2007...

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Thank you all for all the friendship, support and continuing inspiration throughout 2007. This seemed to be a year of meeting new people, making new connections, new beginnings and having totally different experiences. Looking back through all the pictures of all the life I was able to capture...the images of my corner of the world reminds me of all the things that I experienced this year...thank you for taking this journey with me, I am always so touched and excited when you've taken the time to stop by and say hello...

Cheers to 2008!

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...

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.

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)

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!

...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!

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)

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...

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...