Merry 28th!

All here and all well! Hope everyone's Christmas was merry!

Travel

So tonight I was looking at pictures from the trip that Kelli and I took in April. Such great memories...interesting stories...beautiful buildings...fun food... and wonderful people! (Thanks again and again and again MOM and DAD!) Anyways, I miss traveling and so hugely appreciate all that I have been able to do. I also appreciate that I have done alot of that traveling with friends and family that made it even more special.

3 pages Using DAD from Divine Digitals

This "We Be Baking" layout also contains a glitter frame from swordascrappin.com and the adorable gingerbread man is designed by Tammy Jo Traver.

Kelli's House and my teenage moose!

Amber alerted me to visitors yesterday. Momma and youth were in our driveway! Wonderful to see them again! Momma had already gone down to the neighbor's by the time I got the camera.

This is Kelli's group's house from KCC. And surprise surprise...they won the competition!

Is this not the cutest???? All those years of training paid off with a box of chocolates as the prize!

Happy Birthday Barry!

Hope it is a happy one!

Been Busy Baking

GINGERBREAD!

And visiting this sight http://snowflake.bhg.com/

I love making snowflakes!

What about you? It is habit forming, so beware!

What do I see? Teeny Tiny Christmas Decorations

And this adorable Holy threesome was my very first Nativity set. Bought it myself from my Mom's cousin Mart when she had a store in Henderson, MI. Always kept it in a tiny xmas tin in the hutch. I am guessing that it is about 35-40 years old.


This pretty under glass is also a miniature and made from clay. Mike bought it for me when we were vacationing in Sorrento, Italy, March, 2005.



Put up the 3 miniature trees yesterday. This is a Hallmark "Woodland Baby" of Kelli's. The Kitchen fairy is from a set of 3 that Connie gave me in TX.

Nacimientos*Creches*Nativities

Celtic Creche, given to me by Debbie Cox when we lived in Aberdeen and spent so much of our time Questing for Pictish Stones! Perfect!



This is the baby Jesus from a set I bought in Barcelona. I hemmed and hawwed about getting both parts and decided just to get the Holy Family and ox and burro. Got home and was furious with myself, Chelsi was in Barcelona for a Spanish Program, so I explained where I bought it and what it looked like, etc. (and in Spanish and all in text messages!) When she came home and showed me "tres reyes y tres camelos" that were exactly the same size and right color, I was sooo excited and so was she! Good job Chelsi! I love the bright colors!






This is the complete set...isn't it fun?





Newest addition to collection... gift from my Momma in Michigan this summer for my birthday.


"Traditional nacimientos picture the birth of Jesus. It seems than Saint Francis of Assisi was the first one to come out with the idea of representing with figures the scene in the stable of Bethlehem. That first nacimiento was placed inside a cave in Greccio, Italy, in 1223, to later become a well established tradition in that country.
The excellence of Mexican artisans helped in a significant way to the development of this custom in our country. A typical nacimiento shows Jesus in a crib, with the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph at His side. Inside the portal (porch), which can take the form of a cave, a stone house or a cabin, there are several animals surrounding the Holy persons: burros, oxen, sheep, cows, horses. Additional personalities who take part are shepherds, angels, pilgrims, and the Kings from the East who came to adore Him. The star they followed to Bethlehem always crowns the nacimiento, giving it light and color." This was found at http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/ldumois/ldcposadas.html

I have a collection af nacimientos and hope to post their pictures over the next couple of days.

Look at this headline!

This was honestly a headline in our daily paper today and it was the Prompt for day 5 of "Journal Your Christmas"!

We have always done Advent Calendars. My parents have a paper church with the steeple holding 24 tiny boxes that slide down. Each box held a tiny plastic figure of the creche. I loved that Advent Calendar! Mom...do you still have it?

When we lived in TX the girls received a Western calendar that is a pouch holding little felt ornaments in western shapes. It is pretty cute!

When Kelli and I were in Austria last spring, I know I picked up numerous beautiful paper calendars, but can not find them now! Surprise, surprise! I will probably find them in time for the 4th of JULY!!!

And look who is sleeping on Kelli Sue!!! Arran never does this and Kelli was so exhausted that she did not even know that Arran was there. I had to prove it with this shot! Amber is usually the lap kitty!

Kelli's "Perfection"

Used the free kit designed by kreativekarma found at Faith Sisters.

Remembering Thanksgiving!

Here we are: Kelli and Kendall making yeast rolls~~~Megan and Chelsi with deviled eggs and Chelsi is wearing an adorable apron designed and sewn by Megan (hint, hint)~~~our traditional pilgrim place cards ( a 45 year old tradition!)~~~ Mike and I (did I mention that Kelli is attending MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY next fall???)~~~Liberty and the rest of the turkeys!~~~ Our table with friends and family! ~~~And of course Amber and Arran!

So very thankful!

Correspondence and Cranberry Relish

Will also be including this year's card in my journal. Here is page 3. Papers and embellishments in a free kit at Faith Sisters. Kit designed by kreativekarma.

