O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

Yesterday was a full day of kiddos.  I was bound and determined to get my Christmas tree up and the house decorated yesterday.  Every year I TRY to have the girls, their babies, sometimes the bro-in-law and hubby come and help and I feed them, but this year everyone was going 20-thousand different places and it was not to happen.  BUT, I was going to get it done with the help I had and what wonderful help.  Honestly it was quite fun.  The sparkle in their eyes as they put the ornaments on is priceless.

Snicklefritz is so wonderful with Min.  We had a mini-meltdown when it came time to put the star on.  I honestly won't have any of it but little Snicklefritz is, as her mother says, the Min Whisperer.  She is magical in how she gets her sidetracked or just quieted down.  It was nice to have her helping with all of it yesterday.  Min's parents were in the middle of painting a bedroom and having a 3 year old in the midst of it was a No-GO, so Granny's it was, and she had way more fun.

It has been an exhausting kind of few days but most rewarding for everyone.  She'll be back on Monday as her parents head to OKC for the weekly doctor's appointment.  Sadly Snicklefritz won't be around to help as she is back in school.  I'm sure we will have a lot more of these days when school is out for Christmas break and baby Max arrives.

Think I will have some issues if both girls ever spend the night together as they BOTH like that bed in the pink bedroom!!!  Going to have to figure out a plan if that happens.  I don't want to disappoint either one of them...

 

'Tis the Season...

It is that time yet again that Christmas is pulled out of the attic or closet.  I am so dragging my feet on doing it this year.  My kiddos are way ahead of me in that respect, but slowly, it will happen.  So today I did open that dreaded closet and drag it all out but that's as far as I got.  It sits in the front room and hopefully during the week I will start the decorating.  It will surely put me in a better mood when I see the sparkle and let the magic begin.  

On a really good note, these three will be here after Christmas!!!!  Can't wait to smooch on those baby cheeks.  Plus I can get a photo of both of my granddaughters in one photo!!!!

I haven't been idle at the easel the past few weeks.  After losing Charlotte, I took time to remember her and morn leaving this world.  I titled this one "Remembering Charlotte". 

These two I posted but hadn't signed them because I just didn't feel that they were done.  So I splish-splashed some more paint and fine tuned them.  I'm satisfied. 

Finished this one too.  

This and That Christmas Crap

Good morning.  A quick update about my fast track life lately.  I have to admit I took two whole days at art class this week, I needed it!  Actually, I didn't work at the office much, but tried to get my Christmas shopping done, and did.  This year was order online and a few gift cards and DONE!  Wait, I forgot the great niece, well, one more.  

Next week is going to be OFF the CHART busy.  Tomorrow I'm attending yet another art workshop with Christopher Westfall.  You might remember a few weeks doing one but it was abstract.  This one is representational, which is basically what I do.  A one day affair I anticipate a lot of learning from a new eye.  That evening I HAVE to rush home because it's our banks Christmas party at Southern Hills and we always love to go to it.  Unfortunately I will miss the Jazzercise girls Christmas party that same night.  Oh well, something has got to give.  Speaking on that I am NOT going to art on my usual Tuesday, opting to work in the office since I'm missing Monday at my desk.  Plus Tuesday night after a full day at the desk and maybe my easel there Snicklefritz is spending the night because her Momma will be on TV (Channel 8-KTUL) to promote The Alliday Show very early the next day.  I'm sure she will be in my care a good part of the day which is okay BUT means I have got to wrap presents quickly today.  Also on Tuesday I have a luncheon with the Tulsa Artists Guild peeps in which I will attend and transport two of my art buddies before heading back to the desk.  

Thursday, YES, back to art class and my peeps!  I really don't need the class anymore, so to speak, but the critique and laughter with my friends is what I pay for.  I LOVE the whole thing!  Friday is back to work with payroll and pay bills!  YUCK!  Then Snicklefritz will again spend the night and be with us till about noon because we have yet another Christmas party to attend on Saturday night.  Busy, busy, busy.  

This past weekend we opted to stay in town and not go to the cabin because The Hubby had a dance thing in OKC on Saturday.  I didn't mind because I NEEDED to get the Christmas tree up and decorated if Snicklefritz was coming.  Actually, my heart was NOT into it this year, mainly because I wasn't hosting anything, next will be a different story.  So Friday morning I didn't go into the office until late in the day.  I spent the morning digging out the tree and decorations out of the guest closet.  That left a MESS in my guest room, Snicklefritz's bedroom when she spends the night.  (Yet another mess to clean up!)  Plus I HAD to get my closet under control.  I still had stuff in a bag from our travels to Italy, IN SEPTEMBER!  I hate clothes.  I took the opportunity to dump TONS of summer clothes that I did not wear this year.  

Oh, and two suitcases out of the guest closet that I don't use anymore.  With a gigantic bag of clothes to give away and two suitcases in tow my first stop on my way to lunch with The Hubby was Goodwill.  Before that though I did get the tree up, not decorated but up so The Hubby could light it.  Last year my wonderful pre-lit tree gave it up and didn't pre-lit anymore and he took all the lights off planning on LED lights.  He wanted to string the lights this year.  That was a first let me tell you.  In nearly 41 years of marriage that man has probably put two ornaments on a tree.  There was reason for that, no design style in tree decor.  So Friday night he strung "HIS" lights.  I looked at the way he did it and knew I would be restringing.  That guy is a MASTER at lighting homes, inside and out, but Christmas tree lighting inside, ummm, no!  While he was gone all day on Saturday until late I put ornaments on but because I can't seem to find the spirit it wasn't as much fun.  It just seems that we jumped right into Christmas without enjoying fall and Thanksgiving.  Next year I am SLoooowwwwing down and enjoying the experience again!  

Christmas tree is done, not like I have done in the past but done.  The storage boxes are back in the closet along with everything else I had to drag out of their and today I will organize the gifts that are piled on the bed into the dining room and wrap.  Yes, wrap, wrap, wrap.  The niece may get money in a card!  

The Day After Black Friday

Good Saturday After Thanksgiving!  Did you do the Black Friday thing?  I certainly didn't.  I stayed ensconced in my nice dry and warm home as it has been raining and raining and raining, and it's cold.  I spent the day cleaning up the rest of the Thanksgiving bash that was here and then....I went to the guest room closet and pulled out Christmas!  Last year I decided that we were not going to haul all the stuff up to the attic and cleaned out the closet to store it.  What an easy day it made for me to set up the tree.  So the rest of the day I put up my tree, just in time for Snicklefritz to see it because she came to spend the night.  

It's wasn't with out a few broken ornaments though.  I haven't taken a picture of the finished tree but this will do.  It was a great feeling to get it done. 

While doing all the clean up and decorate I also put a big pot of brown beans and ham on the stove to simmer all day.  This cold dreary weather is just calling for beans and cornbread.  It was quite delicious although Snicklefritz opted for PB&J for her dinner.

Leather and Lace

Good morning all.  Yes, I am on a roll here, blogging away.  So much is rattling around in my brain this morning.  I have just STUFF to do and I'm not getting around to doing any of it lately. 

First, I gave away our loveseat.  Yes I did!  Really, I gave it to B&B2 to match the couch we gave them when we moved some 7 years ago.  The Hubby hated it, of course sense I picked it out and he LOVES leather which this was fabric.  We've been having an on going battle about leather and fabric for some time now.  He has his beloved leather couch, actually, three of them.  We have one at the office and one at the cabin too.  I had a tiny fabric loveseat, which now I don't.  We also have two awesome large leather chairs that were perfect at our other house but just are a bit too large in this house.  The debate with The Hubby is that he wanted to replace the loveseat with yet another leather couch and I just had to put the brakes on and say "HECK NO!"  I love, love, love our decorating sense but it does tend to lean towards the guy kind of feel and I want, no NEED a bit of feminine in that house with his collections of lighters, flashlights and African head mounts on the wall (3 at the cabin too).  I had to make a stand for my lady side and insist that we not have an entire house of leather.  Then last weekend he had the bright idea of getting rid of the chairs too but I'm not so opposed to that idea.  With the help of brainstorming with Harri and B the chairs are moving to our new offices upstairs in the living area and I'm going shopping!!!!!  I am going to appease him by trying to find a leather loveseat to accompany his leather couch then I am going to get a couple of nice chairs with an ottoman in FABRIC!  Yup, and I told him it may have a bit of floral in it!!!!!  Yes I did and he was not opposed but we will see when I finally get around to shopping.  This brings me back to the stuff I need to do.  I need to shop and I hate to shop.  I have just got to hit the pavement and start the hunt with the help of the designer brother-in-law!  I have an idea of what I want but I HAVE TO SHOP!