Saturday, January 2, 2021

YAY! It's Over

Bye 2020 Love to see you go.   Happy New Year Everyone! 

I hope you had a nice Christmas.   We had the threat of a big storm with possible power outages so we had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.  (we liked it so much it will be our new tradition)

I collected Spode for many years and it is always fun to bring it out in December.  Cosmos look so festive 😊😋
We were here with our son, Andrew and his girlfriend, Alexis.

Rich makes Danish Meatballs and mashers and I tried a new dish with brussels and squash.   You can find the recipe here.  I used pomegranate instead of dried cranberries.
There were a lot of new electronics under the tree.  Our Kitchen table looked like the Apple Store.

I received a 3-d puzzle/model of Notre Dame.
There are 80 building and construction steps.  I have to apply the stained glass windows as well.
It is a challenge and fun.  
There is no gluing, it is all interlocking.

Andrew got a model to build a musical ferris wheel.  You are never too old for toys at Christmas.

New Years Eve was a small affair (of course).  Rich and I had fondue for two and steaks.  We are so lucky.

And a bottle of the good stuff. 😁

On New Years Day I always visit the Long Island Sound for a walk with coco.  It was especially beautiful yesterday and very calm.   The way I hope 2021 will be; Calm.

This is the view from my favorite spot in the Living Room where I like to start the day.
I am going to leave this little gold and silver tree up through January because it just makes me happy. 

In my next post I'm going to share 6 UFO quilt projects that I intend to finish in 2021.  I never do this which is maybe why I have so many UFOs.  

Thank you to all the blog readers, commenters, bloggers, Instagramers and FB posters.  Our social media community has kept me afloat during 2020.

Stay Well and Calm.
xo


35 comments:

Chantal said...

Bless you, Barb. You brought a lot of smiles and happiness in my world too in 2020 with all your wonderful posts. Thank you for being there. Have a wonderful, healthy and quilty new year. All the best. Cheers! ;^)

Ruth said...

Thanks for your blog! I do enjoy it so much. I will look forward to seeing your UFOs. I was able to finish a couple during 2021. I haven't posted a review of my quilting during 2020 and will think about doing that. My sister Is visiting, so I don't have a lot or time to do that over the Christmas holiday. Some people are doing posts about their goals for 2021 too. I will have to think about that too. Happy New Year to you and your family!

Sandy said...

What a lovely Christmas and New Years you had, Barb. That veggie dish looks scrumptious! And your “construction projects” look like a lot of fun. Your beach does look so calm. Looking forward to those UFOs!

Shirl S said...

We changed up our Christmas meal traditions this year too. Since we couldn't be with extended family we went all out on a seafood extravaganza for Christmas Eve. We feasted on escargot, clams, shrimp, lobster tails, crab cakes for a special dinner. We had Lasagna on Christmas Day. Both our children were home, my daughter since Thanksgiving. Happy New Year! Love the Veuve Clicquot too! All the best in 2021!

Loris said...

Happy New Year, Barb! Your puzzles and festivities look charming and fun. We had crackers and cheese and a little bubbly here too. Mostly we spend our days scheduled around walking the energetic pups we have. Which is wonderful because it keeps us outside and seeing neighbors walking their dogs too. You and Coco have continued to find some lovely places to walk :-)

Frog Quilter said...

All your puzzles and buildings are quite the challenge. I enjoyed your post this morning.

Quiltdivajulie said...

I agree that many of our Christmas things make us happy which is why I will be taking down only selective items and keep many (especially those with our trusty white lights) in place for at least another 2-3 weeks. Life is too short to be bothered by winter's darker skies.

cityquilter grace said...

lovely photos and post...yeah calm would be very good...

Jocelyn said...

Happy new year my dear friend ❤️

Lori said...

Happy New Year! My mom and step dad loved those 3d puzzles! Sounds like a relaxing holiday.

Nann said...

Lovely! Your Welsh dresser is a wonderful way to display special dishes. (I have ONE Spode Christmas tree. On my to-find list for 2021: get at least one more.) Glad all the Vedders had pleasant holidays. Here's to a sparkling new year!

Pinkadot Quilts said...

Happy New Year Barb! I LOVE the puzzle, so very cool. Finishing up some UFOs sounds like a great idea.

Janet O. said...

It is always a delight to visit you here, Barb. You are fun, for sure, and also encouraging and upbeat. Always leave your blog with a smile.
Looks like your holiday was festive in spite of restrictions and such. Love the idea of the 3-D puzzles. What do you do with the finished product?
I keep a small tree up in my sewing room all year long. It is my happy place, after all. :)
The walk on the beach looks glorious! Living land-locked, you know I love my mountains, but every time I have the opportunity to visit an ocean beach I am left in awe of the majesty I see!
Here's hoping and praying for the calm and peace we are craving in this new year!

Janet said...

I’m glad your holidays were special. The beach looks so beautiful! That’s a good idea for ufos for 2021. 6 seems like a manageable # leaving room for some new stuff.

Robin said...

Looks like you celebrated well. I noticed the quilt with the red background on the wall. That looks intriguing. I loved the picture of the shoeprints in the sand. I'm glad you were able to go out for a walk. On to a wonderful and productive new year. . .

Julierose said...