More snow expected tonight.

Cymbre's Cranberry Relish

2 bags fresh cranberries (16 oz)

2 tart apples ( peeled and sliced)

10 oz. frozen raspberries

1/2 cup orange marmelade

1 t. lemon juice

1 cup sugar

Add all the above to a food processor and process till finely chopped. Will keep in refrigerator for six weeks! Enjoy! and if you know me at all you know that I can not follow a recipe to save my life...so this is what I did....Only 1 bag of cranberries, 2 granny smith apples, 12 oz bag frozen raspberries, 1 cup marmalade, no lemon juice, and 1/2 cup splenda. It was so tasty and so good for you! Makes alot and we are still eating it like jam on our toast in the mornings!

Weather

Here is prompt #2. I used (free) elements and papers from December Download a Day at www.divinedigital.com.

And here is the address to create library cards.

http://www.blyberg.net/card-generator/

Really having fun using my own font! Want to go back and make another that is more precise...not like I don't have a million other things to do! Still working on putting cards together...have not even started the baking, but surprisingly early do have most of the shopping done! Ryan comes home on the 22nd! Can't wait to have the family all together again!

Last Day of November

Well, we got about a foot of snow and it is still falling!
Kelli and I put up some outdoor lights today and giggled wildly throughout the process! Also got pretty snow covered and brrrrr was it cold!
Still eating T-Day leftovers and they are YUMMY!
Perfected this year's Christmas Card and started putting it together while we watched "The Holiday".
Made my own signature font online for free. http://www.yourfonts.com/ This is too much fun!

Also have this cool site where you generate a old looking library card with your own text.


Looking forward to the holiday season...starting My Journal tomorrow!

Happy First Sunday in Advent!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, It was a beautiful day! Will post pictures later! Around our table were Mike, Kelli, and I along with Chelsi, Megan, and Beau. Lots of food, lots of fun and lots to be THANKFUL for! The girls cooked most of the dinner and it was sooo yummy! Mike did the Turducken and I sat around telling people what to do...and I washed a few dishes! Also made a wonderful cranberry relish thanks to Cymbre!


Went shopping today and that was a first for me! Never done the BLACK FRIDAY thing before. And tonight 8 of us ate a new Italian place over off of Spenard. Very nice!

Tomorrow Kelli and I are taking a Viking Cooking School class at Allen and Petersen..."Around the World Cookie Swap"!

Getting READY to...

JOURNAL MY CHRISTMAS! Find out more at
http://www.shimelle.com/classes/389/journal-your-christmas/

Did this last year and have pictures in a January post. Had so much fun and can't wait to get going for 2008!

This was fun!

You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Pictures of Last Year's Journal

See last year's FINISHED journal in the Friday, 17 January 2008 post.

Even MORE!

With the help of Emily Falconbridge's "Messy Journal" video, I have my xmas journal up and running for this year's "Journal My Christmas" with Shimelle. Once you join Shimelle's class you are able to receive her prompts every year! What a deal! And I know I left the edge on...extra paper and I love the words "Figgy Pudding"!!!!!

More Making Stuff

Finally finished thank-you albums for Dulce and Ronalyn... and Kelli journaled them!
These are based on an idea from Shimelle Lane.

Making Stuff

Hey! Made a Xmas Journal for Elizabeth and already posted it off to Aberdeen so that she has time to think about it before the beginning date of DEC.1! OMG...I am almost ahead of myself!

Happy List

Today's Happy List

Amber purring in my lap
Kelli's yummy butternut cake (and it is good for you)
Chelsi here for dinner (and to do her laundry)
Ryan called.
Mike and I watching "Chuck"
Big Beautiful sun as it set and reflected like molten gold over the inlet. (Was driving so could not get a picture)
Janet, my dear friend, called from Detroit airport on her way back to the Netherlands.
Cinnamon scented candle burning in my kitchen.


Read Em's happy list here... http://www.embers.typepad.com/

More Pretties

So had a bit of a computer glitch, but thanks to my hubby and his colleagues, it is working again! Supposedly, there was a heat issue stemming from internal smoldering of cat hair!!!! So, I guess I need to keep Amber off of my lap while computing and off of the computer while I am not computing! See previous post from this summer! (JULY 21, 2008) Amber just loves my computer and my lap... she is holding down my arms now as I try to type...the constant movement bothers her not in the least!!!
Here are some pictures~~~you know I love our view and then I took one of the frost.
ok so having problems uploading! Try again later!

And big thanks to KAY! She called to tell us that the Northern Lights were out! Pretty, but not spectacular. The moon was very bright and made them harder to see! Still counts as my first sighting though!!!

the View from my Porch!

Can you believe this??? This is what greeted me all day long...as long as I was looking North. This is Denali and most of it's mountain range. Isn't it lovely?

Halloween Digis

Used Spookalicious and Cyndi's Halloween Kit from Divine Digital. The font is thriller. The quick page is serenebyrw_scraphead_freebie. "Beware" is by CherieMask and is a freebie at 2 Peas in a Bucket.