It's Party Time!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~Burton Hillis

Every time I look at the calender I'm a little surprised how close Christmas is.  I think I have all of my shopping done and am only waiting on a few more things to be delivered.  Next I have all the wrapping to do.  Hopefully I will get some wrapping done this weekend - at least the ones that need to be sent to our daughter's family in New Mexico.  We thought about having Amazon wrap the packages and then have them sent directly to her but it was going to cost around $60 to have that done and then there were a couple that wouldn't be wrapped because they were being shipped directly from the seller. (Wow, that sentence was way too long - lol!)   I think we can beat that price in shipping alone.  Maybe I can convince DH to help with the wrapping - he does a beautiful job.  Are all of your gifts wrapped, sent and/or under the tree?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Christmas Cards

Today is Christmas Card Day!
Christmas Cards originally started as letters sent from school children to their families around the holidays. Christmas Cards as we know them today began to be seen after the invention of the steam press in the 1840s.
The first cards printed in England specifically for use at Christmas were designed by John Horsley in 1843 and were sold at Felix Summerly's Home Treasury Office. They featured the greeting, "A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You."
The first signs of people mailing cards to each other in the United States occurred around 1845. Until 1875 Americans had to import their Christmas Cards from Europe, but in 1875 that changed when a German immigrant by the name of Louis Prang published the first line of U.S. Christmas Cards.

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DECEMBER FINALLY FINISHED

I finally finished my December mini quilt and was able to put Mr Turkey away......

Santa was a fun little quilt to make.  It ended up measuring 12 1/2" X 12 1/2".  His cheeks are supposed to be rosy and created with crayons but I don't have any crayons in the house :(  This is a pattern from Count On It by Nancy Halvorsen.  Santa is hanging on his wire stand ready to greet everyone who enters our home.

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IT'S BLOG HOP PARTY TIME!

This giveaway is now closed!

Michele over at Quilting Gallery has organized a great Blog Hop Party again this year.  Last I looked, there were over 200 participants!  That's a lot of giveaways!  I'm participating, too.  What am I giving away?  Well, how about........

A Connecting Threads table runner kit!  The pattern is called Louisa May Table Runner and measures 16" X 32".  Included with the pattern is.......

this gorgeous assortment of fabric.  There are five fat quarters (hmmmm....I see one didn't get in the picture but it is in the package) plus two 1/2 yard cuts of the fabric on the right.  This is enough fabric to make the completed table runner - top, bottom and binding.

How can you win?  Simple!  Just leave me one comment telling me what you will be serving for Christmas dinner.  My answer would be - "I don't serve Christmas dinner.  We always go over to my SIL's and I ALWAYS bring the fruit salad ambrosia".

RULES

1.  Only one comment per person. 

2.  You must leave me a way to contact you.  If you are a No-Reply blogger, then please leave your email address in  your comment.  If I can't reach you, you CAN NOT win.  If you are unsure if you are No-Reply blogger, check out the info in my left sidebar.

3. This giveaway is open to everyone - yes, that means internationally.

3.  This giveaway will end on Saturday, December 17, at 4:00 pm PST.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, December 18, no later than noon.

After you have entered my giveaway, remember to click on the link above or HERE to take you to all of the other giveaways.  The list of links will be available Saturday morning, shortly after midnight.  Happy blog hopping!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to start cutting fabric for my Gardener's Journal quilt

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GIVEAWAYS
(These are not part of the Blog Hop Party)

Dye Candy is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini or Chris's stained glass snowflake ornament or a $25.00 credit toward the purchase of Chris's quilt jewelry pieces or hand dyed fabrics from my Dye Candy shop.  This giveaway ends Saturday, December 10, at 7:00 pm.

The Q and the U is having a giveaway.  You could win a signed copy of Riel's novel The Town That Drowned.  This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11, at 7:00 pm AST.

Art Nest is having a giveaway.  You could win a quilt made by Susannah on her new machine.  This giveaway ends towards the end of December.

Notions is having a giveaway.  You could win two fat quarter samplers of Just Desserts from Connecting Threads.  This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11, at 11:59 pm.

I Have A Notion is having a giveaway.  You could win a signed copy of Square-agonals or a Square-agonals pattern.  This giveaway ends Monday, December 12.

Toad U Sew is having a giveaway.  You could win a Blue and White Triplets Kit.  This giveaway ends Monday, December 12.

McCall's Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win a fat quarter pack of Moda Christmas-themed fabrics.  This giveaway ends Monday, December 12.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway.  You could win two patterns from the designer, Debbie Allen.  This giveaway ends Sunday, December 11.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win  a Mod Tod fat quarter bundle.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 14.

American Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win six Christmas fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 14, at midnight.

Canton Village Quilt Works is having a giveaway.  You could win 11 fat quarters of Kaffe Fassett's Aboriginal Dot fabric.  This giveaway ends Sunday night, December 11.

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FINAL THOUGHT