Sounds like your holidays were wonderful!! That is quite a 3-D puzzle--I've never tried one of those...
Hope your New Year is filled with JOY hugs, Julierose

gladiquilts said...

I really look forward to both your blog and your instagram postings. Thank you so much for sharing. Your work is unique and inspirational and I love seeing your projects. I enjoyed seeing your holiday photos and "doings." Looks like you're making great progress on the puzzle! Best wishes for a healthy and enjoyable 2021!

Quilting Babcia said...

Happy New Year Barb, and may your desire for Calm prevail. It's always fun to visit your posts and share in your unique quilty creations and family activities. Only one Spode Christmas tree candy dish in our house. I always wanted to collect more but realize our little retirement country home has no room for anything else. It was even a challenge to find a suitable spot for Sammy kitten's litter box! Ah, well, may your new year be filled with joy and creativity!

Amy said...

Happy 2021! It's always a pleasure to see your posts in my feed. Thank you for sharing your holidays with us. With building the mountain house, many of our traditions took a break. I missed them, but didn't stress it. I also did the UFO reckoning... Gulp! I'll be concentrating on them this year too!

Linda Swanekamp said...

The blog community keeps me going also. Local friends when I call them only want to talk about COVID. No thanks. thanks for sharing your holidays with us.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for keeping me afloat so enjoy your blog

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

A lovely blog post for the beginning of a new year. I like your word Calm quite a bit. Love your Spode. I wish I'd brought a few pieces of mine to Japan (never thought we'd be here over Christmas). Oooo I can't wait to see your UFOs. I bet they are fabulous. Love your beach, and Coco. You have some lovely traditions. I really like reading your "lifestyle" details on your blog - always so beautiful and inspirational!

christine said...

Did you lose your electricity? I know it was predicted for PA where we use to live but then storm was downgraded. Looks like it was a fine holiday at your house! Enjoy the UFOs. I just finished one that gets packed away each year with Christmas fabrics. Why not? We’re still on ‘lock down’ attitude for months.

Barbara said...

I so enjoyed reading about your family traditions--and fun activities! That looks like one challenging puzzle. Great idea to present your UFOs--then you're somewhat committed to finishing them, lol! That worked for me a few years ago :) What a beautiful place to take Coco for a New Years Day walk!

Susie Q said...

Festive food - fondue ! yum. And interlocking buildings...... great week at your house.

Juliann said...

I have been going through unfinished projects here too and making a plan for some finishing. Last year I tried the Gideon Method - https://woolandhoney.com/the-gideon-method/ - and was surprised at how I was able to finish things when I stayed with them.

Sandra Henderson said...

You are so much fun and make your home and family life so special ! You inspire...l
Thank you for your blog. It’s one that I’ve read since , gosh , way back around 2003 maybe ? When I had mine and had more time....
yours is still a go to for me, happy new year

Sandra Henderson said...

Wel...I got to wondering how long it’s been and I see y’all your posts go back to 2009. So is that when you began blogging? I seem to have no concept of time whatsoever anymore. I guess I’ve been with you since the beginning,

FlourishingPalms said...

How nice! I'm glad for you to be able to spend your Christmas with your son and his girlfriend. We were alone for Christmas, and for New Year's as you were. We're having a LOT of two-some times these past months! Your Notre Dame model is really interesting. I've never heard or seen such a thing. It looks like a time-consuming, but fun puzzle. While I'm happy to have 2020 behind us, there were some positives that came out of it. And, though I'm optimistic about what 2021 has in store, for us it will be many months until enough vaccines are given to make life somewhat normal again. In the meantime, I'm hunkering down for more days filled with sewing, while being hopeful. Have a blessed 2021!

Kyle said...

What a lovely way to end the year. Family traditions are so important. I think we all might have a tendency to get impatient with 2021 so calm is an excellent word for the year.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year! You're doing a 3D puzzle and I'm doing a jigsaw puzzle. I try to start each new year off with one and this one is giving me fits! But it's a perfect one to sweep out 2020 because it's a "Gone With the Wind" puzzle!
Kathleen - kakingsbury at verizon dot net

The Cozy Quilter said...

Glad to see all of the toys under your tree were well received! Notre-Dame is amazing and looks to be a challenge. Looks like you all had a wonderful holiday. I did not mind having no where to go. We all did lots of reading, puzzles and stitching (my daughter and I stitched!). Happy New Year!

Thimbleanna said...

It looks like you've had a wonderful holiday Barb. Your table pictures made me wonder why I didn't take a pic of our New Year's Day setting -- we were festive and I used a china I rarely use. Can't wait to see your UFOs -- I'm hoping to work on a few myself! Happy New Year!!!

Wendy Caton Reed said...

Oh my yes, let's have a calm and peaceful yet exciting new year! I love your little silver and gold tree too! We like to walk on the beach on New Year's Day too, but it is rare to find any footprints! Happy New Year!!

Angie said...

Happy New Year, Barb! You are so right about the quilting social media world helping to preserve sanity! I thought of you on New Year's Eve as we toasted to the upcoming year with bubbly. My DH has never been a huge fan of champagne, but he admitted this year he is finally coming around to my viewpoint on it! Thanks for all you've shared this year and here's hoping 2021 is an improvement over its predecessor!