Man (or woman) in the Mirror

Christmas eve has arrived!

 Honey man says I am crazy to arise so early when my long winter’s nap will not begin until about midnight, but there is much to do and I couldn’t sleep thinking about the tasks at hand and about those who are not as fortunate.

Aside from my annual holiday feast, my purpose today is to lend a hand where I feel it is most needed.

A very wise young man reminded me recently that we are never done growing and that our purpose in this world is to wage the battle against our own cynicism and try to make positive changes in our own lives. This is remarkable coming from one who has endured so much in his young life and I will try to heed those words.

If you want to make the world a better place...

I do.

Morning revelations

There are some who lament the absence of family members who cannot be with them during this holiday season. I believe it is important to enjoy the presence of  the people who can be with you. It is sooo vital, my friends, to be thankful for every day you are feeling well enough to look around and count your blessings. So I choose to see the glass as half full and although I will miss those who cannot be here, I plan to thoroughly enjoy the company of those who are willing and able to celebrate the holidays with me...

like this little lamb who visited with me this week and helps me to recognize the importance of living in the moment.

.  These last few weeks have been filled with holiday preparations.  I do so love to unwrap the boxes of vintage ornaments collected over the years.  My favorites are the petite ones I display on a small golden tree, placed safely upon a table out of the reach of the littlest one. 

These next few days will be consumed with preparations for my annual Christmas Eve dinner.  The Italian tradition of a seafood extravaganza is alive and well.  I will serve the traditional family fare of linguine with clam sauce, calamari with peas and Shrimp Danielle.  I have, however, discarded the preparation of baccala (dried, salted cod).  I compensate by trying a new dish every year.  Last year I prepared Fritto Misto di Mare (Mixed Fried Seafood )and while it was absolutely delicious, it was quite labor intensive considering my guest list topped out at 25 people.  This year I will prepare Dungeness crab roasted with herb butter.  I always test my recipes with my family before deciding on the final menu and this one was well received. 

And so I am off…to generate shopping lists, finish the final gift wrapping, clean my house (necessary but not my favorite activity), set up tables etc.  My guest list is currently at 18 for this year and while I will miss the Alpine sisters, the celebration will go on.

Oh, the weather outside...

I wrote much of the following post yesterday, but alas, with no Internet service I was unable to publish.  So I am leading off with a picture of our newly constructed wreath. 

and a closer view...

Ah, it is a wintry day in Michigan.  The snow is falling and blowing.  Our power is threatening to go out.  The Internet and cable are already down.  And yet I am having a great day.  My baby girl and I picked out loads of glittery ornaments yesterday and the wreath making is about to begin.  I will post pics as soon as we are satisfied with our creation. 

In the meantime...

It is truly beautiful outside the window.

We braved the weather this morning to venture into the village. It is only about a mile from home to some of the quaintest stores around. I bought this yarn today in order to knit some mittens. I really should have finished this project by now…obviously.

I love this yarn.  I worked on the mittens and they came together fast...so I'll be ready for the frigid temps coming our way.

I made these leg warmers last week and they did come in handy today.  I just love my combat boots but they are not the warmest.  The leg warmers help. 

A Work in Progress

Aside from all of the holiday preparations, I have been trying to squeeze in studio time to finish several new pieces and I thought I would give a sneak peek at one.  I have been contemplating a new idea for this blog starting in the new year and hope it will not go by the wayside as many of my resolutions seem to do.  One of my resolutions from last year, though,  is just about to come to fruition. So, without further ado, here is my newest project.  She is a work in progress...much like me. 

Happy Holidays!

A Thanksgiving road trip to Atlanta last week to visit loved ones resulted in a stop over and I was able to stock up on some novelties which are sure to inspire me in my studio.  A downtown shop specializing in rare books was the perfect spot to spend a rainy morning.  I would have taken photos but a mischievous pixie had pilfered my photo card.  Along with the goodies I gathered,  we spent some time exploring the historic areas in downtown Lexington.  Dream houses galore!

Time to get out the sugarplums...

I made this advent calendar last year and have been scouting the area for confections to fill the pockets.  I fashioned the pockets from recycled sweaters and added embellishments.  What fun we will have savoring the secret sweets!  Frosty helps us count down.  Click on the images for a closer peek.