Happy New Year's Eve…Almost That Is!

We had a wonderful Christmas in Ohio visiting our brothers and their families.  

We had snow so it was a white Christmas.   

We stayed a week so we were happy to return home and celebrate our Christmas. 

What do you think of my new Teddy Bear Santa Nut Cracker.  

It is a Christmas gift and I had to share it's cuteness with you.

I noticed that my Blogger Search Engine Widget wasn't working lately.  

Just in case any of you are having the same problem I surfed the Internet and found this easy fix (here).

  

So glad to be able to word search my blog again.

It's at the top of my left blog sidebar.    

That's a handy feature I have used many times.  

Of course one can search by "labels" as listed on my left sidebar too.  

I made a pumpkin pie today for New Year's Eve.  

Tomorrow I'll make Pap's Pizza Bread and Dip...favorite family recipes.   

We'll watch new DVDs…Man of Steel, Planes and Monster University and toast with eggnog to welcome the New Year at midnight (that is if I make it to midnight!). 

Laugh of the day:

More Crocheted Stars & Blogging Issues

I'm seeing more STARS!

Of course I couldn't just crochet one star.  

I had to make a garland!

These are really super easy to crochet.  

My only problem is... my stars aren't as "pointy" as the designer's.

  

I am not sure why.

But I still love them.

We've been busy the last couple days.  

We're getting ready for my new Horn sewing table.  

I cleaned out my old sewing cabinet and we brought dragged it upstairs from the basement. 

My old New Home Memory Craft 6000 sewing machine is in the shop for a "tune up". 

Believe it or not it hasn't been worked on at all for over 20 years. 

I never had a problem with it. 

It sews beautifully.

But I guess it is time to check out all the components.

The shop said there could be some rubber machine parts that can dry out over time.

I think I'm going to have to put a shelf up in my sewing room over my tables so I can mount some lights from it for task lighting. 

Well... actually hubby is going to mount the shelf and put the lighting under the shelf for me.

Pretty please...

I've also been busy researching some computer/iPhone blogging issues.  

For several months now I haven't been able to comment on blogs while using my iPhone. 

That was very frustrating...to say the least.

Because I like to blog with my iPhone Bloglovin' app. 

So last night I started researching that issue again and I actually found a solution... I think.

For now just enabling "cookies" on my phone browser seems to have done the trick.  

At least since last night I've been able to comment from my iPhone on blogs that I visit. 

That's one issue down.

The next issue is the fact that Google Friends Connect and/or Google Reader is going to be disabled on July 1 of this year. 

Well... at least that's what I understand. 

So awhile back I set up to have the Bloglovin' icon on my left sidebar of my blog for folks to click on to continue to be able to follow me.  

As I mentioned I also use the Bloglovin' app on my iPhone and I absolutely love it.

Click for a review of Bloglovin' (here) and to go to their website (here).  

It's so easy to follow the blogs I like and it's wonderful being alerted when a new posting has gone up.  

My research into Bloglovin' was fruitful too.  

I discovered that I needed to "claim" my blog.  

You can read all about that ? (here). 

That's why my post yesterday (here) just has the link to Bloglovin' - that post is the result of me "claiming" (i.e., verifying) my blog on Bloglovin'.  

The link also takes you, the reader, right to my blog on Bloglovin' to click on "follow" if you want to follow me on Bloglovin'. 

The last issue that I'm contemplating on is setting up a Facebook Fan Page for my blog. 

I found some information & instructions on how to do that (here) and (here). 

I just want to make sure that the Facebook Fan Page for my blog doesn't connect back to my Personal Facebook Profile.

Back to reading this Facebook Fan Page stuff (#%$#) and deciding if I want to take this next big step.

How about you?

Are you joining Bloglovin' and/or setting Facebook Fan Page for your blog?

If you have a Facebook Fan Page for your blog, please let me know if you like it and how it works vs. your Personal Facebook Profile.

It seems like they're always changing things. 

Once I finally get the hang of something or get it set up it changes. 

Well they always said that "change is the only constant".

Now can I get back to crocheting and sewing????

Spring Header

A gal can dream...

