HAPPY NEW YEAR

(too lazy to make my own graphic! LOL)

May you have a happy and healthy 2012 and may all you dreams and wishes be fulfilled!

Swizzle Sticks

I went to the restaurant supply place the other day.

I was looking for swizzle sticks.

I looked around for a while and couldn’t find any so I went to the counter and asked, “Do you have any swizzle sticks?”

The guy just stared blankly at me.

Then, an older gentleman standing behind him shook his head and said, “He doesn’t know what swizzle sticks are. And no, I’m sorry we don’t carry them.”

First of all…..

A restaurant supply house doesn’t carry swizzle sticks?

I guess I should have gone to a bar supply house!

My mistake.

But more than that….

He doesn’t know what a swizzle stick is?

You’re kidding, right?

Did you grow up in a bubble?

How can you not know what a swizzle stick is? Especially in your business!

But just as general knowledge, how can you not know?

Husband said he was too young.

Okay, but I know a lot of things that happened and were popular before ‘my time’ and that doesn’t stop me from knowing about them!

The boys know what swizzle sticks are. And they are half the age of the guy in the store!

I know I’m ranting, forgive me, but sometimes the stupidity meter just goes off the chart!

FYI:

Swizzle sticks

Swizzle sticks have 2 puposes. Foremost, they are used to stir the drink. Secondly they are used to pick up pieces of fruit or olives from the drinks without using your fingers.

Swizzle sticks

They literally come in all sizes or shapes and often carry a logo or advertisement at the top. They are usually made from plastic, but the more fancy places can use steel, glass or even wooden swizzle sticks.

(I now feel I have done my duty to educate the world about swizzle sticks!)

‘Nined’

As opposed to ‘tened’?  LOL

I am fascinated by the nonsensical words you have to type in order to leave a comment on some blogs. ('Nined' was one of them.)

I have no idea why I'm so intrigued.

But they set my imagination into overdrive.

I have always been fascinated by words. 

Their little nuances, subtle changes in meanings when one word is used instead of another.

The ‘singsong’ alliteration of certain words (totally aside of their definition.)

Then there are the regional differences, not to mention the cultural differences of certain words.

The choices people make with their words says so much about them.

Spellbinding! 

Nined and Tened

You have now been 'Nined' and 'Tened'!
(I have NO idea what it means, but it sounds like a verb doesn't it? LOL)

I Like My Kids

Having the boys’ home for Christmas was wonderful! On so many levels.

Before I had kids I often worried that when I did have them, I wouldn’t like them. That’s not to say I wouldn’t love them. I knew I would love them, but would I like them?

There is a world of difference.

I am very pleased to announce that I like my kids!

I REALLY LIKE my kids!

They are intelligent, knowledgeable, funny, witty, great conversationalists, entertaining, and just generally fun to be around. (If they weren't my kids they would be people I would like as friends.)

We hadn’t seen them for a while so it was quite a treat.

We ‘talk’ aka text, im, and call each other all the time but it’s not the same as being together.

What was also very heartening was to watch them interact with one another.

They really LIKE each other!

There was much laughter and teasing, and you could tell they had each other’s back!

Not that I want to brag here or anything! LOL 

But I have to say I’m very proud of the people they have grown up to be.

(Okay, all together now, “Awwwwwww” LOL)

Grandpa's Trains

Husband is a model train enthusiast. 

At least he was when he was a kid.

And when the boys were little we used to put them around the tree every year.

I think the two of us had more fun putting the elaborate layouts together than the kids did! LOL

Last year Grandma gave Husband his Dad’s trains from the ‘30’s.

So the two of us had a little ‘together’ time playing with them this year.

After all these years they still light up and run!

The Day After

The day after Christmas and all is quite in the house.

I enjoy just sitting and looking at the tree all aglow in its feathery glory.

I made these ornaments a few years ago.

I had a lot of leftover feather boas from a previous project so I decided to add some glitz to the more ‘plain’ ball ornaments. 

I love how they move with the slightest breeze.

A puff of air, a little shimmer and sparkle and all is well with the world!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

May your day be merry and bright!

Santa Claus

One year, when my brother and I were little (and still believed) my father hired the Santa from Macy’s to come to our house.

My mother organized a party and invited all the neighborhood kids. She gave the Santa our names and a little information about each of us.

When it was my turn to sit on Santa’s lap he asked me if I had been a good girl. I answered yes. He looked at me skeptically and said, “So, you’ve stopped sucking your thumb then?”

I quickly put my hands behind my back so he wouldn’t see the callus on my thumb and then, looking him straight in the eye, I told Santa a boldfaced lie!

I guess my parents thought the threat of Santa knowing I sucked my thumb would be enough to deter me.

It didn’t.

All it did was make me worry until Christmas morning (when I saw my presents LOL.)

Valid Grounds for Divorce

During this Yuletide season, certain situations arise that point out just how tenuous marriage really is.

I refer to the ongoing debate of the correct application of icicles on a Christmas tree.

In my humble opinion, this debate far outweighs the usual marital disagreements, i.e. seat up or down, leaving the toothpaste cap off, which way the toilet paper should come off the roll, all fade by comparison to THE GREAT ICICLE DEBATE.

I feel very strongly about this. 

Growing up I was taught that the icicles should be painstakingly placed on the tree in a meticulous single strand application. My mother was very firm about this. (And I am my mother’s daughter, after all! LOL)

So when Husband and I set up housekeeping together I expected him to do things my way. (What can I say, I was young.)

When the first holiday season rolled around and we bought our first tree together all went well.

Until the icicles.

Now, Husband is usually pretty neat in his endeavors, so I was quite taken aback when he grabbed a large handful of icicles and proceeded to lob them at the tree!

Actually, I was horrified.

After much 'discussion' (and to avoid divorce court,) we no longer use icicles on our tree.

Life is Too Short to Dust

And that says it all!

Yes, Virginia……………

The boys were beginning to question if there really was a Santa Claus.

We tried to reassure them, but nothing we said would convince them.

Their friends told them there was no Santa Claus.

So Husband decided to prove the existence of the fat man.

He took his boots, dipped them in the ashes from the fireplace and made footprints leading to the tree and back again.

That was the year that they got Polaroid cameras.

They were so excited! They had PROOF that Santa existed!

They must have used two full packs of film taking pictures of the sooty footprints to show all their friends.

Thank goodness for childhood faith, (and brilliant husbands) because they kept believing for a few more years.

Standards

Isn’t it funny how our standards shift over time?

I used to be such a stickler for being on time or getting things done ahead of time.

Over the years I’ve let my standards slip.

Just a bit.

When I was still a working person I was the first one to arrive in the morning.

Then I considered myself on time if I was walking into the building at my appointed time.

Then, if I was pulling into the parking lot, I was on time.

Then it went to—if I was getting into town at my appointed time, I was on time! LOL

Now I find that lax thinking is invading other parts of my life.

The Christmas tree has been up for days, with the boxes of ornaments sitting around it.

Am I in any rush?

Nope.

If it gets decorated by Christmas Eve before the boys get here I’m still on time!

I’m off to mail my Christmas cards now. Hey, if they get there before New Year’s Day---I’m on time!

I've Won an Award!!!

My friend Ann at Ann's art @ Studio Hyde  has just presented me with the Versatile Blogger Award!

I’m delighted and honored!

Thanks Ann!

Now the hard part, LOL!

According to the rules I have to:

1.   Nominate 15 fellow bloggers (I could only come up with 13)

2.   Inform the bloggers of their nomination

3.   Share 7 random things about myself

4.   Thank the blogger who nominated me

5.   Add the Versatile Blogger Award Pic to my blog post 

So here goes:

Seven random things about me:

1. I am a compulsive list maker

2. I’m a sucker for old B&W movies from the 30’s and 40’s

3. I am left handed and have the brain to prove it!

4. I’d rather be at the shore than on a mountain

5. If I had all the money in the world I’d buy books, books, and more books

6. I don’t like crowds

7. I am a one year survivor of ovarian cancer  

and now my nominations are - (in no particular order)

1. Pia Drent at liquidbrick

2. Marilyn at my magpie collection

3. CJ Kennedy at Pony Express Home Station

4. Carol at Tall Tales From Kansas

5. Timaree at Freebird Drawing

6. Kim Henkel Letting in the Light

7. Elizabeth Stanton at Penspaper Studio

8. Pat Elliot at Pat Elliot Paintings

9. Yvonne at Muddle on Through

10. Joanna at Gathering Wild

11. annie! at bohemiannie!art

12. Marianne Walker at I Like Markers

13. Dion at Dion Dior & More 

Thank you to everyone who participates, who stops by to read my silly ramblings and who give their never ending virtual support! I am touched and grateful to you all!

Coal for Christmas

Back in the 80’s, we were the only house in the neighborhood that heated with a coal burning stove.

It was amazing how popular we became every Christmas!

It Went Well

Thanks everyone for all your virtual support! (I was nervous!) 

Today’s the Day

Wish me luck! 

(I will dutifully report back after I recover! LOL)

Done and Ready to Go

Inventoried, tagged and ready to go. 

'Snow Chicks' it is. 

Snow Chicks

Snow Chicks

Thank you to everyone who voted and helped with my indecisiveness! LOL

journals and  gift card/$$ ornaments

Snow Peeps

Snow Peeps

gift tags

(Update: Husband found the plate rack! Whew!)

The House is a Total Mess!

I'm going to have to clean all this up.
Eventually!

At least the glitter is done! (The ‘Snow Ho’s’ [as Husband has lovingly dubbed the luminaries] are all done.) Whew!
Only a few more journals to finish and I'm ready.

Brain Fart or ‘Old Timers’ Disease?

I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to finish up for the sale on Friday.

Most of the items are finished, so I began thinking about how to best present/display them.

At one point in time we had a black metal plate rack (you know, the single kind for displaying an ornamental plate.)

I KNOW we had it. I even called Husband at work to verify I’m not just hallucinating.

Yep, we had it.

But where the hell is it?

I have been scouring the house. Every nook and cranny. Every hiding place, every drawer, every little place I might be tempted to stuff something out of sight until I can find a better place for it!

Nothing.

Nada.

Zero.

Zip.

I can’t find it anywhere!

And the thing is………

I know it’s right in front of my eyes…..somewhere………..

And I’ll be smacking my head (a lá ‘I could have had a V-8’) when I finally see it.

Do you have these moments too?

Please tell me you have these moments (please!)

Other Husbands Bring Flowers

Except flowers make me sneeze.

Through the years I’ve often felt kind of sorry for husband. He can’t rely on the usual little gifts and assorted sundries most men give their wives.

I don’t like or wear jewelry. I’m apparently allergic to most flowers. I’m not exactly what you’d call a clothes horse.

But he has shown a great deal of imagination when it comes to surprising me with little ‘trinkets’.

Like this:

He said. "You can use it as a container for something or the top would make a cute hat on one of your 'little guys'."

And this:

He heard me say I was looking for something to make a 'travel kit' for my watercolors. When he saw this he thought it would be different than everyone else’s. 

It’s not what most people would call a gift, per se. But it shows that he is thinking about me, he appreciates what I do, what I like, and who I am.

And isn’t that what gift giving is all about? 

Leveraging Your Artwork

This is what comes from working like mad at 3AM!

(I know it’s not good form to laugh at your own jokes but this just cracks me up! They will be cards and tags for the holiday sale.) 

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