Sing Along With Me Here

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, all around the house!" Are you with me there? On key too? Remember my voice - which used to be at one time a very nice, sweet alto but is now raspy from a bad cold/sinus infection and extremely nasal too - also probably a tad off key as well - but humor me, and come on in, sing with me.

Except - for right now, change the words to "It's beginning to look quite messy" because there's boxes all over the living and dining room, gift wrapping paper containers sitting in the middle of the mess, silver garland flung about everything and well, just in general - the room which Mandy had gone to such pains just two hours earlier to sweep, then mop the floor here, picking up all traces of a 3-year-old and a 7-month-old and now - it looks like a freaking hurricane just came through with a vengance.

What's going on you ask? Well, the house trimming has begun!

Yep, I just got shoved out of the way so Mandy can drap some of that garland along the shelf on the wall beside my computer - the shelf that is lined from one end to the other with photos - all framed of course - of all three of my grandkids and the three stepgrandkids too!

Earlier, she and Katie took a big piece of cardboard, taped some really pretty gift wrap on it and then some ribbon and a bow to make it look like a big gift package and put it up on the mantle, above the fireplace. I have to admit their idea looks pretty nifty there too. Being very uncreative myself, I would never have thought to do something like that to "decorate" the room but I'm glad Mandy and Kate thought of that number.

And prior to getting into this end of the decorating, Mandy also hauled out a couple boxes from my hiding places in my room - boxes packed with handmade aprons I had sewn up when I was making them and selling them, along with another box with baby bibs I had made too - using holiday print terrycloth dishtowels and putting a cut in them to make an opening for a neckline which I then sewed knit rib trim to this to make a turtleneck. Voila, nifty large bibs that cover just about the entire kid and that you pull over their head and with the rib trim, they fit snugly against the neck as well! Mandy was thrilled to find several bibs she liked too and removed them from Mom's stash to use for the two little ones here! Glad to be able to oblige, my dear!

She decided when she dipped into the box of aprons I have done up that she is going to wear some of them to work with the idea in mind that maybe she can interest some of her co-workers to purchase an apron or two - or more - for themselves or for neat little stocking stuffer type gifts. These are the "butcher" type aprons and have two large pockets across the bottom with a strap that goes around the neck and they tie in the back. Neat, because they really do cover just about your entire front! Although I haven't sewn any aprons this year - just have my "inventory" that is leftover from what I made last year, if anyone is interested in purchasing one, I sell them for $12 each - $10 for a pinafore type for little girls (roughly a size 6X) can be bought if they are special-ordered as I don't have any of them left in my inventory right now. The baby bibs I mentioned that I make are also something I made and sold at craft fairs - $4.00 for a large big, $3.00 for a smaller one.

And, while I'm sort of advertising my "wares" here, if anyone would like to purchase a furry boa type knitted scarf, I think I have around 20 of those puppies in my stockpile as well - they are priced at a bargain basement rate of $12 each as well!

Wow, how could a shopper go wrong with nifty little extra gifts like these, huh?

The only problem here being I have no photos of the items to show you - just have to use your imagination and allow me to tell you what prints and colors I have done up in the aprons and what colors I have in the scarves that are all knitted up too.

But if you are - seriously now - interested in any of these items, let me know and I'll give you further instructions for payment and will also ship them to you at no extra cost - my Christmas gift in the bargain just for you! Actually, it would be considered a favor to Mandy if folks would clamor to order these items and get them the hell out the way here so she will have room to stash stuff she picks up at all the yard sales she frequents at every opportunity.

Or, I would have some extra space to use to go out and purchase more yarns or more fabric to use to do more sewing or knitting of some type - sometime in the next decade or two - as slow as I am at making stuff sometimes!

Merry Christmas - a little early - but by darn, I think I've got it now - or am getting it at any rate - THE Spirit, that is, of Christmas!