll–and her brother with a calf.  I LOVE it!  Update:  I just heard from Melinda.  The boy with the calf isn’t her brother, it’s Lee, her husband!

Another great box!

Inside were lots of dolls wrapped in–of all things–quilt blocks!

Really nice quilt blocks.

These chalk dolls were inside.  These were the biggest.

Most of them were small like this.

Melinda’s mom took some doll making classes a few years ago and made this wonderful doll…

…as well as this one.

Eleanor brought a Cupie doll that belonged to our friend Sally V.

Eleanor made this doll a few years ago.

When Robin’s girls were young and money was tight, she made them each a cradle for their dolls.  This is one of them.

I love how her daughter embellished them–even drawing a doll inside!

This Campbell’s Soup doll is also Robin’s.

Robin and I are the same age–the age to have had Barbies!

She has TWO carrying cases for their clothes.

They’re full of clothes and accessories, many of which Robin and her mom made.

Here’s Robin’s Ken, Barbie and Scooter–or is it Skipper?

Here are my Barbie and Ken.  My mom knit that dress and scarf!  I didn’t play with dolls much–I had a horse!  But my sister loved them and had lots of dolls and accessories.

Robin had this pair of glasses which my Barbie just had to try on.  Quite stylin’!

I also had Miss Revlon.  I do remember playing with her.  She had diamond earrings and a fur muff, coat and hat!

She’s really quite beautiful. Update!  I just learned this ISN’T a Miss Revlon doll.  She’s a Cindy doll.  Oh well, she’s still beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed our trip down memory lane with our dolls, and that it reminds you of some of yours!

Wow!  445 people left comments on my blog for the Giveaway.  I was blown away!

The Random Number Generator picked number 47.  That means our lucky winner is Susan H.  Congratulations.  And thanks to everyone who played along.

I was delighted when Jodi at Pleasant Home emailed me and asked if I wanted to play along in her Scrappy Giveaway.  You bet I did.

More than scraps, I always accumulate bolt ends.  So, I’ve gathered up 3 yards of them, and some lucky winner is going to get them in the mail one of these days!

Just leave me a comment before November 17th.  I’ll add you to my email list, use a random number generator to pick a winner, box up the scraps and send them off to you.

Check out Jodi’s blog for more scrappy giveaways.

Here’s the last of the show-and-tell from Retreat.

Connie was taking pictures for me and learned how to use the zoom.  Trouble is, she zoomed so close, the “show-er” got cut out of the picture.  Okay, Ladies, whose quilt is this?  Update, this is Susan O’s round robin quilt.

Here’s Teresa showing off the great T-shirt Mary made for her.

This is Mary’s quilt.

Carol O. made this great table runner.

Again, Connie, too close!  This is a Santa of the Month quilt.  Very cute!

Cathy Z. brought Christmas stockings for show-and-tell.

This is Renee’s stunning One Block Wonder.

She designed this dress block.  I think it’s fabulous!

Hmm. Again, I don’t know whose quilt this is.  Can someone help?  Update!  Debbie W. made this for her daughter.

This is Debbie W’s Soduko quilt.

And her very stunning block quilt.

And she made this paper pieced flower block.

Carol L. made this adorable bathrobe for a granddaughter’s doll.

Jessica made this photo quilt.

And this one, too.

Oh, I should know who made this!

This is Gail with her quilt.

Here’s Maryann with her wonderful applique block.

Help!  Who made this?  Update: This is one of Nancy’s quilts.

And this?  Update:  And this is also Nancy’s!

Peggy shared her Kokeshi doll with us.

Sally showed off the scrapbooking she got done during retreat.

This is Robin’s gorgeous Nasturtium quilt.

Mary’s quilt was made from blocks she got from her secret sister a few years ago.

And even one of the staff at the retreat center shared her wall hanging.  She said she made it for her sister, but I think her sister made it for her!

Retreat was so much fun, we’re going to do both Spring and Fall next year!