Christmas is approaching at a fast pace and we are all getting ready for this beautiful celebration. Soon the snow will fall and decorations will be put out . My favorite moment is when we go cut our tree. It is a family tradition we have kept for many years.

I have made this lovely crochet cozy for my shop and decided to make another one for you ♥ I made some little crochet scruffies and will include some more goodies for the winner. Would like to win this special little gift ? All you need to do is leave a comment, simple as that. I will draw a name on november 30th.
Welcome to all ♥

My new sewing machine !

After a whole month home, hubby went back to work yesterday. Every christmas, he is off for two weeks, but had to stay home another two more because of back and neck problems. He's been having back problems for many years and being a lineman for hydro doesn't help. But i must say here that during his 2 weeks holidays, he worked too hard renovating our bedroom. I told him to slow down, that he had all winter, but hubby's a pig head...And he hurt his back...again...humph...Me was mad, cause he never listen until he realizes he should have. He always tells me " i hate to say you were right. " and i reply: " i am a woman, i am always right. " Teehee ! Poor hubby, he lives in a woman's world, no guys in the house except him. Even the cat is a she. So sometimes i must let him beleive he is a fine good rooster. Awww, i am so mean...I can't help it, i love to tease him.
So.... Need i tell you the house was really quiet and empty yesterday ? I should have been happy, having the house to myself and going back to my sewing is something i was longing for. But i missed my little boy. I did nothing but roam around the house and knit. I have tons of orders to complete, there is not much time for knitting. So i must push myself to go back in my sewing room. Guess i need time to get back to my routine.
The christmas season was very nice and cozy this year. Despite hubby's desire to tear down walls, i had time to take things easy, go for walks and do some knitting. I had many lovely gifts from everyone and hubby even surprised me with a new sewing machine ! I had an old basic one and was dreaming of having something with more stitch patterns. So imagine my joy when he offered me the singer fashion mate ! 70 stitch patterns, oh my !!! I was so happy, my face was gleaming when i saw him coming to me with the the big box. It works so perfectly, so smoothly, she hums so happily compared to my oldie. Poor thing, she has been working so hard for so many years. I will send her for a good tune up and give it to young daughter Anne. I know my old machine will give her many hours of happy sewing and creating.
I hope your day is good !

Tuesday...through the winter window part 2

I woke up early this morning to find it was very windy and snowing. It is not a thick snow, but only gentle snowflakes falling. Christmas is in the air and i love this moment where you start to decorate your home, bake, shop, wrap, dream... This week end we will go cut the christmas tree. It is in a tree farm and we have been going there for many years now. It is going to be fun especially that little Jacob is with us. He is much too young to realize what christmas is all about, but bringing him with us will be wonderful. Still missing my daughter who is in Brussels. I miss her even more at this time of year.
I had my christmas event this week end and yesterday, hubby and i painted the whole living room. I am very tired, so i pray that you will find some understanding and wait one more day for the draw. Tomorrow, promise, i will announce the winner of my giveaway.
Have a wonderful day all ♥
Oh, please, do visit swedish house . it is a lovely blog and she is the one who had the idea of this tuesday through the window play along. This week, i took a picture from the living room window. This is where i love to sit, knit and look outside. Share your window with us !

Wishing you the best

I hope your christmas was as wonderful as mine. Soon the tree will be gone and decorations put away until the next christmas. Happy memories remain in our hearts. The New Year is almost here and we hope it will be filled with new projects in our heads and more wonderful moments shared with the people we love. For this New Year, i wish you the best in everything.
♥ Sending you all lots of love ♥

I want to take a little moment and wish everyone a very merry christmas. The year went by so quickly, another christmas is here and this time hubby did not have to go away from home. We saw on the news that the east coast of the US had been hit by a huge snowstorm and i crossed my fingers that Hydro Quebec would not have to leave again. I am just finishing wrapping and knitting last minute gifts and will bake some more cookies( gingerbread, crakles and shortbread) this afternoon. Thursday, the girls will be home with me, making doughnuts and sweet breads. I think Christmas Eve is the moment i prefer. After a whole day of baking, the girls will run to their rooms and unwrap their new jammies ( me too ! ) and we will sit in the living room eating goodies, playing games or watching a christmas movie. I love this cozy happy moment admiring our tree and listening to the crackling of the fire in the fireplace.
I hope you will all spend a wonderful time with your loved ones. Savor every moment.

