Find your path...

Im not a huge fan of Winter...everyone that knows me, knows this tiny bit of huge information. It hurts my bones and tricks my body into thinking its near 90 instead of 30.

Ok, ok, ok....40, sheesh!

Either way, the good news is my computer is fixed (knocks on wood)
and it didnt cost an arm & leg. Why do I feel as if lightening will strike out of the sky and hit my computer now? Probably because I dont have the best luck in the world, lol...huh?
But, at least I'm laughing. And trust you/me, if I can keep laughing at all of lifes obstacles, then I figure I'll live longer.
Or have new grey hairs;)

Now, thats not to say, when there was a screw in my tire last week, (helping itself to ALL the air in my dagummed tire) that I didnt throw myself on the ground, shake my tightly balled fists at the sky & have a temper tantrum whilst cursing at life's small jokes.

But then I laughed.
And remembered that if you can find a path with absolutely NO obstacles, it probably doesnt lead anywhere.

The door to opportunity...

The New Year has already found us sick & tired (why does tired always follow sick?) my computer has some nut job virus that makes me feel violent and wanting to throw it out into the lawn and its only day 4 of January. But along with the sick & tired, the BIG, the bad & the ugly...
Oh yah, and the overwhelming need to hide in a winter cocoon, comes a big sprinkle of GOOD.

Sometimes with the good comes the bad...
And opportunity doesn't always knock loudly...at times it whispers & you have to really listen, closely. Because you don't want to miss it.
And screaming is bad, but good for the heart.
So, follow your happy place, listen for opportunity, scream if it makes your heart feel better....
I guess the good comes with the bad...the rest always seems to fall in place.

Happy Beginnings...

I am not one for New Years Resolutions, but I am one for
New Beginnings. Reasons to start over fresh and try it all again.
Brand new. To get up stronger, each and every time I fall.
To nuture my creative passion & soak up the world around me...
To take the good with the bad. Life is about maintaining balance.
To remember that the beginning can be the most important part of any ending....

And how all great things have small beginnings.

A brand new year is here and waiting for me. Waiting for you.
Life really is as easy or as hard as you think it is.
So, to all my favorite blog readers, here's to New Beginnings...
Here's to Y O U.

Happy 2011

The new polka-dot hat

I cant get a new polka-dotted hat without showing the evidence.
Sheesh, that would be pure blasphemy....
So, me thinks its the best Christmas present eva' in the whole wide world and I am the luckiest girl who is the proud new owner of my favorite hat of all time. *whew*

Was that considered a run-on sentence?
You know you want one, and I can't reveal my sources....
But if you were me, you'd be coveting your new polka-dot hat too.
So, thank you Secret Santa, you make me smile;)

Alot.

The Christmas Village.....magical

My favorite part of Christmas is putting up my lighted Village.
Its like visiting a far away land, full of hope, dreams & pretend.
Typically, Im not this late in putting up our tree & christmas decorations, but sometimes my bad back is in charge.
Sometimes my back screams at me, in the same fashion that I scream
at it.

Then those crazy men in the 'white coats' threaten to put me in a jacket that I can hug myself in. Its such a fashion faux flubber, plus I hate that it ties in the back. What were they thinking, anyway? *winks*

So, what usually takes me a few hours, took ALL weekend, but who's complaining? Oh, right. Me. (laughs)






We set up all the people in the village and it comes out different every year. I love that.
Its what my children love & yet remember more than anything.
The lighted Christmas Village seems to always trump everything else, as it holds a magical quality. Just like Santa Clause. The power of believing is magical in of itself. You dont have to see to believe.

But this year....oh this year, there's a new memory in the making.
I dont recommend it, but if you want memory power, I'll tell the little booger to come visit YOU *snickers*
That way, you will have the memory, instead of me.
And really, I'm ok with it. I share, so your in luck;)

What was the new memory?
I thought you'd never ask.....but, it was a MOUSE!!!!
We never saw Mr. Mouse, but we know he was there. We saw and we believe, because he nibbled & shredded a WHOLE roll of wrapping paper.
Oh, and part of our Christmas tree. That little booger.

The tiny rascal decided to nest in our tree box to stay warm.
I must admit, he proved himself to be a smart little mouse.
He must have spent months, building his home inside our christmas tree box.

I hated to uproot the little guy, no one likes to be forced to leave their home, c'mon.

And so, the countdown to Christmas is on.
I'm feeling the Holiday stress of needing to get out to do my shopping.
You too?
I keep saying, "I'll do it when my back stops screaming. I'll do it when I feel well enough to physically stand in the Holiday lines"
I can get near tears with back pain, and no one likes a big, fat crybaby.
Especially at Christmas. Plus, I hate to have my mascara run.

Then it started to snow today. And I thought...its beginning to look
ALOT like Christmas....I dont dare blink, because it will be over.
I dont want to miss it, because I blinked.


I also dont want to run out of excuses to eat chocolate covered pretzels. I'm just say'n.

Mmmmm....smells like cinnamon!

If you love the smell of cinnamon as much as I do, which might not be possible, because I love it more than you do, na-na-na-boo-boo....
Sorry, I digress.

But, if you add cinnamon scented pinecones from Michaels or Joann's Fabrics (which are pure heaven on earth) & a dollar store 35ct. strand of Christmas lights, the subtle heat from being warm will make your pine cones smell even MORE cinnamon-ny.
(Please note: I am not responsible for any fires if your dollar store lights get too hot or if you choose to fall in the store while getting your cinnamon pine cones, I'm just sayn'...)

Plus, Joann's has all Christmas-related items 60% off this week, so thats a double bonus. I don't even set foot into that place or my local Michaels store without at least a 40% off coupon. I'm sure they know me by name or by the shoddy ink job my printer insists on spewing out, when I print the coupon.

Oh wait, I might be almost outta ink. Damn it.

And when Christmas is over, you can pop your cinnamon pine cones in a clear glass vase with the lights and have a beautiful year round lighted display.
This is NOT one of those reasons to leave your Christmas lights up year round, I know whatcher thinking, so just dont do it.
Please please please refrain, its really a trashy look.

Unless it smells like cinnamon of course;)

Sometimes you just improvise...

When your too short to see out the door, sometimes you just improvise...
But, we dont tell Kady she's short. We tell her she's "Fun Size"....

Bits & Pieces of H-O-M-E

Too much cute!

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas.....!