Want to hear something funny?

I'm about to make you feel a whole lot better about yourself....

If you can believe it, these babies just came down yesterday!

Just curious, does anyone else still have Christmas to remove?

How it all began!

One Christmas a long time ago

Santa brought me the greatest gift!

Yup!

That's me on Christmas day with my brand new

Holly Hobby sewing machine.

I sewed many a make-up bag for my teenage sisters and thier friends

with that baby.

I'm pretty sure I was in third grade there.

After I mastered the battery operated chain-stitch machine I took a

Singer sewing course at the local mall and made the most hideous

outfit ever - complete with a pinking shear accident on the sleeve.

It was nasty!

The instructors made me model it in the year end fashion show regardless.

Thankfully I didn't give up after the pinking shear incident

but rather found a love for creating and carried on.

Where did you get your start?

What are your first creative memories?

Handmade Stockings and A New Way to Hang Them

I'm linking up with Donna"s Saturday Night Special Click below to see lots or creative and inspiring stuff.

click here

I made these stockings a few years ago out of two differently textured upholstery cottons. Then I found these cute little rusty ornaments at Michael's for $.99 and tied a different one on to each stocking so everyone knows who's is who's.

I got this idea from my brother and cannot take the credit, but I love this idea, it is simple and it is worth sharing.

I never wanted to place those stocking holders on my mantle for fear that an innocent toddler might get hit on the head by a cast iron object or crack a hearth tile or damage my wood floors. So every year I actually place nails in my mantle and then touch up in the new year - if I get to it.

So this year I bought this curtain rod which was white, painted it with Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint (thanks Cindy for the tip), added a few curtain clips and then attached it to the underside of my fireplace surround. I like the way it looks and I might just keep it up all year.

I've been working on some new stockings for this year - out of sweaters of course! My to do list was just too long and sadly they all didn't get done - but I thought I'd show them to you anyhow.

Thanks for hosting Donna!

And Merry Christmas.