♥ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ♥

Notes from a headless chicken

Are you aware that Christmas is just about a month away ? I was told this morning and had a shock. Some of you will probably say; " hey, on what planet do you live ?!" Of course, i am not blind, i noticed some of my neighbors have put up their christmas lights outdoors, but still, i never really thought there was so little time left. Or maybe i just don't want to see... I do not live in another planet, but sometime it feels that way. I am locked in my house, day after day, making my dolls and others sweets for my christmas show that is going to be held on december 6th. So many things that need to be done, the list is in fact endless. I am starting to feel a bit panicky, i eat whenever i can, that is when i start to feel dizzy. i head for the fridge and grab the first thing i see and gulp it down my stomach. My laundry is piling up and i have bags under my eyes. Very pretty. I promised hubby we would go see a movie on sunday, but i was so exhausted i just fell asleep on the sofa. Promised him for next sunday...Should never make promises... I love making my dolls, but i hate deadlines. i feel like a headless chicken (very chic indeed ) and jump from one project to another. This is exhausting. I think i just need to go for a little walk, come back and make a list and FOLLOW the list...hummm, think it is the only way i can make it to the end. I haven't had much time for blogging, not much time either for listing new things in my shop. I have some muffinpies and tiny glittery snowmen i want to try and put in my shop before the end of the week. They are not like the photo you see here. This fella was sold yesterday along with 2 others like him. I will keep you posted on my whereabouts. I still haven't forgot my giveaway. I just need a bit more time and i will make my announcement very soon.
Have a very lovely day everyone ♥

A month or so ago, i was contacted by one of my customer who is a great fan of my muffinpies. She asked if i would agree to make 8 muffinpies

for her. She needed some extra items for a craft show she is going to attend to in Louisiana. I agreed happily to work along with her. I just mailed my package to her yesterday, along with business cards. She said this would be a good opportunity for me and give my shop more exposure.

She was very excited when she saw the end results as i listed them in my shop for her to buy. She mentioned i had out done myself and i thought humbly that i had worked very hard and that indeed the faces were more or looked more professionally done. Anyways, i am happy she likes them all and i hope my muffinpies will be a huge success. :) You can see some of them here and also two little girls you will find listed in my shop

I have new muffinpies ideas for christmas and i can't wait to get started. I want to dress them in winter clothing, but i am not saying more. I will keep you posted on that. Christmas is not so far away and i am getting a bit anxious as i am overloaded with work. I am or trying to get ready for a christmas show december 6th ( oh boy, i see THE DAYcoming much too fast ) and i still have to fill up my etsy shop. I know i will make it through, i always do even if this means i will end up to an almost total exhaustion state. The problem with me is i lack organization. I have always been kind of a bohemian nonchalant type and i jump from one project to another, not really knowing where to start. The last few days before the show, i get into a panick fit,mumbling to myself . I look like a total freak. Any advice anyone on how to be more productive ? Next week i will come back and show you a very special gift i received from a friend. She is an absolute darling, a very talented artist and i feel so privileged to own this beautiful piece she made for me. I wish i could show you now, but i still did not get the time to take some pictures, so be patient my friends. Tomorrow is shopping day for me. Hubby said i MUST take a few hours and buy some new clothes. My wardrobe is in a very poor critical state and although i just hate shopping for clothes, i have to admit he is right. I am beginning to be ashamed to show myself in public on the rare times i go out to do some errands. Today i went to see my hairdresser and have my hair cut and with some new clothes to wear, i will be a new person ! How wonderful , he he !

I do hope you are going to spend a very lovely week end.

Speak to you soon ♥

A couple of weeks ago, i received a blog award from a very nice person. I meant to blog as soon as possible to pass this award to some wonderful blogs i have discovered over time, but i have been and still am actually so busy, that i find it harder to come here and blog. I miss it though, i love to blog, to spend time reading other blogs. This post will be a bit short as i am short on free time and want to pass this award to others who deserve it even more than i do. I also want to say something about this lady who honored me with this award. I will give you the link to her blog, but she shut it down for some time because she is going through a very difficult period at the moment. It made me really sad to read her email and i wanted to help her feel better, but not knowing how...And then i thought, maybe if everyone of you reading this post could drop by her etsy shop and leave her a little note from there. She may not email you back, but i am sure she will read your thoughts and hopefully this will make her feel a bit better. We all need support through difficult times, so be generous ? Her blog url is purple sunset I am giving you the link even though she shut her blog for the moment. Let's send her lots of positive thoughts and love. She will undoubltedly appreciate your kind words .
Ok, i am going to pass this award to some nice ladies who deserve it, but then i think that many of us deserves one.

