Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas Decorations

Hi Friends....Come on in to my little house and help me welcome in the Christmas Season. As you can probably guess I like to use reds, green, silver and gold in my decorating. Anyway, come on in through the front door and the first thing you'll see is my double fireplace. Upon entering the front door you'll be plopped right into the living room. I moved the furniture around a bit but liked the tree in the corner. You'll also see Carson's crate sitting under the table in the bay window. He enjoys siting there and watching the world go by.
Go through the archway, past the fireplace in the den and is my dining room. Remember, I love all things Italian and this bright pasta picture makes me happy. The scale wasn't big enough for me so I painted a large red rectangle on the wall to make the picture seem bigger.
Here is the dining room fireplace and mantle. I used my snowman and more brightly colored trees in this room. I like the way they look with the red wall. Having dinner by the fire is a great way to enjoy a meal or sit and linger when it's cold outside and the fire is glowing. On the opposite wall I created this artwork from a poster, some modge podge, tissue paper and painter's canvas. My butler's pantry was created from of a bit of wasted space (we think it might have been the former laundry room/back porch). I faux finished the top to look like black granite.
Happy Holidays and try not to get so busy that you forget the REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON! Have a blessed week!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Ugly Ornament Party

Yesterday my office held our annual Ugly Ornament Party. My camera is "on the blink" and since I was a relatively new blogger this time last year, I'm re-cycling my post from last year. This year about a dozen ladies attended (both current employees and ones that have left but we still love anyway!). We all brought appetizers and sweets and had a feast! Everyone broke out their most delicious dishes and we all ate WAY too much....but TIS the season.
The picture below of the "disturbing" gnome/flying monkey/scary fairy combo are winners from a few years back. It seems we go in buying cycles and one year many of us brought similar type ornaments. We put a BAN on gnome like creatures....they were just frightening. LOL! These are now our tree toppers...pretty ugly and tacky, huh!

This is an ornament from a few years ago and we all laugh because it resembles and reminds us of one of our male co-worker. But "mum's the word" and we WON'T reveal who we think it looks like! HEHEHE! We've decided "what HAPPENS at the Ugly Ornament Contest....STAYS at the Ugly Ornament contest! Did I mention I work with a BUNCH of REALLY fun ladies???This puppy with a hat on his tail was from this year. It's CUTE but we thought it kinda looked like he was pooping out the hat and the look on his little puppy face is priceless. Oh well...I guess you had to have been there!
This could have been cute, especially on a children's themed tree but the colors were SO garish it was a bit spooky. My camera doesn't do the colors justice!
And what is it about a Gun Cabinet that screams CHRISTmas! However, we all agreed that on a manly tree or a woodsy themed tree this could be cute.
Here's a blush pink mesh crawfish/lobster. If you look closely the eyes are pink pearls and there is a smattering of beads and pearls randomly and haphazardly glued on. We decided this might be a good decoration at a Cajun Wedding.
And what doesn't make you think of evergreen Christmas trees, shiny tinsel and bright colored balls like a heart shaped cow; standing on a beet/radish/pink carrot. Again....he's cute, but CHRISTMAS!?!?
And last, but not least.....OUR FAVORITE! No comment necessary...she's just kitchy, funky, and fun!!!
After adding our favorites from years past, we stepped back and admired our handiwork and announced we had ourselves a FINE little tree....what do ya'll think?
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FELLOW BLOGGERS! Hope all is merry and bright in your world today!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

There's No Christmas Yet!!!

Getting into the Christmas mode this year has been difficult....but it's not because I'm blue or depressed. It's because I was in the Islands, Mon, and haven't quite gotten back in the swing of things at home.
With friends, I cruised out of Galveston to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
While chilling in Mexico, Christmas trees and baking cookies was far from my mind.

