helping the economy

this week.

At ACMoore I bought lavender in organza bags for 1.75 each. I bought a bunch! I think 16 bags. For now, they're in the dressers and bags of wool. There's enough of that around my house.

Yesterday, DS2 went with me Joann's (he had no choice) I got polar fleece remnants were 1/2 price for 50% off that price. I have big plans for it! I also got clear glass ornaments to make gifts for next year over vacation with the kids. I may have to go back for more.... they were 50% off... hoping for a deeper mark-down yet.

Old Navy had some great sales.... their polar blankets for $3 each. Crazy I tell you. DH is getting a pair of sweat pants too... Black.. he'll like them I hope.


Today was opening day for my Love2Knit dishcloth exchange (I think it was today... I opened mine this morning) Thank you Amanda so much. I love my goodies. I'll post a picture tomorrow with my other gift (and my school goodies.. well what I haven't eaten of them!)

This is what I sent my partner:

There are 2 tea towels: one plain red and one white with a peppermint candy applique and red and white trim. Her kitchen is red and white.
I also made a candy cane illusion cloth, I included a medium wreath that I made from felted green sweaters, some pig stickers and two magnets I made from little wooden decorations: a starfish and a frog and a skein of green and white kitchen cotton. I hope you enjoy it Connie!

The annual sing went pretty well yesterday. Of course it was the only holiday concert in the district that the new superintendent didn't make. I specifically invited her so I'm a bit plussed. I made one major boo boo though.... forgot to upload the flutophone accompaniment on my iPod, so I played for them which was not as nearly as cool as the whole funk stuff. We sang for an hour... with a powerpoint presentation of 95 slides. Chorus did four of their songs from the winter concert that will now be in January (the day after my birthday) and were great. I really love those kids.

Started mom's knitted gift while wrapping the rest of the family's gifts. I'll post the pictures of theirs after they are gifted.

Have a blessed evening and merry Christmas until tmrw.

we're back

from vacation with about 750 photos to upload and label (not to mention laundry, grocery shopping etc)

Just to give you a glimpse or two of where we were

the view from our hotel room window


yup, you guessed it Niagara Falls. So powerful, beautiful, inspiring.

While there we visited the Butterfly conservatory.





It's incredible. It was a rainy day and we had a ton of stuff on the schedule, so we, unfortunately for me, didn't spend any time at the botanical gardens. A must for my next trip to Niagara



other fun time spent:
Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. This picture was made from dryer lint. It's about 8 feet wide and 4 feet high!








Bette Midler, among many others, at the movieland wax museum of the stars. A NY show french horn player once told me I reminded him of her. I don't know if that's good or bad!







The skywheel which had breathtaking views of both the Canadian and American Falls. We really couldn't get enough of this powerhouse!











The Maid of the mist (twice, once from the US side and once from the Canadian side)

look for more highlights of the trip in days to come!







Opening day for the dishcloth exchange from the Love2Knit Dishcloth yahoo group was yesterday. I haven't gotten the mail from this week yet but this is what I sent my partner Tina (who is the moderator)