Christmas Donkey

Remember I had told you all that I was not in the mood to put up the Christmas Tree. Mr. and Kids were fine with this. A few days before Christmas Mr. and D said they had some where they needed to go. This is what they came back with. Pedro the Christmas Donkey. Complete with Santa hat and red nose. I laughed so hard. He is a Pinata for those not familiar with them. They are very popular in the Southwest. They are always at birthday parties. It put me in the Christmas mood. We hung him up in the living room and piled the presents under him. Christmas morning after all the gifts had been opened we all got to take a swing at Pedro.

Don't they look so excited. I hope everyone's teenagers look this happy.(lol). D has those devil eyes ready to do some damage with that drum mallet. I was going to use one of Santa's golf clubs. That didn't go over very well. S. is just so darn happy to be alive. Santa had filled up Pedro with candy. Like we needed anymore sweets in the house.

In the end, Pedro bit the dust. Poor Pedro. He just may show up next year. I think we have started a new tradition................

My beautiful Dog Daughter loved all her new toys. Isn't it crazy how we are all so goofy over our pets. She is the easiest one to buy for and she always loves everything she get. I never have to return anything, cause it is the wrong size or color.

She was so happy that she had to thank Santa for everything.

Tokens from the Heart

The above dress if for my dear blog friend Cindy
This is just to brighten her day . Like Cindy I also work retail. Only I'm in and out of all chain stores all day, everyday. I have been looking at Christmas since September. Now don't get me wrong I dearly love the Christmas season. However when I get home I don't want to look at or hear any more Christmas. By the time the actual holiday arrives I'm burned out. I still don't have a tree up and I have not wrapped a single gift. Cindy had expressed to me one day she felt the same way. When you work retail you are usually always a season a head. When you go into stores and you see Christmas in October. Those stores have had Christmas in their backrooms since August. Chances are in the stores backroom there may even be some Valentine's day tucked back in a corner. So back to the dress. Like I said this is just to brighten her day and it is not Christmas related. The dress is made from vintage and new lace coffee dyed. Enjoy Cindy and Happy every Holiday...........................

Beeswax Collage

I have been wanting to try my hand at beeswax collage. The best way to do that is to take a class. Mystic Paper was offering a class taught by Mike . Well, I knew I was just going to have to make time for the 3 hour class. And boy am I glad I did. Talk about fun. Mike is so much fun to take a class from. You should really checkout his site. He gives complete instructions and has tons of down loads. The theme of course was Paris. I had the small Eiffel Tower and just wired it on when I got home. So Santa if you are reading this I'm adding a melting pot, quilting iron,travel iron and beeswax to my Christmas list.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for Karl's What I Love about my Holiday Home. And for all your nice comments.

What I love about my holiday home

I'm joining Karla's party. I have not put up as much as I usually do. Don't even have the tree up. Here are just a few things I love about my holiday house. The above snowmen I love. I got these from Michelle when she had her shop in Gilbert AZ. The star Santa I made using one of my 3 wishes Cindy gave me. The joy wings below are also from Cindy.

In the peace sign I used another wish from Cindy. I have large collection on shells that I use year round.

Jars of star dust

The quilt on the table was made by my mom. It is one of the last ones she did before her stroke. She had made me many quilts and I treasure each one.

And of course Mr. Crow has stuck around for the holidays. He has decked himself out his holiday finest. Who needs a Partridge in a Pear Tree, when you have a Crow on a silver platter.

Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy Holiday.

Snowman swap

These are the snowmen I received from my partner Susan. They are absolutely adorable. They are made so beautifully. Susan does wonderful work. They both made me smile. Now I had better get busy and get my tree up so they will have a home.

Snowman Swap

Vivian is hosting a snowman swap. The rules were to make a snowman ornament. It had to make you partner smile. I hope these made Susan , my partner smile. The large JOY is a wood cutout from Michael's. I just covered the letters and his hat with paper. Added some paper flowers and a ribbon. The snowflake is another cutout. Painted and glittered. The face is a covered button with the face drawn on and added the earmuffs. The last one is made of felt and wool. Sewn and stuffed with buttons added. The dress is the card. I hope these make you smile Susan.

A Cry for Help

Yesterday I received an email from Jenny requesting everyone, especially those living in Arizona to take a look at http://www.ksborn.blogspot.com/ . This frightened woman has been unable to contact her sister. Her last know address was in Tucson AZ. The blog family is huge and very caring,. Please keep these women in your thoughts.

Deck the Halls Swap part 2

Friday when I got home from being part of Black Friday craziness. It was my daughters idea to go shopping. We were up at 4am and heading to Old Navy. You may not thing this strange, but if you knew my daughter you would. She is not a morning person. When she was younger she would sleep in the clothes she was going to wear to school the next day. That way she could sleep a few minutes longer. We did Old Navy, Target, the mall and Nordstrom's rack. She all of a sudden said I'm done.(She was only shopping for herself) We came home and I did not see her the rest of the day, when she surfaced for dinner. Anyway back to what I was saying. My swap gifts from Sarah were at my front door. Just take a look at everything she sent.

