Saturday, December 29, 2012

Handmade Christmas Art Revolution

Good Morning Everyone!
I hope your Christmas was excellent! And that you got just what you wanted.
I know the last couple of post were simple, short and sweet! Christmas is over now...so we can back to the 'normal'. LOL

I think we'll start this post off with Jan's completion of the grand kids kitchen. She said the kids loved it. Even the older ones enjoyed playing with it.

Completed.....

fridge and oven open for inspection  :)

On Sunday (the 23rd) we had a small get together with Dennis, Shirley, Amy, Barry and Barb. It was a nice gathering. We did food and goodies and some gifts. Amy made lobster/crab dip and my daughter made hash brown casserole. There were cookies and candies and fudge. Spent a couple of hours and really enjoyed ourselves. I'm glad everyone got the chance to come over and spend some time together. I got two new nutcrackers from Shirley and Dennis. Ones a penguin and the other is a goose. And of course everyone had to point out how I didn't put my collection out this year. Yeah - was not in the mood to put them all up. I made some homemade goodie bags this year. I made hot/cold corn pads, sea salt and sugar scrub, cookies in a jar and bath bombs. Amy's mom, Barb, seemed really pleased with the corn pad. And Amy just used the sea salt and sugar scrub yesterday. She told me her face was so soft. :)  Sally used one of the extra bath bombs and said it worked really well. I used the 'tester' corn pad and it was wonderful! It creates a moist heat which is really nice! Who knew you could use corn? Not me! I hope that they all enjoy the gifts!

terry clothe and flannel hot/cold corn pads
(Connie's a Georgia fan)

cookies in a jar and sea salt and sugar scrub....
complete with instruction tags and wrapping paper lids
(the lids match the handmade tags)


tangerine bath bombs - they smell so good!
(like my packaging?)
had to hunt all over for citric acid for these


close up of the tags.....

On Monday night we got a very welcome surprise.....
My sister/brother in law showed up with Jim and Marta. We haven't seen them in many years (almost 18 years, doesn't seem possible). They had driven down from Canada to surprise Dennis and Shirley for Christmas. They hung out for a while and we talked and laughed. It was great to see them! I am so glad they came! Sally didn't get out of work until 9pm. So I told her she couldn't get her pj's on cause there was a surprise coming. I think the surprise was worth waiting to get changed. She was really happy to see them too! Didn't get any photos....really slacking on the camera work this year.

Christmas this year was celebrated twice.....
Once at home with my wife, daughter and Perry. It was really nice, even though my daughter decided that 6am was wake up time. Jenifer got clothes and perfume and a bunch of other things. I managed to sneak in a book on dreams. It gets harder each year to really surprise any of them. I got my wife new pj's (nice warm ones) and a 'spa day' (which is what she wanted). And I surprised her with a new ring. It's a padparadsch (pronounced po-per-ra-zzi). It was a replacement for the large one I got her years ago that was stolen. She was really surprised and can't wait to wear it to the New Year's party we are going to on Monday.
And then we went to my son's house to celebrate with the grand kids. It was great to see their faces light up. :)
Unfortunately, Lawton (our oldest grandson) wasn't there. He was celebrating with his dad. Shaylor had a good time ripping open all the wrapping paper. I think next year they can come to our house. Way too much stuff to be toteing back and forth (yes, my wife went overboard - next year I won't let her go shopping alone. HA).
All in all, it was a pretty good day. I hope that everyone was happy with what they got.



Christmas Tree in the bay window
2012

 
my surprise - a new Keurig
and all the goodies to go with it

and what i asked for....
give up?
it's a bike trainer
gotten away from exercising...
time to get back to it!

the amazing mask my daughter picked out for me


the surprise for my wife

And now for some total randomness....

peppers and sausage over rice with garlic potatoes
made this a few nights ago for dinner
YUMMY!


am i the only one who absolutely hates these damn things?
can anyone tell me what the numbers say?
i thought my eyes had just given out


a tease from the Yule invitation I'm working on for next year...


what a great idea!

just a thought  :)

