As we welcome in the New Year there are changes happening in our home, Gary and I will become empty nesters on January 12th. Our youngest daughter Laura is moving in with her boyfriend of 2 1/2 years. I have such mixed emotions about this…she is 22 yrs. old and I know she is ready to leave home, but part of me just wants to hold on to her a while longer. I felt the same way when my oldest daughter Kimberly and Josie left home. I think they are always more ready than we are to let them leave the nest. After a few tears, I’ll be fine. lol…
Laura and Don really seem to love each other. I know they have talked about their future together, but have decided no wedding plans until she finishes her schooling. She has one more year until she graduates from college. We really couldn’t be happier that they are a couple. We have known Don for over 10 years. He is our son-in-law’s best friend (since they were in 2nd grade)…and has been friends with Kimberly since high school. The 4 of them are really close and they get together a lot. Laura will actually be living about 5 to 10 minutes away from her sister, which makes me feel better because Don does a lot of traveling with his job.
And there are other changes happening around our homestead. It involves black & red paint, taking down wallpaper borders, and taking out carpet to expose hardwood floors. When we built our first house back in 1985, I decorated very prim country…but when we moved back here in 1993, (to the town we grew up in to be near family) I thought that I wanted a change in my decorating. I got rid of a lot of my prim items and went with more of a cottage country look. After some years of that decorating style, I realized…I’m really a prim country girl at heart!! Sure wish I hadn’t got rid of some items now, but I did keep my very favorite pieces. Maybe that should of been a hint to me! LOL… Live and learn, but it sure has fun trying to find new primitive goodies for the house.
The shelf in the picture above my husband made for me back in the 80’s. It was in the bathroom in our old house and for years I’ve had it down in my sewing/craft area…but it is getting a new look and going to now hang in the dining room. I’ll have it finished in a few days, so be sure to check back.
Another change this coming year is in the direction that I am taking with my business. As many of you know, when I started my blog back in April I was going to retire from doing craft shows…but decided not to just yet as I got a new embroidery machine and it changed everything. So I will still be doing some shows…just not has many as past years and hopefully doing a lot more with my business online. 
I have had a passion for machine embroidery ever since I first discovered it 15 years ago and this machine has allow me to expand my embroidery possiblities. I have spent most of this past year trying to make items with supplies that I’ve had for a while and then selling them…so that I can start fresh this coming year with new things as I take my business into a new direction.
When I started my business 24 years ago, I specialized in prim country items for the home for about the first 4 years and then switch to applique clothing and jewelry with a country feel…then in 1993 started doing the embroidery on clothing. Over the last few years my artist style has been changing. I really missed painting and making items for the home, so I started making a few of my new items to sell at the shows and online…And they have done really well. I feel that I am sort of going back to where I started with prim country home items but with lots of embroidery…machine & hand-stitched, plus prim painting on old thrift shop finds. Can’t wait to share my new creations with you this coming year.
My oldest daughter give this to me for Christmas and as I was looking at it…I thought that these 3 words were great for my New Year’s Resolution.
To Live…my life to the fullest everyday.
To Laugh…often with others and sometimes at myself.
To Love…with all my heart.
And to all of you…I wish you many Blessings in 2009. It has been a blessing to me meeting and getting to know all of you this past year and I can’t wait to share this next year with you.
Until next time…or should I say, Until next year… Prim Blessings, Cindy
This little mouse on the sled was what my friend Linda made me for Christmas. Just too cute…there is a tin cookie cutter on the front of the sled and a wreath hanging from his tail. She also gave me this wonderful old fashion Christmas pin and a pair of gingerbread men earrings…one is a girl ginger and the other is a boy. 
The mailman brought this package to my door from Gina of “Cat Nap Inn Primitives” on Christmas Eve day and Chloe sure thought it smelled wonderful. She had her nose glued to it!! I had to hide it way in the back of the other presents so that she would leave it alone until Christmas morning when I could open it up. When I finally opened it up…I saw what she was so excited about. 
Not only had she sent gifts to me, but to Chloe and Andy as well. Gina, they thank you and said to tell you that “Rudolph’s Love Snacks” are their new favorite treat. Here are my goodies that she sent to me… 
I hung the little snowman ornie and the reindeer pin on my Christmas/Snowman trees. She also gave me a snowman that I think is made out of a sock and a snowman candle…just like one that my SIL gave me, so now I have a set of them, but I can’t share a picture right now as my camera battery died before I got all the photos taken because I forgot again to recharge it. Gina also gave me some handmade candy…Yummy!! And 2 great smelling fabric muffins…that all through Christmas dinner, my sister kept saying she was going to sneak them home with her because she loved the way they smelled!
But this I won’t be sharing…it’s just for me. The picture is not doing this necklace and earrings justice. It is actually a lot softer colors than the picture is showing. Gina, I love it!! It is so pretty. My sister is getting married this Sunday and I’m going to wear this. Thank you so much for everything! It has been such a joy getting to know you and sharing our passion for machine embroidery.
And look what my hubby gave me for Christmas… Paula Deen red cookware. This is only part of the set…there are 5 pots with lids, 2 skillets, and a griddle. I have had the same cookware for the 29 years that we have been married and it really still is in good shape. I actually think they would last forever, but I’ve been wanting some new pots and pans for a while now. I was so excited when Gary walked into the living room Christmas morning with this big box…I just knew right then that it was my red cookware!! He also gave me the most beautiful snowflake pendant necklace. I have truly felt spoiled this year.
