A Family Fun App

Hey dear friends,

Just in case you haven’t played it, I wanted to share with you an app that is so much fun! 

Everyone in our household, from 15 to 50 (plus a little more!) has gotten addicted to playing this fast-paced word search game called Scramble with Friends by Zynga.

We play with each other on our various tablets and it has started numerous impromptu family game nights. 

Each turn is 2 minutes long.  You make as many words as you can on a 4x4 grid by sliding your finger across the letters.  You can go any direction, as long as the letters connect.  

This game is so much fun and it’s FREE!  I got it from Amazon, but it is available other places too.

Have a great week, dear friends, and stay warm!  Looks like many of us are going to freeze!  But the good news is, spring will be here before we know it!

Poodles in Wonderland

I’ve been wanting to tell you about a project, and just in case you thought that I might have dropped off of the planet, I thought today might be a good day to post!

This embroidery project was inspired by my daughter’s darling little gray poodle that LOVES cookies better than any critter that I have ever seen!

 

So when I saw this vintage 1950’s Vogart pattern, I knew it was just the perfect project to make for my gal. 

It stitched up so easy and was a lot of fun.  The hardest part was choosing floss colors!  Stitching it went quickly and I was able to surprise her, giving it as a little Christmas gift.

It was so hard to get myself to actually cut the vintage pattern that was still in mint condition, and even though I mustered up the courage, turns out that it wouldn’t iron on well due to its age.  So, I ended up tracing it.  NEXT time, I’ll know better, and not cut! :)

It framed nicely in an 8 x 10 frame, matted with a 5 x 7, although the fit was just a little tighter than I wanted.

Another Christmas gift for her was this 1930’s typewriter!  It wasn’t a surprise, since she spied it at a local antique store before I did, but it was a delightful, unexpected find just the same!

 

We discovered that ribbon is still available for it.  When we get some, she is going to type a few lines of Alice in Wonderland on vintage looking paper to display in the typewriter, because of another recent find.

At a rummage sale one day, I found these collectors plates.  She is such a fan of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland that I couldn’t pass these up.  I was so happy that it was the full set, and their condition was perfect.

They’re a little busy, kind of wild and creepy really, but much to my surprise, they looked cute in her room - her sunny, bright room that matches her oh so sunny disposition!

It’s a crisp, sunny day here and we’re recovering from the flu.  It has taken forever, it seems, to get back on our feet, but I think the worst is behind us.  I hope you all are staying warm and well!  Have a wonderful day, my friends!

The Little Tree

It began with a red Christmas ornament.  A lone little tree sat on the side of a road in Brandon, Mississippi for months, after perhaps falling off of a truck or maybe being dumped out, back sometime in the summer.  The tree died, and had been there long enough that those that passed by regularly didn’t notice it anymore, if they ever did. 

Until one day, a shiny red ornament showed up on the crispy, dried branches of the little tree. 

The following day, the tree had a new addition; a strand of silver garland glistened in the sunlight as it curved around the branches, making the little tree with a sparse scattering of small brown leaves hard to miss.  Over the days ahead, morning commuters were filled with curiosity and anticipation as to what might adorn the tree next as they journeyed out to their tasks of the day.      

As darkness shrouded the night sky, bit by bit, evening by evening, town folks quietly added to the now endearing little tree, hoping to be as anonymous as those who had already taken part in embellishing it.  With smiles and laughter, families began to tell each other about the little tree. Who knew that one small action would grow and spread such merriment?

Before long, the little tree was filled with a colorful array of Christmas ornaments, bright red bows, beaded garland, and a set of solar powered lights.  Packages wrapped in festively printed Christmas paper appeared, each one nestled under the little tree.  Beside the tree, a small American flag brought patriotism to the scene, which to me, in a nutshell, represented what was happening in the Brandon community.   

This real life story makes me think of another little tree that is told about in one of my favorite childhood tales, as it probably does you.

In light of the new year as I map out hopes and goals, the story of what happened with the little tree also makes me think about how if we each do our part, what a difference it will make.  With busy schedules, we sometimes neglect what is in our hearts to do.  But like the town’s people in Brandon, MS, if each of us do a little something, just think of all the lot of somethings that will happen, and what great things will be accomplished as a result!

I hope that you, dear reader, had a Merry Christmas, and are off to a great start with the New Year.  Hugs to you, and thank you for the time that you have taken to read my posts and visit.