Party On!

Welcome to the end of my blogging year 2015.  Thank you first and foremost to everyone who has taken the time and showed me kindness and encouragement through their comments.    It is the only valued payment I receive for the time and effort I put into the Fun With Barb blog.

I'm send you all our 2015 Christmas Card

This was my fall of saying YES!   I said that to almost anything that came my way:

• "Would you come to speak and teach at 4 different guilds between Sept and November" - Delighted to.
• "Are you going to do an international block swap with 80 participants?" - Yes.
• "Will you run the judging for your NJ Quilt Guild Show?" - Okay.
• "Honey, do you want to have a Christmas Dinner Party for 24?" - Of Course.
• "Do you want to be the new Hospitality Chairwoman for the guild?" - Why Not?

Today I am sharing some photos of my house decorations and party photos.

House Decorations:
Dining Room hutch with our Danish Tomte and Danish plate collection.

My new door wreath.  Thanks Joann Fabrics!  Burlap poinsettias.  

Uncle Buck got a little sprinkling of berry garland and a poinsettia boutonniere.

 Here is my boy, Andrew's, little tree.  I set it up for his and Sigourneys visit.

 This is my sewing room tree.  I use red and pink vintage ornaments and Tinsel - yay for Tinsel!!

 Hanna's tree has polka dot and jewel toned ornaments.

Our Family Room tree is real and holds our oldest treasures, including my Grandparents 1940s ornaments and one I received from my kindergarten teacher.

House Party:
I like to play the game "who am I?".  You pin a name on every ones back and they have to guess who they are through a series of questions - like 21 questions.  It's a great cocktail hour activity.

Here is the bar.  Our policy is that we make your first drink and then you help yourself.

I set up a Bubbly Station - It's Christmas after all :)

Here are favors that I made for the ladies: silver whisks filled will kisses the tags read "We Whisk You A Merry Kiss-mas" (thanks Pintrest).

Boys got a decorated mason jar filled with munchies - the perfect "morning after" snack.  Boy, this red truck with a tree is literally EVERYWHERE this year.

Guild Party:
My theme was Red and White.  Simple table covers and silk white poinsettias.  Everyone brings their own place setting.  This is Hanna's and mine.

 I brought a tree from home with a simple red burlap and R&W toile' garland.  That Craftsy box worked great to give it height and matched my theme.

I made 90, yes ninety,  FQ favors.  I rolled them in Ikea napkins and tied them with bakery twine.  I got the mini laundry baskets at Michaels.

It was so wonderful have Hanna home to help me with set up and to share the evening with me.   We had a hoot.   How about that ugly Christmas Sweatshirt? It has gold glitter puff paint - ouch!

Aaahhh, all obligations are over and now it is on to Christmas with my family.   I took a break and watch Elf, my second favorite movie in the TV room by the little R&W Danish tree under a special quilt.  Whew!

This is Fun With Barb signing off to enjoy family time.  I look forward to another year sharing quilting inspiration and other fun in 2016.

However you Celebrate the Season I wish You Peace and Love.

One World is Enough For All of Us

Quilters included.   Modern shmodern, traditional, shmaditional.

I've been a quilter now for over 25 years and it has been more than interesting to watch the birth of the Mod Quilt Movement.  I think it's fabulous for all of us.

There.
I said it.

The Mod Movement has really been good for everyone.  It has increased the number of people quilting.  I has made traditional quilters look at work differently.  Many Mod quilters are actually using traditional patterns (sshh, they don't know this yet).   It has also created a lot of exciting new fabrics.

As a quilter I'm traditional like this:

But I am also this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

and most recently this:

Gwen Marston sent me a link to this wonderful podcast on Crafty Planner which featured her last week.  Give it a listen, it is really good stuff.   Listen while you bake, wrap gifts, write cards.

On the podcast I learned that she is going to be Quilt Con's 2016 keynote speaker.  Isn't that wonderful.   She is also going to have an exhibit at the 2016 Vermont Quilt Festival.  So there you go, in one year Gwen is spanning the entire quilt world;  Mod = Traditional = Mod = Traditional.  One world really IS enough for all of us.



