Wednesday, December 30, 2009

...green Christmas leading to a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

...and I'm not talking about our 'snow' situation!

Just baby steps. But, it all begins with a step - right?

My family is not a group of 'self-proclaimed tree-huggers' by any means. Yes -my grandparents came through the Depression, and Yes - my grandparents and parents were all farmers; so I guess it runs in our genes to 'not waste' and 'to be frugal'... But, that's where it ends. Or, I should say, that's where it 'ended', UNTIL people started to realize that the only 'gifties' that REALLY put a smile on S-'s face and a sparkle in her eyes couldn't be bought in Big Box Stores!
Look at this BEAUTY of a sweater clip that Mom & Dad manage to find for me - and didn't Mom do an excellent job in her presentation/packaging?!!

DH gave me my 'newest favoritest' piece of Haeger - a mere 7 1/2" tall vase in yet another 'new-to-me' glaze . I researched the glaze ~ which I immediately knew I would be searching for MORE of!!~ Can you guess the name of it?? Oh, the 'name' just made it even cooler - as if possible! I will try to put the answer below in the labels, backwards!!
So, I guess it is true what they say about leading by 'example'!! I'm THRILLED with my GIFTIES - right down to the 'junk' boxes from my brother 8-)
I'm signing off for 2009. Have Happy and Safe NEW YEAR celebrations. HOPING that everyone has GOOD STUFFING KARMA in the coming YEAR!! 'Catch ya on the flip side' ;-)


Sunday, December 27, 2009

...could it get much better??!?

My family Christmas was at our house this year. When my brother & his wife arrived from out of town, and he came in carrying an unwrapped packing box, topped with another loose box and asked "Do you want any JUNK?" All I could do was jump up and let out a SHINY BRITES! ... and let me tell you, 'Mr. Ultra NO CLUTTER-Stuff/knick-knack free' was WAY more than a little confused!!
Let me give a little background - my sister-inlaws' father died this past fall, they just sold his house in the middle of December and had to have it cleaned for the closing by the end of December. My sister-inlaw and her only sister are less of 'Stuff' people than my brother, and thus their idea of cleaning out this 1950's house, lived in Most of that time by their family, is filling three dumpsters (but I'm NOT allowing myself to think about those dumpster full of STUFF!!) They did ask me to come out and take anything I wanted, but right smack in the middle of the Holiday Chaos I could NOT squeeze in the 4hr each way trip, ~ and with our unpredictable Upstate NY weather it would have been just my luck to have gotten snowed in!!Anyways, it is putting it mildly to say that I was immensely impressed that either of them would have bothered to think anything was worth the effort to pack up and haul out to me!! Not to mention, with their ZERO knowledge of anything old, collectible or dusty - basing their selections only by what they knew of me (we're talking a much older brother who lives 3 hrs away, and a sister inlaw here folks!!) - they nailed it!-right there, on top... SHINY BRITE BOX!!

'There's more out in the car. Do you want them? Where?'

Four packing boxes in total! I'm sure you fellow 'stuffers' can appreciate how difficult it was to control the urge to escape the family chaos and dive into those boxes - especially after I explained to my brother and his wife what the statement 'SHINY BRITES' was in reference to and their response was 'Oh. I think there might be a couple of more boxes of them in there somewhere with some other Christmas junk.'

The next day, after everything was cleaned, laundered, exterior lights taken down, etc., etc., then, and only then did I get to dive in! Talk about a SERIOUS STUFF FIX!! Each and every item was spotlessly clean, No chips/cracks, carefully individually wrapped in layers of paper... This is just ONE box...

Crystal, and carnival glass, and pottery duck planters, and 50's cannister, and copper cookie cutters, and Libbey bar glasses, and vintage red transistor radio, and bar top ice crusher, and binoculars, and, and, and,...

Yes. A WHOLE box of MORE Christmas!!
Hmmmmmmmmm.... Could it Really be??

OH Yeh!

...and how!

...and it just kept getting better, and better...

