Christmas Crafts

While cleaning up from the daycare party I noticed that a few of the kids had left the shirt boxes behind. They had such nice Christmas pictures on them that I couldn't just throw them out. So our Monday morning craft was making puzzles out of the leftover box tops. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

I also started an ornament for mom's stocking Monday night. They have such a colorful tree that this one fits in nicely. I found the free pattern at www.abyquilt.blogspot.com

And I can't believe it but that was the only handmade gift I gave to any family member this year! I think I spent too much time on the daycare gift to even think of making anything else. Everyone seemed to like their storebought gifts anyways. ;o)

My brothers, sisterinlaw, sister and nephew (who's two months old now!) are here until monday so I plan on getting some more visiting in before they all go back to the big city and things return to normal here. I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Daycare Christmas Party

There has been a whirlwind of activity around here lately but things are starting to calm down now so I finally have time to blog!

On the 21st, a sunday, we had the daycare Christmas party. I kept it short and sweet this year. First we had a snow ball fight. I saw the idea for the snowballs online and figured out how to make them myself. They'll stay here at daycare for future indoor snowball fights. :o)

After the snow was all cleaned up the kids opened the books I'd given them. Everyone got a different Usborne book. Next year I won't be selling Usborne so I think I'll put the kids in different age/sex groups and buy multiple copies of the same book from Scholastic or Amazon. That might make picking the books out easier on me.

Then we opened the shirts I'd made them. They were a hit!

The buttons are all the same even though it doesn't look like it.

The girls got the snowmen, with the melting snowmen on the back, and the boys got tie shirts. I wanted to get pictures of all the shirts together before I wrapped them but in true Corinna fashion I was sewing the last few buttons on the snowmen when the first family walked in the door! With all the part timers I have I made 4 snowmen shirts and 5 tie shirts. I had one girl who couldn't attend so I left her shirt undone and I'll finish it next week maybe.

There were still a few kids that hadn't arrived yet (an hour late!!) so we did the pinata. I didn't get a picture of it but we had to take it down and rip it apart with our hands before we could get it open. lol I guess I did too many layers of paper mache!

When the last kids arrived we finally got to the kids gift exchange. They give each other toys to make up for the fact that I gave them books and clothes! :oP After playing with the toys and a few group pictures, which didnt' turn out well, everybody went home and Corinna spent the evening recooperating and cleaning up.

Quilt Hanger

Way back in September, in my second post, I mentioned that I had ordered some quilt hangers online. Well they took about a month or so to arrive because they are custom made. And then it took me until last Sunday to put one up! I'm not sure what I was waiting for because it looks great. I'm really pleased with it.
Displayed here is the quilt I made two years ago....I think it was....or maybe it was last year. hmmm Nope pretty sure it was two years ago. Anyways, it was a mystery quilt on QuiltingPassion.com and I turned it into an advent calender. Each day the kids take a turn picking out an ornament to hang as we count down to Christmas. This picture was taking on Sunday....really there's only 8 more days until Christmas!!!!!

I've got the boys Christmas gift shirts finished and I'm working on the girls now. I'm also tossing around the idea of making a pinata for the party and kitchen towels for the parents. We'll see if I have time!

Opps it's been a while eh?

Sorry for the long gap between posts! It was a crazy week last week and a busy weekend as well.

I managed to cross G's pajama's off my October list. lol Somehow they kept getting dropped down the list. But now they're done and he's quite pleased with them as you can see.

I shortened the pants and lenghtened the top on the second pair.

On Saturday the family got together to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's 65th wedding anniversary! Wow, eh? That's alot of years! :o) In those years they've had 7 children, 26 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. (Thadeus was #13)

Here's the cake. I was so busy visiting I didn't even take a piece....well that and there were so many other goodies to choose from. ;o)

After the come and go tea at the personal care home where grandpa lives we went out to supper. Our family took up most of the restaurant and we enjoyed a good meal together. I got to see some cousins I hadn't seen for a while so that was very nice.

On Sunday after the cousins who stayed here left I did absolutely nothing. Wasted the whole day really. :o( Oh well it was nice to relax and take it easy.

I'd better buckle down this week though. I've got four daycare kids with birthdays on the 5,6,8, and 10th of this month. I have to make an apron and some bean bags for two of them. I have no idea what to get/make for the two others. They're both girls. One turns 8 and one turns 7. I'd make aprons....but that's what I made them for Christmas last year. lol

I also need to have a pair of pajama pants finished for a client from my weekend job. He's a 19yr old with FAS and I've drawn his name for our gift exchange. He says camoflage pj pants would be the best so that's what he's getting! I've got the flannel washed and that's it.

I have a quilt top made for my cousin's little girl who was here this weekend. I planned on having it finished for them to take back home with them but I ran out of steam. So I'll need to get that finished this week as well....hopefully....maybe.
I also have to figure out a date for our daycare christmas party. And get the gifts done for that. I think I may wait until next weekend to work on that.

I'd better get at it!