Winter Break Round Up

Happy new year! The kids are back at school after two weeks of being off for Christmas and I was so ready. They're much more manageable when they're on a schedule.
Our Christmas was rather small this year but nice. Both Kerry and Khloe asked for footwear - Kerry picked out a new pair of shoes from the Adidas website that were on sale with free shipping and got here in three days, just in time to wrap. I won't have any problems ordering from them again. He loves his new shoes and only took them off to sleep...although he was rather sick and may have slept in them a couple of times. Khloe has asked for brown combat-style boots since her birthday and I found a pair on Amazon that are perfect. She, too, has worn them non-stop since opening them. It makes me so happy when a gift is loved. Eric is not easy to buy for, so when he mentioned a cherry wine from Wisconsin that he'd had and liked I did a search and ordered a bottle from the winery and he enjoyed it. I also got him some cd's - Black Sabbath and AC/DC. He likes to rock. What did I get? Eric got me a sandwich maker, but mine is a double. I've used it several times and it's cool. The only tricky part is getting everything out without burning myself - it gets really hot. Mom gave me a set of Zephyr knitting needles from Knit Picks. They don't sell them any more so I think this was the set she'd ordered for herself a few years ago and doesn't use. I'll get plenty of use from them but knitting plans will come later. She also got me:

two new jars of buttons. She has me figured out!
Speaking of buttons, I spent Christmas Eve making these bracelets

inspired by some I've been seeing on Pinterest. The hardest part is deciding which buttons to use. I have a couple more planned, of course. The black and silver one is really long and can be used as a belt...once I tone up a bit. It fits now but is snug. I'm planning a brooch, too, but it's still in the "back of the brain" planning stage. Do you all have that? An area in your brain where ideas percolate until they're fully formed and ready to be born?
I'm going to be making this beauty soon

because it's gorgeous. I'm not sure what I have in the stash that will work. I didn't get any money for Christmas so new fabric will sadly have to wait. Doesn't it look like something Curtise would wear?
That's all for now. I'm in the house warming up a bit from shoveling snow out of the driveway. I can finally feel my toes again - and I'm wearing three pair of socks and winter boots. It's flipping cold out. I don't like it. I should go finish shoveling now before I get too comfortable...or maybe I'll save it for my son to do. Yeah. That's the new plan. I'll be back tomorrow to share my plans for this year. Stay warm, my dears!