Joyful Purpose

New Year's Tradition

Every year we go skiing in Mammoth for New Year's.  It is a really fun vacation.  I love driving up there and just being in the snow.  They have great skiing of course but also cute little shops, a great book store, and yummy places to eat.  It also gives me some time to just not have to be doing the norm.  The boys are trying snowboard school this year so we shall see how they do.  Mark and I will be trading off I suppose so in that time I am planning on bringing a few things to keep me occupied.  So I have purchased my new Jan. mags  and plan on bringing along my art stuff to work on a few things - the question always is what to bring?  So I am packing today and we will be off tmr in the wee hours of morning.

I had myself a Merry Little Christmas

Christmas Eve we took the boys out to dinner at Padri a great italian restaurant and then we looked at lights.  A tradition for us.  The boys looked so cute in their ties - a rare occasion. Christmas morning was filled with lots of gift opening and dinner for 16.  I made my annual menu of chateau briand, mashed potatoes, salad, broccoli with cheese sauce and desserts.  Everyone had a great time and I was exhausted yesterday to be sure.  I have to share my favorite gift.  My sweet husband gave me this robe - no  ordinary robe mind you - but the most squishable, yummiest robe ever.  It feels like a giant stuffed pink bunny rabbit and it has this cool silk paisley lining - basically it rocks!

A Christmas Carol

Here is wishing you the best Christmas wishes!  Mark, the boys and I just watched A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott.  It was such a treasure to sit by the fire and watch such a meaningful film together.  It makes me really feel the spirit of Christmas.  I said "Merry Christmas" to everyone I came in contact with today.  It seems like people are afraid to be politically incorrect in saying it and yet somehow it takes some cheer out of the season.  So Merry Christmas!  I hope it is filled with joy, love, laughter, friends, and family.  In the words of Tiny Tim "God Bless Us, Everyone!"

A warm fuzzy feeling

I decided that adding a little something to the small things adds a great deal of cheer for me and I believe for the receiver.  Here are a few pics.  I took these cute scrapbook labels that came in a punch out sheet and with ribbon and a stamp added them to the cookies.  I love Punch Studios stuff and these little victorian cards are adorable so for Payton's teachers I jazzed them up with some embossed stamps, rubbed chalk ink around the edges, tied on some ribbon and glue dotted on some jingle bells.  This stuff took very little effort but the result turned out nice.  Just gives me a warm fuzzy  feeling inside - isn't that what it is all about anyway?

holiday gifts

Here is the project for Grayson's class that I am going to do with the kids on Wed.  a decoupage frame  with torn paper.  I already went in and took pics of the kids for the photo insert.  I think it will be cute.
Every year I give little gifts to the gals at my barn.  So this year I decorated buckets with paint markers with the horse's name, snowflakes, and horseshoes, a horsey gift tag and some peppermint horse treats.

A Tale and Cougar Gold

Okay, so I have been seeing this book everywhere and it just didn't interest me to pick it up until a few weeks ago when my mom read it and said after the first page - that is a book that you don't want to end.  Well, I have to say she was right.  It is one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time - one of those that you stay up late and wake up early to read - the one that you carry with you in your purse and read at every  stray moment.  I was so sad when it ended.  I love when a book captures me that way.  Now I am on the search for another like it but so far after  buying MANY have yet to capture its allure.  Any suggestions?  Now on to food  - Cougar Gold Cheese   is so Yummo!  We get a tin from my in laws every year for the holidays and look forward to its arrival.  Yes, we are Coug's fans my mother in law works at the University and my husband was born on campus while my father in law attended vet school there so we have a long history as Cougars.  This cheese can be ordered online and is so worth it.  As you can tell I have a thing for cheese.

Flourishes

I found these great scrolls and frames on teresa's blog and had to order them for myself.  I ordered four different ones from scrapartist vintage labels, shmoozy frames, scrolls, and another ornate frame pack to use with photoshop. They are great little additions inexpensive and you just download them - very cool.  Here are some examples of my trying it out.  I have to say I could get a wee bit obsessed with these!

I have been tagged

I have been tagged by Maija to name 6 weird things about myself:

1. I scratch my legs when I am nervous
2. I like saurkraut and mashed potatoes mixed together.
3. The smell of horse manure is comforting, (yes I have a horse)
4. I sleep under a down comforter even in the summer.
5. I have a freaky heightened sense of smell.
6. I always have my toenails painted.

I need some feedback

I am considering teaching a few classes and need some feedback!  The classes will be on cowgirls and self portraits.  My question is format.  What would you like? mixed media journal, 6x6 canvas, card deck, 6x6 book, shrine?  I would love your input as to what format along with the theme. i.e. cowgirl 6x6 canvas, self portrait mix media journal.  Thanks so much!

finds and sweets

This past Tuesday I went to a birthday tea for my friend Carol at the Rose Tree Cottage tea house in Pasadena.  First, the tea was lovely, and being the anglophile that I am I throughly enjoyed every last cup,scone, and tea sandwich - they even had mini yorshire puddings stuffed with roast beef - yummo! As I was making the trek out there I decided to make a few stops along the way there.  First was the Paper Source which I just loved and I got these awesome papers there - can't wait to use them in my work!

I also found these great gold glitter letters from K&Co which I decided to put on my card tree with tiny clothespins.  I found this birdy wire stand on my trip last weekend - It is for the garden but I thought it would be great to display Christmas cards.

I decided to make some different christmas cookies so the boys and I made these little yummies - which I am going to call Peppermint GiGis (chocolate fudge cookies with choc chips, iced with crushed candy canes on top!