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Tuesday ~ December 2nd
Chris & I love advent calendars & get them every year. This time around I was in search of some super cool ones online without a lot of luck & I finally decided that the coolest advent calendar I could give Chris is one that I made myself. So I went out & bought some Rubbermaid boxes (good for storing all his doodads & thingamajigs too so it's a gift in itself) & made some numbers & each day I'm filling them with different goodies.
Click on the box to see what Chris received yesterday...
If you like the idea, here's where I got my inspiration. It's only the 2nd day of December so it's not too late if you want to make some for your loved ones, or you could do a shorter "countdown" to Christmas version, maybe starting 12 days beforehand or even 5 or 3. It's a lot of fun & everybody loves getting surprise gifts.
As for beads, well I'm working on those too. |
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Update, 10:33 a.m.
**The Tickets are now sold, thanks! **
Stuart McLean & The Vinyl Cafe Tour 2007
I purchased tickets to see Stuart McLean & the Vinyl Cafe Christmas Tour this Sunday as one of Chris' advent gifts, however I bought the evening show tickets instead of the afternoon show tickets ~ we can't make the evening show so now I have 4 tickets up for grabs, here's the details:
This is a wonderful Christmas show with the great Canadian radio broadcaster, comedian & author, Stuart McLean. He tells jokes, warm Christmas stories, interacts with the audience & this year his special musical guests are Russell deCarle (from Prairie Oyster) & Dala. Chris & I went last year & it was a super day out. If you've never been to one of these concerts, I think you will really love it, it's a great way to get into the Christmas spirit & it's a special thing to share with your friends or family.
The Vinyl Cafe Christmas show will be at the Jubilee Auditorium (in Edmonton) this Sunday night (Dec 7th) at 7:30 p.m. & I have 4 tickets for it.
The seats are Section LC2, Row A, Seats 232-235 (which were the best available when I purchased them on November 19th).
I paid $142.10 for all 4 tickets & I'm willing to knock a little off just as an incentive to buy them from me instead of Ticketmaster so I'll sell them to you for $120 (that's 30 bucks per ticket, a great price for a really enjoyable show).
Please let me know if you or anyone you know would like to buy these & we'll arrange to meet for the exchange. Email me here, thanks! |
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Thursday ~ December 4th
Fish scales ~ Granville Island Market
I've caught something & it ain't no fish *cough, hack*. I'm laying low today, here's some fun links in the meantime:
5 of the most disturbing animals on Earth.
6 things you didn't know you could get addicted to.
7 people around the world with real mutant superpowers.
9 things you can stop worrying about now.
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Monday ~ December 8th
Well I'm feeling a lot better, that was one weird little illness; my fever lasted only a day & my scratchy throat never amounted to anything more than a scratchy throat. I have to say, I'm quite relieved that it wasn't the flu.
I have some beads up for grabs later this week, above is a sneak peak at some of the ones that my mom strung for me (thanks mom). This will be the only color combination this time around. I wanted to make several strands that were similar so that I have enough to offer everyone who is interested & if the response is good, I might take on some orders of these as well. I'm hoping to post these by Thursday at the latest so come on back or if you're not on the notification list, email me & I'll let you know the very moment I post them.
The snow is falling outside, falling down really slow in big fluffy flakes, it's quite pretty. To be honest though, I am already starting to dream about my garden, especially where I'm going to move that Mugo Pine in the back that is quite little now, but won't be forever. I planted him a little too close to some other shrubs & at some point it's going to become a problem if I don't act on it. I've got several more months to think about it anyway, there's definitely no rush.
And a really wonderful thing to think about if you live in Northern Climes, we're only 2 weeks away to the shortest day of the year & then the days start to get longer again, yippee! |
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Tuesday ~ December 9th
Photo courtesy of my mom ~ Judy
When I was a little girl, I developed this belief that bunnies & hares were good luck charms (probably because of those nasty rabbits' foot charms that I used to collect). And then, when I was a about 12 years old, I was given a rabbit as a pet & I named him Black Magic because he was black & I thought that he was also magical.