I have put a poll on the side bar.  Which are you?  Mod, traditional or like me BOTH?   I can't wait to see how it comes out I hope you'll cast your vote.

See you next week with more Christmas Decore and our annual card.
xo

It takes a Village....

Warning:  This is long and photo loaded with Christmassy Stuff.

I'm opening my post today with a photo of my Angel Tree.

My mother gave me my first angel ornament and a new one each year until she passed away, which was soon after the tradition started.  After she died many of my friends and family have given me angels for this special tree.

Our Dickens Village is one of my favorite decorations.  I add little touches every year.  This year I added a table skirt and some new bushes, like the front hedge.  I also added Ralphie's house as I reported in the last post.

Enjoy!

Here is a view before I add the snow.  I can not tell you how much difference it makes in creating the illusion of a real town.  It also hides those white ceramic feet on the figures.

And After - 

 Mr. Fun always does the fine snow on the rooftops.

Here is the "let's look up the skirt" view of the ugly wiring job.  Every year I think I'll do better then I get into it and don't.  ha ha.

I was really under pressure from this guy: Mr. Starbuck, who was judging my every move.

The end result.  I leave this up all of January to enjoy from the couch.

Here is the framed print of the Lincoln inking that Barbara gifted me.  I chose a red silk mat, simple scrolled black frame and museum glass.  I had it done at Michaels and they do a wonderful job.

It is part of my "Hall of Presidents"

I have a White House Historical Society ornament tree.  Did you know they are less than $20. each and they come in a beautiful box with a booklet all about the history of each years ornament. 

One day I'm going to sit down and read each and every one!

I got a wonderful gift this week from Kelly.  Do you know what this is?  Have you ever received one?  Made one?

It's a SURPRISE BALL.    How fun is that...?  really fun!!!!

You unroll it and surprises fall out - I'll share mine with you.....

 I wish Kelly had been here to hear my squeals of delight.  I did save it for when some friends were here.  Thank you Kelly!!

Well at last you have come to the end.  Sorry it was so long.  I have been super busy with a party we had.  I'll share more decorations next time.  

In parting, this is how coco has been helping me lately......

what a super duper dog - 

Hope your Holiday plans, parties and prep are going merrily!

A Christmas Story!

It is my hands down favorite Christmas Movie.  I can watch it again and again and again.  I can recite whole passages, to the utter dismay of anyone watching with me.

Last June on the way to the farm Hanna helped me fulfill a dream: to visit Ralphie's house in Ohio.

Here is OUR story:

We are arrived and there it is!!  I see the leg lamp in the window

 Upon entering the home we heard the back story of how the house/museum was created.  Then we actually got to touch and handle all the items!

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!"

It's time for the Lone Ranger....

They even included the wad of electrical wires - I literally have this behind my village display (I'll share soon).

It could be a bowling alley in there....a MAJOR AWARD...  Fraageeelie

 "Can't a man get any privacy for crying out loud..."

 "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine....a commercial?  son of a b****"

 "Mrs. Schwartz, do you know what my son said?  he heard it from your son."

 The soft glow of Electric Sex (you used all the glue on purpose!)

 My little Randy hiding in the cupboard - Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie.

 "My mother hasn't eaten a hot meal in 12 years."

 "Show Mommy how the piggy eats...."

 The scene of the backyard bandits

 The Leg Lamp and house Christmas lights burn all year round.

Come On!!! Get going kid!

Here are some of the items in the Movie Museum on the property.

 There she is...what a beauty the Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time - poetry...........You'll shoot your eye out.

We had such a wee of a time, thanks for letting me indulge today!

I brought home Ralphie's house and nestled it into my Dickens Village :)

I hope you all had a very lovely Thanksgiving.  We had a nice quiet day.  Here is my table set with wine and butter.  Do we need anything else?  ha ha

My new project that has been sorely neglected for weeks with all the holiday preparations and decorating that has been happening.  I have been posting a lot of that on IG but will do a blog post in the coming weeks.

This is the nine patch swap that started all the FWB swaps!

ho Ho HO everyone!  Happy December 2015.