Too Cute...

My sister sent me pics of her Christmas Kitty... what a little dope... doesn't he look so happy?

Shellabrate the Season!

Here's a super cute card I received from my PR!SSyPal Allison. How cute is that? It's really really sweet. I again noticed this year there seems to be a decrease in cards received these days. Its a tradition I've always enjoyed. I love going to the mailbox during the holidays and seeing all of the different cards that people send. I hope this tradition is not fading forever. I know I'll keep sending cards and doing my part to keep this tradition alive.

Shellabrate the Season Y'all

Meet the Mayors of San Diego

BOOBOO wants to wish everyone a Very Happy Holiday. Isn't he just the best.... His real name is Prince but he goes by BOOBOO. I LOVE MY DOG. Is he not the most beautiful dog you EVER saw? He's part husky, collie, wolf mix (hehe). He got my heart the first time I ever laid eyes on him. I snapped this picture at the end of the day one day when I pulled up from after work. He was sitting there waiting for me all pretty with that cute little look on his face. Sitting in his favorite spot outside in the front yard. This dog has got everyone's heart wrapped around his little paws hence his title of the Mayor. Aliases besides BooBoo and Mr. Mayor... Monster Dog, Pigeon Toe, Mr. Dog, Yoda and on one single solitary occasion Bad Dog.

For all you people up in the Northwest, Oregon, the Midwest, such as Chicago.... I would like to apologize in advance for the green grass and sunshine. SOORY. My bad. ROFL. Since seeing all of the pictures lately of other parts of the country where I used to live I can't help but feel sooooo guilty I live in paradise. NOT. Yes that's GREEN grass in JANUARY. hahahahahaha. Hi Patty. hahahahaha

Mayor number 2





Some camophone pics of crazy people's houses when we went light hunting. Isn't that funny candy cane palm trees.

Pics don't do this neighborhood justice but I wanted to post a few to show

Somebody's garage.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

A simple manger

I add twinkle lights and sparse branches. I put this up every year and just love the simplicity of it.

Wow another Christmas past... I think I say it every year but this was the best Christmas EVER! It seemed as though the universe aligned and everything fell into place nicely. I don't know what it is/was but everything seemed charmed this year for the most part. For one thing no signature burned dish...I didn't burn one dish, which is my signature but not one...now that's a Christmas Miracle in itself, the DH had more Christmas Spirit than any of us (another shocker). Well anyway it's hard to explained but it was magical. Here are some more pics in case anyone wanted to take a peak into my little corner of the world. These pics are from earlier in the day I am going to post more later as the day progressed.

The last ornament went onto the Advent Wreath. Here's my daughter putting up the final ornament today, the angel

I found this little Advent tree at a Fall Festival where I used to live in the Midwest. It is all wood and each ornament is hand carved. I've added a few over the years as I did lose a couple of the originals ornaments. Here it is all filled up for December 25, 2008.

More of my winter decorations, part of my snowman collection. All found at craft fairs over the years. Hand made by artists

My sister made me this snowman. I get him out every year. This is the view from my kitchen window. Look and weep my Chicago friends. Yes, that's still greenery. It's warm here. Well not exactly today but in general.

Winter garland I hung above my kitchen sink. I did blues and whites again this year.

Speaking of my kitchen sink... look what I found when I woke up this a.m. One of my presents from my daughters was fresh herbs (I asked for these I want to start an herb garden this winter. HA! bet ya can't say that if you live in CHICAGO, sorry sissy). How perfect a rosemary shaped like a tree.

I like to hang ornaments from the all of the mirrors in the house from suction cups. I think it's a nice touch and you get double beauty. You see the ornament itself and its reflection. I found this little vintage white wreath over at PAPERTALES (yes it's about the only store I shop at anymore). I knew when I saw it it was going to be one of my mirror ornaments. Isn't it cute?

Here's the little red cardinal... again I found this at PAPERTALES also. Bathroom mirror. He makes me happy.

Here's a few shots of my table. Nothing fancy really. My Grandmother Fanny's white table cloth. My Great Aunt Alice's silverware. My MIL Nanny Marge's dishes. Touches of tradition and memories all present at our Christmas Table. It's these finer details, the traditions that mean the most to me. More than the fancy shmancy anything.

Closeup of one place setting with my mistletoe scented candle

Zero in on the wine glass stem

See it?

My daughter wrapped red and white pipe cleaners around the stems. Isn't that so very CLEVER? Everybody loved it.

