New "Stuff" - What Fun!

How was your Christmas? I hope all is well and you had a wonderful time with family and friends. Mine went very well, thank you. It was fairly quiet. My daughter, her husband and son came over early in the morning for gift-giving. They are always with us on Thanksgiving, so they go to my son-in-law's Mom's house on Christmas...we have our little get-to-gether early...so it all works. Then, while I finished cooking lunch, Richard went to get his step-dad, my father-in-law (nearly 90 years old) so he could join us for our Christmas meal. I kind of like Christmas lunch in front of the fire, so that's what we do when we are "few." It was nice.

So, today, I am trying to sort my "to-do's" out....hoping to get something done this week so we can celebrate again on New Year's Eve. (My celebrating on New Year's Eve will probably consist of quilting by the fire while watching tv...then the Rose Bowl Parade, lots of HGTV and cooking ham, black-eyed peas and cornbread on New Year's Day!) Anyway, I had a few things I wanted to show you. Some were gifts, some weren't, but here's an assortment of good "stuff." You know...the things that keep people like me entertained and busy!!

First thing (and I hope you love this as much as I do) how about this collection of salt and pepper shakers? Most of these were sent to me by my kind and very generous friend, Deb, in Texas. She had blue beads in many of them. I'll show you more about those in future posts. I just had a fit over these shakers and since I had collected four shakers of my own to put my assortment of glitter in, but hadn't yet - I decided I'd use all these for glitter and display them on this heart shaped glass serving plate I've had for years...another gift long ago. The four shakers on the upper right of the plate are the ones I already had. The large one with the handle I've put mica flakes in....I've had the mica flakes a long time and have never used them...bout time, don't you think?
Anyway, I think this assortment will make a lovely collection not only to use, but to just look at, don't you? Deb has a way of knowing just what I will LOVE! Now, I've got to get a few more colors of glitter....can't wait to add to this collection and fill my shakers, then USE them! Huge fun!

My friend, Sherry, was in Texas recently. One of the places she visited was Marshall, Texas, famous for their pottery. She kindly brought back this wonderful mug for me...doesn't my name look lovely written in this blue? I've used it multiple times already and it's great to have my tea from it in the mornings. Yes, some mornings it's nice to be reminded of who I am!! That's supposed to be funny...haha. My friend, Carol, gave me some lovely ornaments she made wrapped in this tissue pattern of monograms...goes right along with the subject of names. Sherry also gave me this stationery box...see, it says EATON in two places. She said she has had it for 27 years and just recently looked at it and said to herself, "Oh, Eaton, oh, Pat"...so she gave it to me. Yes, I can even get excited about an old stationery box! I think it's fun to have a stationery box with my last name written beautifully on it. Then, there's the box of straight pins. I bought it myself from ebay....now, when else am I going to run across a beautiful box of silk pins labeled "The Patricia Silk Dressmakers Pins." Love it! And, Deb, had also included a notepad with my initial P....so cute, and green also...my favorite color!

My sister-in-law, Sandy, gave me this little journal....I love journals! She says I'm to use it to begin note-taking so I can write a book. This is something she keeps telling me I'm 'supposed' to do. She thinks I'm funny. Well, funny things do happen to me, so maybe she has a point. Remind me to tell you someday about my "S" hook story!

My daughter, Kelly, who is such a sweet and thoughtful person, knows I like the work of several bloggers, among them, Kelly Rae Roberts, so one of my gifts this year was this small piece from the Kelly Rae Roberts Collection. LOVE it! All my favorite colors, too. Shown here with it are two birds sent to me by my sister, Debbie, also from Texas. She knows I love birds...and these have made themselves at home here.

Well, these wonderful things are part of my "new stuff." I'm so lucky to have friends and family who seem to want me to have 'more' stuff and enjoy it, which I will. Isn't it nice when people
not only "get" you, but want to share with you? Y'all enjoy the rest of the weekend and take care.....thanks for visiting! pat