I finished reading ART Revolution by Lisa L. Cyr last night - sometime around midnight. I have to admit that once you get past the beginning (history lesson) and into the techniques, it's pretty interesting. It has given me some inspiration to try some new things. There are a few artists in the book that I really like. However, I find most of the artwork...not to my taste. That was a polite way of saying ICK! Some of the work in the book was horrible. Sorry, there is no other way of putting it.

this is Dave McKean
you can see more of his work here
(this was NOT in the book)


Rudy Gutierrez
you can see more here
(this one was in the book)


this is Lisa L. Cyr
you can see more here
she is also the author of the book
(this is from the book)


Matt Manley
you can see more here
(this is from the book)

Well, I think that is all for this post.
I hope your upcoming week is fantastic!
I will see you Next Year! :)

til then....
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!!!


TTFN









Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Merry!

Merry Christmas To You All!
I hope you have all gotten to enjoy
your Christmas with family and friends!
After all, it's not what you get but
who you get to spend it with!




Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!


TTFN

Friday, December 21, 2012

MERRY YULE!

Hello Everyone!
No long post today...just wanted to wish you all
A Very Merry Yule!

I hope your future is full of Joy, Happiness and Love!


and one more......


Happy Yul(e)!
LOL!

til next time....
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!!


TTFN

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Mom's Watching

Good Evening All!
Hope this past week was a good one.

All I can say about mine is.....
What A Week!

Monday started with a trip to the hospital for Amanda (daughter-in-law). They decided they were going to induce labor....apparently nobody told the baby. HA! After trying all day, they finally gave up and let Amanda try to get some rest. "We'll try again tomorrow" was the verdict. My daughter was babysitting for my son.
Tuesday....all day long. Again, I think they forgot to inform the baby of the 'plan'. :)  He wasn't cooperating in the slightest (yes, I know, another stubborn child). Finally he gave up though. He was born around 3:30pm. Because of the timing, I didn't receive the phone call until I was walking in the door from work. It was really strange. Normally when I come home, I look at the mail while I'm going into the house. I didn't for some reason. I just dumped it on the table, let the dogs out, checked on the cat and then the phone rang. It was my wife, "meet me at work so we can go see the baby". "Ok, I'm on my way" I responded and hung up the phone. And for whatever reason I turned the mail over. Something for my wife, something for my daughter, wife, daughter, wife......my mother. WTF?? My Mom passed away in 2005, so it kind of shocked me a little. I opened it, simple curiosity......I about fell off of my chair. It was a pamphlet reminding her she should get tested for heart disease or stroke issues. My mother passed away from a series of small heart attacks and then a major one (on the operating table). Have you ever had one of those nervous laughs? You know, the ones that are a hair away from a cry? Well, that's what came out of my mouth. I didn't know whether to be upset or pissed off. I called my wife and told her and she said 'you should call them'. After looking through the pamphlet I realized the only number was for the 'clinic'. So I called and while I was waiting it occurred to me that it was my mother's name and my address. I'm still not sure how they did that. To my knowledge my mother never used my address for anything. How weird is that? After talking to my son and my wife, we came to the conclusion that it was just my mother letting us know she's watching over everything. It's still a little nerve wrecking.
Oh geez...got sidetracked didn't I? On Tuesday we welcomed Preston Milles into our lives. He so sweet! He was 49 cm long and weighed 7 lbs 1 oz.
They were bathing him when my wife and I got to the hospital. The nurse that was there never stopped talking the entire time. My son now has four children. You would have thought the way the nurse carried on that this was his first. It was really quite funny. My son just kept looking at me with this look of 'why'?
On Wednesday afternoon, I found out that they were keeping Amanda and Preston for a while longer. Amanda was having severe migraines, couldn't even stand up because of them. And Preston was not keeping anything down and then developed jaundice. They (and I) think that Preston my be lactose intolerant. They switched him to soy and kept him under the lights for the night. Seems to have done the trick. They also managed to get Amanda's migraines under control. I feel for her - I suffer from migraines as well. Haven't had a bad one in quite a while (knock on wood!).
Thursday, I took off work to babysit Shaylor and Rylee. Long story but I wound up babysitting. :) They were good kids! Lawton was at school for the majority of the time. After another long day (even longer for Ryan and Amanda) the hospital finally said they could go home. They got there around 4. I stayed for a bit and then left so they could get things in order and back to normal.
In short - I have a new Grand Son!!  YAY!  :)