....and to all a good night

Happy Christmas Eve!

Wow where does the time go? The holidays snuck up on me again!!. Surprisingly I've actually have gotten more done "in time" than before but it feels like I didn't. I don't know the holidays always make me crazy 1 way or another. Here's more pictures of my holidays. I must say this every year... but this year my tree is the best I've ever had, the house decorations are "just right" with us just putting out our favorite things vs 8 boxes of things. It just feels more simplified and yes how appropriate to close out the year accomplishing the feel of my "word for the year". To simplify simplify simplify. I do believe I've reached it!!! I can move on to a new word and I've already picked it out. I just hope I continue to like the word I've chosen and I don't go flipflopping around again and switching my word a million times like last year.

Anyway, a couple of the new cards I am posting I CASEd from the design team members over at A Muse art stamps. My problem is it's all a blur and I can't remember exactly where I snagged these from. So I apologize for not properly crediting the sketches. I added bling and fur etc hehe but the sketches are not mine. CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE THEM to see the details better.

This first card was sooooo cute I just had to CASE it. The "design team" members over at A Muse are definitely doing their job because I had to run out and purchase more stamps to do this card.

A couple of techniques of note. I added the oval A Muse creative-candy sticker to the "Peace on Earth" tag. I also stamped the carolers a second time on some music note paper, cut out the sheet music and paper pieced it on top of the carolers so the sheet music looks authentic. Loves: the black kitchen note paper looks like snow falling at night, paper tearing technique makes the white paper look like snow drifts and EVERYTHING else. Oh you can't see it but the front reindeer has a red bling nose.

This next card (BELOW) I CASEd from a card I saw over at my new favoritest store EVER PAPERTALES. OMG Michelle (and everyone else... Diane and all.... I forget everyones names sorry) is such a genius over there and her store just gets better and better. Everytime I go there she has more NEW stuff and of course I h2h it ALL. They are so nice that if I ever want to CASE something on display thye make a photo copy for me. Oh and I've been informed...by the way they are my new REAL friends not VIRTUAL friends any more. I was so excited about this to have new REAL friends. I told her I didnt have any real friends... just virtual ones. Meeting Michelle and crew through blogoland first and then so meeting them IRL I had to actually remember that they're real friends now. hahahaha.

How cute is this? Techniques uses: masking to make the reindeers look layered. Of course, LOTS of glitter. Glitter is my new favoritest tool. LOVES: Toile ribbon (red). Of course I have it in every color. OH I almost forgot I FUN FLOCKED the deer antlers how funny is that.

Next card.... a mix of stamps because I didn't have the A Muse tree lot stamp so I used SU. Note the glitter on the tree. LERVE

IRL - LOVE THIS PICTURE of the bug with the tree on it.

I took all of these pics in a dark room with my night setting and it still looked liked there were lights on. I wanted to get that cool nightime effect. But alas I am NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER.

This is my little 6 in. tree sits in a corner on my counter top right next to my coffee maker. I've had this little guy for years and he brings me happiness year after year. NOTE: mini tree skirt and presents.

Some of my favorite clear fairy ornaments

Fairy number 2

Look at the white spot to the left of the tree.... my daughter says those are angels/spirits whenever you see those little white spots in photos. but look at the next photo of the tree it looks like the Angel spirit moves to the tip of my tree and becomes a glowing star... eerie huh?

See the glow (white spot that moved right) at the tip of my tree? Angel star.

Happy Holidays! Hurry up and go out there and get your last minute stuff done I know I have to. ~later

Frosty Village!

Hi EVERYONE little my little I am getting more holiday decorations up and thought I would share some pictures....Our tree will go up this week. I'm decorating this year but simpler. We debated on putting up a tree or not at all? We decided we are going to put up a tree but just with lights and snowflakes and not pull out all of the ornaments this year. We just want to keep it simple yet tasteful. It's seem like we just got the house together from all of the DYI and to drag out a bunch of boxes to have to put away again. I put out a couple of my snowmen, decorated this shelf and a couple of wooden trees that I placed on my bookcases. Plus, the yard is decorated. I think that is enough. The house looks great though. I can't wait to get the tree up now because I am really getting the Christmas Spirit more now with this project done.