Beside relaxing we had some adventures....my travel companion, Fredna and I enjoyed traversing on a zip line over the Jamaican jungle! (and yes, her father's name was Fred and she wasn't a boy...so thus, the name Fredna...I think it's cute)
We cruised in jeeps and got to see a lot of the islands that most do not when they stick to the main roads.
We even tried Jamaican Bobsledding. It's sort of like your own personal roller coaster ride, but you have the options to brake (by hand). We all went FULL TILT and it was a blast.

We visited a cool Eco-Park in Xcaret....near Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It was a cross between a zoo and a water park, next to a beautiful beach. We saw jaguars, anteaters, huge turtles and inner-tubed on an underwater ground river, Doing all this on the day when Houston had a freak snowstorm...but I wasn't too upset that I had missed it! And since I love all things COLORFUL, I thought this bus was cute. Do you?

Cozumel had put up a Christmas tree.....it took a while to get used to tropical versions of all the Christmas carols. :)
So....Feliz Navidad to all...(Merry Christmas in Spanish!). I had a wonderful trip but am now ready to make it feel like Christmas around here. My tree went up last night and today I'll do the rest of my decorating. So....It's FINALLY beginning to feel/look a lot like Christmas has arrive in "Susan's Colorful Life"! Happy Holidays to All my sweet blogging friends........Ya Mon!!!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Holiday Evaluation


I really ENJOYED my holidays this year, did you? I dug a little deeper and tried to determine what was so nice, things I'd done different, things I had added and things I'd left out. I ran across a thought provoking Holiday Evaluation from my new blog friend Susan (in Georgia) at "A Southern Day Dreamer Blog: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ and found she had put into words just what I was thinking. So why don't you review your Holiday Season with the questions below and see if you would do things differently or do more of the same. It's an interesting thing to ponder!

Best things about this Christmas?
Special event(s) this year want to do again?
Worst thing that happened this year?
Anything eliminated to make Christmas less hectic/more meaningful?
Ways could have been better prepared?
Put off, I wish I hadn’t?
Christmas Eve what I wanted it to be?
Christmas Day ?
Open House/Family party?
Decorating?
Un-decorating?
Needs changing?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Funky and Fun Tree's

My dear friend, Susan A. is artistically talent beyond belief. She is a partner at a small, boutique architectural firm and constantly WOW's clients with her fun, funky, and cleaver marketing pieces. Her house is a fun mix of mid-century modern and funky, fun, eclectic pieces. Below is her beautiful white Christmas tree. This year it's modernly decorated in mostly black and white, with a few pops of red! In years past she's gone more with a Mardi-Gras theme, using Purple, Green, Silver and Gold.



After Halloween, this little three foot black tree with reddish/orange lights was on the DEEP DISCOUNT TABLE. As this was a Halloween tree, the base of the tree was a SKULL! That skull has vanished now due to careful draping of a white feather boa, red tulle and some white and silver clothe!


She uses colorful, funky colored balls on this tree and it has been proclaimed by her beautiful cat Lily, as HER tree!


This is Lily sitting pretty by the white Christmas tree a few years ago (with the purple, green and silver balls). This year she prefers to sit by the black tree, hidden in the white feather boa! That silly kitten!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL!!!!!







Monday, December 15, 2008

EXCITING MAIL DELIVERY!

WOOHOOO.....Today I had not one, but THREE exciting things delivered in the mail.

First, a sweet little gift from Jan at Jan & Toms, http://jt-jantom.blogspot.com/ She'd promised me a little treat for being the first to notice her blog header had changed into a beautiful nativity scene. So, today, in my mail box was a sadly, mangled envelope. The envelope must have gotten caught and ripped in post office machinery.
The Post Office lovingly tape the package together and got it to me all in one piece, wrapped up in a "We Care" plastic protection.
Jan sent me a very sweet and pretty card and a cute little package of tea bags in a rose fabric pouch!!!! My FIRST gift from blogging.....I'm VERY EXCITED. Thanks Jan!