Ever since, when I cross paths with a hare, I instantly think of it as a lucky talisman, a sign from the Universe that good things are happening in my life or are on their way. Now that we live in a neighborhood, which happens to back onto a ravine, there are hares everywhere! Still to this day, given that I've yet to loose a perennial or a tree to a bunny (knock on wood), I've considered this to be very lucky.
Last Friday, Chris & I went out to look at new trucks & we were dreading the idea of dealing with the sharky salesmen & their high pressure sales tactics. Chris was becoming stressed before we even left the house. But when we got to dealership, we dealt with a decent guy who seemed pretty straightforward & when we sat down to work out a deal with him, I looked over & there, on the window, sat a painted on rabbit looking back at us, I think he might have even been winking. Right then, I knew it was going to work out & sure enough, we got the exact truck we wanted for the price we wanted to pay. Sweet. |
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Wednesday ~ December 10th
Hugzies the Super Pig
My diabolical plan to tempt you with gorgeous, jewel tone beads that, no matter what, you cannot resist has somewhat been squelched by today's activities. Instead of finishing up the beads, which was the original plan, mom & I spent the day reorganizing her studio, along with finding a better spot for Hugzies (above looking so *cute*). Things are coming together over there; mom has sorted out her painting area & I've set up a PMC station for making silver charms ~ it's all so exciting!
I'm still hoping to have something here late tomorrow. I have to see how it pans out with taking photos in the afternoon, I'm sure it will work out great.
Here's some fun stuff for right now:
The Guinea Pig Way (this one's for you Tricia!) |
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Thursday ~ December 11th
3:02 p.m. ~ wow, I wish there were about 5 more hours to this day... I'm so running behind. The good news, I've taken all the photos of the bead sets but I still have to resize the images & post them & right now, I have to run out for a couple of hours. Tonight is the Christmas party for all the Beadmakers in town so I'm hoping in between my errands & the party tonight I'll get them up, but if not, I just want you to know that I'll be emailing everyone on the bead notification list once everything is up, so if you can't keep checking back, don't worry, I'll let you know once they're up.
In the meantime, check out the beautiful bracelet that Laurie from Laurie Gale Designs made with my Carousel beads. Stunning Laurie! |
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Friday ~ December 12th
The bead sets are up for sale! Please read below before shopping:
There are 10 bead sets available. First to ask ~ receives, however, this time around, I'm offering to do remakes of some of the sets that are listed; the sets I picked for remaking are sets I believe I can best replicate. If you are one of the first to purchase from the original stock, I will put your initials beside the bead set name (I'll try to update throughout the day), but I will still take orders on the ones marked for remaking for a period of time. I just want you to be aware that if you order something & it is already sold, it could take 2 to 3 weeks before your new set is ready for shipping.
** Speaking of shipping, as a thank you to all my wonderful customers, & you really are wonderful, this time around shipping is on me, so there will not be an additional charge for shipping. **
One last thing, I would really appreciate if you told me how you would like to pay ~ paypal is the easiest option, you can just type, "I'll pay via paypal" & I will send you an invoice. If you would like to pay by credit card or cheque, let me know & we'll sort it out. Please also mention if you live in the States, Canada or elsewhere (Canadians have that pesky g.s.t. that I have to add on).
O.k. now that that's all done, click on the picture above & happy shopping!
P.S. The names of the bead sets are also the names of my nieces (both family & friends), to me, they are all little, special jewels! |
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Saturday ~ December 13th
Someone sent me this photo in an email of cool images, so I don't know who took it & can't give them credit, but I still wanted to share it with you because it's pretty cool.
I have to stop the sale now, thanks to everyone for your interest & quick payments! I have a lot of work ahead of me, but you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it. With all the gloomy talk about the economy, it's really nice to be working. I'm feeling very grateful that I'm still able to do this job ~ I don't know how long it will last, but at the moment I'm appreciating it like I never have before. And the best part, we've finally dipped into the cold temperatures here, which makes sitting in front of a torch comfortable, even cozy. So a big thank you & know that all your beads are made with love, extreme gratitude & that they have really good mojo!