The banner. How cute is that?

The pink ornament is so cute and very detailed. I had a hard time getting a good shot of it. If you click on the picture you can see the details better. Also a glass pickle. The little story she sent with it is. You hide the pickle in the tree and the child that finds it first gets an extra toy. Not so sure I'm going to tell my teenagers this. There toys are to expensive:). The ice cream cone is fun and I got a lump of coal. Saving that for when all the pie runs out.

Deck the Halls Swap

My partner for the Deck the Halls Swap is Sarah. The rules of the swap were to buy a store bought ornament then add whatever else to deck the halls. Sarah told me her Christmas colors were blue and white and silver. The packages before I boxed them up. I forgot to take a

picture of the purchased ornament. In fact I almost forgot to put it in the box. It is a Wedgwood Snowflake, in a cream color. Tussie Mussie filled with lace stars and snowflakes.

The star is a wood base. Covered with paper.

A little bird to tuck in her tree. I have always heard a bird in your Christmas tree is a sign of good luck.

Here are all of her goodies, including a paper dress made out of matching papers from the star.

This was a fun swap. I usually don't work with blues for Christmas. That was a nice change and added to the challenge. Sarah I hope you enjoy everything.

Every time a bell rings

Remember those white feather wings Cindy sent me? Here they are. I lightly tinted them with coffee. Cindy's idea. I put the coffee in a spray bottle and misted them. If you have a pair of these wings and decide to do this be very careful. The feathers are adhered to cardboard and you don't want to get the cardboard real wet. I hit them with the blow dryer to fluff them up. The mannequin is cover with Christmas sheet music. At the top is "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". At the bottom is the quote "Every time a bell rings an angel gets her wings. This is from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". The quote is really "his wings",but "her" wings was more fitting. The movie was made in 1946 and is a Jimmy Stewart classic. If you have never seen it, (I can't imagine where you have been ) then go rent it. Or wait till it gets closer to Christmas. It airs every year.

A Mailbox Surprise

Yesterday I was feeling a little glum. When I checked the mail there was a little box with my name on it. I had commented on Cindy's blog about her wings. She had said she would be happy to send me the pattern. Well!!!!!!!!!! Not only did she send me the pattern, but she made me a set of joy wings. Along with that she sent me white feather wings. I have an idea for them. And the most adorable little journal. Plus 3 wishes. It was as if Christmas had come early. Well after that I was doing a happy dance. The glummys went away and I was feeling rather inspired. Got busy with my snowman swap I should be able to finish that up tomorrow. Just take a look at this cute book. This is the front. Cindy is so talented. You must visit her site.

The inside front.

Inside back

And the back cover. Just too cute. Thanks Cindy I love everything. You really made my day.

Snapped me right out of my pitty party. And I still have 3 wishes left.

Phoenix Fashion Week

These shots are from local designers. The next one are purses from Gemma Gucci. Couldn't find a site for her. I know she has a my space. I forgot my camera the first night. I didn't really care for some of the clothes on this night.

I'm not the best photographer at these things. I always get someones head or the pictures are blurry. The pros wouldn't let me sit at the end of the runway with them. I don't know why. Being the mom has no clout.

Another designer at Phoenix Fashion Week. I promise these are the last.

Was able to find time this weekend to get my swap goodies together for Deck the Halls Swap.

Now I just need to get them in the mail for Sarah. Sarah if you are reading this I need your address. Now I need to get busy on the next swap here

Just a quick post

Had a few minutes today to gather some supplies for Sarah .She is my swap partner for
Deck the Halls swap. Now I just need to find the time to get creative.

Couple shots of daughter at Saturday nights fashion show. The pink shoes were Gucci. $1000.00 for those babies. I don't know how she walks in them.The dress was Stella McCartney. I thought this dress looked like the last one. But it was different. Don't know who the designer was. It's 8:30 pm and I'm off to bed.

Wishing for cooler weather

It is still in the high 80s low 90s here in the desert. I'm a little tired of it. This past week and next week I will be on a dead run. I'm so busy at work. I only work part-time, but 35 hours a week is really more than I want to work. Daughter has been busy with Scottsdale Fashion week. Since she is only 15, I have to drive her to and from fashion shows. Next week is Phoenix Fashion week. She is loving it, but I'm tired......................
Just a couple of fall vignettes in my home. Mr Crow has found a new perch. I think he is planning on staying around for some time. So don't be surprised if he shows up through the year. He may be looking for love come Valentine's day. The Pilgrim I bought last year after Thanksgiving. Got him at a garage sale for $1.00. Score....... I've been waiting all year to put him out.

