Exercise That Muscle!

I'm gearing up for the holidays, you might say. Sometimes you just have to exercise your shopping muscle - use it or lose it!

So after John fell through the ceiling, we decided to take a road trip to JAX to spend the weekend at my sister's house. They have a fantastic restaurant there - La Nopalera. Hands down the best margaritas ever. But I digress.

My sister gifted me with my Christmas present. Yes, it's early, but I was whining about buying the tableware I wanted, and I wanted to buy it right then. Turns out she had already beat me to the punch. She got me 8 place settings of this:

Johnson Bros. Friendly Village. And because I now had new tableware, I had to have new flatware to go with it. This is Cuisinart's Balustrade. Of course it was on sale. And of course you have to have 12 place settings, not just 8, so I had to buy another 4 placesettings of tableware. I'm blaming this all my sister, the shopping she-devil.

When John saw it, he made sure he chastised me for spending money (oh wow, I am SOOO sorry. NOT) and then he said, "These are winter dishes, what are you going to use for spring and summer?" Stupid, stupid man. He was trying to make me think that I had made a mistake, but all he did was to make me realize that I needed yet another set of dinnerware for the coming seasons. Will he ever learn?

In crafty news, I am finishing up some long overdue projects. The latest one is a stocking for a friend's grandson. He was born in Sept. of '06, but there was no way I was getting it done last Christmas. Someone had made her two girls stockings when they were young, and when her granddaughter was born, she had one made for her. Well, when her grandson was born either the woman died or just flat out refused, so she asked me. I did my best to copy what she had done, but I firmly believed she used a pattern for a basic Christmas stocking, because the heels are different. I just made mine as though I were making a sock. I also used acrylic, for wear and tear, and so no bugs would want to eat it. I wish I had used wool! waaahhh. Acrylic just looks so, um, unnatural.

It's finished, and for this I am HAPPY! Now I need to get on to the next project, the quilt for my friend who's baby is due, let's see, the 19th!! Yikes!
Just so you don't think I've done all the exercising I'm going to do for a bit, I found a breakfast room set I really, really, really like.

Anyone want to buy it for me? No, really. Anyone??