Heated Neck Wraps

Minky Fabric... What's not to love about it? 

Susie loves this stuff.

She is always asking me to make her something out of it.

  So this year for Christmas, I did just that.

I found these two wonderful tutorials on making

Microwave Heated Neck Wraps.

I would have loved to have done a tutorial on mine for you, but I have a habit of kinda mixing patterns and making my own thing.  You never know what I am going to end up with.

Have you ever made a project where you take a little inspiration from a few tutorials and make it your own ?

At Sew 4 Home   you can find a quick and easy tutorial on whipping up a few of these in a day.

(PHOTO FROM    SEW 4 HOME)

If you have extra time and want to make a really special one, maybe for a sick friend,  Modify Tradition  has a wonderful tutorial on making a fabulous neck wrap with a quilted cover.

(PHOTO ABOVE FROM  MODIFY TRADITION )

I decided to make my wraps with a little personal flare...

I monogrammed their initials in the corner.

I think Sista liked it...

She said it helps relax her neck after a long day of painting.

I made my Brother In Law one out of striped ticking. 

At first, I think he was not to sure about heating rice in the microwave. But after the first demo, everyone at the party wanted to try it out.

Of course, I could not let Sista relax with just a neck wrap, so I whipped her up a pair of lounge pants to match.  

Looking for some inspiration or have something to show off?  

 Go by and checkout or link up with,

Three Mango Seeds

Linking up with Skip to My Lou ~ Made By You Monday

AND

So Very Creative Linky Party

Catchin Up

Well...Christmas is over..and  I am lagging behind. 

Let me try and get you caught up!

After all my whining and complaining about this flocking tree, my son said one night,

"Momma, I think that is the prettiest tree we have ever had."

...can I tell ya, Santa was really great to him!

I plugged those lights in from the minute I woke up,

and they stayed on till I went to bed.

LOVED IT

Now ... on to the PARTIES!

WoW,  Can I tell you I had the "BEST CHRISTMAS" ever.

Every year I get sick at Christmas 

(no, like really sick...IBS, nervous stomach, can't stay out the bathroom kinda sick, even to the point of having

to go get IV fluids.)

Well this year, I stood my ground and chose not to attend a few parties that always stressed me out and

WAAA   LAA ...

I think I found the answer to my Holiday IBS!

I felt GREAT this holiday season...

 Sometimes a girls gotta just say,

"I am not attending a party where I really do not feel welcomed by some of the guest!"

I really felt bad for my husband, but after 26 years of being together for these parties, he put on his big boy drawers and went on to the parties by himself!  LOL

On to the fun stuff...We did have a little party at my house.  Susie and her family came by for some potato soup and a few Christmas laughs...

Kaylee, Susie's daughter made us these super cute cookies.

and

Madison, Susie's other daughter

 made this colorful cookie cake.

YUM

Heck at this rate I won't have to make the sweets anymore...

This is a picture of our kiddies and

their boyfriends/ girlfriend...

In every picture one of them was doing something to mess up the photos..

Fixed that, just told them all to make a silly face!

  From all the girls in the Melissa / Susie family

Merry Christmas!

AND...Here's the Tree

After fighting with the blue lights ... and adding every ornament that I have collected over the last 25 years..

I still could not stand the tree...so after three days...

I pulled off ALL 12,000 blue lights and just started over.

I had spend to much money on that darn FLOCKIN tree to let it get the best of me!

 Added some old white lights (with green wires)  that I had.

Dug out all the red stuff that I have had for years and slapped those on top of all the traditional ormnaments.  Did not spend a cent on decor, but went up and down the step stool 5 million times.

 Oh Christmas Tree,

 Oh Christmas Tree,

How you liked to have killed thee..

I am just getting around to getting a picture ...

the branches, like me, have begun to get a bit whimpy and tired by this time of the season.
(No gorgeous wrapping here, I used 3yrs. worth of  left over scrap paper.)

I have been so busy making scarves, sugared pecans, microwave neck wraps, along with lots of other projects. 

 I  really can't talk about them because spying eyes want to know what I have made them for Christmas. HEHE...

Look at Snoopy having a grand ole time in that flocked tree...

Look out... I caught him this time on his snow mobile...

Sad that it is really 70 degrees and raining out!

Ginger...is enjoying napping in the section of the tree that had a missing branch.

(Great way to hide those gaps in real trees, use large ornaments or little stuffed gingerbread people)

I just have to share my bargain..

I picked these up at Lowes for 2.50. 

It bloomed at the beginning of this week and is so pretty on my coffee table.  I have a red one in the kitchen, but it has not bloomed yet.. maybe it will be my New Years lilly.

Smells sooo much better that the paper whites.

Looking forward to sharing lots of recipes,

crafting, and my crazy adventures

 with you in the New Year.

May you have a wonderful Christmas ...