Best seat in the house
AutoclubxWhat a grand way to welcome in 2008 …
HGTV will air live, uninterrupted coverage of the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade beginning
11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan 1.
Jann Carl, best known as the weekend co-anchor and correspondent for “Entertainment
Tonight,” will host the event. He’ll be joined by garden expert Paul James and Robb Weller.
Viewers can expect to see highights of every float, equestrian unit and marching band.
The first Tournament of Roses was staged in 1890 by members of the Pasadena’s Valley Hunt
Club, in an effort to showcase California’s mild winter weather. More than 2,000 residents
turned out to watch the parade of bicycles and carriages covered with home-grown flowers.
Complimenting the network’s 2008 television coverage, www.hgtv.com will have additional
details about the parade.
Going Local
Yes, I know more and more of us are going online to purchase holiday gifts. Christmas,
Hanukkah, Kwanza and more…are all December events that families not only decorate and shop
for, but religious ceremonies that require all to pause a moment to recognize the good
things in life: like family and friends and the warmth and love of everyone around
us.Deersanta
So, although the Internet is a gigantic shopping mall, and everyone from Overstock to Bill
Me Later to 1800-Flowers is courting your dollar, I’m going to go local today. I’m going to
spotlight some folks here in the Rochester, NY region…and ask that you hop over to visit
them - especially if you live in or around Rochester, Syracuse or Buffalo. As my favorite TV
show likes to say, “Start at Home.”
The Women Business Owners Connection in Central NY is holding their annual Holiday
Connections and Auction tonight, benefiting the WBOC Scholarship Fund. Wish I could be
there. I’m going to try harder to be there next year.
Tracy Higgingbotham of Women TIES (Women Together Inspiring Entrepreneurial Success)
supports entrepreneurial women throughout NY State. This network is full of
opportunities…including a regional marketplace where members can sell their wares.
The last place I’m going to highlight today is perhaps the most important. It’s Rochester’s
own Pirate Toy Fund. “The Pirate Toy Fund is the only nonprofit organization in the country
dedicated to donating toys year round to children in need in our community. Located in
Rochester, NY and founded by local children’s entertainer, Gary The Happy Pirate, the Pirate
Toy Fund has distributed 50,000 toys since the year 2000…”
This fund has canisters all over the city…where folks can put their loose change or some
folding money, and they even allow contributions through PayPal. Just this week, Channel 10
TV is sponsoring their 8th Annual Toy Drive from Monday through Saturday. Folks can stop by
Wegmans or the Strong Museum of Play and drop off a new, unwrapped toy. Also, “Live news
broadcasts by Channel 10 NBC reporters Rebecca LeClair and Pat McGonigle and Gary the Happy
Pirate will be taking place all week at the Eastway and Chili-Paul Wegmans locations.”
Lazies, I have a collection of links for quick and easy holiday projects, ideas and fun for
you today.
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Yo-Yo Advent Calendar project from Sunshine’s Creations.
Yo-Yo Advent Calendar
Lazies, get your Clover yo-yo makers out - Sunshine’s Creations offers a tutorial for this
clever Yo-Yo Advent Calendar. Thanks to Yahoo Lazy Ila from South Dakota for directing me to
this project. Don’t forget our Clover yo-yo maker tutorial as a resource for this project.
Yo-Yo Garland
Jen B. of the Cre8tive Quilter blog posted a nice yo-yo garland. Jen made this simple and
festive garland for her tree. This is a great project to make with friends. Get your friends
together along with your yo-yo making supplies, some hot cider, put your favorite holiday
music or movie on in the background and yo-yo away!
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Yo-yo garland from Cre8tive Quilter.
Projects From Fabric Scraps
From one of my new favorite blogs TipNut, Scrap Happy - More Than 50 Fabric Scraps & Remnant
Ideas Plus Free Patterns.
Pie Me
I found this at Quilt Market in October and loved it. Jan and Jeanne at Lasting Treasures
introduced their Pie Mat pattern. It’s a little decorative mat, edged with stacks of yo-yos,
to place under a pie. It’s like a tree skirt for your pie or any plate/platter of goodies.
I think this is a perfect hostess gift to bring with you on holiday visits. Bring a
scrumptious pie, make a pie mat to coordinate with the pie (such as blue for blueberry pie)
or coordinate with the hostesses’ decor. Two gifts in one.
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Pie mat by Lasting Treasures.
Button Fairies
Are you a button junkie? I knew you were. Sharon B of the In A Minute Ago blog posted a link
to a fabulous Flickr group of Button Fairies. Click here to watch a slide show of these
beauties. Makes me want to go play right now. I didn’t see any instructions at the Button
Fairy group, but these look like buttons, beading wire, some graphics and imagination.
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Button Fairy by CindyCrafty.
Inspiration Throughout 2008
Give yourself the gift of creative inspiration all though the year in 2008. Tune in to
Sharon B’s In A Minute Ago blog for her ‘Take It Further’ challenge. Go ahead and bookmark
or subscribe to Sharon’s blog feed now so you don’t forget. I followed (and loved) her ‘Take
A Stitch Tuesday’ challenge this year, so I can’t wait to see this challenge.
Holiday Projects for Kids
HGTV offers a few Holiday Project for Kids. I especially like the snow globe idea. It’s
cute, quick, easy, and can be tailored to suit the recipient.
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Make a snow globe. Images from www.HGTV.com
Need help with something?
Like more directions for snow globe options, try eHow.com. This is a great site I stumbled
upon a while back. Type in ’snow globe’, ’sewing’ or ‘quilting’ to see the array of items in
these subjects.
Go Elf Yourself
Hey, that’s Office Max talking, not me. Go here to make an elf ’thing’ that you can email to
all of your soon-to-be-annoyed friends. Simply upload 1-4 pictures depending on how many
elves you want to make. Then call the special number they give you to make a voice recording
for the first elf. Don’t worry about your voice, Office Max will Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks it
into a delightful, if not creepy, soundtrack for your elf. Then email the link to loved
ones.
Make Glitter Ornaments
Craft Critique offers a nice tutorial on making simple and beautiful Glitter Bulbs. Decorate
anything from your tree to gifts with these.