We made the decision this year that we will have all new, handmade decorations on our Christmas tree.  Felicity, Katie, Mike and I are all enjoying making the ornaments that will adorn the tree!  Our old Christmas decor is being sorted and thinned way down to weed out all the “cheap, foreign made” um…..garbage.

One blog I absolutely love to read (it’s on my bloglist) is www.Tipnut.com!  Talk about a fount of ideas!!! OMG!!!  Today’s post is full of holiday decorating ideas.

Handmade Crafty Holiday Ideas

Go on over and enjoy!! I know I am!

Have a great Sunday evening!

Wishing everyone that reads this a very Happy Thanksgiving!

This photo is so stately and symbolic of today,  I just wanted to share this guy with everyone. He is a Bourbon Red turkey, which is an endangered heritage breed.  We plan to have these on our farm when we “get there”.

Isn’t he a beauty!?

And here’s a thought for tomorrow…BUY HANDMADE!!!

Here’s a few links to help you find wonderful (many times, one of a kind) handmade gifts!

Etsy

HyenaCart

  On this site, you will find many other links for handmade goods.

Enjoy!

This is so original and beautiful! Time to play with food!

Mike laughs at me because I get so excited when I get something new that is “domestic”.

I have had an Oreck vacuum cleaner for 10 years and this week it finally bit the dust.  While I’d love to have a new Oreck, we just don’t have the funds for one right now.  So off to L*wes we went to buy a cheapie, since I had a 10% off coupon for there.

The cheapest regular upright they had was $59.99.  It is a Eureka.  I figured, at that price, it would perform marginally, but better than nothing at all.

The one I got is the Eureka Maxima Bagless Upright. Well, I’ve never owned a bagless and wasn’t really thrilled at the thought, but in the lower price vacuums, that’s pretty much all you can find.

I was totally shocked last night when I vacuumed the house!! I had to empty the collection canister 4 times!!! My gosh, we are living with filthy carpet and I didn’t even have a clue! I am so thrilled!! Even Felicity is wanting to help vacuum today!

Here in our new place, we have problems in the yard with sticker burrs…ACK!!!  So we really should vacuum at least once a day, twice would be best.  Those yucky things come in on Margo and Bailey every time they go outside.  Petunia (our adoped Chihuahua from Katie) is the lucky one, they don’t get on her hair at all.

So….I’m having a love affair with my new vacuum and Mike thinks it is hysterical!

Have a great Saturday!

There’s a new crochet swap starting up!!!  “Formal” signups aren’t until February 1, but there is already 17 hookers signed up!  Come on over and take a look and join in!!  Chickens are not required

It’ll be a blast!  At least come on by and see what all the hoop-la is about!

A triplet was born to the twin chicks the next day.  The triplet was a double yolk egg, as well, but it’s shell mate didn’t make it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuJPNAfuG3s

Today, a fellow member of www.backyardchickens.com/forum successfully
hatched a double yolk egg….twin baby chicks.

Here’s her post at 9:23pm CST

“Here it is…
warning…it is a long video….I had to put it on youtube because
photobucket errored out on me…

Enjoy….DH says chickies are up walking around!!!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ZeEY-kt7A

Here’s the thread if you would like the entire day’s worth of events.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=104245&p=1

This is just so amazing and she did such an awesome job “mid-wifing”
the chicks into the world. I just had to share.

Yet another finished afghan!  The name of this pattern is called Lumberjack Flannelghan and the pattern can be found here.  I used Hobby Lobby’s store brand yarn “I Love This Yarn”. It’s super soft…almost feels like chenille.

It’s a gift for Christmas for *someone*. I hope they like it.

She went and did it!  Katie turned 21 on October 30.  I just can’t believe it.  Here’s a photo of her a few weeks before her birthday.

Here’s the afghan I made for Katie’s birthday gift.  I also purchased a couple of things for her, but this I made myself so she’d have something special for her 21st.

She loves camoflage and her favorite color is pink.  She really loves it!

We’re moved.  Still alot of unpacking/putting away to do. 

We re-homed the chickens with a guy that works with Mike (we got our Silkies from him).  We re-homed them about a month ago, once we decided to move back into “town”. 

He told Mike Sunday that those chickens are the absolutely most spoiled rotten chickens he’s ever had in his lifetime of having chickens.  He said they’re awesome birds…but rotten!  They follow he and his family around wanting to be held and hand fed. 

I miss them so much!!!  They truly are great therapy for my depression.  I would have never thought, but I’m a believer.

I’ll be back to posting on a (semi) regular basis soon.