Merry Everything

Rise and shine everyone. It's Christmas day! In a couple of hours, we are off to the parentals to have breakfast with 11. Nieces will be anxiously waiting to open presents. Hope your day is magical, too.
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Christmas is Interesting

I love my family and I love Christmas, but I had to share this cynical song that'll have you laughing, not quite like a giggle you'd get from "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" and almost crying, but not like you would to "Oh Holy Night".
You have put on your feety pajamas
It's time for a long winter's nap
There's a knock on the door and a stranger is there
He wants you to sit on his lap
He takes your watch and he gives you a hairbrush
Your wife gets a wig on a chain
He says he can't stay
Cause he's got a long way to go
And it's starting to rain

Christmas is interesting
Like a knife in your heart
Christmas is interesting
How it tears you apart
Christmas is interesting
Like a stick in your eye
It's so freaking interesting
That it might make you cry

So you're an elf, but you'd rather be a dentist
Maybe you're a train with square wheels
Maybe you're a squirt gun that only shoots jam
Now you know how Jesus feels
He is riding a sleigh he calls Rosebud
His mansion is lonely and cold
He can't remember a pleasant December
When he wasn't tired and old

Christmas is interesting
Like a knife in your heart
Christmas is interesting
How it tears you apart
Christmas is interesting
Like a stick in your eye
It's so freaking interesting
That it might make you cry

So you're drunk and your name is Jimmy Stewart
You once had a wonderful life
Then you lost all your money, you cracked up your car
You yelled at your favorite wife
You go to bed and you wait for Jacob Marley
He comes to make you feel brave
But under his cloak he is nothing but smoke
And a finger that points at your grave

Christmas is interesting
Like a knife in your heart
Christmas is interesting
How it tears you apart
Christmas is interesting
Like a stick in your eye
It's so freaking interesting
That it might make you cry
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Go Elf Yourself.

This is everywhere in the blogisphere but I had to do one too with me, Jimmy and Billy.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hilarious.

Now go and make one for yourself!
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Christmas Music

Is it just me, or does Christmas music bring you to tears sometimes? I was at a friends blog and was reminded of this.

Almost every time I hear "Oh Holy Night" I burst into tears during the "Fall on your knees" part.

Other weep-worthy Christmas songs are:
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Away in a Manger

Plus I always get goosebumps during Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis in Ding Dong Merrily On High.

What are you favorite Christmas songs?
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Cheer.

Things that are making me happy right now:

Surprise handmade ornaments from niece TG.

A photo shoot with the Bowens.

Peppermint Mocha from a local coffee shop.

Holiday Parties.

Holding itty bitty babies.
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Interesting.

One of the hardest part of this is that we don't know how much more time we'll have with her. A friend said her beloved dog lived 5 more months after he was diagnosed. She also told me that I will know when it is time. I guess that is comforting. As you can imagine, a big fear is holding on too long and making her live painfully. She's had 18 great years and we hope we've loved her as much as she's loved us. Oddly, she's eating more than she has in a month. Still not a lot, about the same amount of canned, but a lot more chicken. And her spirits seem a bit higher. It's easy to get hopeful. But the vet gave her a shot of B12 and fluids which would increase her appetite and make her feel better. So that's probably the reality of it.

When her partner in crime (my profile pic) died 3 years ago, that was devastating. I'd never felt so much love for a pet as I did for Ted. It happened suddenly and Jimmy and I were both heartbroken. It seemed like Billy missed him for a few months, too. At the time, Billy was much more Jimmy's cat. But since Ted died, Billy has definitely become our cat. She has no preference between us. And my love and attachment to Billy even surpassed how I felt for Ted. Which I never would have thought could be possible, I loved that cat sooo much. But Ted was quirky, shy, smart and skittish. Billy is the complete opposite. She's friendly, laid back, a little bit stupid and dauntless.

Ted died suddenly and I think the emotion of that may have been harder than this is. Billy's spirits are still good and so is her quality of life. At least we have time to love her and be loved by her. Time will tell how much of emotional wreck I'll be. I've mentioned before that I'm not much of an emotional crier anymore. Except when it comes to pets, friends pets, pets on commercials, pets in cartoons...The Lion King gets me every time.