This is what we woke up to this morning.  

I wish it was to this beauty instead...

Even though snow is on the ground I'm thinking of Spring so I changed my blog header to a more Springy one using Ribbet.com. 

Valentine's decorations are put away and Easter decorations are coming out here at Teacup Lane.

It's fun to make these blog header collages at Ribbet.com.  

And it's free...

 Although you can upgrade to premium account at a small cost. 

Today I also tried out a new iPhone app call "BlogGo".

It's similar to the "Blogger" app...with one important feature.  

It will let you post photos within the text rather than inserting them all at the end of your post.

I'm not sure why there are these strange, outlined boxes around my photos with those ugly open spaces?

I set to have the photos "large" in the app maybe if I had set them to XL the photos would have filled in the spaces in the box outlines. 

There is always a learning curve with any application.

But this app is already a winner!

Watch the video to see all the great features it offers.

It works for iPad too.  

Click (here) for an excellent article I found entitled, "Ten Must Have Blogging Apps for iPhone". 

Then next blogging app I have to try is "Blogsy".

I don't know anything about Blogsy...apparently it works with iPad.

 I'll have to find out if it works with iPhone too.

That's all for today folks.

Think SPRING!      

Playing with My Header...

What do you think of my new Valentine & Hearts Header?

It's so much fun to make new Blogger Headers using Ribbet.com, a free online photo editing website.

I found an easy to follow pictorial tutorial (here) to create your own individual and creative blog headers at Barbara's "The Everyday Home" fantastic blog.

Go ahead and try it!

If I can, you can too!

So, what have I been up to?

Well, Christmas decorations are finally boxed away.

Indoor Christmas bins...done!

Outdoor Christmas Bins packed - these go out into the shed.

Can't believe that Christmas is over and here it is January 2013.

I guess it is time to get out my Valentine decorations.

I have limited decor for this holiday.

Thank goodness.

But before I decorate for another holiday I've been "playing" with my new "toy"

 {{{Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000}}

and I think I found my next sewing project.

I've had this fabric panel for over twenty years with the intent to quilt it like I did my "Christmas Forest Scene" - you know the one that I hang up every Christmas over our family room fireplace (see it here).

 This panel is entitled "The Night Before Christmas - St. Nicholas".

After I quilt it I will have fun embellishing it with bells, ribbon, paint and whatever else strikes my fancy.

I finished the body on my Gingham Throw and the border is next.

 I may "do my own thing" on the border to make the throw a little larger.

 It's on the small size...but just perfect for a baby.

If our niece has another girl this July this one will go to her.

Well, that's all that's going on here at Teacup Lane.

 Hope your day is full of happiness and love.

When A Christmas Throw Is A Tablecloth...

We had a lovely dinner out last night with friends. Two of my crocheted red and green doilies found new homes!

Tomorrow I have a hair appointment so I'll be all prettied up for Christmas. And Wednesday my neighbor is hosting our annual BUNCO Christmas Party. I'm thinking about making something with pumpkin. I've got to check out recipes on Pinterest.

I arranged one of my Christmas circle throws - "Starburst" - on a small round table in our dining room. It fits beautifully. What do you think?

Blogger Problem & Solution for my READERS:

Ok, you all know I'm blogging from my iPhone a lot now. It's just so handy and I love the ease of posting from my iPhone. About a month or so ago I started having problems leaving comments on your blogs when on my iPhone. After some research on the internet I found what appears to be a solution. Apparently - and this is only for bloggers who have Blogger blogs - the problem happens if your blog is set as "embedded" under comments. I discovered my blogs both had comments set as "embedded". So I changed my settings from "embedded" to "full page". Once I made this change I had no problem publishing comments to my blog via my iPhone. So I'm asking you to check your blog, if you are using Blogger, to see how your comments are set. You may be losing comments if yours is set "embedded" like mine was. Just sharing my experience as I'm not a wizard with Blogger. I really want to comment on your blogs so if you don't see me leaving comments, it's because I can't unless you change your comment setting on your blog!

First Waikiki Wild Flower Motif

I was anxious to try one of the Waikiki Wild Flowers. 

 First motif completed last night!