Preston Milles - 12/11/12

ain't he so sweet? :)

Aaaannnnddddd.....
On 12/12/12 my daughter got engaged! Or so she thinks. They decided to paste it all over FaceBook instead of telling me to my face. So, I've been waiting to see how long it takes her to say something to me. I'm happy for her but a little upset that I had to read about it like I was one of her 'friends'. I know I taught her better than that. Oh well, too late to cry about it now. Congrats Jenifer and Michael (Perry!).

Oh, I almost forgot about the phone calls I got. I got home on Thursday after babysitting and checked the phone messages. Two. The first one was for 'burial insurance'. The second was for 'cancer screening'. Now, really, I ask you - WTF??? If my Mother is trying to tell me something I really wish she'd just write me a letter. :)


Shaylor covering up Roxxy - she was cold
like the doggie sofa? :) this is in the far corner of
my studio....so my dogs can keep an eye on me. LOL!

I've been watching the 'tiny house movement' for a while now. I think they're wonderful! I just found out that Jay Schafer, who started Tumbleweed tiny homes, has stepped down and started a new company. It's called Four Lights Houses. You should take a look. I've had it in my head about 'downsizing' for a while now and I really like the Tumbleweed line. But these new ones....WOW! I really like them a lot! The Tumbleweed line is portable. It's a 'trailer house'. Not the trashy tin cans! The ones from Four Lights look to be stationary homes. The first one (he's releasing one each month) is called the Marmara. I like the design of the house. How it looks. Who knows....maybe someday. :) 

the Marmara - Four Lights Houses

I got a heat gun too! It's just a small 'hobby' gun. Yeah, Ok! This thing heats to 650 degrees. I had to read that a couple of times before it really sank in. Yes, I have used it. Yes, I like the results. And NO, they are not what I was expecting. I used the heat gun for Moxie's wings. I was using the Fosshape, if you recall. The heat gun shrunk, hardened and 'holed' the fosshape....in about 10 seconds. It will take some practice to get used to the 'heat'. But, as I said, I am happy with how the wings turned out. I am almost, at this point anyway, sure that Moxie is not getting a dress. I did not like they way any of them turned out. And the ones that I almost, kinda liked, covered too much of her 'tatoos'. So, in the process of trying the wings on, decided that I like her without the dress better than with. Let me know what you all think......

blogger flipped my photo again. won't let me turn
it right side up...aaaahhhhhh!
the wings after the heat gun

from the front you can hardly see them

from the right side
they are just pinned in place.
i think i may have to go up some with them

from the back

pinned in place
with her hair to one side -
NOT an easy task  :)

I have also discovered an amazing cellist. Her name is Zoe Keating. Her work is incredible. If you haven't heard of her, you should really go and check it out. If you have....well, why didn't you share? Hhhhmmm?
LOL!  I got her album 'Into the trees' today. Digital download. I put it on a CD and have been listening to it non stop since! You can check out her site here. The music is mesmerizing, enchanting and haunting. I think I'm in love. :)  Do yourself a favor a go give it a listen!


Zoe Keating
(photo by David Peterman)

Well, I think that's all the news that fits. I hope you have a wonderful upcoming week! Be good to each other!

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!


TTFN
my heart and soul goes out to the children that were lost in Connecticut.
all guns around the world should be melted down!

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Krampus' Christmas Goat

Good Sunday Evening To You All!
I hope your past week was good to you! And that the upcoming week will be a great one!