I Know Christmas is over, but I'm still drooling over this particular box of POLAND ornaments - mostly pastel pinks and blues. I DON'T want to pack them away. I did have a brain storm that I would pack them seperately and use them at Easter on a White tree, since I am SO LACKING on Spring/Easter decor.... DH was rather distraught at this thought... What do you guys think??


(I mean look at those 'Springy' flowers!!)



(...and pastel centers! Looks more like Spring than Xmas to me!)


I WILL NOT THINK ABOUT THOSE 3 DUMPSTERS... I WILL NOT THINK ABOUT THOSE 3 DUMPSTERS... I WILL NOT THINK AOUT THOSE 3 DUMPSTERS... I WILL NOT THINK ABOUT THOSE 3 DUMPSTERS... I WILL NOT...

Thursday, December 24, 2009

...MY HOLIDAY WISH FOR YOU

My Holiday wish for all of you... is that by now all of your final preparations are done,
so that you can relax,
destress,
enjoy your family and friends,

and just have FUN!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!


Monday, December 14, 2009

...Merry 12 Days 'til Xmas to Me!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (If my math is right, that was Sunday 12-13... right?!)...
My true love took me to market, and between the two of us we came away with a Perfect Trifecta 8-)
...A Royal Haeger Panther ($2.50),
..A VERA Scarf (.25¢), and a
Sweater clip for only a dollar!

Monday, December 7, 2009

..."Life is Calling"

'They" say that Life isn't a Spectator Sport,
( and I would have to wholeheartedly agree.)
This years 'Do You Want To Go To The SeaSide' vignette, complete with shells from Sanibel, victorian fishbowl and of course VERA and HAEGER for good luck!!


"They" also say that Time passes slowly for those who are waiting,
(this also has proven to be true.)The 'construction barrels' in front of our house kind of fit in at Halloween, but not-so-much for Christmas!
"They" have prophetically made statements about How swiftly time passes for those with a purpose....My 'HAEGER pretties' all glitzed out with some toppers!

My question for 'They' is... how can I make time go as slowly as 'the days until my toes will be in warm sand again', yet not become a spectator?? Anyone?

'Birthday' Ballerina from DH is getting center stage this Xmas.

So what is this poor girl to do? It is barely over TWO WEEKS until CHRISTMAS! Sure I could cut back on my decorating & Holiday themed trees... come up with a few less 'hare-brained' ideas for projects 'to-do'... commit to a few less group functions... not make as many appetizers for the 'pre-work party' happy hour we are having this weekend at our house... nix the Xmas Card Mailing thing this year and do it via Email (yuk!!!!)... skip cookie baking with 'the crew'...
BUT!
These are the things that make the Holidays worthwhile to me!! They aren't things that I HAVE to do... they are ALL things that I want to do!! If I 'cut back'... then time will move more s.l.o.w.l.y. ... but then again won't I just be a spectator?!


You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must MAKE it.--Charles Buxton
On a MUCH 'lighter' note... did anyone notice how their stocks increased this week???!?!

Well, that is anyone who has a stock of vintage Christmas ornaments (as I'm sure most of us are guilty!). I had a 'few' OOPS around the house while decorating. My boss, the ultimate lover/collector of antique ornaments tried to console me one day at work while I was 'crying over spilled milk' with the sentiment of "That's okay S-, the fewer there are, the more valuable that makes mine..."

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

...the planets are aligned...

I wish I were a real photographer.
This photo has nothing to do with my amazing encounter this morning (but what's a blog entry without a picture?!)
Now, close your eyes, and use your imagination....

You are driving to work on rolling country roads, 7:24 am - it's just getting light out. All is quiet and still, you seem to be alone on the roads. You notice the moon ahead of you on the horizon - a full moon! It's looking larger than life - crystal clear... no clouds... *NOTE TO SELF: must check calendar and see if it is 'actually' THE Full Moon... you round a curve, come up over a hill, and all of a sudden you are slightly blinded by the rising sun fully reflected in your rear-view mirror. Brilliant orange!! In the same gaze you can see the spectacular moon just inches to the left of the mirror in the same horizontal line.......

... then, just as quick, they BOTH vanish from site - but what a FANTASTIC way to start the day!