We're hoping to get the cabin walled in, so we can be working on that. But even if we don't we're going to be doing a lot of 'settling' this winter. We moved in early June and have just hated to spend any more time indoors then necessary, so there are a lot of things to be done yet.

I might get on to a few crafty things later in the winter, but I think I'll add them if they actually happen :-)

Also, Gary and I just filled out volunteer forms for the Keweenaw land trust and are hoping to be able to volunteer on a regular, if not necessarily frequent, basis. Maybe once or twice a month.

Hi Janice,nice to see this subject, i hope lots respond don't you.
I will be making a Victorian Lamp Shade for my son who lives in Cal.
I had a business a few years back,making such lamp shades,all are hand sewn,some are beaded,others with the long antique fringe.
I will also be styding for my GED.
I want to learn about Hybridizing,(nice artical in the new
Hosta Journal).
I wamt to read a book about bees and cell phones(gotta find the name of that book-any one know?)
I will also try my hand at starting hosta seed.
Going for therpy on my back,should be done in time for spring.
I will post a picture when the shade is done.
Janice, i wanna see some jewlery when you get a few pieces made ok.
Thanks for getting this started.:0)
Carol

Hi Janice!!

this winter I will be doing the usual plant growing thing. growing all the expensive annuals, that i dug up from outside, and spraying them for spyder mites and aphids
(this year i am spraying EVERY plant that i bring in before it passes over the thresh hold!! I do alot of cuttings of the annuals, Coleous, persian shield, mona lavender, papyrus, begonias, and then do seeds later in the winter that i saved in the fall.

cleaning out the dry goods cupboard and putting everything out in the freezing front porch (to get rid of those moths that decided to make a home there this past summer!!)

And of course the usual mundane stuff like laundry, scubbing the toilet, the shower and the sinks!! YUCK!!

Really looking forward to starting some seeds of a hosta cross that i did this summer, Inniswood (pod plant) and Northern Exposure (pollen plant). Not expecting too much, just hope they dont grow as slow as NE!!

Thinking about finding my oil paints and starting that up again, not really that good but i like some of it. Maybe take a class on it!! Hmm.... should do that one!!

Paul

I will be taking down the popcorn ceiling in my dining room and putting up crown molding. I dread doing this. After that it will be some interior painting.

Hey Janice, thanks for starting this, its always fun hearing what people are going to do during the winter months.

Near term its prep the house for winter, then its prep the house for the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are a big deal for us, lots of decorating, family gatherings. Can't wait.

Sprinkled through the race toward Christmas I'll be making porcelain pieces to be fired (baked) in a wood fired kiln in February. The studio I go to has scheduled a workshop at Peter's Vally in western NJ. Its a great place to learn all crafts, everything from woodworking, black smithing, fiber art, to pottery, glass blowing, etc. We'll take turns stoking the fire around the clock for a few days. Its a fun, but intense time I'm told.

Through it all I'll continue to surf the web for creative inspiration. A month ago I found etsy.com, which is "everything handmade". What a lot of creative people! Talk about inspiration to be creative, amazing! LOL!

What are you doing during the darker days of winter Janice?

PIM

Not a hobby but this is what I've been doing.

For the last 2 years I have redecorated a room in my house after we come back from our winter vacation. Nothing terribly expensive just paint and new accessaries.

The first year was the computer/media room with new paint,took out the bed, pictures from Goodwill, added a 'new' hide a bed couch from Salvation Army. Told you it was cheap!

This year it was new accessaries for the bathroom, paint , new light fixture, new mirror and I made the curtians and seat cover for the small stool from another matching shower cutian. This time I went all out and got mostly new stuff. LOL All but a wonderful antique tapistry picture of a horse I got in a Savannah GA. antique/junk store.

I've already started thinking about the changes I will make to the kitchen / breakfast area in 2009. Again I'll go cheap with a fresh coat of paint on the cabinets. They were painted blueberry when we moved in 16 years ago and we repainted them white with a vibrent darker pink doors and drawers for a number of years before we did white all over 5 years ago. The wide rose paper boarder will come down and the hand painted rose plates I have all over will be packed away. I'm going from soft opal-green walls to a homey yellow. My teapot collection will stay as will as my maple hutch, desk, and table and chairs. As much as I would like to change my counters they will have to stay as well as the floor which are both gray so should be okay.

I think change is good. Hopefully I will never be too old to want to refresh my home from time to time. The living room and dining room will be after that in 2010!!! I haven't told my hubby about 2009 and 2010 yet! The shock of the impending mess till it's all finished will be too much for him.

Connie

Pictures of finished projects. Computer/media room and bathroom.

