Dec12

December Calendar

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As I mentioned, I thought I’d give this a whirl tonight after dinner. The only problem was my glue was missing! Most of my art supplies are scattered around. After some looking, I found a new bottle of tacky glue in a basket.

I had made most of the 3″ squares from images I found on my Flickr group or from a vintage image CD I purchased from eBay. Some of the things like the small stocking, was from a mini-scrapbook kit I found in good ol’ Big Lots. I didn’t measure the poster board correctly (though I remember laying out the squares at one point) and had the space left on the right, so I made ornaments that hang from the Christmas tag garland. I love that garland as it looks like vintage tinsel. It’s from Martha Stewart. The squares are mounted using velcro dots (which I added to hang it up too). I need to add a few more numbers for dates too. I do like it! I’m also not saying it’s finished yet either.
My December calendar
Much thanks to my pal Greta for making 6 of these for me. It makes it extra special because of her additions.

Dec12

Internet shopping

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Today I decided to place orders at only two different places. I logged on about 11:30 and just got off (over 4 hours)! The first one had free shipping and I really looked around the site a while. Bri came home and I minimized my order so he could look online for a half hour or so. I would get up, do things and come back. The second place was Walmart. I had trouble with my order and had to call up. I waited close to 20 minutes and then the man on the other end said I should call back, but after 20 minutes of waiting already, I told him to give my order a try and it went through. I can’t say what I got, but they are two surprises. I am laid up a bit today as mother nature or hormones played a nasty trick on me with something what was suppose arrive a week later than today. Oy! I was glad to sit, but the waiting was ridiculous!

Now I haven’t seen my mom in over 3 weeks. I hope Friday will be a good day to go down. She is having car issues, so can’t come out here.

I am still decorating and making things in spurts. My calendar is laying on the dining room table to try to get finished tonight. I want to display it. I also glitter sprayed the poinsettias for my mom and uncle and they look pretty!
I was roaming around really lovely blogs last night, one of which was Artsy Mama in my blog roll. She was in an open house and showed  her own holiday creative touches in her sweet home. I think she is the one with the printer’s shelf that she is putting tiny Christmas things into it’s compartments. I have one and I should do the same thing. What a cute idea. I love my vintage stuff too.

Still need to do a little sewing before I start baking. I hope I won’t be burning the midnight oil too many times next week.

The Oprah show with her favorite things is one right now. I hope everyone has a strong heart they are carrying on so much-lucky them!

Dec11

Lots of red and Cardinals

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I was looking through a catalog and saw a Cardinal tree wreath and decided to copy it the best I could. I’m sure there is grapevine that is shaped like a tree somewhere, but I bought artificial garland greens and shaped it myself. I just don’t know what to use for the base of the tree. I think mine is smaller, but for $10-12 instead of $40, I think it looks pretty. I even added ‘something else’ that I will show you on the 17th! Cardinal tree wreath

My inspiration:

My inspiration
Here’s the tree! I am saving the one that shows the lights better for the blogger tour of homes on the 17th. Mind you, I am still cleaning as I go. I think there are always books in any of my room shots lately. The golds beads in a few areas are antique.

Our tree 07
Here is a close up of a swirly ornament.
Swirly ornament
I went shopping by myself today and got Bri’s big gift. I had a 20% off coupon for Bed, Bath and Beyond. I also got something my mom asked for and got Sean one too. I then went to Michaels and bought the things for the wreath and some more items my mom needed for her decorating. They had gorgeous artificial poinsettias for only $5 (see above). I thought they had glitter on them, so called mom and she said to get them for her and my uncle. The only thing is, the glitter was from other greenery. I did buy a can of glitter to give them a spray before I give them to her.
My last stop was World Market for stocking goodies. I got some more Christmas crackers, but smaller ones like I gave my niece and nephew last year. They were fun to pull and hear pop-and you get a prize! So I had a busy afternoon. I cashed in coins to the tune of $64-so I got two gifts with that! Gotta love that spare change at this time of year!
I’m finding it a little difficult on my sore spot with the seatbelt across that area-it’s tender.
And Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Mary Anne! I called to wish her a good one and she had her mom making dinner for her while they waited on my nephew and her niece.

Dec11

Just a few retro Christmas shots

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Of some celebrities-these can be found on Corbis.com

1929-Buddy Rogers (married to Mary Pickford) and Mary Brian, well known in the 30s-40s. I love her gown!

Buddy Rogers and Mary Brian

The Dionne Quints from the 193os

The Dionne Quints

One of my mom’s favorites, Robert Sterling and his wife Anne Jeffries. Mom learned that he passed on a few years ago from shingles complications. She had shingles, so she knew somewhat of how it would bother an elderly man.

Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffries

The tree decorations are up! I used ornaments I haven’t used for a few years. I also got my feather tree up and have mostly handmade ornaments on it. Still not ready for photos yet and I’ll probably go shopping tomorrow. I will probably participant in Boo Mama’s web house tour on the 17th. I can do a lot in a week!

