Wishing you...

Merry Christmas!

All is calm. All is bright.

Christmas Corners Continued

The tree probably looks the same as last year and the year before, but I still love it.

The mantle is a little bit the same and a little bit different. I know I used some of the same decorations, but maybe omitted one glass jar (insert mock gasp here).

Note to self... work on taking photos without the flash in 2011.

Yes, the flash is soooo 2010.

Ooh, and adding more icicles to things should be a top priority in the coming year as well. Glitter and icicles...always good choices. Happy Christmas Eve eve!

A Glimpse of Christmas

The gifts are wrapped, the cookies are baked, and the house is clean...time to share a few corners of my holiday home with you!

This is part of my dining room decked out for the holiday. I love when things from other parts of the house come together to make new and different Christmas vignettes, don't you? Tomorrow I'll show you some more. Hope you are enjoying the magic hours of Christmas week.

Sing We Now of Christmas...

Christmas music is my favorite music. I love the traditional carols and the Top 40 Hits. I am moved by Silent Night each year at the church candlelight service, yet get the giggles when listening to The Drifters version of White Christmas. I have a little playlist going with some of my favorites to share. No, having the word "bell" in the title was not a prerequisite to being on the list. LOL! What are some of your favorites?

For a glimpse of what other folks might have on their Ipods at this time of year, please pop on over to the blog of our wonderful hostess Beverly.

Merry almost Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

CHRISTMAS!

I love it! Have you started decorating yet? You can you know. It is after Thanksgiving. The holiday police cannot issue you a citation now. You are in the clear. So go ahead and drag out those Shiny Brites and show them off. You'll be so glad you did!

If you are in need of a little inspiration, pop on over to Beverly's. She is the wonderful hostess of Pink Saturday, and can give you a list of all the folks who are participating today. Hope you have a delightful weekend. Holiday hugs to you!

Caught in the Act

Remember how I told you that the squirrels were taking over my backyard? Well, the saga continues. I spotted this little guy helping himself to our jack o' lantern. It was a moldy, leftover jack o' lantern, but he still has some nerve.

I took these photos from inside looking out the window, hence the graininess, but you can still clearly see his arrogance. He is rather proud of himself in this second photo don't you think? He's acting like he craved the pumpkin instead of being the one that took bites out of it. I hope he has a stomachache.

Houston, we have a costume!

Okay kids, I pulled it off... Barely... By the skin of my teeth... Snipping the last thread seconds before walking out the door... No exaggeration. Six yards of fabric, fifteen yards of cording, one broken needle, and a whole spool of thread later, I finished. But check out the coup de gras... Behold the bubble helmet!

This crowning touch could not have been pulled off without the help of some obliging friends who are handy with a jigsaw.

Much fun was had by all.

My services were paid for in candy. All is right with the world.

Same Song, Second Verse...

I'm making my daughter's Halloween costume again this year. If you are wondering why I haven't mentioned this earlier, it's because I haven't started it...yet. I have had good intentions, but no follow through. To be honest, I am definitely in over my head this time. I am terrified to cut the fabric and equally frightened about sewing on the stuff. Shiny, slippery fabric will be very unforgiving if (when) I have to rip out. I'm bowling you over with my positive attitude, right? But I think you figured out a long time ago that this is not Tony Robbins' blog, and I can own that.

So are you curious as to what kind of creation this fabric is going to morph into? (Yeah, me too.) If you visit me again next week hopefully you will see a finished product. If not, I'll just show you the picture on the pattern envelope so you can see what might have been. This will without a doubt be my "make it work moment" so wish me luck.


Give yourself a little treat and swing by the blog of our wonderful hostess Beverly to see what other pink delights are on display. Happy Day!

October's Party

October gave a party

The leaves by hundreds came

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

George Cooper

"It was a small town by a small river.


The town was full of trees.

And dry grass now that autumn was here.

And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across.

And it was the afternoon of Halloween.

And all the houses shut against a cool wind.

And the town full of cold sunlight.

But suddenly, the day was gone.

Night came out from under each tree and spread.

Behind the doors of all the houses there was a scurry of mouse feet,muted cries, flickerings of light.

The wind outside nested in each tree,

prowled the sidewalks in invisible

treads like unseen cats.

Anyone could see that the wind

was a special wind this night,

and the darkness took on a special feel

because it was All Hallows' Eve.

Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet.

Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys

like the plumes of funeral parades.

From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells:gourds being cut, pies being baked.

Attics were still being rummaged, old locks broken,

old steamer chests disemboweled for costumes.

The wind came a seized a thousand dark leaves

and blew them away up over the sky..."

from The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

For a list of all the houses with their porch lights on in honor of this autumnal celebration, please let the wind carry you over to visit our enchanting hostess

~Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist~