Best/Worse/??learnt today...Pt22 A visit with friends...

your kitchen is huge!!! OMG
my house is sooo little lol.

lovely decorations tho, thanks for sharing them

Wonder,
Thanks! It just looks big, it's just over 2,000 square feet. The high ceiling in the kitchen, dining, and family room make it look big. We spent about six months working with the builder on the design right down to the little things, how many and exactly where we wanted electrical outlets and AV hook-ups go,etc. We are both really glad we spent the time to do that.

Rachel..thanks for sharing..omg it's so festive..love it..thanks for sharing..do love the snowpeople...

Didn't get everything done, tired so am off to bed ..know it's only 6pm but perhaps I'll get up extra early and do more..both wrists are extremely sore..so, that's it for today..much accomplished though..

Laura, glad that sunburn of yours is healing..NO MORE burns, not good for your health...you'll get your place decorated..still 22 days to go..ask the postmistress about the package and she said it wasn't unusual to take that long..so we'll see....

DIL called, she wanted to know if I had seen any ice sculture molds for candles..they do have them at a business not far from work..was going to say I didn't have time, lots of my own things to do but that wouldn't be nice..so said I'd try and find some tomorrow for her...

Best of today...better mood and got a lot accomplished
Worse of today...all that shovelling
What did I learn..just keep being nice to people no matter if they hurt you...you'll get a lot more out of life that way...

Gab in the morning..here's hoping that bad weather comes through between 6 to 8 am.. lol..then I can have 1 more day to get everything done..aren't I terrible...

night/night

Betty..sleep well...you are amazing with all your woodworking talents.
Your deck will be safe from the snows now.

I did a bit of shovelling today..and a bit later my neighbour came over and used his snowblower to clear the whole driveway. Had a little visit from my daughter. Her husband's birthday is tomorrow and she had left his gift here a week or so ago. I addressed some Christmas cards....and so it goes..

Rachie..wow what a great collection of snowmen. People must give you snowmen as gifts too.
Love your kitchen cabinets..and trees all over..a double sink in the guest bath?? My My..LOL
I noticed the little gingerbread house on the table that you made yesterday. ...sweet

Sharran..your tree is magnificent..

Laura..glad to hear your sunburn is healing..have you heard that Emu oil is also good for healing burns?
There is an Emu farm in the area and they sell it there in a little shop. It is also good for arthritis..the oil is aborbed quickly and has pain relieving properties..
Did you use the Aloe plant on your burn?

I was given this a few years ago by one of my Daughters in law. I like what it says..

Rachel, beautiful home! You've decorated wonderfully!!!

OK, I vote for a rode trip to Victoria Harbor next summer for a DG get-together at Betty's house! LOL. We can fly into Toronto and rent a car and drive up to Betty! Laura, you have to come too! Wouldn't that be just such fun!!!!!

Betty, I hope you've had a great weekend. Please don't worry about sharing your winter blues with us. We're here as your friends and sharing your ups and downs is what friends are for!! I hope you didn't mind the "Snap out of it" I posted.

Well, kind of a dreay weekend here. Raining right now - not cold enough to snow :( Helped my neighbor put lights up on the outside of her house. She was in the middle of three other houses that are all lit up for the holidays so we laid the guilt trip on her. She's got the "ba-humbugs" this year so I put her candles and wreaths in her windows and lights on her bushes and one of her little trees.

I did my interior decorating this weekend. I collect the big Santas that come out each year and have them all over entertainment center. I've got 13 now - two I just got yesterday: Santa in all white riding a polar bear and a Fireman Santa. I also have a small "Dickens" village that I put up on the mantel. I so little space to out anything that I've stopped buying those. I also want to put everything in the family room because that's where we are most of the time. If I put stuff all around the house, no one (including me) can enjoy it. We bought our tree last weekend and it is in a big bucket of water on the back porch. We'll put that up next weekend. That should be fun with Murphy!!

So I got the bad news on Friday that our bed is on backorder until January. To say the least, I was NOT happy. Especially considering that I had to call them FOUR times to finally get that answer. I made DH talk to them and he was very diplomatic but firm. So the store mgr is trying to find out from the manufacturer if there is one of the beds anywhere in their system that we can get in the next two weeks. i can handle that but January is ridiculous!!! My big question was when were they going to let us know it was backordered??? And why weren't we called immediately when the manufacturer determined it was backordered??? Hopefully, we'll get a good answer tomorrow!

Well, I have my final test tomorrow for my current class. I have to study the genus, species and family of about 65 conifers. Only 25 will be on the test but who knows which ones!!! I'm taking Tuesday off so one of the guys I go to school with is bring 20 bales of pine straw over to me to spread around. Plus my parents are coming up to take me to lunch! I only have to work 9 days in December - woo hoo!!!! I'm taking the last two weeks off and hopefully going to NYC.

OK, time to sign off. I'll char with y'all tomorrow....

J

Betty- You are so gracious to everyone in your life, we are all so very blessed to have you. Hope your wrists feel better in the morning, take a hot bath and cuddle up warm in bed.

Laura- Hope that sunburn heals quickly. Bet you won't forget sunscreen next trip to the beach! Every spring I do the same darn thing at least once, I get so darn excited about being out in the garden again I rush out there w/o sunscreen on. At the end of the day I come in with pink ears, nose and arms.

Starzz- How nice of your neighbor, what a back saver. Glad that you got a chance to visit with your daughter. I have recieved many of my snowmen as gifts, makes them that much more special and treasured.

J- I agree on a trip to see Betty! Please post pics of your decorations and Santa's. I bet your neighbor really appreciated your help. That just sucks about your bed! Hope that they will find one in the "system" for you.

Enjoy your evening all!

Best- Spending the day relaxing at home with hubby and our furry four legged kids.
Worst- Getting soaked in the freezing rain when I went outside to feed our bunnies.
Learned- That cutting out detailed Santa's works best with my little thread cutting scissors! (I started our with the medium size ones and it just wasn't happening!) hey are both cut out and ready to be glued on the sled that I will have my dad cut out this week.

evening all,

ok i have been working for two days! not use to taking night time pictures will catch up with your threads later on so here is the frount

and another

couple more

last one

ok im back with new batteries lol

pic 2

pic three

evening all,

rachel,your decorations are lovely omg you have snow too :)
carol,im so green with envy all of you are having a white xmas love that sign.
gilli,nice to hear from you you have been busy,how fun to find that flower just beautiful.

shar,wow decorations came out so nice love all the colors hope ethan didnt wear you out to much.

laura, glad your sunburn is getting better,i look foward to seeing pictures of your decorations i think were the outcasts jeannie to no snow for all of us :(


jeannine,oh that was nice of you to help decorate, oh how fun would it be to go see betty!
hope they get the bed situated i cant believe they couldnt of called you to tell you of the backorder how fustrating oh are you lucky 9 days of work! best of luck on your test.

betty, thank you,thats nice the deck being covered you can still enjoy the deck, wow now look at all of that wood.. how many santa's are you making? now you sound to be in better spirits im glad and i hope all your work dosnt make you more sore oh i know what i was going to ask how is art? well i need to go unwind been a long weekend for me have a great evening liz

Ahhhhhhhhh, how lovely Rachie......all of it. I like your collections. I had to do everything different this year, because it is my first year without my husband. I didn't think I could make it through if I had to dig into all those memories. Anyway, I didn't get my collections out, and that's why you see only the "decadent" colors......Maybe next year I will go back to tradition, and mix it all together.

I have two more to show you.....I won't say anything about these two special photos, but You know who You are.......they are very special ornaments, and I do appreciate them. They will always have a special place in my home.

It has rained all day, and I can't get outside to take photos, but Wow! Liz.....between you and Betty, I couldn't even try to top that. They are gorgeous!!!!! How fun it would be to drive by some night and see those lights.

OK, GG, let's get that bed here. I am tired of waiting for it.......I think I would have lost my cool a while ago.

Here are my two favorite ornaments....then I am going to tell you goodnight....Hugs to you all

and the next one....

Liz- Your light display is fabulous and so is your garden! I am in love with your Bird of Paradise (drooling on the computer keys....)

Shar- Your ornments are so delicate and lovely. Let me guess, the handpainted one is a Betty creation?

Yep, you got it Rach. And there is another treasure in the angel scene, but that one is still a secret, I think. Don't want to spoil it for anybody else.
How is your weather way out there tonight?

Shar-
As my Mom always says "it's raining like cow pissing on a flat rock!" Pretty close analogy actually. Can you tell that my mom grew up on a dairy farm?! It has been raining heavily all day and has been quite windy, haven't lost power yet thankfully! The wind is supposed to be worse tomorrow. Well off to bed. Sleep tight! Rachel

girls, been cutting wood since 4:30 and now I must rush to get ready for work..snow/snow/snow...got a pile of it last night..weather watch is on for our area today..winds have died down so guess not 'stay at home call'..we'll take it easy, get there when we get there...so much shovelling to do, will have to wait till I get home tonight though..almost think it would be worth living in condo or apt.. phone is ringing...

Well, Paul just called, don't have to brave the storm today..thank goodness...get all day to finish all that has to be done and more gifts wrapped..how wonderful...

Jeannine..please forgive me, in all my tales of woe, I forgot your birthday..had it marked on my calendar..happy belated birthday!!!
Just hate it when I do such things...I've had it on the calendar for about 1 month with the reminder...do hope you enjoyed your day...

Liz..what a festive display....I enjoyed seeing all the lights.

Sharran..I like the way you have Betty's ornament displayed..it is a work of art.

Happy Belated birthday Jeannine.

Betty..wonderful that you won't have to make that long drive today. Stay cozy..
Breakfast television has reported some of the school buses have been cancelled in Toronto and north of Hwy.7.

Have a good day all.

morning all,

rachel, thanks oh that bird is so out of control that was a 1 gallon about 10 years ago, no mater how much i cut it back because its being a nusance it comes back twice as much so i threw in the towel,lol
i let it just do its thing now, if my black one in the back would get like this one i'd be happy

thanks shar, i like your angle display i know those ornaments! lol

betty, you get to stay home and play lucky you well dont over work yourself but have lots of fun!

judy, i think you fell asleep on your craft table lol

have a great day all...
liz

carol, crossed posts , thank you

Morning!

Busy here. Cooking up a storm for the freezer yesterday and work and snow the day before. Today looks sunny so far but the temp is 3 degrees.

Best and worst the snow!

Learned I like to stay home when it snows.

Betty take it easy and get some sunshine that might help your mood. Glad you get to stay ome. These storms seem a might early this year! We are suppose to get more tomorrow. Have tomorrow off so won't have to drive in it.

Liz I want your yard it is outstanding!

Shar your decorations are beautiful. Like the angel display.

Rachel I also collect snowmen. But they are still packed away. The mood is not here at all.

Hi to the rest. I have to go and get some breakfast and more coffee. Have a great day all.

Betty, you did not forget my BD - It's tomorrow the 4th! Well, I guess it's my BD down in Laura's neck of the woods already!! I'm glad you get to stay home today! Enjoy yout time off - even if you are staying busy!!

Liz, your decorations are great!!! I love all of it!

Sharon, your ornaments are beautiful!

I'm at work right now - it's sunny, in the 50's and really windy! It's suppose to be REALLY cold tonight. I have class tonight and DH and kids are coming out to the gardens (class is held at the botanical gardens here in Richmond) to walk thru and see all the lights they put up for Xmas. I walked thru for a few mins last week and they are absolutely beautiful! Not just your typical Xmas colors but aquas, purples, pinks - you name it. I can't wait to see all of them!

I'm taking tomorrow off for my BD. DH told me to pick a place to eat dinner. I decided to go to one of the local Japanese restaurants that have the hiabachi (sp?) tables. I love sitting there watching the guys do their "show". The kids are crazy about oriental food but hopefully they'll like watching everything. My other choice was the Melting Pot for fondue but I just didn't think the kids would enjoy it as much plus it much more expensive! Anyway, I'm sure tomorrow will fly and it will be back to reality on Wednesday!

Off to do work (and study for my exam tonight).

Chat later....
J

Of course they are beautiful, GG, they were made by beautiful people......which make them something to treasure.

Have a wonderful time at the Japanese restaurant. I enjoyed being at one of those places a few years ago..great fun!

Good luck on your exam.