Dec9

Shopping and decorating

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Finally! I did a bit of shopping last night at TJ Maxx. I love that store! They have just about anything you can think of, but I love giving body lotions, ornaments and useful kitchen or household items too. I saw a few things I liked, but Bri had pooped out and went to sit in the van. I like cloches (clear bell-shaped glass pieces) and they had one that was maybe a little larger than I wanted. Poor Bri now thinks he has to run around looking for cloches. I know a artist from eBay who uses them (the tiny ones), so I’ll have to ask her if she would mind telling me where she gets hers. I remember when I use to stencil slates with designs for ‘Welcome’ signs for a local lady and someone else who stenciled went off and started selling them herself. I was hinting around to where she got the slates and she wouldn’t say exactly where as she didn’t want competition in case I wanted to sell some. Anyway, I also saw a neat looking Victorian style glass biscuit jar in the store that was a bit on the large size.

Today, Bri fixed the switch in our bedroom-hooray! It was a pain pulling the cord in and out to use the main light. It didn’t take him long to do so. Then he got the Christmas tree out of the attic, stuck it in the stand (it unfolds like an upside down umbrella) and I ‘fluffed’ the branches, added red lights (some have the white lights with the red) and garland and antique gold beads. It looks completely different than last year’s tree so far. I wanted to perch cardinals on the branches, but need to get to a craft store to find some. I did add candy canes, so I am calling it my ‘candy cane’ tree. I have so much more to do. This is a ‘sneak peek’ as I like to see how the tree looks through the ‘camera’s eye’. I did have to rearrange the top. There are no ornaments on here yet, just some candy canes.

Sneak Peek

Last year it looked like this, quite different!

I did want to add that I was checking through one of the several catalogs that I get in the mail and found a few things I wanted to see if I could get on the web, one being a book for Bri’s dad. Sure enough, I found it on Amazon and ordered it and saved about 50% off the cost of what it would be in the catalog. I saw some cute angel wing earrings (one wing an ear) and a garden gnome that is holding a medallion that says ‘Gnomes for the holidays’. I may be ordering them from the company’s online service.

I need to take a break as my sore area is bothering me a bit. It’s rough to be a leftie and to have a boo boo on that side.

Dec7

Lucky seven!!!!!

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I am so relieved beyond words. After an hour wait, Bri and I went into the exam room, I had a stitch taken out and then Dr. Rhoads came in and said the magic word ‘benign’. I feel truly blest today. I wanted to tell you all right away that the long waiting is over. I cried and hugged the doctor a few times, even think I made the intern in the room tear up! She said that 85% of what she takes out is benign and that’s all she basically does anymore is breast biopsies. I had to call my mom and then Sean to tell them the good news. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and thoughts and prayers these last 5 or so weeks. It’s going to be a great Christmas!

Dec6

Snow captures

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After I ventured out and got the mail, which had the cutest photo of my friend, her husband and their two poochies on a Christmas card, I grabbed the camera and took some photos. I was afraid I’d slip if it was icy, but the sun melted the snow just enough to make walking on it okay.
My little angel flag to greet people:
Angel flag

My fairy garden…all it’s inhabitants are tucked away for the winter-good thing!

Snowy fairy garden

Dec6

Winter wonderland

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We got about 3″ or so of snow and the temps dropped drastically. Bri had to go down a steep side street and was sliding as he went. I could tell he was shook up when he came in, but he was nice enough to go through McDs and get their yummy chicken strips and a salad for me. I made baked potatoes too. I just am not doing well with cooking. We also need to go to the store as I think of something to have and we don’t have the meat or whatever. I made a Rachael Ray 30 minute recipe a few nights ago and over salted what would have been tasty turkey burgers. I used ‘Italian’ flavored turkey, so I should have left that alone.  Bri ate some for lunch yesterday too, I don’t like over spicy stuff.

I did find a cute new Gund Piglet and receiving blankets that Brian gave the lady at work.  Receiving blankets may turn into the child’s lovies when he gets older.

Today I’m kinda of ‘going through the motions’ as I am thinking about tomorrow. My brother left me a comment here that wasn’t suppose to be public about how he was still angry about last year. My mom had sent him a birthday card and ‘stirred the pot’. I get emails of my comments and when I saw his name, I called Bri in before I opened it as I haven’t heard a word from him in over a year. I was hoping he would say he’s sorry about what’s going on his me, etc. but no, it was all about him. So I feel like he divorced me! I am trying to get my mind off things. My Christmas cards are almost filled out and then decorating more is next. In my family we never really did Christmas decorating until we were all home for Christmas break. Bri’s parents (use to) and my brother (still) put up their trees on Christmas eve. I don’t plan to bake until the 19th or later as I give cookies as gifts and want them to be fresh. So although I am going through stuff, I feel I’m on schedule. ; ) I applaud my pals who have everything ready.