Today our friends from down south are coming to stay with us for a couple nights. We are going to the annual Santa's Anonymous auction at the Sportsman's Lounge this afternoon. We always have a good time bidding on toys & then donating them back to the charity. It's fun, it's a wonderful cause & we get to visit ~ a really nice day for me ahead!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. |
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Wednesday ~ December 17th
Shrub Shadows ~ photo courtesy of my mom, Judy
Just popping in to say that the bead orders are going well. In between Christmas shopping, visits with friends, cooking, Chris' advent calendar, snow shoveling & various appointments, I'm still finding time to torch. I think it's because I've been breaking my day up into timed sections (1 hour for this, 2 hours for that...), which keeps me from wasting time puttering around the house or surfing the web.
So I hope to have all the orders finished by Christmas Eve, that said, I better get off the computer & get to work. |
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Thursday ~ December 18th
The flicker is back. Awesome! Look at Maggie in the right corner, it's like she's watching the Food channel.
He is such a handsome bird, I will strive this winter to get a better photo, because this really doesn't do him justice...
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Monday ~ December 22nd
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
Chris & I put our tree up a couple of weeks ago. It's an artificial one with lights that are already attached so after a couple of clicks in place it's pretty much done. I actually think it's quite pretty just like that, but I wouldn't dream of not adding the ornaments. An ornament almost always has a story or a memory behind it or it was bought in a special place or given to you by someone special.
I love the tradition of collecting ornaments. I think it's because as long as I can remember, my mom has received a new ornament from my Aunt (who lives in South Carolina) every year. It's a stunning collection! As a kid, I used to get so excited when the package from Aunt Eileen would arrive in the mail just before Christmas.
Above, the world's most expensive Christmas ornament. It was made by a Glass company in Germany & is decorated with solid 12kt gold & 120 diamonds. It's worth $31,000 - wow!
And here's my sweetie toasting his hands by the Fire log channel, *so cute*.
I don't know if I will be by before Christmas so I will wish you Happy Holidays now. I hope you get the opportunity to relax & enjoy some time with people you love ~ you deserve it! |
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Monday ~ December 29th
Some photos from the last week ~
Maggie, who holds a PhD in Relaxation, snuggles up on Chris' puffy jacket for a long, afternoon snooze in the sun.
On the 23rd, Chris arrived home for the holidays & opened his Advent Calendar gift.
Like the Ukrainian Nesting Dolls, inside a container was a smaller container...etc, but finally he got to the gifts ~ a video on Canadian trains & his favorite chocolate treat.
Santa left some skates at the house for me, so Chris & I went to the Legislative Grounds to test them out last night. Wow, is it ever hard! I haven't skated in over 8 years so I was somewhat shaky on the ice & a little scared about falling. I know it's a bit dark in this picture so you might be wondering what the heck is on my head? It's a Sock Monkey toque. Here's a better picture of one ~
This is Pat, Chris' mom, sporting her new Sock Monkey Toque while opening gifts Christmas morning in her pajamas, *so cute*.
On the topic of head gear, we brought back some Mexican Wrestling masks from Mexico for Chris' Sister & her family. We gave the masks to them on Christmas:
Here's Jeffy looking all dangerous.
This is Jonny, who would circle in on you growling. He definitely has Mexican Wrestler potential.
Jamie uses a different tactic with his opponents, he likes to serenade them into submission.
Here's Pam, trying out the Silver Avenger Mask. I fear she's just a little too sweet for Mexican Wrestling fame.
Finally ~ Wes, who might look harmless here but trust me, he'd have you in a headlock faster than you can yell, "Lucha Libre!"