Connie

{{gwi:894690}}

See my hosta books? Ready when I need them! LOL

Walls color is called carmel fluff, not pinkish like picture shows.

{{gwi:894692}}
Bathroom is long and somewhat narrow with a full closet. Floor tiles are 18 in square. Wall color is beige.

Sounds like everyone will be very busy this winter, which will make Spring seem to arrive more quickly
I hope!! I love all the photos nd your rennovation looks very nice, Connie, even in 'pink'! :o)

I've copied what I posted in the 'Favorite Cookware' thread before starting this thread!
Here's what I'll be up to:

This winter, we have another 'project' on our seemingly life-long house rennovation! Because we have
a couple of dogs, we are choosing laminate wood flooring over the real deal hardwood flooring for our
family room! We've always had carpeting but I'm really liking the smooth flooring over carpeting,
for ease of cleaning and durability! We have porcelain tile almost everywhere else right now,
except the master bedroom, computer room (which is one of the bedrooms) and the dining area!
It took hubby 20 years to talk me into it and he's right--it's great stuff to live with!

And--I've developed an interest in jewelry making! Sigh--spent alot of bucks gathering tools and materials
and actually have sold a set of necklace and bracelet with interest in whatever else I make! I love the process of
the designing of it, but wear not a lot of jewelry myself! Funny how that is!!!

I'm very excited to work with polymer clay! I've purchased all the best recommended
books by Donna Kato, Sue Heaser, Barbara McQuire and Carol Blackburn, on ebay mostly and I've
also purchased a pasta machine, clay extruder, tools, etc. and I'm good to go after Christmas!!!
I'm so excited!!!

So far, I've used purchased beads to make my pieces but am MOST excited to make my own!
You can make some pretty amazing ones, dichroic and faux stones like Jasper, turquoise and
the like, pretty effectively and easily I hope!

Oh, and around the end of January, we're expecting another grand-boy--another big one, too!
If he looks like his 17-month old brother---he will be adorable! In any case--we'll love him to
pieces, too! :o) That will give us 4 grand-boys, all totalled!

Connie, loved your room renos. I see the same books I have piled beside me but yours are MUCH more tidy. Clean up some messy areas should be one of my goals for the winter but I have to be in the mood. Eliminate some of the clutter would be a good idea too. I will probably read, maybe do a mosaic or two and mostly work on my pictures on the computer. I keep promising, myself, I'll try to do a book but organization is not my strong point. Anyway, we're enjoying a great, long, mild fall. Still no frost at least close enough to the house to make a difference. I've got dahlias blooming and a some plants looking green still. I took some pictures yesterday, I'll post them on the Discussion side.

Janice, jewelery - I'll do that right now..... Congrats on the new grandchild. What fun.

What McT, show all the real mess I normally have near my computer!!!! I think not, as no one would respect me anymore!!!! LOL

I cleared most of the stuff off!! I now have piles of information everywhere to take along when we leave for Florida in Jan. All the gardens I want to visit while we are down there and other places of interest. I need addresses so we can program our GPS to find them. What ever did we do without all these new fangled gadgets!!!!

Our winter vacation is 'pay back time' for my hubby. I do all the things he likes to do all summer so our vacation is my turn to catch up on my favorite things.

Connie

Yup! We did it before.... sorta the same anyway.

But, going back to my new thread... let's do hobbies with pictures..... LOTS of pictures! Post them in the new thread please :-)

I was surprised to see this thread at the top again! LOL

Has anyone noticed Connie's pics. on her posting above, "Pictures of finished projects. Computer/media room and bathroom"?
WoW!!! LOVE what she's done with her *computer room*--but I don't see the computer!! LOL

Yes Janice,
I noticed it,

Oh my gosh,I am laughing so hard,no pictures of Connies room, but the picture of the pond is MINE, ha ha ha
What a hoot!
cAROL

Oh MY, cAROL--she's redone YOUR 'pond'?? LOLOL Nice job!!!

Now, if she'd just come and 're-do' my computer room, like that--I'd be VERY HAPPY!!!ROFLMHO

Connie-where are you--we're laughing WITH YOU, and you need to join in!!! hahaha

hehehe--I see you're posting right now, Connie! Can't wait for you to get HERE!! lol

Where did those pictures come from??????? LOL

I am so not savoy with the computer. I don't remember removing pictures form Photo pocket but I must have but how did they get replaced with those??????

Connie

LOL, Connie--I don't know, but we're SURE enjoying them!!!
Don't move them--okay---it will spoil the fun, for sure!! LOL

I am just cracking up over here!
Connie, how does your hubby like all that water in your computer room, it is a nice soung isn't it,ha ha ha
Oh my gosh, this is just to funny.
cAROL