Times Square

I won't be in Times Square tonight to ring in the new year. I'm hoping I can just stay awake until midnight to watch the ball drop, a very small ball the doesn't drop very far mind you. Our entire group in Times Sqaure during Thanksgiving weekend was surprised how small the ball is. 

 Count all your blessings when you ring in 2011!!

Happy New Year, stay safe.

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas Eve

One day till Christmas.

May your Christmas be delightful and filled with family, friends and wonderful memories!!

The antique store owner gave me a Santa ornament. I added it to my grater display. Gosh, I hope I'm not his best customer.  : )

I made homemade vanilla, a vanilla bean & vodka. It takes about seven weeks.

Don't use the container that I used. Can't get a teaspoon of vanilla out of the jar without spilling. I poured my vanilla into an almost empty vanilla bottle.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy First Day of Winter.

We've actually had several weeks of winter at our house. Guess it's official now.

It's nice to be the person inside looking out rather than the one outside blowing snow. We've already doubled the amount of times we've had to use the snow blower compared to all of last winter. 

Mick was in Toronto Thursday & Friday attending business meetings. Saturday I drove to the train station in Brockville to pick him up.

 He sits in business class which has Internet access. He can work on his laptop the entire trip.

I was looking forward to a Tim Hortons Canadian Maple Glazed donut once I found out I'd be going to Canada. The donut always brings me back to my days of sitting in a Tim Hortons during hockey practices.

 We should go back to the days of train travel. Especially now that flying is such a terrible experience.

Feather a Nest

A got this idea from a craft show, they were selling filled for $18.00. I spent $3.00 for the suet feeder, bought at our grocery store.

Inside are pieces of yarn and stripes cut from a holey wool sock. I was thinking I could have also cut up an old sweater. You could even buy a cheap skein of yarn.

Per the craft show, the birds like to pick through for the pieces that are appealing to them.

I'm going to hang near our bird feeders come spring time. Come quick spring.

Start collecting your scraps over the winter and you can also feather a few nests for the birds in your neighborhood. I think I'm going to continue to collect and make a second one.

Wordless Wednesday

Fresh Pine

Last year I went all out and put fresh pine everywhere. I'm still finding needles every now & then.

This year I filled an insert from a picnic basket, set on top of the sofa table, with balsam pine. 

 Blue spruce in a basket below the sofa table.  My favorite.

I think I can lift the baskets and move directly outside to empty come the end of the month.

Hopefully, without letting a needle fall.

Cement Goose

Mom's goose plays hockey. Same team and same number as Eric had.

 I had to fix up the blue plastic stick to look like a carbon fiber stick taped up.

Geneseo hockey currently has a record of 8 - 3 - 2.

I'm planning to see Geneseo play in January, minus the goose.

Decorations

Slowly I've been decorating the house for the Christmas season. I bought the ornament hangers at an antique shop. Most likely paid at least 10 times more than the original price.

 The bottle brush trees don't look as good as the squash did on the kitchen scale. Notice anything  different from the fall photo???? 

 Even the picnic baskets are put to use. Amie thinks I should tell you that the "blanket" is actually a skirt. I thought I would keep that decorating tip a secret.

 My button tree. Don't ever make one. Took me FOREVER and twice I had to go buy more buttons.

Next week I'll so you our tree.

Oak Tree

Our oak tree on December 5th.

 It may be the only tree in the village with leaves. I hate that the leaves stay on all winter. I also wonder why.

Wordless Wednesday

TOYS FOR TOTS

Every year we make a donation to TOYS FOR TOTS. I like that it's a donation that benefits children that live in our community. I was happy that this year games for older kids were included in our donation.

Our donation day was this weekend but I know in larger communities there are donation boxes out all season long.

Also, look how good the top of the kitchen table looks after Mick refinished it.

Homemade Peppermint Bark

Homemade peppermint bark in Christmas cookie cutters. I bought the cutters last year at an "After Christmas Sale." Melt down Dark Chocolate Wilton Candy Melts for the first layer and just prior to hardening top with melted down White with Peppermint Candy Wilton Candy Melts.

 We found that using a sandwich bag with a hole cut in one corner worked better than the plastic container.

 You have a nice "two for the price of one gift." Candy and a cookie cutter!!!

Christmas Decorations

Monday I took down all the fall decorations. For some reason I had a lot more leaves and pumpkins around than usual. Started Christmas decorating on Tuesday and nothing looked right. I didn't put out a thing on Wednesday since I was a bit discouraged.

My one and will be my only purchase for this year, a snow flake pillow from Target. Saw a similar one at Pottery Barn. Target price couldn't be beat ! I'm going to keep it out most of the winter. 

My new display for this year, old graters with string lights on the inside. I got the idea from a magazine. Over the years I've purchased the graters at antique or thrift stores for $1 to $2 each. In the past I've lined the graters down the center of our table with votive candles in each one. 

Hopfully I'll get my creativness back so I can finish decorating this weekend. Let the fun begin !!!

The Addams Family

We went to The Addams Family A New Musical in New York City.

Our group in the lobby prior to the start of the show.

  

The show was so GOOD. It was funny, the special effects were great as was the music & dancing.

If you are planning to go see a Broadway show I would reccomend The Addams Family A New Musical!!

Wordless Wednesday

Saw the "life like" statues on a New York City building & I got a little homesick. Well, maybe it was more like sick to my stomach thinking of our statues at home.

Maybe one day I'll brave getting close to our hometown "life like" fountain statues and get a photo for you. Maybe.

Day After

Pumpkin cheesecake or a celery stick.

Decisions to decisions.

A lot of delicious food was consumed yesterday.

  Monday would be a good day to go back to normal eating habits.

Celery stick cuts the sweetness of the cheesecake !

Thanksgiving

My your day be filled with family, friends, good food and football.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day !!

Wordless Wednesday

Early Thanksgiving Dinner

We will be eating Thanksgiving dinner at friends on Thursday so I cooked a turkey dinner on Sunday . The turkey looked as good as it tasted. I read an on-line recipe to bake at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes and then turn down to 350 degrees for the balance of cooking time. Once you like the color tent with foil.

I will roast the same next year.

My grandmother Lothridge's "Jewel Homemakers" bowl. Only time I use it is for mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. Told Amie I would cry if it got broken  

She then gave me the scenario, if it was broken, would I want to be the one to break it or someone else. I didn't take me long to decide, someone else. I would forgive someone else but never myself.  Make sense?

How Starbucks Saved My Life

I always enjoy reading real life stories and this book was no exception. It was a quick read, two short evenings of reading. The book got mixed reviews at our book club meeting. One member didn't like the book because she didn't like Starbucks. How could she, they have the best brewed tea!! I don't want to give much away about the book because I would recommend reading How Starbucks Saved My Life. Also, Crystal, Michael's first boss at Starbucks needs to write her story.

Photoshoot

 Amie's college friend came for a weekend visit. Thankfully I had two willing photoshoot subjects.

I like the "golden" light of our late afternoon.

Thanks Carrie for being such a willing subject. We loved having you for the weekend. Come again!

Also, happy birthday on Sunday.

May you have a GREAT day and a wonderful year.

Wordless Wednesday

Thanksgiving Place Cards

I've never used a table saw but Amie did back in middle school.

Yes, she had on safety glasses.

 We cut a birch limb into six 2" pieces.

Then we cut by hand a notch in the top. 

I guess we'll be having a rustic Thanksgiving table this year.