Anyhoo, to the kitty parents out there, what kind of wet/canned cat food do you feed you kitties? Billy's always been a dry food eater, but since she stopped eating dry, I'm perplexed with the type to buy her. What brand do you and your kitties prefer? And if you buy the bigger cans, what do you do to keep the rest of it 'fresh' for the next meal?

all old photos
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Sad.

Billy, my kitty, who is suppose to turn 18 in February, who joined our family 3 months after we got married, had to go to the vet today. The vet found at least 4 tumors in her chest, additionally she has stomach and/or intestinal cancer. She normally weighs 11-12 pounds and has a pretty big body structure, but she's down to 7.5 pounds and is emaciated. Unfortunately, it's terminal, but the vet said we don't have to put her down immediately. Which is good that it gives us some more time to love her and spoil her even more. We need to pay close attention to her discomfort level and how much she's eating. Which isn't much now - she doesn't even finish 1 small can of cat food a day. But she will eat cooked chicken a couple of times a day and the vet said it's ok to feed her as much chicken she will eat and keep down. But it's hard to tell how uncomfortable she is. She's the most laid back kitty, nothing seems to bother her. She still jumps on the couch and purrs and acts satisfied and happy. But she has been walking more tenderly and slowly than she was just a few weeks ago. I think I have cried more in one day than I have the whole year.
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The sweetness of Christmas

Myohmy. What a fun filled rainy sweet treat day it was. I got to hold babies and chat with friends and eat lots of delicious goodies.Actually, I have to admit, after making sweet deliciousness for 2 days, I didn't feel like anything sugary. I'm still in shock that it happened. So instead I snacked on hot wings, fruit and celery.

While everyone loved the easiness of the pretzel hugs/kisses, it seemed like the toffee bars were the most requested recipe. I mentioned I'd share the recipe here, but now I know a few local friends want it too.

Rich Chocolate Chip Toffee BarsIngredients
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (12oz)
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 package HEATH Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits (8oz)
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional-I don't do nuts)


Directions
1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Combine flour and brown sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg; mix well. Stir in 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips and nuts; set aside 1-1/2 cups mixture.

3. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust; set aside 1/4 cup toffee bits. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits over sweetened condensed milk. Sprinkled reserved crumb mixture and remaining chocolate chips over top.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Top with reserved toffee bits. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes about 48 bars.

recipe originally from the back of the toffee bits bag several years ago.
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Christmas Goodies

Last night on our walk around the neighborhood, I brought my camera and took a few photos of the homes that were decorated. This one, as you may imagine, captured my heart. :)

So when we got home, I was filled with a bit of the Christmas spirit. Sunday we are getting together with some friends for Christmas goodies so I decided to make a couple of things.

Here are my standard Pretzel Kisses. This year I decided to make them out of Hershey Hugs instead of Kisses.I think they are prettier in the Hugs. And I don't typically like white chocolate, so I won't eat any of them. Bonus.

That being said...about the not liking white chocolate, I do like the follow sweet treat. I got the recipe last week when I went to a Pampered Chef party. It's called
"Festive Cranberry Crunch Bark"Ingredients:
1 package Ambrosia White Bark
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup almonds (toasted and chopped)
2 cups rice krispies

After removing the white bark from packaging, divide each cube into smaller cubes for easier melting. Melt bark in a micro proof container for 3 - 3 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Dump 2 cups rice krispies and stir till well mixed. Combine cranberries and almonds. Dump 1/2 of the cranberry almond mixture into white chocolate and stir till well mixed.
Using parchment paper and a cookie sheet, dump the mixture on parchment paper and spread out as thin as you want. Add remaining cranberry/almond mix to the top and press into the bark with spatula or parchment paper. Refridgerate till solid, 30mins or so.

Break into bite sized pieces.

These taste a lot better than I expected. But they are rich, because of the white chocolate I suspect, so the good thing is I have no desire to eat more than a couple pieces. I think the almonds and the crunchy rice cereal makes it so yummy.

I've got at least one more thing to make tonight. Now that recipe, Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars, I have to be very careful not to eat the entire pan of. And it's one of those sweet treats that is so bad for you, you almost don't want to know whats in them. however, I'll share the recipe here, too. I only make these at Christmas time, and usually only every other Christmas. Happy Baking!
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The Susan D Project

A couple of weeks ago, the day before Thanksgiving actually, I received a fun package from Susan D. This is what the package contained:In the package, there was a list of instructions:

Instructions:
-Lay out contents of this bag on a clean table. (how 'bout floor?)
-Photograph said items.
-Use all of most of these pieces to make a tag, card, scrapbook page, book mark or other.
-Feel free to use any tools you have, just don't add any other elements.
-You don't have to use all the items.
-Have fun creating.
-Take picture of creation.
-Post on blog.
From: your friend Susan D.
PS. That wasn't quite fair since I made you do all the work again!

When I opened the packed, i was SOO excited! How totally FUN! I love challenges like this. It was just a matter of getting the time to sit down and create. Well, of course, the best time to create is when you've got a list a mile long that has to get done by a certain day. So, when I woke up this morning, after checking my email, looking at what my day had in store, I decided to blow it off and create! I pulled Susan's package out, photographed the contents, sat in front of my coffee table w/ Oprah on the tele, and spent 2 hours creating.

Here are the tools I used:the tree stamp in that set, eggshell acrylic paint, bubble wrap, glue, markers and my crop-a-dile. And a black ink pad for the stamp.

And this was the end result:I like it a lot! Quite pleased with how it turned out. I fussed with it for, like i said, 2 hours, before it turned into this. It was never suppose to be Christmas related, but it just ended up that way. In fact, in the bag of goodies she gave me, there was a small package that contained a Japanese Ladybug from Illinois and up until the last few minutes, I had it stapled on the collage. But then it turned into a Christmas theme and the ladybug had to be removed. And in case your wondering SusanD, the white paper I stamped on is the back side of leftover scraps. No other elements added. :) I love that the hole punched tape strip. Where can I get some more of that stuff?? What's it called?

Thanks SusanD for the inspiring package. Hope you liked my creation. I'd send it back to ya, but I can't! I created it in my art journal and it's a permanent piece. I'm still hoping to create something with that ladybug. I'll let ya know when I do.
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commencing december freak-out

The countdown is on and there are only 14 more days till Christmas. I'm a little bit in freak-out mode right now, because it seems like I'm spending much of my days running errands but adding more to my to-do list than I'm crossing off. I suspect this sounds familiar to many of you, too.

I suppose taking a class shouldn't be a priority during the busiest time of the year, but when an artist whom I've admired for a few years comes to the Bay Area to teach, I'll drop all my Christmas errands and pause for a few hours in the day. Marah Johnson taught 2 classes at a local scrapbook store yesterday and she is such a high-spirited, soulful and edgy artist.
The morning class, she taught us this beautiful Christmas mini-book.Great techniques, lots of glitter and each page alternating pulls up, or pulls out.

The evening class, she taught this wicked accordion pull-out album.I have a friend who went to the Africa last year, so I'm thinking about giving this to her. But not until I make my own nearly exact replica using either Marah's Rock Star collection or her Heiress Collection.

This is a layout I did last year using Marah's Love Struck collection. There was a meme going around last year that had you list a few random things about yourself and I decided to do a layout on it.

Phantom of the Opera was great. The music is amazing and really sticks with you. So much so, that during the 2nd Act, I actually cried! OMG, i don't think i've ever cried during a theatre performance before. Sure, at movies all the time, but not at the Theatre (make sure you say it with a snooty accent, lol). I have to admit my eyes got a bit droopy in parts of the 1st Act, but I would definitely see it again. Coincidentally, the movie was on TV the next day, so I TiVo'd it, but haven't watched it yet. I'm so behind in TV, here's my list of what I need to watch:

Ugly Betty (3)
Oprah (5)
Ellen (5)
Reeves, Keanu (7)
Pushing Daisies (1)
Eli Stone (3)
Funniest Videos (2)
My Own Worst Enemy (5)
Heroes (1)
Big Bang Theory (3)
Jon and Kate (2)
Brothers & Sisters (2)
Phantom of the Opera
Lipstick Jungle (5)
Ghost Whisperer (3)
Sanctuary (5)
Grey's Anatomy (2)
What Not to Wear (6)
Twins, Twins and Sextubplets
Life on Mars (1)
Ryan, Meg (4)
Extreme Makeover Home Edition (2)
Tim Gunn's Guide to Style (1)
Hepburn, Audrey (2)
Californication (5)
And really, a whole lot more.
I say I watch a lot of tv, but the truth is I record a lot of tv. Then I watch in 5 hour marathons. Like Heroes, I had 6 unwatched episodes, but decided to spend a few hours watched 'em all. Same with Grey's, Pushing Daisies and The Mentalist. I may never get to Lipstick Jungle. Anybody out there watch it? Should I invest the time in it?

I really should update more often again instead of doing these long 'ol posts once a week. We are staying local this weekend. Baking on Saturday. Sunday a GTG and cookie exchange with some friends. Maybe finish up those cards and get 'em in the mail by next week (does that sound like a repeat from my last post?).

Have a great merry cheery weekend!
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I'm a cheater

I've been trying to decide what photo to include in our Christmas cards and I realized that we didn't take many photos of the two of us together. So I created this:It originally looked like this:Yup, Photoshop editing at it's best. It's pretty obvious since we're both standing in odd poses. No one would actually stand that way if they were taking a photo with another person. But I don't care, I like it enough. I'm hoping to finish up addressing the cards and putting them in the mail by the end of next week. We are off to the cabin tomorrow evening which allows me uninterrupted time to myself to watch a movie or veg out watching commercialized TV while sealing envelopes.

But before we head out to the hideaway, I'm going to see Phantom of the Opera with my SIL in San Francisco tomorrow. I've never seen it and it is one of her favorites. A classic theatre production. Should be fun. But i have to sort of dress up. blerch. We may see the Nutcracker before Christmas, too. When she was in ballet, she always performed in the Nutcracker. Jimmy begrudgingly went, as a brother often is required to do. But we won't force him to go this time. We haven't seen it in 6 years so it seems like we're due to go again.

It's been a good and busy week. As all of December seems to be. Busy, that is. Not necessarily good the whole time. It depends on how stressed out I get because of how far behind I inevitably get. Went to my 1st Christmas party on Monday. A little get together with one of my crafting clubs. Did a bit of Christmas shopping Tuesday and Thursday. Went to a fun Pampered Chef party on Wednesday. One of the recipes they demonstrated was a festive cranberry bark. I'm planning on making it for a cookie party next Sunday so I'll share the recipe when I make it.

Not quite up to my Christmas crafting mojo that I had last year. I'm feel rather scattered regarding the tasks I have at hand. Yet not at all panicked or stressed about my lengthening to-do list. However, I actually pulled out the Christmas decorations this year. I don't have much, but they are on display. Last year, I didn't even bother. Aside from whatever I happened to make, like the button tree, my house was barren of Christmas cheer. Now...lol, my house is just a mess! Which i'm hoping to clean some of it up before we leave in the morning.

Hope you all have a good and productive weekend.

Cheers!
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Striped Pyjamas

Heavy. But I know you knew that already. No one could leave the theatre as the credits started rolling because everyone was in tears. Highly recommend.
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"Auntie" Madeline, 3rd time in less than a month!

Today a new "nephew" entered my life! I can't wait to meet him. Not only that, just 12 days ago, I got a new niece! And just a little over 3 weeks ago, another dear friend had a baby girl. So that's 3. Then another close acquaintance, also had a baby boy less than a month ago. That's 4 babies in less than a month. What is in the water people? And where can I get some! LOL!! What were you all doing 9-10 months ago?? teeheehee-snicker-giggle! Nooooo...we don't need details. Apparently there's an awful lot of lovin' goin' on. Congratulations to all my beloveds, and I promise to indulge your babies with the most annoying and loud and messy toys ever. And then leave right before they start to cry and you have to clean up. :)
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