I'll lead off this post with my thanks to everyone who extended their sympathy to us after the passing of Jack's sister. We are so grateful that your thoughts were with us. She was 83 and had been in a nursing home with Alzheimer's so it was hard to be too sad knowing that she wouldn't have wanted to live like that.
Last week I did manage to finish up a set of Christmas ornaments that will be donated to the local quilt guild who are decorating a charity tree. I made these years ago and had forgotten just how time consuming they are to make - to say nothing about the sheer amounts of straight pins needed to make them!!
The pattern can be found in many places around the internet - just google 'folded fabric ornaments' and you'll find all sorts of examples.
I didn't want to lead this post with the picture I'm about to show you because I thought you'd run away screaming but never let it be said that here at Chez Magpie I shy away from the not-so-nice. Just prior to my SIL's passing, I started developing redness on one side of my face and knew I was in for another bout of whatever-it-was that happened to me last June. Just what I needed when we were having to deal with a funeral. I used lots of ice and aloe and managed to keep the redness down enough that I hoped no one would really notice. Since then it's flared to the degree that it's very red and swollen. I thought it was an allergic reaction to something and I'm probably right in thinking that. Had an online consult with my doctor last night and after sending her pictures, the diagnosis is excema. It appears this will be something that keeps recurring - it's a once you have it, you'll always have it sort of thing. Here's what I looked like last night...

Needless to say, going out in public is not something I'm about to do right now. I'm not vain enough to care what I look like but I certainly don't want people to look at me and then turn their eyes to Jack and wonder if he was the cause of it. (hmmm.....maybe I've suddenly developed an allergy to him????.....hmmmm.......). This, too, shall pass - but I wish it would hurry up!
- There's a nice free printable HERE for recipe cards - especially nice if you share a recipe!
- THIS is a really cute stuffed polar bear that would be fun to make for little ones.
- If you go HERE you can find a number of links to patterns for making Advent calendars.
- If you bought some wool roving with grand plans to needle felt something and it didn't happen (we've all done that, haven't we!) you might be able to use it to make THESE wonderful angels.
- If you, like many of us, have lots of fabric scraps and have trouble coming up with storage ideas for them, perhaps one of THESE ideas might be just what you're searching for.
- Have a peek at the work of THIS artist.
- THIS is a somewhat unusual take on a tote bag - and note the pretty added flower!
- THESE might make great Christmas gifts for those with cold ears!
Another anonymous quote..."As a kid I think I ate too many rice krispies. Now all my body does is snap crackle and pop!"