snippets...

 Hi there.  

Hope you are all well on this day before Christmas Eve.  Today is our family Christmas day.  We are having our traditional meal this afternoon.  We'll exchange gifts, then watch the Steelers take on the Saints in football.  Here is to hoping for a Steelers win!  :-)

I'm all done and ready to relax for several days.  Other than helping mum with the meal prep in a little bit, I've nothing calling at me to get done.  All the presents are wrapped and under the tree.  The treats have been made, packaged and given out.  

The photos above are little snippets of what I've been doing with my time.  We had our first snow two weeks ago and it was a doozy.  We so rarely get deep/long lasting snowfall here in the south.  This was such a treat!  I went for many walks and even played around in the back yard.  It wasn't the right kind of snow for snowman making, but if it had been I'd have made several.  I'm really hoping this is a sign of more to come this winter.  :-)

I did minimal decorating.  Just the tree and a little snowbabies scene on top of the sewing cabinet at my front door.  I really wasn't feeling like decorating and even considered taking down the tree before I had it decorated.  But...it's so pretty.  

Lots of little snippets of time spent was in my studio, playing around in my art journal and working on a secret Yule/Christmas gift.  Several late night/early morning times, when insomnia kicks in, experimenting with ink, starting a new piece with a collaged background and/or watching art videos on youtube. 

Last week was baking time.  I started giving food treats as gifts several years ago and it was a hit.  It seems to get bigger each year.  I should have taken better/more pictures of what I made.  This years box contains chocolate covered peanut butter crackers, homemade fruit cake, ginger snaps, peanut butter balls and chocolate caramel layer bites.  I gave out twelve boxes this year.  Whew...!

I had a nice quiet Yule. And despite my lack of enjoyment for this time of the year, it hasn't been too bad.

Well, it's about time for me to head to mum's to help out.  I also have to take the gifts over and that will require a few trips.  

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, whatever you celebrate. 

What holiday do you celebrate? Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah?  Something else?  Do you have any big traditions?

Thanks for stopping by for a read... 
love & blessings
~*~

December...

 (twinkle light reflections on the black marble surround of the fireplace)

(twinkle lights reflecting on my scratched, dirty readers - plus the reflection of the lamp has some pretty cool shapes to it)

December is here...  

Most people probably think of December in reds and greens and bright glittery colors.  Me... I see it in greys, blues, and whites and of course twinkle lights.

I love a lot of things about this time of year.  Things like when the weather turns cold, the skies grow dark and daylight is very short.  I'm not sure why winter calls to me so.  I was a springtime baby and grew up in the south.  Still...winter has a special song it sings to me like no other season.  

I'll talk about what I don't like another time.

I've been glancing around, finding odd little things to photograph.  I'm hoping it will help me keep coming back here.   

Autumn has come down at my house.  Although I still have pumpkins through the house.  I think only one is a cook-able pumpkin (that will happen next week), all though, shouldn't they all be cook-able?  Oh well...

Santa flag is on the pole out front, my greenery winter wreath went on the door today and my Yule tree came out. (I'd mostly decided not to bother this year but...) It's up, but has yet to be decorated.  That's on tomorrow's list.

Tell me, are you ready for December?  Do you go all out with decorations or do you prefer a more subtle look?  Do you celebrate Yule or Christmas or is December just another month in the calendar for you?  I'd love to hear.

Thanks for stopping in for a read...
love & blessings
~*~