Some pics I use a flash to show details but it isn't that bright IRL and some without the flash. I liked the ones without the flash because that gave at least a little better idea of what it looks like at night. (I'm not a photographer and my little point and shoot is on its last leg. I know I've been complaining about that for at least a year.) The shelf is so cute and turned out so nice. I've been working on this little paper village all weekend. I LERVE GLITTER now. I can't get enough of it. I have lots of glitter in lots of colors from lots of different manufacturers but my favorite is still dazzling diamonds from Stampin Up (I didn't use any with this project, just saying)! Nobody has even come close to how pretty that schtuff is. But anywho. This little village is a Martha Stewart Kit that I had from last year and never got around to making. Out of the box (OOB) it comes with these little white paper houses, with score lines ready to assemble. I've added the glitter to add more sparkle. The little wreaths are stickers. It's super simple yet big effect. I put these on the shelf in my kitchen that runs around the top perimeter of the room. Last year I had my Nativity Scene on this shelf but this year I decided to do Frosty Village.

FULL VIEW



PINK HOUSE

CHURCH SEE MY LITTLE RED VINTAGE TREES

BLUE HOUSE

SEA GREEN HOUSE

CHURCH AGAIN WIDER SHOT

FUSCIA PINK HOUSE WITH RED TREE

CHURCH SCENE NO FLASH (CLOSER TO HOW IT REALLY LOOKS LIGHTWISE)

PINK HOUSE NO FLASH

WIDER VIEW NO FLASH

I wish the pictures did it justice but they don't. It's really really pretty IRL. Enjoy!

Deck the HALLS!! Nahanohedinnit

...or should I say the CHRISTMAS MIRACLE...lemme splain...My DH does NOT take the initiative during the holidays EVER. Been married close to 29 years now and not once in all of that time has he donnered or blixened, comet or cupided anything. Oh yes, he helps after I've dragged the boxes out and gotten the party started. But to actually take it upon himself and do something/anything especially when it comes to the HOLIDAYS. Can you say S C R O O G E (well not that bad but close)? Heck he gives scrooge lessons. ANYWHO. Image then to my surprise when I drove up to this.... the other night and almost missed my house because I couldn't find MY house. Nope drove down this street everyday for years and cannot find the place.... I drove past it. I had to back up. I had to adjust the vision. WHY? Well I didn't recogize this.............. I was so shocked and awed. First I thought what is this "husband swap" because mine ain't here. He gone. After I calmed down I thought where did he get that lawn art because I had never seen skater people in the stores. Yes, trains, snowmen, deer, etc... but skater people. He was batting a thousand now. First the decorations now this? How did he know I liked skater people? Come to find out he and a friend Mikeymike (so-called) freehand drew them on heavy cardboard and cut them out, painted them white to reflect light and affixed them to stakes and walla skater people. Now he's an artist to boot? Where's my husband and what did you do with him? HI-larious. Aren't they just the funniest things you ever saw? The boy skater looks like elmer fudd in a way and the girl really looks like she is moving. It's totally cardboard. I think the long skate blades and the curly front are classic shapes. It's a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE~~

SKATER PEOPLE

ANOTHER


BLURRY OF ELMER FUDD SKATER BUT I LIKED IT BLURRY


BLURRY PIROETTE GIRL SKATER (LIKE THE BLUR)


HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE HO-HO-HO

Stampin Up Winter Post

When I saw this stamp set of course it had my name written all over it. I love vintagey type images of all kinds. I tried a new color combo tonight too. I used some of my new grey card stock from Stampin' Up that I just got and the new ribbon. I CASEd the sketch from the SU demo mag. I'm going to be making a lot more cards with this set and papers. So pretty. See the little mini library clip used for the embellishment?

Sweet Holiday Wishes!

It's Starting to Look A Lot Like...I like to mass produce cards this time of year in order to have enough to send and share. I made six with this super cute A Muse Gingerbread Boy for starters. I trimmed/and popped one of the gingerbread people out with a pop dot. Plus I used three red creative candies for the buttons and glitter to simulate sugar shake. I used glaze gel pens on the rest of the gingerpeople to simulate icing. If you click on any picture it will enlarge for details.

These turned out sooooo cute. I used a mixture of companies from SU (my first love) paper for the base card whisper white and chocolate chip. I used nest-abilities scalloped square die for the chocolate matte. I use the new A Muse vintage red notes for the accent strip. The ribbon is from Michaels dollar bins.

Which ribbon goes better? The green and red checked?

or the red and white checked?

I think I like the green and red better. It has more the "feel" I was looking for. I didn't find that ribbon until the end. I used MS silver ink for the sentiment.