1- encore petite
2- beatrice ze blog
3- dinky daisy
4- around the house
5- dove grey
6- ivory blush roses
7- krys kirkpatrick design
8- little black crow studio

My list could go on and on, but i have to stop here as i have to contact everyone of those ladies. And i have so many things i need to finish today. From now until christmas, i will have to be very strict with myself and my tight schedule. It does not imply that i wont be coming back here. I just need to be more organized. I am such a nonchalant and lazy girl. :)
Do not forget to leave a sweet note to purple sunset through her etsy.

Have a lovely day everyone ♥

Oh, i forgot ! For those of you who received the award, you are free pass this award to your favorites and let people know who gave you the award. thanks so much ♥

Finnigan's Market

Everyday saturday is Finnigan's market for the quaint little town of Hudson, QC. Many vendors gather there each week end to sell their products, from baked goods, to dried flowers, antiques and crafts. And once or twice each year, i love to go and sell my dolls and handmade sweets. Yesterday was particularly cold. I woke up early to find a hard frost covering the ground and thought it wise to wear my winter boots and coat. I also brought a thick wooll blanket to wrap myself when i get some free time to sit down a bit. The sun, a bit shy i must say, managed to warm us during the afternoon. Nevertheless, the crisp autumn air made me feel good and i was happy to spend some time outdoors, admiring the beauty of the surroundings. The trees are still spectacular, but soon the remaining of the leaves will sadly fall to the ground. We must really make the most of what is left of this beautiful season, the snow may start covering the ground anytime. Here in Quebec, we never know when winter will surprise us. One christmas, i could sit outside wearing only a light sweater, there was no snow and the grass was still green. But i admit that was very unusual.



My day at the market was really fun and i met some very wonderful and friendly people, venders and buyers. It is a good place to make sales , but also to promote my shop and my coming christmas show. I handed out many business cards, hoping that some of those who seemed pleased by my crafts, will come at my show in december. From the moment my summer vacation were over, i practically locked myself inside my sewing room, making muffinpies, cute little pouches and halloween stuff. One of my favorite was Romilda the witch and she was adopted very quickly. I felt a bit sad to part with her, but then i can always make another one for me...If i ever find the time. Having time, i wonder if i know what this really means. ( smiles ) Starting this week, i must work double shift making christmas stuff for my show, i have 8 muffinpies to finish for a sweet lady in Louisiana ( a true fan of my muffinpies i should say! ) and i must take care of my shop as well. All that and the house chores, shopping for chritsmas, cooking for christmas. Boy, when will i have the time to shop for clothes or even to have haircut ! My wardrobe is in a poor critical state as for my hair.... well...I can find no words...Ok, i promised to find some time and go for my hair soon. In the meantime, before i end this conversation with you, i urge you to pay a little visit to pepperberry and Co.
she is having a very fun giveaway. ok for now, i must go do some cooking, my daughter Maude is coming over for supper.
Until next time my friends, i hope you are all having a very lovely week end ♥

Christmas Eve

It is almost Christmas Eve. I received a call from my hubby, he is still out there in the USA, but good news ! He is coming back tomorrow !!! He will leave early morning and told me he should be back around supper time. That means the count down begins for me. I still have a little shopping and gift wrapping to do, but at least, the house is all decorated and homey. We had another snowstorm this sunday and everything is so beautiful. The snow is a pure glittery white and the trees are all covered in a soft white blanket.

This is my house. I took a picture around supper time. I like to dress up warmly and play in the snow. I feel like a little girl. The weather is cold, even today, -10c, but it is magical.

It is a good thing we have a snow blower, it would have been very difficult physically to shovel all that snow. I just got in and my cheeks are cold and red and i am happy.

I will have my gift wrapping done, play some old Bing Crosby christmas songs, maybe bake some x-mas cookies and knit those last minutes gifts. A busy schedule, meaning i won't get to bed 'til very late at night.

To me, the last few days before christmas are the most exciting ! Everything is so beautiful and magical .
I wanted to share with you a little bit of my life here and of my home all ready for christmas.

Before i leave , i want to wish every one the most beautiful and happy Christmas. I hope you will all spend a loving moment with all your loved ones, and for those travelling, be careful on the roads and have a safe journey.



* Merry Merry Christmas to all *

I'll be home for Christmas

My hubby is a lineman for Hydro Quebec. Huh ? What is a lineman ?? Well, he climbs on those electric poles to fix the electricity. Humm, my english is not fluent enough to give you an adequate description. However, i managed to find few pictures for you to see. That's his job, thisis what he does for a living. He loves his job, but he is aware he has to be constantly careful , it is a risky job.

