COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 7 days left

More Christmas Greetings going out to you today. Do you realize this is the last Saturday before Christmas? I was going to make a quick run into town today, but I think I can wait for that pleasure - lol - possibly tomorrow around noon will be less crowded and I can get things done more quickly.
It's another lovely but cool day; the sun is shining and there is no wind. I'm waiting for my coffee water to boil while typing this. There's nothing like the simple pleasure of slightly sweetened black freshly ground pressed coffee made with well water.

Today's seasonal postcard reflects simple values of early American self reliance, family  and old-fashioned virtues. Interestingly enough this card is from the Post World War One era when the economy was flagging, and for the first time there were more people in cities than there were on the family farms. Poverty and disenfranchisement were endemic both in the country and the city as people became dependent on a wage rather than the land to sustain them. Life was more likely being led in a cold water flat or a decaying and rudimentary rural dwelling than the idealized light filled cottage depicted here.

I think the values reflected in this card have come to the forefront of people's minds again these days and we are reading of people on small holdings and in the cities trying hard to cut down on consumerism and lead a simpler life with simpler pleasures. I'll certainly support that and wish I were young enough to supply more of my own needs. But I have joined a wool CSA and try to buy my food organic and local as much as possible.

Most of my readers are people with similar values who enjoy needlecrafts, flea market decorating and so on, so my Christmas GIVEAWAY will be attractive to them - as the prize you will have your choice from among 5 options ` 4 of which are needlecrafts related and the fifth a lovely hand embroidered table runner from my sister site  http://www.funkybabymine.blogspot.com/
To enter, just go to http://quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-christmas-giveaway.html, become a follower and you're in! There are ways to improve your chances of winning, so be sure you check those out too!

I'll be talking to you again tomorrow when I bring you another of my vintage greeting postcards. Until then ~ hugs from Janet!!!
And let's hope the weather holds.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 8 days left

Greetings from a cold and snowy rural Nova Scotia. Don't you just love the sweet little boy and girl with their decorated Christmas tree and their darling pup romping in the snow. The little boy is a bit like an elf or a Kris Kringle with his red stocking cap, belt and leggings and his black boots. The little girl whose hand he is holding is dressed in warm rose jacket with furry collar and a paler rose long full skirt. They epitomize the sweet romantic childhood images drawn by Lucy Mabel Atwell. 

Today is peaceful and quiet and I'm getting back into my gentle pre-Christmas routines with power finally restored, which on a well means hot and cold running water is back - yeah! Laundry and dishes and a general scrub up has been done.

Yesterday I got all my junk out of the old car, made my final run down to the garage without incident and picked up my nice new-to-me Dodge 2002 Caravan! It handles beautifully and I enjoy again being up nice and high and surveying traffic. I drove only trucks and vans until a few years back when I started buying small cars because they were easier to find, and I'm looking forward to having a bit of load capacity again so that if I want a bale of peat moss or a couple of sacks of kindling I don't have to worry about getting it home.  It's all good!

Have you entered my Christmas GIVEAWAY yet?

If not, go to  http://quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-christmas-giveaway.html 

and enter right now - the choice of prizes is too good to miss. I've also been checking to find other giveaways for you to enter and will list any new ones I find today in my Saturday post.

Time to go carry in more wood and then get supper going ~ hard to decide between a homemade soup and a lazy gal's grilled smoked meat and cheese sandwich ~ decisions, decisions!!!!

Warm hugs! We'll talk again tomorrow

Janet

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 9 days left

Doesn't this fashionable looking shopper look like she has everything under control?

And all the elements of a 1920's celebration are there - snow, nostalgia, a cosy cottage up on the hillside and a lovely young woman.

In my area we are coming out of a two day power outage which put a lot of plans for shopping and other Christmas preparations on hold. I have a list as long as my arm of things I need to pick up and errands I need to run in the next few days!