I love white pumpkins. The two on the candle sticks are velvet. They are my favorite.

Mr. Scarecrow I made years ago. His face makes me smile. The beeswax crow is from

Jennifer. I really must try making something with beeswax. When my life slows down a little

Proud Mom Moment

Today was the grand opening of a new mall in the Phoenix area. There was a mini fashion show. My daughter is the one in the middle. The mall is built to look like a small downtown area. The idea is cute,but when it is 110 out in the middle of summer. Who wants to shop when you have to walk from store to store in the heat. It was hot there this morning and it isn't even summer. She loved the coat, but thought the hat made her look like a train conductor. Her outfit is from Banana Republic. The guy standing next to her has the most amazing blue eyes. I get to live a little vicariously through her. I just oh and ah over the clothes she gets to wear and the hot male models.

The exciting news. She is on the banner outside Dillard's. Dillard's is like Macy's, for those of you not familiar with Dillard's. The store is a stand alone building. These banners hang down from the street lamps, and go all around the building.

She got a kick out of seeing herself, but is glad they are not at the mall by us. She finds it awkward when her friends see her in ads. We are very proud of her. This year she is doing all her schooling online. She spent last summer in Japan modeling and is planning on going back in January. The real shocker is she is only 15. Now that your jaw has dropped and you think what kind of mother allows her 15 year old daughter to go off to Japan. Well, that would be me.We had to trust her. The agency she is with over there is very good at looking out for all the girls. She is very responsible and has more common sense than a lot of adults I know. We have a great open line of communication. That's a good thing for a teenager. She tells me everything, things I don't even want to know she tells me. Oh, she still has her teenager moments and she had her share of ups and downs. For the most part she is a good kid. Grouchy in the morning. Not sure she will ever outgrow that. Her dad's not a morning person either.........

I could do this every Sunday

I had another Sunday all to myself. Daughter missed her flight home. I didn't have to go to the airport to pick her up. Don was working. Hubby was in driving school. He got nailed by photo radar. How do you teach your teenagers not to speed when their dad does. Some days he is my "third" child......... I love turquoise and red. And a little glitter. It says soar, fly solo, ascend, glide.
Escape.....................Do you see a pattern here. I think I must need to get the heck of Dodge(Phoenix) for awhile.

This old letter I got in a bundle from Kari. I think the letter is written in Swedish. She is from Minnesota,so that is just a guess. The date on the postmark is 1908. When I was working with this I really was curious about what the letter said. Well, by the time I finished I had made up this whole story about these two people (the sender and the receiver). My guess it was a torrid love affair. Two lovers who were torn apart, by parents who did not approve of the relationship. Or maybe it was a secret affair. The man (the receiver) was really married to someone else and the women (the sender) was with his child. Left in the home country to fend for herself. An unwed, pregnant women. Oh the scandal. Well needless to say at one point my eye glasses were steamed up. My imagination was running wild. All fueled by caffeine. .......Back to reality,darn it anyway.

A Productive Sunday

Last Sunday I had the house to myself. That is rare these days. It seems like someone is always here. Now don't get me wrong. I love each and every one of them. But, I do like my alone time. With all that free time I could have and should have spent it doing laundry and housework,but nope I played. Good for Me. I love Rebecca Sower's work. Her work was the inspiration for the little dress on a canvas.

Since I was home. I told myself I wasn't going to go anywhere. So often I will start something and think,oh that would look good if I had this color paper or marker. Then I find myself running to Michale's to see if they have what I want. Invariably I end up picking up something else and never getting what I really wanted. I end up with lots of stuff that I don't really know what I'm going to do with. Sound familiar? I made myself just use what I had. Just some random tags and little goodies. No real plan on what I was doing.

I remembered it was my not so favorite sister-in-law's birthday. I usually wouldn't make her anything. 1,she never appreciate anything and 2 (I'm not ashamed to say) I don't like her. Oh don't get me started. But I always play the game and send her a card. Not having a store bought one,and remember I wasn't leaving the house. I thought I will be nice and make her one. I know I will never hear whether she like it or not. After 25 years in this family I really don't care. All in all I had a great day to myself. Of course it has taken me till today Wednesday to post this. And guess what? I still don't have the laundry done. Good thing there is always tomorrow.

Halloween Party Hat Swap #2

The Halloween Party Hat swap over at speckled-egg is in full swing. After my usual Saturday grocery shopping,dry cleaner, running my daughter to a job,and of course stopping at a scrapbook store. This is what was waiting for me when I got home. Sonya sent me so many nice goodies. I love white pumpkins and this one says BOO. Hubby dove right into the candy.

Mr Crow welcomes his new party hat.

Take a look at this banner. It is so Boo-tiful. The picture does not do it justice. The workmanship is topnotch. I love everything. Thank you Sonya