It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

.... except for in the house.

We had our first snow of the season today, and it made me want to put up my tree so badly... but I can't. 

You see, I decided on a new theme a little late this year; I bought some sweet ornaments online... and am now waiting for them to arrive.  

But all is not lost... I realized I never got around to posting the pics from last year.  So, instead of spending tonight playing Christmas songs, decorating a tree and finally having somewhere to place presents already purchased, I decided to share images from last year's adorable tree with all of you.  

This will (one hopes) tide me over for the next week or so until my new ornaments arrive and I can get decorating for this season.  Don't worry, I promise I will get the new images up as soon as possible, and not make you wait a year after the fact to see the results.

I hope you enjoy our "Winter Wonderland"... it was actually just tossed together from random ornaments I had on hand.  It wasn't until I was about halfway done that I realized I did have a theme going on... and a cute one at that!  

I had thought to just do the tree again this year, but once the Muse of Inspiration strikes you just have to act on it! In the meantime... enjoy!

The Geek Tree

Several people have heard me talk about the surprise I had planned for Richard this year... an aptly named "Geek Tree" covered with ornaments from movies, books and cartoons that he loves.

Finding some of these ornaments wasn't easy, but it was a nice distraction from the upcoming holidays, which I knew I would not find pleasant, and it would be something that would bring Richard some happiness.

The thought to use Cornelius from Planet of the Apes as a most unlikely angel topper was sort-of last minute, but he actually works very well as the icing on the top of the cake, so to speak.

Now this is maybe only half of the ornaments that currently decorate the tree and the joy is knowing that we can add more to the tree in the years to come.

This won't be our tree every year; or maybe we will set it up as a small, secondary tree some years.

It certainly makes for something unique, and a conversational piece for those who have seen it.

There are a few pieces on here that may be just a wee more me than Richard, like the Fantasia ornament of Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Al E Gator (below), though my Raggedy Ann and Andy ornament somehow failed to be used... I am not sure how I forgot it, but that's okay, because I can use it next year.

So what ornaments would you include on your own "geek tree"?

Would it be the Ecto1 from "Ghostbusters"? The one I didn't get around to buying, but that I will certainly be adding for future trees?

Or would it be something newer, like Iron Man or Thor? I would have loved adding a Loki ornament if I could have found one.

Would you stick, as I did, with purchased ornaments, or would you try sculpting some of your own?

Would you go with a complete theme, like novels only, or use a eclectic hodpodge of favorites from throughout your life?

So what do you think of our tree for this year? Feel free to comment and let me know.

I was dreaming of a .... brown... Christmas?

Well, not really, but that's what we got. Not such a travesty for me, but I know Richard was really looking forward to a bit of snow and so far this year has been fairly snow free. I do admit though that Christmas just doesn't seem as, well, Christmasy without a bit of snow on the ground.

Christmas eve was nice.... we didn't do anything special, but Richard ended up working just half his shift before he was sent home because there just wasn't enough tech support calls coming in to support a full crew. We watched "Holiday Inn" and "Muppet Christmas Carol" and went to bed at a decent time. Woke up at 6:30 on Christmas and since neither of us can really get back to sleep once we're up we decided to stay up and just start the day.... so much for sleeping in!

Presents were passed out, and I think we were both pleasantly surprised... we especially loved the family gift exchange presents we received from Miya and Roy. We ended up taking a brief nap that afternoon and then started cleaning up because we had friends coming over for dinner. I did kick myself a bit though since I had plans to make a batch of root beer float fudge (well, try it anyway) along with a normal batch of fudge and homemade caramels to give away.... and didn't make any of them! Bad me... especially since I bought cream and stuff to make them with!!!!

It was nice being able to visit with my old roommate and her son and daughter-in-law, and dinner was pretty good as well, though my candied yams failed miserably.... I apparently ran out of brown sugar without realizing it and decided to try using maple syrup (not pure maple syrup but the cheap crap and you could tell). Luckily the ham and everything else turned out lovely, because Richard and I will be eating leftovers for the next few days! So in about half an hour I need to zip into the kitchen and start making a homemade au gratin potatoes and ham casserole for when Richard comes home.

Today I had plans to do a bit of stitching... I made and gave away a wedding sampler for Christmas that I am just in love with and want to make for our home as well. It was lovely being able to wind down my evenings with needlework every evening. Silly me failed to take a picture of it before I wrapped and sent it off though! I have a couple of designs I have drawn up and, now that I am not under a time constraint, I want to try stitching them. I have about half of the office/craft room unpacked and have found a bunch of my embroidery floss (plus, Richard bought me a 150 skein pack of floss for my stocking!) and I have a bunch of Aida cloth that came from my stepmother's old stash so I certainly have some great supplies to play with. I will have to run to the fabric store in the next couple of days and buy more linen... the wedding sampler was my first piece stitched on linen and I don't think I want to ever go back to Aida cloth again (its okay if you didn't understand that) Aida has its place, but I really did fall in love with the look of a piece stitched on linen.

Whoa.... this suddenly turned into a crafting post!