Last saturday, he left for the States. We heard on the news that part of New England was hit by a terrible ice storm and almost a million people were without power. I did not think he would go, but Hydro summoned 25 teams to leave immediately and help the americans. I was disappointed , because on sunday we had plans to go cut our christmas tree. It is a tradition we kept for many years and even now as my girls are not little girls anymore ( well, they still are for me ) they are always so excited to celebrate this special day. Hubby called home yesterday, they had drove for 9 hours in their big uncomfortable hydro trucks down to Manchester, MA. They will be working 16 hours shift and hoping that everybody will get power for christmas. He hopes to be back on the 23rd. I am worried, it would be so sad if he did not make it for the holidays. I told the girls ,no unwrapping gifts 'til he gets back. We still went for our tree cutting day and my daughter's boyfriend took over my hubby's role. We had fun, it was a pleasant snowy day, but we all missed our " chief ". It just was not the same. However, i am proud of him. At this time, he is working hard so that people can spend a beautiful and warm christmas holiday... He is my hero !

It has been snowing heavily for the past 2 days and despite the fact that i love summer best, i cannot help but marvel at the beauty of the scenery that stands before me. My husband and i were complaining about the awful roads condition, driving becomes extremely dangerous.

But at the same time, we look at this huge white carpet covering the roads and all the houses glittering with christmas lights and we feel this happy nostalgic moment in our heart.

Everything looks so beautiful, i wish those shots i took from inside my home could show you the millions of big snowflakes falling on the ground. I am sorry to see they do not render what my eyes are actually admiring. If i have time, i will put my boots on and take some more from outside. Unless the magic stops. The forecast calls for sunshine this afternoon. And the temperature will drop to -13 C. Brrrrrrrrrr!

This photo is from my kitchen window. I know, it is rather dark,but i hate using the flash. It spoils the effect i was trying to show you. Don't you love my starfishes i bought in Cape Cod last summer... I love Cape Cod...sigh...

A little bit of sunshine in my life. My poor little geraniums are feeling a bit blue...snif !

A view from my studio door. Actually, is is a big french door window and it leads to a small balcony. I consider myself so lucky to inherit such a sweet little corner all to myself. I am dreaming of summer days where i can sit on this little balcony and do my sewing or knitting or whatever my hands are itching to work on.

So longmydearest friends. I must go and do some paintings... No, not some fun painting. I have to apply a coat of primer on the walls and ceiling of my daughter's new bedroom. It hasto be ready before christmas...I'll be back for more... 'Til then, be sweet..

Christmas season

My christmas craft show took place this last sunday ( december 7th ) and i must say i was quite satisfied of the final results. I wonder how i managed to make so many things in such short a time . I have been in my new house almost two months ago now and my clients were really amazed to see how organized i seem to be. It is true that we have been working really hard to make our home inviting and comfortable, but there is still so much to be done. Here are a few pictures of my new doll collection. I have more that i will try to post later, here and on my flickr page . I still have some stuff unsold and i just put a few up for sale on my etsy.
And yes, Carlotta is still there waiting patiently to be adopted by someone who will fell for her serious gypsy kinda look. I thought one of my clients would take her to a new home, but most of them said she looked too serious. Oh well...

I am really happy with my snowmen collection, but this pair you see with the long skinny hat was not very popular. Strange how things can differ from one show to the next. I thought people would grab all my new snowmen, but most went for the old ones i had from last year. This little cutie you see on the left though, disappeared in a matter of time. I made several of those and they were all gone fast. I bet if i make more next year, most of them will stay behind. But then again you can never guess and you have to take chances. Most of the time i prefer to make things i love best.

And i must say i never tire of creating snowmen of all kinds.

I also made some gingerbread dolls. Some were sugar coated like this one, others were rubbed with cinnamon and they smell evenly. I love to stuff most of my dolls with rags. It gives them a special look and feeling in your hands. Today is my day off, i am very tired. It is actually 1pm and i still wander lazily in my pyjamas. Outside it is snowing and i love to look at the billowing snowflakes. I put some old christmas cd's ( I love Bing Crosby ) and i feel very chritmasy. I love this time of year, just before christmas day. I think i will sit by the living room window and knit some mitts for my hubby. I bought some brow yarn ( such a classic for my traditional man ) and thought they would make a nice stocking stuffer.

'til next time my dearest friends, have a happy and sweet day.