Second, I had a small envelope from the IRS. Usually if the package is BIG, it's not good news, because I've gotten my share of those. The IRS will write: "Dear Ms. Susan....YOU OWE MORE....SEND IT NOW!" However, today's letter was a refund check for some sort of over-payment. It's not big, (less than $5.00) but I'LL take it and maybe buy a couple of nice scones to go with the tea Jan sent.
Last, but not least, I received a Christmas Card from the young girl I sponsor in Tegulcigalpa, Honduras through Mission of Mercy. Her name is Iris and I was blessed this summer to spend 4 days with her. On the last day of our visit, we gave all the children gift of shoes, games, trinkets and all of us left a piece of our hearts there. Meeting Iris' sweet mother and one of her sisters, was a real treat.
One of the high school aged girls in our group made prayer pillows for all the children in our project. These were cross shaped pillows with a little pocket on the front where we tucked a little personalized prayers that were translated in Spanish. The picture below was taken on our last day....Iris, and all the rest of the children were glowing after being showered with all our gifts. The plastic bag she's holding contains her new shoes. She didn't want to wear her cute new shoes home that day. She had to climb up a long rocky, dusty road before she arrived home and she didn't want to get her new shoes dirty! Just look at her precious face....that day in July was CHRISTMAS for her!

Merry Christmas Ya'll.....





Sunday, December 7, 2008

Christmas Book Collection

When growing up my ALL TIME FAVORITE Christmas book was Jolly Old Santa Claus. The book in the left in this picture (w/blue background) was the originally BELOVED book. (note the tape on the spine). Years later I found the book reprinted and scooped it up. I just LOVE the art work in this beautiful book. It was a tradition at my house to read it one Christmas Eve!
This is a FAVORITE picture of mine. I could stare it for ages and study each of the elves. I believe this also prompted my love of cookie baking!
This scene was also a favorite. It's Santa's workshop and it intrigued me as a child...imagining that Santa was up at the North Pole at his desk; making that LIST!!!
It looks like my cat Riley is ready to have this book read to her!





These are just a few more of my Christmas Book Collection

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Fun Things About Christmas #1

We started a fun office tradition a few years ago.....it's called "The Ugly Ornament Contest". Each year we search far and wide for the strangest, non-tradition, inexpensive Christmas tree ornament we can find. A scrawny Charlie Brown Type tree is brought out of storage and for the holiday season, the winner of the previous year's contest, gets to proudly display the Ugly Ornament Tree in their office. This year I found my ornament at Marshall's. In an effort no to hurt ANY one's feelings.....I don't so much think this ornament is ugly...just kitchy and non-traditional...so my apologies to anyone who bought this because they are a frog, or KNEW a frog couple that got married this year! Hehehe!

Just had to show you the back of this.... uhhhh....very unusual ornament. Can't you just feel the Frog Love!?!?!!?! Once the Ugly Ornament Party takes place I'll take pictures so you can see the full beauty of ALL the new ornaments added to the tree this year.
Do ya'll have ornaments you'd like to share pictures of that maybe aren't exactly what you usually decorate with, but ended up in your box of treasured ornaments/decoration? Maybe someone gave you a gift that just wasn't your style or you had a strange shopping moment and bought something really silly (hey, at the time we thought we might be able to "spiff it up!". Share them with us all....We'd love to see them!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Christmas Ornaments

I've always been drawn to old fashioned ornaments. Here are a few I've collected over the past few years and I particularly like. Here is a cute, sassy, ladies shoe/skate. The feather's fun, don't you think?!?
You may have noticed in previous post I have an affinity for Coca Cola things. The picture isn't too clear but it's the cute Coca Cola Bear with a soda pop bottle in his paw.
I like the look of this old-timey red pick-up truck. It reminds me of a step side, red truck we used to have.
I call this little guy "Cocktail Santa"...he's in my favorite colors and he has a martini glass in his hand!
And, of course, with my love of Mary Englebreit stuff, I LOVE the Queen of Everything Crown.

And Finally.........Good Old St. Nick!

Merry Christmas Ya'll!!!