So today has just been a nice day to unwind for me... cleaned the kitchen up from yesterday but that's about it (since we gave the apartment a great clean yesterday). I played a few things on Netflix ("The Girl Who Played With Fire"/"The Girl Who Kicked A Hornets Nest" and a few episodes of "Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares") while I read a book I got for Christmas about selling crafts online with a cat passed out on my lap. The book has some great ideas for your own site as well as on Etsy, and, first step, my shop name has changed from fiftytwo to FiftyTwoPhotography.... since its a photography shop then the author suggests that, hey, I mention what it is that I sell there! We'll see how it goes. It would be nice to finally make a sale on that site.... goodness knows my prices are beyond reasonable and I wouldn't even make anything really from it (given I've been paying listing fees for over a year now). Still considering giving up the photography site because I don't think people are buying much in the way of photographs right now. I will be starting a new Etsy site for crafts in the year to come.... fingers crossed!

Tonight will probably be an early bedtime for me, since I was up at 4:30 this morning... I go back to work in the morning, so I will definitely need to get some sleep! I think Richard is planning to watch some episodes of "Smallville" when he gets home (I got him hooked on the show.... we're now midway through season two). Otherwise it will be a nice and quiet evening (which I love).

The forecast for the next 10 days is in the low 40s and no snow.... poor Richard! It looks as if his New Year is also going to start off brown. We're planning to stay home anyway and have a bit of a Doctor Who marathon for the weekend, but it would be nice to see a bit of snow anyway. I may have to drive Richard up to Sundance so he can play in it a bit... our one evening of snow just got him excited to see more of the white stuff.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that the New Year to come will be full of joy and wonder....

All my love....

Shawna

Merry Christmas Everyone...

Today I found this sweet re-telling of the Nativity story... its so darling I couldn't help but share it with you all.



Wishing you all a happy holidays wherever the season may find you....

Much love,

Shawna

For the true Star Trek geek.....

Its the Enterprise all right.... scaled to the size of a pizza cutter.

Why this size???? Because it is a pizza cutter!

Richard would totally geek out over this one....and he does have a birthday coming up next month....anyone interested in checking this out can find it here
I also found this bottle opener here

...can anyone tell that I married a Trekkie?

O Christmas Tree

Okay, I think I have made a point before of stating how much it frustrates me that Christmas is horning in on other holidays....Thanksgiving in particular.

Seriously, having all-Christmas music stations popping up on my radio before we're even halfway through November is just annoying. How do I know they are out there? Because one of my co-workers had tuned in on one of these stations and I was subjected to an all-day Holly-Jolly music fest. She also admitted that she had completely decorated her house, had her tree out (with a few presents already tucked underneath). The exterior of her home is already covered in lights which she actually turns on at night!

I couldn't resist (well, I CHOSE not to resist) and told her of my theory that Christmas needs to stop being such a holiday hog. She then chose to ignore me and sing carols even louder.

Well she was entitled to her opinion, but I couldn't help feeling a bit Scrooge-ish as I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work only to be accosted by a Salvation Army bell ringer! A BELL RINGER!!!! BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!!! I just shook my head in dismay and walked past, muttering under my breath about the nerve of some holidays.

I grabbed a shopping cart and slowly made my way past the storefront displays only to be brought up short. Sitting on a table, clad in green, was a little guy destined to catch my eye.

He was small, sweet, and completely cramped in the tiny pot they had packaged him in. How could I not take such a sweet little tree home with me? I tucked his little green form into my cart, promising a better pot when I got him home. Never mind that he came with a tacky styrofoam penguin and a spray of styrofoam "snowballs" to simulate decorations...or the red plaid bow tied to his crown.

I happily paid for my new darling and brought him home....and then it hit me....

I had just broken my own self-imposed rules. No matter how quickly I pulled off that penguin, snowballs and ribbon (which I actually have yet to do), I brought home a Christmas tree...my Thanksgiving feast had just barely been pulled from the freezer to thaw and there is a living evergreen tree in my home. No matter that its only about a foot tall....or that its being re-potted and going to be considered a houseplant until he gets too big for such nonsense.

Sorry Thanksgiving....I never meant to stomp all over you so thoughtlessly....

I hope in time you will forgive me......

.....I am such a hypocrite!

My Grown Up Christmas List

Its the time of year when you start thinking about all of the blessings in your life and the child within starts dreaming and wishing. As a child I remember pouring over the Sears catalog, circling doll houses, model horses, and tinkertoys with enthusiasm and writing letters to Santa, assuring him that regardless of what my brother said, I really had been a good girl that year.

I remember school Christmas parties where Santa would make a grand appearance, handing out presents to each girl and boy and then patiently sit through photos with all of the children in attendance. I remember searches for the perfect tree and the styrofoam gingerbread ornaments that I loved to hang on the tree. I remember a pair of elf dolls dressed in red, green and white that my brother and I would carefully tuck onto the tree branches. I remember the sweetness of peppermint sticks in stockings and the orange that would always be tucked in the bottom....and the warmth of the woodstove while snow drifted lazily out of a gray winter sky.

As in my childhood, I find myself these last few days making another Christmas list. Not one for toys and trinkets, but one for peace, love and strength. I would wish these to my friends and family, and one big one to the world at large. I would ask for strength for my family struggling with worry. I would ask for health for those in pain. I would ask for peace for those who have lost and joy for the memories that remain. I would ask that we grow closer as a family and work together on our problems. I wish LOVE. Because long after the wrappings are torn off and tree is emptied of its bounty, love would still be there; an ongoing, eternal reminder of how much we mean to one another and how none of us are truly alone.


Let me close this with a song I love at Christmas....Here is a link to the video by Amy Grant.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown-up now
Can you still help somehow?
I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in that blind belief can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal our hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown-up Christmas list