For my Etsy shop ?

I thought i would put this doll up for sale on my etsy, but i am still hesitating. I made her this past summer. I like her a lot, but my main goal was to include christmas items. My dolls are very primitive and i think they are not very popular amongst etsy shoppers. I thought maybe if i showed them my snowmen collection, they would probably be a better seller. Thing is, i am still having problems with my computer and my digital camera. My hubby thinks he can have everything fixed tomorrow. I hope he is right. Anyways, any comments on this gypsy lady ? Should i give it a try ? Guess i don't have much to lose, don't I ?
Enjoy your day everyone !

I am still alive !

Well, it has been a whole month since i moved in my new house. So sorry if i did not take the time to come here and let you know i am still living on this planet. I am still in boxes, especially in my studio where most of all my stuff has not been unpacked, but there are most important things to do first. I wish i could show you some pics of my new world, but my computer does not "recognize" my digital camera anymore. My husband is trying to understand and solve the problem, but then, we are so busy with some renovations, this problem will have to wait for a little while. I told him i will need it soon, 'cause i can't put anything new on my etsy shop .
But I don't want to put pressure on him, besides, i have enough on my mind to keep me quite busy 'til christmas. Some clients have given me a phone call, asking me if I will be doing another x-mas show at my place. ( Something i have been doing for a few years ) And i told them i would. I think i am crazy, how am i going to find the time to get everything ready ? But i could not help saying yes, it gives me motivation to create new things. I will be restricted to small quick projects as i have little time left. So in between painting the kitchen walls, helping my hubby making a new bedroom for my daughter, i will be sewing snowmen and other x-mas ideas, not to forget i will have some cooking to do before x-mas, shop for gifts, ect, ect.... Oh gosh, this is such a busy time of year for me and with my moving to a new house, i hardly have time to breathe. I miss my knitting, my granny squares project. But this just a matter of time, i have to be patient. I still feel a bit like an outsider here, i sometimes miss my other home, i loved it so much. ( This is a picture of my barn, where i had my chicken coop ) But i have to be confident i can find happiness here. We have many projects in mind and with time, i can make this new place a cozy and warm home. With christmas coming, i can't wait to start decorating and have my daughters help me with the cooking. I wish my eldest daughter, Geneviève could spend the holidays with us. I wish she would come back home. But i am being selfish here. She loves her student life in Brussels. Oh well, enough of sad feelings, nowadays with the internet and web cams, i consider ourselves very lucky.
I will try and come back here once in a while and maybe show you some picture of my new home.
Til then my dear friends, enjoy your day !

going back to the " normal life "

Christmas is finally and sadly over. With a little reluctance, I decided to take the christmas tree down this monday. I always disliked this time of year, where we have to shake ourselves up and go back to the normal life. This christmas was particurlarly special, because my daughter Geneviève ( Visit her Etsy shop ! ) came home for the holidays. She left us last year to study art history in Brussels, Belgium. We had not seen her in more than a whole year. So having her with us was a celebration ! Time flew by so rapidly, she is already gone and the house felt so empty after her departure. I find consolation with the internet. This is such a fabulous invention ! I can see her on a regular basis with the computer cam and talk to her as long as I wish without ruining myself. Parents in years past were not so lucky. Telephone and the postal service was the only communication.
I just opened my Etsy shop yesterday. It was something I wanted to do for quite a while, but I had been so busy 'til now. I have several dolls for sale at the moment, but I have other ideas other than dolls I want to put in my shop. I am so excited about all the projects I have in mind, I just don't know where to start. I guess I will have to write down a wish list and do the things I prefer the most first. I will keep you posted of all the new stuff I will be adding in my shop.

A new day

I am entering the blogworld, feeling like a child doing his first steps. I hope to make this blog an enjoyable place for people to read and to see the things I create with my hands. Christmas will be a busy period for me. My daughter Genevieve who left home a year ago to study in Brussels, is coming over for christmas and we are all so excited to be able to share this special time of year with her. She was hoping for snow and I think her wish will be more than granted. We had our first storm a couple of weeks ago and we are expecting another storm this coming sunday, the day of her arrival. I am feeling a bit worried, I do hope her plane will not be delayed.

In the meantime, I have to get things ready. There is so much to do, from shopping to cooking to kintting last minute gifts for my loved ones. Tomorrow we are going to cut our christmas tree. This is such a fun tradition we have been doing with the kids. I will take pictures of this memorable day and maybe post some of them in my blog.

'Til then, I do wish you all a happy and safe christmas !