365 Days Handmade

Making life a better place, one day at a time

Category Archives: Holidays


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Week 51/52: Christmas Eve Eve

12-23-2016b

I was on the fence about continuing this blog.  Then I got an email that WordPress automatically renewed my account for another year.  My credit card’s been charged and I’m paid up, so what the hell, I might as well keep going.

I’ve still been crocheting and knitting, and I recently picked up cross stitch again.  The pattern for the font and Christmas balls that you see above are from Julie Jackson’s newest Subversive Cross Stitch book.  I also made the ornament below.

I’ve got a list of profanity-laced expressions that I’m planning to cross stitch and frame in the near future.  I’ll share them with you if I get inspired to take photos and post again.  In the meantime, hope you all have lovely plans for the holidays!

12-23-2016

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Day 365/365: The Last Day of 2015

Thank you for reading and for all your support!  See you in 2016!

fishhatprofile     1.5A     1.11E    

   1.17A     runner1    1.1A

skateboardB     1.4iii     1.25B     1.29A     Feb.1.2015     2.22.2015A     3.1.2015A     3.8.2015A    3.14.2015 HKseanapples     3.17.2015C     3.22.2015D     4.7.2015A     4.9.2015C     Peanuts5     4.18.2015     4.29.2015     5.8.2015     5.10.2015A     5.17.2015B     6.6.2015     6.5.2015     6.14.2015C     7.8.2015A     7.11.2015     7.20.2015A     7.25.2015A     7.26.2015A     8.2.2015     8.5.2015c     8.8.2015A     8.14.2015D     Sean4     8.19.2015A     8.21.2015     8.24.2015A     9.9.2015     9.16.2015     10.2.2015     10.11.2015a     10.19.2015     10.18.2015b     10.24.2015     10.29.2015     strawberryA     11.16.2015     11.15.2015a    c     a     12.1.2015     11.31.2015     12.5.2015b     12.11.2015     12.14.2015     12.16.2015a     wp-1450408551375.jpeg     12.19.2015a     12.20.2015a     12.21.2015a     12.22.2015     12.24.2015a     12.25.2015a     4     12.26.2015     12.27.2015     12.30.2015


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Day 364/365: The Second to Last Day

I got home late from work tonight, and then I had to write out a grocery list, go to the supermarket, shop for food, come home, put away the groceries, and make dinner.  Poor Sean is sick with the same bug that I had a few days ago, but he is trying to be tough and not take any pills like I did.  Dinner was comfort food of homemade mashed potatoes, peas and corn, and fried chicken that I purchased from the supermarket deli.  By the time we finished eating and I tidied the kitchen to a reasonable state, it was 8:30 PM, half an hour away from my bedtime. I still had to write today’s blog post.

I sat and stared at the computer for a little bit, typed up a few words, read what I wrote, and then deleted the whole thing.

“I got nothing,” I told Sean, who was stretched out on the couch with a book.  “Day 364 out of 365, and I got nothing.”

Sean laughed.  “That should be your blog post,” he said.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through recent photos in the gallery.  I came across this one.  I thought it would be the perfect one to share with you tonight, on the second to last day of this year in which I made the commitment to post a blog entry every day for 365 days.

12.30.2015


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Day 357/365: Thumbprint Jam Shortbread Cookies

I have to work tomorrow, but only for six hours.  This year, the governor came through again, and full-time Department of Corrections employees received four hours of leave that can be used either on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.  I’ll be using my four hours tomorrow afternoon and leaving at 2 PM, after my Lifers Support Group is over.  I could easily just cancel the group, but I know those guys enjoy the hour of support and discussion, and it seems to me that they would especially want to meet on the day before a major holiday.

Anyway, leaving after 2 PM tomorrow means that I don’t have to start until 8 AM, which means that I’m able to stay up a little later tonight and bake these cookies to bring to work.

12.23.2015

They are simple shortbread cookies made with two sticks of butter, 2/3 cup of sugar, 2 cups of flour, and a teaspoon of almond extract.  I like to fill the centers with cherry preserves, but you can use whatever jam or jelly you prefer.

12.23.2015b

They are a favorite among the correctional officers who do the pat-downs and searches on inmates who come into our building (and into my office), so I am definitely making sure those officers get their own bags of cookies.

12.23.2015a

 


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Day 353/365: Santa Claus is Coming to Town…

A few months ago, the city of Morro Bay started implementing plans to build a bike park right next to my neighborhood.

12.19.2015

The photo above is an old one.  They’ve made a lot of progress since it was taken, and the packed dirt hills have been calling my name every time I drive by.  The new park is supposed to open in 2016.  So when Sean asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, the tomboy little kid in me who never owned a bike in childhood said, “I want a BMX bike.”

Hence, this happened this afternoon:

12.19.2015a

The box was delivered to the house a few days ago, and Sean decided to put it together today.

12.19.2015b

After it was assembled, he let me ride it for a test drive down the street.  And then promptly took it back and said I have to wait for Christmas Day.

The little kid in me can’t wait.