...a shiny New Year 2024??

 Is there ANYONE still left in 'BLOGLAND'??

Well, if there is...  

Chez Chapman is sending you all positive vibes for the New Year!!

A LOT happened throughout 2023, chipping away at the 'tried, true & comfortable', but we are coming out on the otherside with a Stronger sense of what is Really important in our lives.

Traditions to be upheld...

GUMDROP TREE!

COOKIE BAKING w/ S.A.L.T.!

THE NUTBOWL!

Family to be cherished...

and everything that brings us JOY!!

enJOY!

S~

...new traditions?

The further I pass the 'Half of a Century' marker, the more I find myself relinquishing old traditions and NEEDING to make new...

Never is this as heartfelt as it is at the Holidays.

remember Sesame Shimmer (L)?? - she has a new buddy Tommi (albeit headless!!)

Some old traditions

...just get added too, the new incorporated...

Our old aluminum tree has been assigned a new Holiday home in the corner of the Dining Room!

...others get shifted and repositioned...

The 'vintage TREE TOPPER collection, which hasn't seen the light of day in several years, was brought out this year, dusted off and displayed anew on a little Charlie Brown tree.

...and still others are completely reworked, and given a new twist...

Our yearly Garlands adorned in beloved vintage ornaments - safe from harms way!!

...some classics remain tried and true...

We must remember, as hard as it may be, to make room for the new, the untested...

Driftwood tree 'housing' vintage bird décor.

...and remember that there is no '...someday...' like TODAY!

Christmas Eve first attempt @ roasting Chestnuts. 

 Have been wanting to try this since our first trip to NYC!!

YUMMO!

Most of we Must remember to enJOY the life we live!

..."I AM NOT A CONSECUTIVE WRITER."

I'm back!

"MAYBE CHRISTMAS, THE GRINCH THOUGHT, DOESN'T COME FROM A STORE."

Life at the 'LastChance Ranch' has been running Full Steam Ahead!!

...now it is time to take a ((deep breath)),

HOW DID IT GET SO LATE SO SOON?

IT'S NIGHT BEFORE ITS AFTERNOON.

DECEMBER IS HERE BEFORE ITS JUNE.

MY GOODNESS HOWTHE TIME HAS FLEWN.

HOW DID IT GET SO LATE SO SOON

and enjoy the Season!

 "FROM THERE TO HERE, AND HERE TO THERE,

FUNNY THINGS ARE EVERYWHERE."

 Shows to see...

"TODAY WAS GOOD.

TODAY WAS FUN.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER ONE."

Friends near and far to catch-up with...

(including ALL of my 'blog-land' Buddies!!)

"STEP WITH CARE AND GREAT TACT,

AND REMEMBER THAT LIFE'S A GREAT BALANCING ACT."

Decorating to be done...

"DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT'S OVER.

SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED."

 Memories to love...

"Bell-tree" ('...everytime a bell rings...')

honoring J's Mom, who left us a few days before Thanksgiving; and others who will be missed throughout the holidays... 

 

 "I LIKE NONSENSE;

IT WAKES UP THE BRAIN CELL."

New 'toys' to play with...

We acquired this 'short' Concrete Bird Bath in Mid-November, and I KNEW it had to be part of our Holiday Displays... seems only appropriate it should hold a 'BIRD tree'!!

"YOU'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE

FOR THE SHAPE YOU ARE IN."

Dress-Up to play...

Sesame Shimmer was Happy to model the Courtly check Apron/Chef hat that we found this Summer, as long as it included her 'Festive Beverage' - garnished by TWEED!!

"ADULTS ARE OBSOLETE CHILDREN."

Traditions to be carried on...

(Annual Cookie-Baking just came to a close - GREAT time with my College Besties!! ~ and their kiddos!)

 

 "YOU HAVE BRAINS IN YOUR HEAD.

YOU CAN STEER YOURSELF IN ANY DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE."

and a time for reflection...

"UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU CARES A WHOLE AWFUL LOT

NOTHING  IS GOING TO GET BETTER.

IT'S NOT."

*Dr. Seuss said it best, and all of the quotes are his!

...Fu. Lu. and Shou.

Is it legal to just be finishing up decorating at 2pm on December 25th?

Well, it's done, anyways.  Inclusive of a BOXFUL of 'new' Vintage ornies found in the 'haul' I recently mentioned and TWO (2) GINORMOUS.BEAUTIFUL ornies gifted to me by 'L' (one shown in this picture - with the pine trees!)

Of course, all of this decorating was made possible with the help of TV Christmas specials - including the classic 1988 PeeWee's Playhouse Christmas.  Yeh, so, I'm an 80's girl.  I can't help it!!

The NE has had a little Holiday Gift from Mother Nature this year - in the form of a 'free trip to warmer climates'!!  Christmas Eve in Central NY state was about 70degrees!!!!

So, what's a person to do?

MAJOR Seaglass Trip!!!!!!!!!

Seaglassing in December -

Without a coat-

or gloves-

in New York State!

Merry Christmas to ME!!

but wait...

it gets better!

J found a BLUE MARBLE (the.Holy.Grail. of seaglassing), then shortly later I found MY FIRST EVER MARBLE! and it is GREEN - for CHRISTMAS EVE (of course!).  Then we found another old round worn blue piece of glass....  YIPPEE! YIPPEE!

~ AND ~

on the ride home...

a Beautiful Moon Rise!

I have also been enjoying the Holiday season in the Studio - 'Playing with the Angels'!

(not to worry - bottom left was an attempt at a Holly Leaf with Berries - I didn't mutilate a poor angel THAT badly!!)

I AM going to give you 'snippets' of the contents of 'The Haul' gradually, so as not to completely overwhelm / bore you!!  And, 'Yes', I HAVE gone through ALL of the boxes already!!  I think this is my favorite find - or at least for now it is ;-)...

Three (3), 13" Ceramic / Porcelain / China figures that I found in the bottom of one of the boxes. Not sure of exact age - if anyone has any info I'd love it!!  I have found that they are:

SANXING (deities)

"are the personified ideas of Prosperity (Fu), Status (Lu), and Longevity (Shou) in the Chinese traditional religion."

PROSPERITY.

STATUS.

LONGEVITY.

Three 'Deities' I don't mind having in our home as we head into another year!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

...a little 'stress relief'.

Is everyone ready for the HolidayHomeStretch??

Need a little comic relief?

Get your I-phone out and have a chat with Siri!  Ask her "Siri what is zero divided by zero?" - sit back, and listen!!