It seems the 'Christmas Spirit' is in full swing....bad manners, crappy attitudes and just plain old sour pusses. I have to admit that I have fallen prey to the 'ba-hum-bugs'. It seems over the past few years that I have come to the point that I could truly do without the holidays. It never seems to fail that something (many somethings) always happens during what is supposed to be a joyous period. Things breaking down, people becoming ill, just 'bad vibes'. A week ago, I started my usual (as of late) rant.....'Next year Christmas and Thanksgiving is cancelled!' Then I always realize that I'm just frustrated, my fuse seems to get shorter at this time of the year. Soon it will be time to celebrate Yule. The coming of the sun and regenerated growth. It's also nice to see the look on the grand kids faces as well. Part of my problem is that I was not as ready as I would have liked to be this year, so it's making things tighter than normal. But it will all work out for the best. I have my family and friends - the only true thing of any importance. My wife and I were talking and I think that next year we may have a Holiday Party around the fire pit. Something along the lines of a pot luck, I think. So I guess I'll have to really whip the yard into shape this coming spring. Gee, that was a side track and a half. I guess I'm just trying to say remember what's important during this hectic holiday season. Never miss a chance to let those you cherish know how much you love them. :)

You may ask 'what brought on the holiday rant?'
Well, in short, a trip to Walmart.
We went grocery shopping on Saturday. Now, first of all, I absolutely hate going to the grocery store. It's a pain, noisy, crowded and they are out of the things that I normally buy on a regular basis. Yesterday was no exception. People cutting you off, running their carts into you, pushing their way through even though they can clearly see people waiting to get through the isle.
Well, we were nearly done, just a couple more isles to get through. While we were trying to decide on the buns that we wanted, this young man came up and stood next to me for a couple of seconds.
He searched the shelf for what he was looking for and saw it right in front of me.
In a quiet voice he said 'excuse me'.
I responded with 'sorry' and took a step back so he could get to the hamburger buns.
Then came 'thank you', he grabbed his buns and was on his way.
I looked at my wife and said 'Wow, manners'. It was at that moment that I realized how non-existent manners have become. I looked at my wife and said 'I'll be right back'.
I followed the young man down the refrigerated isle and walked up to his father and shook his hand. I then explained how nice it was to meet a young man with manners. His father just beamed and I think I embarrassed the boy.
But I thought it was important to encourage something that most adults have forgotten.
I made my way back to my wife and she simply looked at me and said 'You went and found his parents, didn't you?' I said yes and she just smiled.
We finished our shopping, me with a much better attitude then I entered the store with.

Ok, let's see now....
I finished reading "Making it" by Jack White. The man has a lot of good advice for artists. Now it's up to me to figure out how to incorporate it into my wants and needs. A feat I fear is going to be easier said than done. Mr. White has several other books available that I may acquire as well. He writes straight forward and about things that he knows. He is the first to tell that he has 'never tried something', so he can't say if it will work or not. He seems truthful and genuinely wants to help other artists make a living. It's a good read and I highly recommend it. I will let you know if I get more of his books and how they are in the future. You can find more information here.

This past week, I posted a picture on FaceBook and got quite a few responses. So I thought I would share it here too! It's a picture of Krampus! It was a simple title...'If you've been bad, you might want to stay in tonight'. Krampus is the flip side of Saint Nicholas' coin. I don't know about anyone else but I think I'd rather have a lump of coal than run into Krampus. Here's a link for more information. I will let you make your own determinations on this one.

Krampus - as I posted on FaceBook

an alternate view of Krampus
I think more children should know about
this deterrent from bad behavior

A couple of weeks ago I came across a post that I meant to share last time around and didn't. I think it's something that  everyone should read. And I believe that it should be shared with everyone else. I know it's not something that people want to think about - especially at this time of the year. But it may be the difference between someone getting hurt or not. I think it's relative to this time of the year since a lot of women and young girls go shopping and are unaware of their surroundings in the parking lot......
Please share this and make as many ladies in your life aware of it as possible. The original post I got it from is here.
                                                                               *****
”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this!
  
It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…

FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:



1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.
They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:


1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:
can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
 
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would 
not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using
much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel
little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.


1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or
purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
 
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
 
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
  
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.


If u have a heart or compassion reblog this post.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
 
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
ATLEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOIN IN THIS WORLD.
So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this.
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.
LADIES! This is important, please read! 