Still snowing...plowman came about 10 and I was out shovelling and we must have gotten another 2"...so very nice here, fireplace on, cozy,cozy..doing a few projects..all my Victorian Workshop wood is cut..ready to become someone's treasures..making a list of what I still require for Friday..

For the past 5 years, every workshop I have with these girls we end up with a blizzard..calling for a lot of snow..let's hope a different front comes in..one that brings cold but non-snow type ...

Have my lunch ready to up I go..soon time to clean this mess and wrap a few more gifts..I've 2 presents in back storage shed that weigh a ton...boxes are about 36 x 24...going to try and bring them in to wrap..if I ask son or DIL to help, well they'll see what the gift is..will take my time am sure I can do it..lol..

Thought I'd share my view from living room window..

Jeannine, thank goodness I didn't miss your birthday..knew it was on my calendar at work..woopii - better early than late...

Imagine, I'm still in my jammies, enjoying the day..feel badly for all those on the road, blustery here right now..

I'm not the only one who is enjoying their day..Sailor is laying at my feel as I paint and the Riley and Missy, well they are having a snow day as well...enjoyable day for all!!!

Hello everyone,

...What a way to wake up today! it's begininning to look alot like Christmas...

You have made me smile throughtout my day. My eyes are delightfully Bedazzled.

Shar, Your displays are so esquisite...hmmm, maybe you should head down this way and decorate my house!

Carol, It is a beautiful sign and so true!

Jeannine, How wonderful..going to a Japanese Restraunt for your birthday! It was so sweet of you to help your neighbor. Just a lovely way to to brighten some's holiday.

Liz, OMG, I did fall alseep!! Thanks for listening to day to day updates, and Tadah...over a 1,000 beads later, mailed the international ones today.
You have been busy too!! Your outdoor Christmas display is simply wonderful and so festive, Amazing. LOL, halfway expected to see a pumpkin with a santa hat on.

Betty, wow-I am glad you are able to spend today at home. Sounds wonderful you, still in your jammies...Geesh, You enclosed that whole porch in by yourself? incredible and looks cozy warm!

Rachie, Your home is so beautiful and and cheerfully decorated for the holidays, I love your kitchen display with snow people in the cake platter, great idea. What fun you made the Gingerbread house...it's awsom.

Well, sorry I haven't been able to post much, if my hands are typing then they are not beading. That is what I am up to for the next couple of weeks. However, I do read in between each day.

So...Today is the Day!! My Grand nephew should have been born after 10:00 this morning...Anxiously waiting for my picture, a phone call anything...so I am granding around with lots of happiness...Will start the first process on his blanket tonight.

Hearing your stories of Christmas and seeing your displays sure makes it feel like we are together for this holiday! I am up for a visit Betty's too...

well, got to finish up...leaving early to continue the bead bregade!
Have a delightful day all.

morning all.

the postman came today and i got goodies from across the water!!! thanks for the xmas decs... so cute.

OMG betty, its like snow like in a movie or a book! i cant imagine living there, it seems so foreign to me. eeew i think i would hate the whole shovelling thang too!
its just so beautiful tho.

you are all so busy with xmas, its lovely really. you inspire me.
the last couple of years i think i lost the drive for xmas spirit but seeing you all and having grandbabies now, i think i would like to decorate too!
hmm will have to see what i can do.

have a great day... tomorrow is looking fine!

x

Hi Girls,
I was making a Birthday e-card for my nephew and when I saw Betty's photo of the cats..I thought it looked like a Christmas card..
So I played a bit..
LOL
Enjoy.............

Oh so sweet!!!! You are so talented! I love the card, Betty will too.

Thanks Sharran..I hope it makes her smile.

I bet it will. It made me smile, it's a winner.

How fun! Your right a great Christmas card...sure to brings smiles.

Thanks Judy..it was fun to make.

Wahoooo!!! My Grand nephew joined the world at 12:39 P.M. this afternoon! weighing in at 6lbs 15+ oz. and 20" tall.
You are lookin at the extemely Proud Grand Aunti! He is healthy, mom doing well and can just hear the excitment of the proud Daddy!
Will talk to mom tomorrow...Welcome to my baby Donavan Blaze!...Ima smilin big!

Congratulations to you and the family!

Yayyyyyyy! Seed!!!!! Early Christmas present for sure.