So there's just a few photos from the last week, it's been a whirlwind of activity. That said, I'm still working on the orders & will continue through the next several days. If you're waiting on beads, thanks for your patience, I imagine you've been quite busy too. I'll be in touch with you once they are off in the mail. |
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Tuesday ~ December 30th
Since the temperature has plummeted, we have had a lot of bird action in the yard. This is a Sharp-shinned Hawk, hanging around the bird feeder looking for a little bird to snack on. He sat there quietly for quite some time, but finally flew away empty handed, err empty taloned...
Chris ran to get the camera as I kept an eye on him. I got a couple of shots, a little blurry but what a magnificent creature! Not your typical sight in our yard. Neither is a Northern Shrike, but I think that's what I saw in the tree the other day. I didn't have my camera at the time so here's a picture from the Idaho Fish & Game website:
According to my bird book, these guys also snack on small birds... I'm getting nervous for the chickadees & nuthatches that have been coming to the suet bags.
The Flickers come all the time now, in fact they stay in the yard for hours on end each day but it's still exciting every time I look out & spot one. I didn't know there were two of them until about a week ago when I saw them both competing for the suet block in this photo. Hope you can spot them, another shotty picture, but it's hard to get close to these guys, they spook easily.
Above, a Pileated Woodpecker that has become a regular visitor to Chris' parents' yard. She's the size of a duck!
Closeup of a Pileated Woodpecker ~ photo courtesy of Wunderground |
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Wednesday ~ December 31st
My favorite photo that I took this year would probably have to be this one above.
Although, this is a close runner up (so many beads!):
It's time to close the doors on this year & I don't know how I feel about it. Some years, I really look forward to turning over a new leaf (though in this winter wasteland, I truly mean that metaphorically) & some years I look back with great fondness & wonder how it all went by so fast...
But this past year, I had high hopes & when I turned on the radio this morning & heard the reports about more war & more unrest, I just felt kind of tired of it all. Is it ever going to end? Will we ever find peace among us? I'm sure the lack of daylight up here is not helping my disposition either. We had our hearts set on going away in February but we've postponed our plans so what I would normally be looking forward to ~ a warm, sandy beach, has been replaced with the notion of 3 more months of a cold, white winter ahead, that can drive anyone a little batty.
Enough of that, here's a quick look back at some of my favorite things that came out of 2008 (totally personal, but perhaps you'll enjoy them too):
My favorite internet show ~ Dr. Horrible & the Sing Along Blog ~ Neil Patrick Harris is so awesome in this. (A suggestion, instead of going through YouTube, which lacks in the sound & visual quality, spend 5 bucks at iTunes & purchase it (under TV shows), it's so worth the 45 minutes & I promise you'll be singing about Dr. Horrible's Freeze Ray for weeks to come).
My favorite video of the year, it gets me every time, *sniffle, sniffle*.
This was also one of my favorite videos of 2008.
My favorite band this year is Vampire Weekend. I especially love A-Punk.
My favorite blog of 2008 ~ Kate McKinnon's (click on Journal to read). Her entries are short, interesting, frequent & there are always lots of cool pictures.
My favorite recipe this year from The Pioneer Woman, Crash Hot Potatoes - so delicious & better than fries. If you haven't tried them, do so, it's worth it!
My favorite photo found on the internet (Discover Magazine) this year is of the Moon:
And one of the best photos my mom shared with me that I haven't shared here yet:
She took this shot in September, when we had a stretch of balmy weather... it's hard to believe that it was only a few months ago that the sun felt warm like that.
Finally, the best deal of the year.
Couldn't resist that one - heehee.
That's about all I've got. Oh one more thing:
James, Barney Bentall, moi & Chris
I mentioned way back in February that we met Barney Bentall after a Corb Lund show in Vancouver & that our friend Mike took a photo of us & that I was going to post it... well here it is, several months later. It was such a weird & wild night & so much fun & this picture captures it for me. The first thing that comes to mind when I look at this is 'my goodness, Chris & I are ridiculously short or James & Barney are freakishly tall!' I think it's a little bit of both.
A Happy 2009 to you all. I hope it's a fantastic year & that you have your health, good friends, warm sunshine & snuggly nights. |