PEOPLE OF ANY GENDER, PLEASE REBLOG THIS BECAUSE IT COULD SAVE LIVES! LADIES, TAKE NOTE OF ALL OF THIS TEXT BECAUSE IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION

                                                                             *****

Now, more on Moxie.....
Her dress is still aggravating me. Not that that's a surprise. :)
I had to put the dress aside for now and work on something else. So I started her wings. I decided I would try using my Fosshape. It's taking a little getting used to but I am happy with the results so far. All I have at home is a hair dryer which doesn't seem to be hot enough to 'set' the material. I think I may have to get a heat gun in order to 'solidify' the Fosshape. I think once I get the heat gun these will be a great addition to Moxie. I have been taking some photos of the process so far. Here they are.....

i made a pattern and cut the Fosshape on the fold
(blogger turned my photo sideways for no apparent reason)

i then pinned it on the fold of some cardboard before
applying heat
(blogger turned this one upside down - won't bring it
in any other way)

this is after a few passes with a hair dryer
holds the shape pretty well. i think it will
hold it better with more heat though
(finally right side up)

a little further along
i really think i'm gonna like this stuff
:)

side view so you can see the shape

from the top looking down
not too bad so far!


Last post I promised more on the 'Yule Goat'. Well, now that I have more information, I can share it with you. How many of you went and looked it up after I posted? Hhhhmmmmmm? I know you did. :)
Apparently Father Christmas rode a goat at one time. No reindeer, just a goat. Now keep in mind this is not Santa. Wow, hows that for a mental image? Santa in his red suit on a goat? Wow, I think it's stuck now. LOL
It's a Yule tradition. A straw goat is made and then burned to get rid of the negative 'vibes'. I think I may incorporate this into our Holiday Party next year......bring your bad feelings, troubles and what have you to 'let them go'! I will have to seriously think about this one. Hhhhhmmmmmm.
Anyway, here's a couple of photos and here's a link for more information if you'd like it.

a small Yule Goat

a really large Yule Goat!
i think that the red on his legs is about the height of
a person. he's a big boy!


And finally an idea for the ever evolving back yard.....


I think that's the end of this post......

We have a new member....Patri Bears. Welcome!!
She has some wonderful teddy bears, go take a peek.

til next time...
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!



TTFN



Saturday, December 01, 2012

Something is missing......

Well, here we are....again.
It's Saturday and almost two weeks have flown by. Doesn't seem possible.
I hope that everyone had a really nice Thanksgiving. Mine was hectic, unorganized and mostly frustrating but other than that it was nice. :) It's really hard to believe that Christmas is only a few weeks away. And of course, I am no where near ready for it. Usually by this point we have the majority of the shopping done. Not this year! We haven't even begun. Looking to get started next weekend (and hopefully finished). Wish me luck!

Before we get started with the past couple of weeks.....I just realized that I've 'lost' two members. :(
Not sure why, maybe I've been to ho-hum? I haven't gone searching to see if I can figure out who it is yet. I'm sure there is someway of figuring it out. I guess my stories and progress just weren't enough (or too much?) for them.

Oh well, on to the goodies.....
Let's see, last post I told you that I had begun a 'firepit', but didn't have any photos...well, I have a few now....
Pixie inspecting the progress....making sure everything
is lined up correctly

the finished pit with two of the three 'seats' drying.
the third has yet to be added (money is a funny thing)

one of the many (5 or 6 now) fires in
the new firepit. it works wonderfully!


I've been working on a new painting (or two). I am not thrilled with them as of yet, so no pictures. When I get them to come around my way I will post progress shots. They are just ideas at this moment but what I have in my head is not coming out on the canvas. Geez, sounds like a typical artist, doesn't it? :)

For Thanksgiving I made bread pudding, in addition to everything else. I wanted to use my mom's recipe but apparently I don't have it. BUMMER! I used an online recipe that seemed fairly good. Boy was it! Of course I made a couple of changes (can't leave well enough alone). I used 'dark, sweet dinner rolls' instead of french bread (which is the recipes recommendation). I also cut up a granny smith apple (the green ones) into small pieces to spread over the top. I added far more raisins than what the recipe called for - I like raisins! I was going to write out the recipe but I think I will just give you the link. I used the first recipe (there are two on this page/link). We've been invited out for New Years, so I'm thinking I may make more to take with us.