This is my sample try.

No problems.

Easy to do.

I love the pattern - good photos and instructions. 

 You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry (here).

Colors are selected...Caron Simply Soft in Blueberry [oops a nice reader caught this color is Blackberry not Blueberry], Watermelon, Sage, Red, Orange (no label) [but again that nice reader advised that the orange is persimmon], Light Country Blue and Blue Mint.  PS - I added a dark purple and light pink yarn (don't have the labels with me with the names). 

 And a yellow yarn (not shown) for center of flowers.

I'm using a J hook.

Each flower is joined as you go.

You can't tell here but there is a nice definition to the flower.

And the back is lovely too.

The pattern calls for approximately 20 flowers per color. 

I may vary the color shades here and there. 

 You know I have to put my personal stamp on it.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey bloggers using Blogger!

Don't forget to back up your blog and template frequently!

Here's wonderful instructions (on the up-to-date new Blogger interface) on how to do it (here).  

It's easy to do so set up a schedule to update every month.

You don't want to lose all your postings.   

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

LaZ Boy... and, ah, Lazy Days Are Here!

Two very nice young men delivered our new LaZ Boy chairs today.

They removed our old, and I mean OLD...

(over 26 years old!) 

...Sears five piece modular unit from our family room.

And replaced the unit with our new chairs.

First one up is...

...the new manual wing back chair (Jennings High Leg Recliner) in a beautiful floral red, light blue and green on a beige background fabric. 

 We ordered extra floral fabric so we can recover our navy blue leather Ethan Allen wing back chair and ottoman to match the new floral wingback chair.

This is my new Lancer Power Recliner - we bought two so Hubby and I each have one.

This is Hubby's. 

 The chair positions are almost unlimited for the feet, back, head and lumbar spine.

And so comfortable - it is heaven!

I love the extra room to walk around that we have now in our family room.

And this floral fabric really pops and, by the way, looks great with the new Country Curtains.

I couldn't get a good picture of the chair with the valances - the light from the window kept darkening the room.  

How do you like my new header? 

I just never could figure out how to do a blog header that would stretch all the way across my blog and not leave spaces on each side of the header photo.

That is until today!

Source: everydayhomeblog.com via Teacup Lane on Pinterest

I found a fantastic blog header tutorial on Pinterest that was so easy to do using a free photo editing program similar to the old cancelled Picnik called "ribbet.com".

Barb at Every Day Home blog has put together a wonderful tutorial...leading a dummy like me through the process step-by-step with great photos.  She also has a previous post (here) regarding blog headers too.

And I didn't have any issues with the placement and/or size of the header - it went into my blog without any problem.

If you would like to have a professional blog header I would encourage you to try this tutorial.  It was so easy... just like Barb said it would be...within 15 minutes I had a lovely new blog header.

Thank you so much Barb!

What a great day...new chairs and a new blog header!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Loving My IKEA Shelves

Last week we journeyed to IKEA to look at cabinets and shelves.

We liked this white shelf unit and brackets combination. 

 We knew we would need smaller length shelves and were pleased that these shelves could be cut to size.

This is my little laptop corner in our kitchen I use for blogging. 

 Hubby installed this tiny IKEA desk shelf previously (here).

It was working very well for me but I wanted to have some shelves next to the little desk to put my coffee cup, land phone, weather radio, lamp and books.

Back out to the garage to cut one long shelf into two shelves.

Measure twice, cut once!

Poor Hubby - he is always working (for moi) in tight, dark corners!

Up go the brackets.

These shelves are in solid - they aren't moving at all.

My little blogging corner all finished!

I moved my Teddy Bear cookie jars over here to free up space on my kitchen counter.

This thing sat on the floor on the other side of our half wall with all the black cords hanging down - an ugly eye sore viewing from the family room.  

Look at all the dust!

Now it sits on the bottom shelf on the kitchen side with all the large black plugs hidden.

 I still have to tie up the hanging loose blacks wires - but what an improvement.

We have another small project to show you soon in my craft/sewing room. 

 But I have to give Hubby a break - he's been working hard on my projects.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Join me for:

Tweak It Tuesday

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone