31 December 2007

On Sunday...


I accompanied Rich out to the backroads of Perkinsville...

It was a beautiful ride in the car for the better part of 6 hours. I've never been quite that far out in that particular direction...We saw canyons and an abandoned cabin...and the road for us pretty much ended at a trail head of Sycamore Canyon. It was really hard not to jump out and go for a hike for a couple of hours, but the afternoon was leaning towards the early evening and we didn't have time for more than the drive back...with promises of returning at some point soon to hike (and camping sounded like a good idea as well) Plus, I had been fighting off the sniffles all day...










































































It was an amazingly
sunny day and was a little warmer than it has been...you could see for miles all around (like you usually can in Arizona) And, I caught myself gazing into the distance towards the snow capped mountains of Flagstaff and marveling at the Arizona beauty...

You can see more photos at Flikr...

And, Happy New Year's Eve everyone...I hope you all have a lovely evening...I have a few parties to attend this evening with my friend Arthur who is here for a 2 week visit (yay!!) We actually spend all day Saturday together wandering around town having a marvelous time...but, I forgot my camera. I shall try to remember it tonight...

28 December 2007

Can Someone Tell Me...


How it could possibly be better to stretch an electric blue tarp over your very old and thrashed roof than it would be to just re-roof it? (although, I suppose it would be cheaper)

Now, I believe this house is still a rental...eagerly awaiting the real owners to retire and move down from Washington State, but last night when I came home for a quick sit down before I headed out to Megan's for a rip-roaring party...

I heard the sound of hammers beating little boards, nailing this electric blue tarp to the roof of my neighbors house.

I awoke to the sound of hammers beating little boards, nailing this electric blue tarp to the roof of my neighbors house.

It's something to ponder...a bit of an eyesore.

Much like my new Bettie Page bangs my hairdresser cut today...He gets nervous because I don't come in as often for a trim since the decision to grow out my locks...and cuts my bangs short...I forgot to tell him to go easy.

Of course, the bangs are an entirely different story...and not at all electric blue.

Yet.

27 December 2007

Present Highlight...


I know you're all just dying to know what I got for Christmas...

What was in all the wrapped up goodness?

Well, for starters...all my Apple wishes came true, but to be entirely fair...that all happened before the actual holiday...and I've been enjoying it ever since...very much, I might add.

The sock monkeys (both large ones, and the little ornament that now hangs happily in my tree) were from my father




Along with these amazing vintage paper candy containers (that look a heck of a lot like the Easter Egg ones I collect) that housed the most amazing collection of old buttons...

Bakelite, rhinestone, glass...and all sorts of lovelies, that I am just enjoying drooling all over for the time being.

Dad also sent tablecloths, books, vintage tins and some wonderful jewelry...



From my mother, I got 2 pairs of hand knit wool socks...2 pairs people!! I only really was hoping for one, so that was a wonderful surprise...I also happen to know she's making something else that she didn't have time to finish in time for the holiday as well.

She and my grandmother also combined their talents of embroidery and crochet and made some vintage pillowcases come to life for me...

Rozz got me those wonderful Sock Monkey slippers, that are both cushy comfy and very warm

And, my sister sent the DVD of the Hogfather...which is based on a Terry Pratchett novel (he happens to be my most favorite English author) I about fell out of my chair when I opened it because I didn't even know it existed...I haven't watched it yet, but I will soon.

I also got some
other lovely things from Santa...including an organizer bag on wheels for all the ephemera that is sitting around stashed...

So, I can create on the fly (or at an airport...that's what rolling luggage always reminds me of)

26 December 2007

Santa Came...



Christmas Day started out chilly...windy and cold.

Yet beautiful, with the moon still up, and the clouds a colorful pink...

It didn't get too much warmer or less windy throughout the day (and, I swear last night the heat came on every 15 minutes)









We ate tons of yummy food...

All day, as a matter of fact.

And, then some more...when we weren't sure if we'd gotten quite enough.












And...

There were lot's of presents under the tree...

(even though every year, we say we're going to cut down)











The stockings
had indeed been filled by Santa...

and we're overflowing...

Making it safer for them to be tumbled on the floor...

Their contents spilling out everywhere...



And...we opened presents:






































I'm thinking everyone got everything they wanted...and then some...

It was a Merry Merry Day!

24 December 2007

...And The Stockings Were Hung


In anticipation of Santa coming down the chimney...

Of Course.

I whipped up
a little stocking for Rich a couple of weeks ago (totally on the fly, which was strange, because I wasn't even thinking about making him one) thus you are viewing the needle bending project.

I had a few little somethings that needed a stocking to go into, and I figured with the limited amount of space in the Airstream, he probably didn't think of packing a Christmas stocking when he started out on his journey...

And, what's Christmas without a stocking?


I started with a totally different idea in my head...something with a bit of fleece, but then I looked into the fabric stash and noticed a pile of smaller pieces of upholstery samples in the most wonderful reds, and thought they would make a fun patchwork stocking.

I tried to use many fun patterns and textures, and I thought he could choose his favorites from all of them (do men do that kind of thing?)

The stocking is lined with the Christmas tree pattern fabric I used for the tree skirt, because all that patchwork was making it rather lumpy inside (and the only lumpiness in a stocking should be from the presents) and I topped it off with a little wool pointed cuff and gold jingle bells...

I have the felt stocking that my mother made me when I was small already hung by my fireplace, yet I think this one is so cute, it may be hard for me to give it to him, but then...aren't those always the best gifts? (although, I suppose I could make myself one like this as well)

I wish all of you a fun and peaceful holiday
I hope you get everything you wished for on your holiday list
I will return on Wednesday!

23 December 2007

Holiday Baking...


Done.

Check.

Sugar Coma...here we come!



I got started a little early with a burst of baking energy on Friday night.

I tried a little something new. Making Peanut Butter Cups with the recipe found on Turkey Feathers. It was deceptively easy...and super fun to boot! (especially if you like Reces Peanut Butter Cups, and can't do the dairy in the milk chocolate)

I made 2 batches using little paper lined foil cups I found at JoAnn's...One batch was organic dark chocolate and peanut butter, the other was organic carob and peanut butter (a little treat for Rich for Solstice)

And, apparently it was a peanut butter kind of night because, I put my feet up for about 5 minutes before I felt the urge to jump up and try this peanut butter fudge recipe:

INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
DIRECTIONS
  1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over sifted confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into squares.
First time...and it's a keeper! It's certainly sweet enough with the good flavor of peanut butter. I used all organic ingredients, and substituted soy margarine for the butter (like I always do in all of my recipes) and everything turned out fine!

When Rozzilyn came over on Saturday, I was ready for her...we worked on our sugar cookie dough, so that it would have time to chill...and made lemon bars:

I am of the school of thought, that there can never be enough lemon bars at any gathering. They are just the right marriage of sweet and tart...

And look at that little picket fence on the vintage Fruit Cake tin I scored this season! I tell you, I was just lamenting the fact that very morning when I was thinking back about all the baking my mother used to do for the holidays (before we realized we were allergic to everything because sometimes the substitutions we have to make don't end up in the most tastiest of treats...so, we've had to give up some of our past favorites) Anyway...She was an amazing baker, and we spend many hours together in the kitchen when I was little...having a lot of fun! She used to pack all of the goodies we made up in the most wonderful of vintage tins that she collected...and here I was wanting some for myself...and 3 magically appeared, in just the perfect sized that they stacked within each other eagerly waiting to be filled...



And fill them we did!

I made 4 batches
of frosting and let Rozzilyn pick out the colors...

white
red
green
blue

I don't remember
quite going though all this trouble last year with these, maybe just using one color of frosting and some sprinkles...but she remembered at least using the cookie cutters...so, I felt like maybe this was the chance to start a tradition...



While Rozz worked on frosting the sugar cookies...I put together some of what I call Lindsor Tortes...

Although, I think they're just considered jam filled sugar cookies...

They're still good, and little different taste with that strawberry jam in them, rather than just straight sugar frosting...






I had enough time to decorate some sugar cookies myself, although I have to brag that some of my most favorite ones that were decorated this year, were made by Rozzie.

She hinted at least a couple of times about how fun it would be to make cookies...and have a bakery together...

I agree, because she made the most breathtaking green Christmas Tree with blue sprinkles I've ever seen...and it may not last until Tuesday, but become part of breakfast and coffee instead!

(there will be a New Year Resolution about starting up that pesky waddling...er, walking again, for sure)

22 December 2007

Happy Solstice...


This is the night of Solstice, the longest night of the year.
Now Darkness triumphs and yet gives way and changes into Light.
The breath of Nature is suspended.

All waits while within the cauldron the Dark King is transformed into the Infant Light.
We watch for the coming of the dawn when the Great Mother again gives birth
to the child Sun who is the bringer of hope and the promise of summer.

We turn the wheel to bring the Light.
We call the sun from the womb of Night
.


-excerpt from Circle Round



I decided a few days ago (yeah, the morning that creativity woke me up at 6) that I wanted to give my mother and Rozzilyn handmade gifts for Winter Solstice this year:

For my mother...a little patchwork linen and cotton scarf with a felted wool applique owl sporting some special vintage abalone buttons from my button collection...

All to match the little owl tank, which I did not make, but thought was terribly cute, and something fun to wear under winter clothes.







For Rozzilyn...a little set of fancy glitter skulls. One is a needle case, and the other is a wrist pin-cushion, both made from felt and embroidered. She asked me quite some time ago to make her a needle case like this, and I had completely forgotten, until I was trying to figure out something special to make for her...it's been so very long since I've sat down and embroidered anything, and I had such a good time doing it...

Something to look forward to in the new year perhaps?

Enjoy your Solstice...
Rozzilyn and I will be spending the day together in a mini baking sweatshop in my kitchen to provide the family enough sweets to really enjoy Christmas in the sweet induced comas that we've come to look forward to this time of year...

21 December 2007

Let it Snow...

I will have you know that I decided to make all of my own Holiday Cards this year...I call them "holiday cards" because there are so many holidays this time of year I don't want to either alienate or upset anyone...

SO.

I made my holiday cards a while back, and they've all been sent...all the ones that I had anyway. I made a whole slew of them, and still ran out, so I am terribly sorry if you were dying to receive one, and you won't be opening up your mailbox this year to find me...on a card....or maybe, I shouldn't be? At any rate...I am sorry...I also wanted to illustrate...with said picture, that my entire home was covered with glitter...from one end to the other...it was everywhere...seriously y'all when I blew my nose glitter came out...it was like I snorted pixie dust...

I love photo holiday cards
of family and friends. I've always wanted to be married and have a family so that I could send them myself...since I have yet to give birth, one year I sent cards out with my EX's and I's picture...we were standing on the Ponte Veccio over the River Arno in Florence...all bundled up (cause it was damned cold) I was all smiley, because my EX had just bought and given me a gold and sapphire ring for my birthday (I goaded him into it...it wasn't his idea) and the card read:

Happy Holidays From Florence Italy

People were confused
because they thought we were spending the holidays in Italy...or had sent the cards from Italy...where, of course, we were spending the holidays (I think a quick check for a postmark could have settled that question) I also got quite a few, "did you take that picture in Italy?!" No matter...it was the first and only year we sent out photo cards...we were separated 3 months later. So, I have some weird issues now with holiday cards (also making things for people...sometimes in the past, I've made things for people and they just up and leave...leaving me thinking, sheesh...that's rather drastic. You could have just said you didn't like it.) But, in the festivity of the holiday and my creative brain...I decided that it may be safe to send out a photo holiday card. (since it's just me now, I figured I was pretty darn safe...I mean, I do have self esteem issues...but, try as I might...I can hardly ever escape myself)

I was quite excited at the prospect and danced around the living room for a bit, which set the cat to hiding under the bed...because she knew what was coming next...a bit of a plead and beg for her to dress up as some character and take pictures for the card with me...Say, as Tiny Tim, and I could be Scrooge? OR She could be Snoopy and I could be Charlie Brown with my little horrible tree? But, she was quite disgusted with all the suggestions I came up with.

So, I lured her into a snow globe and dressed her as a sock monkey instead:


Maybe next year I could dress her up as Max (and I could tie an antler to her head) and I could be the Grinch?

Happy Holidays Everyone...

20 December 2007

Holiday Finery...


What am I wearing this festive holiday season, you ask?

It's about time...

Hey...I'm a girl, usually whenever I'm invited to do anything, the first words that pop out of my mouth are, "what am I going to wear?" and that's when the fun comes in...

This season, I'm featuring vintage. Mostly because someone came in last week to dump off some vintage that had been languishing in their wives closet, and he figured it cost too much to dry clean them...and there was no way she was ever going to fit in them ever again anyway.

harumph...


Well, now they're in my closet, and they fit just fine.

I had the annual
Snap Snap holiday party..."what's that mean?" my mother asked when I called her Tuesday to alert her to the fact that we are having a work party..."well, that's when I either take you out to dinner or bring over Thai so we don't have to make dinner...then we can xerox body parts later..." "oh, well, the food sounds good, but my copier isn't very sturdy" So, we ate Thai, and the next night I met the only other consignment account I have in town for sushi...she's also a good friend, and I thought it would be appropriate to wear the first of my holiday frippery to dinner...

A green brocade dress with a silk black brocade and embroidered jacket layered over it.


The dress I am wearing for Christmas day will be a lovely navy blue rayon blend with the most amazing little apples all over it...

Both of these dresses were either handmade or remade at some point, so there is no designer label in them...The apple one has the sweetest little tucks all over the front...and when I was ironing it last night, I noticed a few little holes in the material in various places that I need to patch or deal with at some point...I also notices a hole in the waistband seam in the back of the dress, so I hopped on the sewing machine right quick to stitch that up...

We don't want this to be the year knows as the one when Aunt Sadie's dress disintegrated and fell off while we were opening Christmas presents...nobody wants to see a blog post about that now do they?


I was slap happy when I put this apple dress on and it fit, because I'd already decided in some deluded corner of my brain that if it didn't fit, I was keeping it anyway and I was going to either diet, or remake it so that it did fit...

The pockets have this little inverted triangle detail to their bindings...that happens to match the inverted triangle detail that is on the neckline.

sigh.

They just don't make dresses with this much care, detail and quality anymore. I am happy whenever I get a chance to rescue one.


I am not exactly
sure what I am going to pair this with...perhaps some cardigan I have secreted away somewhere...and of course, one of my vintage rhinestone holiday pins...

And some leggings.

Definitely leggings.

Cause' it's been darned cold here as of late.

19 December 2007

W.I.P.

Visions of sugarplums started their tap dancing early in my brain today...

6 am to be exact.

And it wasn't visions
of sugarplums as much as it was visions of me not having a little handmade gift for my mom and Rozzie for Solstice...which happens to be Friday (as far as I can tell) Yes...the longest night of the year...good to grab up a blanket and snuggle with the one you...

Well, snuggle with.

So, I bounded out of bed bright and early...with designs in my head. Finally. Actually, I had thought of little things here and there, but wasn't too excited about snapping to making anything...but, with a little over 24 hours left, other ideas came to me...

Brilliant ideas...

Amazing ideas...

OK...ideas. Anyway, the wee hours of the morning found me sitting at the sewing machine cussing...I mean, gently sewing hems and seams, and wondering, why oh why isn't the tension set right? AND Must I have dyslexia about everything and forget what the numbers on the tension wheel mean and get confused every time I try to set it? AND Why oh why is some weirdo walking by the shop playing pan flutes? (oh sorry, that was real time) I got a great jump on some projects (finished one) and brought one to work with me to sit and work on it...

Then I can put them all in my big Santa Gift Sack and deliver them...

I adore playing Santa,
and this sack that I scored at the thrift will make it even more joyful this year...although, I have to say that I am none to pleased that the previous owner kindly scrawled the name Jenny across the sack with red permanent marker...and I'm determined not to change my name for the holiday...

that's just plain nuts.

Of course...playing Santa is all fine and well, but not until I can fully decorate the house (and you thought I was done!)



But, lo and behold, the powers that be are tired of my bitching and moaning about no holiday spirit...and gifted me with this vintage set of Noma Italian Style Fancy lights...

A delightful set of working lights in the shapes of little bells to grace my home this holiday season (or next, depending on if I get them up)

They actually
remind me a little of my grandmother, or something she would have had in her home...


And, apparently today was the day of near heart attacks at the thrift...because they were having another 50% off day and I walked out with:

2 vintage bottle brush trees decorated to the hilt

2 vintage mini bottle bush wreaths (one as is...but I don't care)

1 vintage Lefton Pixie Elf head vase

All for a measly $5...

I cried a little bit, I was so excited...

Welcome to the season
of Miracles, gifts, the anticipation of surprises, making things and giving things...of remembering those you love, and the joy of seeing happy smiles on their faces...

Welcome to the season of finding your lost Holiday Spirit...sometimes in the most unlikely of places...in bed at 6 am, in the sweet anticipation of crafting...and later when you turn a corner in a shop and find something that takes your breath away...

*ho*HO*ho*

18 December 2007

Dear SantaJohn...


I have been a very good girl this year. Indeed I have.

I have also discovered and interesting fact about myself...

I seem to be an iGroupie...

an MacFan (if you will)

And well, a little bit Apple Saucy...

::wink wink::

For the upcoming holiday season, I would like an 80G black (so it will match all my Mac loveliness) iPod video classic. I use the Nano you got me a couple of years ago, almost every day, but with only 2G of space...I've run out of room. Plus, it doesn't have video capability...

I would also like the iPod AV Connection Kit...so that I can listen to all of my music on the stereo (you see, someone got all smart and copied all their CD's into iTunes and then got rid of them...I'm not naming any names, but it may not have been the smartest move, as she's been without her music for quite a while in the house and the cat is starting to hide under the bed when she starts singing) Plus, the AV Connection kit hooks up to the TV so that I can watch movies from the iPod as well...

Oh...and I just happened to see the AV Connection Kit at CostCo...it comes with an Radio Tuner so that I could listen to the radio through the iPod. Now, I'm not entirely sure if I will do this with any regularity, but it comes with the kit and the entire thing is $70 cheaper than it would be through Apple (not that you have to buy your presents...I'm just sayin')

And, since the iPods have historically scratched quite easily (like, when you may happen to glance sideways in their direction) I may also need a great hard cover for it...iSkin makes the best ones in my opinion...

I'm probably going to also need a Griffin iTrip so that I can also listen to my music in the car. They make the neatest one that charges and comes on a long wire, so that it's not stationary and I won't run the risk of looking down too much to play the right songs and endanger any of the other little good girls and boys...

Thank you! It's really the only thing I want for Christmas...Oh, and my holiday spirit too...I mean, you can send over all the ghosts if you want...cause' I could really use a vacation as well (as long as I'm well rested for Christmas Day...I don't want to miss any of the fun at mom's, and I can't use eating turkey as an excuse if I fall asleep since we don't eat turkey anymore...and come to think of it, never did on Christmas...there were too many other good things she made instead...oh home made cinnamon rolls baby!) And since I fell down while walking to the car on the way to work yesterday (for no good reason other than I was looking somewhere other than where I was walking) please ease the aches and pains...

Thank you SantaJohn,
(aka. JohnDad)
(aka. my father)

Merry Christmas...I hope you enjoy your holidays in Italy!!

17 December 2007

Creative Sunday...

Rozzie and I spend the entire day together on Sunday!

We had originally planned to get the last of her Christmas shopping done, and then bake some cookies...but, my mother work up with one of her killer headaches and we re-did the plan...We're nothing if not flexible...

I picked her up in the morning and we dashed out to the mall and wandered around for a bit, looking at things for each loved one she still needed a present for (oh, and me too...I needed a couple of gifts as well) My mother taught me the fine art of shopping and comparing both things and prices...



Then...we came home after making one more quick stop, where I picked up another little something...and where Rozzie stopped to look at toys.

It is important to take some time out of all the holiday shopping hustle and bustle to look at toys and things you might want as well...









Home for lunch and the movie Jingle All The Way...one of both of our favorite holiday movies...and then onto some peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies...which turned out very yummy (Rozz kindly licked both the beaters and the bowl for me saving me the trouble of doing it myself)

Then onto GG's house to drop off something and visit for a couple of hours before taking the Rozz home again. She said at the end of the day,

"we spent the whole day together"

"we did! I hope it was fun?"

"Yes, it was"

"Good...because I had fun too...you're my favorite niece! It wouldn't even matter that you're my only niece...you'd still be my favorite one"

"I know..."

It's true...she's a great girl!

I still haven't found all of my missing Christmas spirit, but hanging out with Rozzie helped. I also made a special holiday project that was not on any list, but made on the fly on Saturday morning (even bending a needle on the machine) I will show that to you soon...

And waking up this morning and realizing there's only 8 days left until Christmas is making me realize that I need to look harder for that elusive holiday spirit...

14 December 2007

Holiday Male Love...

Mail...

Mail...

I mean Mail...

But, it captured your attention didn't it? I figured I needed some sort of gimmick...it being the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and all (everytime I hear that uttered in a song or by someone, I snicker...that's like saying Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth...calm down people)

Yes, I have misplaced my Christmas spirit...sometimes that's what happens...you know? When you work with the public? Thats why I keep a good pile of holiday music on heavy rotation, we don't want it to be known as the Homicidal Holidays now do we?

And if one more person comes in asking, "do you have any UGLY holiday sweaters?!?!" and then gets mad, snarky, and rolls their eyes at me and acts all disgusted, like I'm some kind of backwards hick...because I try to explain to them in the nicest of ways, that I don't do as well in the resale clothing realm if I stock the store with ugly...intentional or not...

NOTE:
Dear Party Planners, If we're all going to have holiday parties with the theme of Ugly Holiday Sweaters (and I'm sure other people have been doing this for years, but we're a little s-l-o-w up here) could you send out fliers say, oh...6 months in advance...so we peons can be prepared so your holiday invitees don't yell at us? Because I'm about to suggest that they buy a "normal" red or green sweater and tape their own picture to it...because that should surely win them an ugly contest...Thank you kindly.

Sincerely,
Snap Snap

I also promised myself this year (since I'm finally far enough away from the divorce experience to be really creating my own holiday traditions) that I would do all the little local things that have brought me so much holiday enjoyment in the past, and since we're known as Arizona's Christmas City, I should have no problems...

Christmas Parade - Freezing and rainy - skipped it
Acker Music Night - Freezing, rainy and windy - skipped it
The Courthouse Lighting - I always get a cold when I attempt to go - skipped it again this year

Cruds.

I figure, I am still left with:

The Prescott Valley of Lights - A fun animated drive-through light thing, that can be viewed from the warmness of your car, so it doesn't matter what it's like outside
Arizona's Largest Gingerbread Village - Inside at the resort, and usually really fun.

(see? I may find my missing Christmas spirit yet...Plus, I got one of Sara Jessica Parker's new tee's from her clothing line today at the thrift and it says "let your feelings slip" which while a lovely sentiment...does not say, "let your feelings ooze out all over your blogging friends" So, I shall now report happy:)

I received the loveliest of packages some time ago from Ampersander-Bound, full of the most wonderfullest postcards of our state fair...not only were they wrapped in the most festive and caring of manners, but this girl is a talented photographer to be sure! I am excited to frame them and put them up somewhere in the house...

I also received a do-it-yourself kit from Fluffy Flowers for my own little ghosts of Christmas...I am excited to try that one soon, and get these little babies all hung up!

A little envelope and holiday card from one of my readers also graced my home...filled with a little red glitter ornament that says JOY...which will find a permanent place hanging somewhere in the house after the holidays...

Rozz and I got a huge Christmas Box from my father...complete with a new sock monkey, I might add...and those presents are safely under the tree waiting for Christmas (and he sent a lovely card with another present in it...more on that later though)

And I have received a ton of the most wonderful Christmas Cards and well wishes from so many of my blog readers...So, there's my holiday spirit! Thank you all for the most thoughtful things you've done for me this holiday season...

I am a most lucky Christmas Sprite indeed!

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