Last Friday (black Friday) my daughter conned me into taking her to the mall. Yes, it was temporary insanity. I don't know what I was thinking....or not thinking. She had her heart set on a pink stripped bag from Victoria's Secret. I was up at 4am, after going to bed at 1am and not sleeping. When we got to the mall, it was packed. I just looked at my daughter and said 'Are you sure you want to take me in there?"
We went inside and you could see the 'crazy, sleepless' look on people's faces. And the rudeness was a plenty! As we made our way to the second floor, everywhere you looked was bright pink bags from Victoria's Secret.....which was amazing since they weren't supposed to open until 5am and it was only 4:45. I told my daughter "If we get up there and they are out I am going to lose it". She just smiled and said 'I hope not'. Fortunately they were not sold out and she got the bag she wanted. Among several other items that she wanted for Christmas. Yes, I know, she picked out her own presents. The ONLY way I can make sure she gets what she wants and that they fit! However, they are still in the bag! And Yes, I will be wrapping them (wow, I guess I did start Christmas shopping already. Now I don't feel quite so behind). After spending about 30 minutes or so in the store we wandered around the mall and then left. We had both had enough of the 'Christmas Attitude' from the employees and the customers. :) And for the record, this is the first time I have shopped on black Friday in about 20 years. People just get so stupid over deals that aren't really deals! I just have no patience for that, in case you hadn't realized that from reading any of my posts. LOL  :)

I also got some work done on Moxie! Not quite as much as I was hoping to, but progress just the same!

***News Flash - Jan just emailed my about the 'Play Stove'! Yep, while I was typing! She's made some great progress on it! Aaarrggghhhhh! I can't seem to get the photo off my phone. This is going to make me crazy (more than normal). Ok, I guess it's going to have to wait until next time - so I can figure out how to get photos from texts off the phone......Sorry! It'll be worth the wait though - it really looks amazing! ***

Ok, where was I? Oh yeah, Moxie. I have completed her arms and attached them. I have finished her dress as well, although I am not sure how much I really like it. It looks ok but it's not what I have in my head (gee, that sounds familiar). I'll post a couple of photos and you can let me know what you all think about it...

arms attached! YAY!
these are the ones i decided on after messing up
three other pairs. fingers are a nightmare!


one of the mangled arms. got down to the last finger
to be turned and it ripped wide open. did the same thing
on two other pairs  :(

Moxie's dress....it's made from three layers
of 'Tulle' (i do believe that's what it's called)
i wanted shear to let her 'tatoos' show through
but this is NOT what i had in mind.
What do you think? keep it or lose it?

I also went back to work this past week......I was off for three days. You would think that I had been gone for a month. What a clusterf#*k!! Needless to say, it was a very long week! Almost makes me not want to take vacation (YEAH RIGHT!!).

*** More breaking news!  Jan sent the photo again...to my email (since my phone doesn't want to cooperate). So here's the latest photo of the 'kitchen project'........

kitchen update from Jan
looks good!

What do you think of my 'Holiday' banner? Created from scratch! I was searching for an image on the internet but couldn't find anything that floated my boat.....so....I made my own. I did find some interesting things on a 'Yule Goat'. I think I will save that for the next post though. I need to do some more digging and see what it's all about. It looks really cool though. Kind of reminds me of Burning Man but with an actual holiday / celebration behind it. Anyway, watch out for the goat! LOL!

Well fellow travellers, I think that's all for this post.
The Christmas season is well under way and I wish you and yours ALL THE BEST THE SEASON HAS TO OFFER!
May your days be filled with joy and your nights be filled with the warmth of family and friends!

til next time...
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!


TTFN
p.s. - I'm thinking (dangerous, I know) about doing a video post in the near future. What do you think about that idea? Good one? Bad one? Has anybody done one yet? Any helpful hints? Or 'what-not-to-do's'??
Let me know!