New family member and decorating for Christmas

Just like Christmas gifts, it's the empty box that is most fun!

 Cici did her best to hold down the empty tubs of Christmas decorations.  Sarah helped put out our decorations when she was home over Thanksgiving.  It didn't take long as several of my traditional decorations have migrated to her apartment in St. Louis.  

This is my new table runner that my Aunt Judy made.  She had several of these for "show and tell" at Thanksgiving.  It was hard to choose from all the different ones she had.

Sarah didn't want to help with the Christmas trees.  So, I worked on those the week after she left.  We had to replace all the lights on one of the pre-lit trees, so it took awhile.  No photos yet.  We were a little hesitant to leave with 3 trees "mostly" decorated to go to St. Louis on the weekend because we welcomed a new member to the family.

Meet Esme!  She is a rescue from a shelter in Kansas, she's somewhere between 6 months and 1 year in age.  She has the most beautiful fluffy tail.  Since she is from Kansas, I contemplated naming her Dorothy, or Toto (we're not in Kansas anymore!), but she didn't seem to fit either of those, so her name is Esme.

She is a little more tolerant of Willow than Cici is.  She and Cici have been getting along well.  Esme slept on my bed the first 2 nights, but now seems to hang out with Cici at night.  She was also like a puppy the first few days, following me everywhere, always right under my feet.  She has started expressing her independence a little.  And she has claimed the Christmas quilt on the church pew as her "spot".

In other news, I am happy to report that I have completed all of the baskets I needed for Christmas gifts.

This one was ordered by Jeff, our neighbor who helps haul grain and does chores when we are gone.  He is giving it to his new wife for Christmas. 

This next one is an antler basket that another grain truck driver ordered for his daughter.  He brought me the deer antler.  It took quite a while to finish.

Once it was finally done, I did a photo shoot to try to get all the angles...........

I also finished a basket for my quilt guild exchange gift.  I forgot to take pictures though, and it is already wrapped up for our Christmas Party this evening.  Maybe I'll get a photo with the recipient.

As for sewing, NOTHING has happened there for a couple of weeks.  The sewing room is now being used as a kitty rumpus room.  I can hear them up there cavorting around and wish I was there with them - not cavorting, but maybe sewing!  The only thing that has happened up there is that the hubs helped me make a new ironing board cover.  It's so amazing - well, I say that, but the only pressing I have done is to press the napkins from the laundry.  Maybe someday I'll get time to sew.  OK, I HAVE to get time to sew because I still have a couple of Christmas gifts to quilt.

Hope all your Christmas lights are Twinkling!

Christi