I have now reached my 40th follower and am pleased to see the number of entrants in my Christmas GIVEAWAY rising day by day. You still have plenty of time to enter and to get your friends to enter too, so go to

http://quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-christmas-giveaway.html and enter today. Yesterday I ran across another charming giveaway at http://rookeryramblings.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-giveaway.html  this is the blogsite for the Tasha Tudor and Family Inc firm and they are offering six lovely pink lustre teacups so although there are a lot of entries, your chances are good to win one of them. What a lovely way to enjoy your daily cup of tea - check out the picture! Then go and enter, leaving your comjment including which you'd choose and your email address. You can also enter directly by sending an email message.  Good Luck!

There are lots of lovely things and ideas to look over and a lovely nostalgic feeling to the posts on the blog. Lots of pictures of sweet babies and adorable animals so what's not to love?

This giveaway is open to all residents of the United States and Canada so get over there and enter!

Will be back tomorrow with Countdown to Christmas! See you then.

Love and warm hugs from Janet!!!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 10 days left

Birds and holly leaves against a wintry background have always been a popular image for Christmas Greetings. Bluebirds especially have been popular and show up on imagery in music, embroidery, paintings and cards in both North America and the United Kingdom. These ones are especially attractive.

Now that the power is back on, my house is warming up and a cooked meal is going to be ready soon. We all were very lucky in this region there were no major fires, damage, flooding or extreme cold and that power was restored fairly quickly.

If you haven't yet entered my Christmas GIVEAWAY go to http://quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-christmas-giveaway.html

and do so - all you have to do is become a follower and leave a comment. If you win, you have a choice of 5 gifts from which to choose. Lots of luck - I'm looking forward to hearing from you!!

Big hugs and hoping you're almost ready for Christmas and that you are home warm and safe!!

Janet

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 11 days left

This was to have been Tuesday December 14th's post. However, Monday night we had a wild wind and rainstorm go through our part of Nova Scotia and at 8PM the power was gone, along with several roofs and many trees. No loss of life and no injuries, but a very wild night. Tuesday was a washout, still without power, but it finally returned after a few fits and starts about an hour ago.

So on to the post I had planned for today!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 12 days left

Visiting and bringing gifts is a tradition at Christmas.

This Olde English couple are visiting a quaint little cottage so loved in 1920's illustrations. Clearly a Dickens influence going on here with the Victorian costumes and idealized countryside. Traditional colours enhance the scene, as does the dusting of snow.

I've been visiting a lot of blogs lately and I am amazed at the number of really generous giveaways being posted.

My GIVEAWAY  is meeting with great success, check it out at

http://quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-christmas-giveaway.html  and make sure you enter today!

And thank you all the people who have posted about it and linked to my post and also become followers - thank you, thank you.

Warm hugs from Janet!!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: 13 days left

Today it is a lovely morning: bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky and very still. It's not too cold with no wind blowing, and I will take advantage of that later (after my morning shot of fresh ground, dark roasted fair trade coffee and a few rounds knit on a little sweater I'm working on) to bring in plenty of wood for the next couple of days in case we get the tail end of that blizzard which is hitting the midwest. I hope you are all safe and warm if you live in that area or in southern Ontario, which is also expecting to be hit with it.

Take a look at my sweet vintage postcard for today - elements that were popular at the time were those that gave a glimpse into the past and a simpler time. This is no surprise as we do so today in our choices of items for celebrating Christmas.

Here we see simple bursts of colour against black and white, giving a woodcut effect.  

TODAY'S UPDATE ON GIVEAWAYS!

Thearica at Pigtales and Quilts

http://www.pigtalesandquilts.com/2010/12/happy-new-years-day-giveaway.html is hosting a remarkable giveaway and has kindly taken my button and also mentioned my giveaway too.

Thearica is giving away a scrumptious vintage yoyo quilt in absolutely immaculate condition. This is so generous of her!!!

 Look at the lovely idea for display! Can't you just see this lovely setting off your finest tea set and china and a big pot of cyclamen - it would have to be deep rose, of course!!!

Thanks to Thearica's generous giveaway, one of us will soon own this lovely piece of history! Enter today!

And.....

Enter my GIVEAWAY, too - go to

http://quiltingwithjanet.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-christmas-giveaway.html

and enter right away to win your choice of five gifts!!!

and compliments of the season to all my readers!

Hugs from Janet!