That's a Mouthful~

Each New Year's Eve we have a tradition of eating grapes. The tradition originated in the Alicante Region of Spain one year when there was a surplus of grapes after Christmas. Through the decades the practice spread to Portugal, South America, and Cuba. We first learned about this delicious New Year's custom while watching a Sesame Street television special about world traditions. Our daughter was a pre-schooler at the time and wanted to eat some grapes like Ernie, Bert and Big Bird! It was such a simple (and delicious) thing to do that we continued to do it. At midnight, you are supposed to eat one grape for each month in the coming year.Our own little twist is that we eat one extra for the following year (one 'to grow on').....lucky 13!

Never Too Old To Believe In Santa~

I used the Pages In Time December 16 Thursday Sketch for this layout. It is a 12x12" page using silvery grey, brown and red. I used Prima Pearls and a large Prima poinsettia, along with 2 Martha Stewart edge punches. These are photos from Christmas 2009, and I plan on using some current holiday photos on another LO this weekend. I fussy cut the snowflakes from some paper I had and placed the small poinsettia flowers on foam dots for dimension. I can't believe I didn't use any ink on this page! LOL~ That's rare! We've had quite a bit of rain over the past two weeks, so I was lucky to get some sunshine this morning in order to photograph this outside. Pardon the shadows. I have a tendency to scrap single photos, but this sketch made it easy to use more and I like the result.

Four Calling Birds~

It was a pajama day...no timetables, no schedule, no getting dressed. This is one of my favorite things about school breaks! I ignored the after-Christmas clutter, brewed up a big pot of Kusmichoff Troika Tea, and popped a Dutch Baby into the oven, while cranberries simmered on the stove. Oh, and it was raining. The perfect touch to a stay-at-home day. Kept an eye on the cat so she would not sneak drinks of water from the tree stand (she dips her paw gingerly into the water; we do not use preservatives or additives just for this reason!), and set my laptop up on a tv tray in front of the comfy wingback chair. Hubby had an errand to do, and our teenager was sleeping the morning away...she deserves it with the homework load she has all year. I never got around to watching the instructional DVDs for my Nikon D40. It practically takes photos by itself, but I want to learn how to use all the wonderful modes/settings. Here is a shot I took of our tree~

It was the 4th Day Of Christmas, so I was happy about the prospect of calling a dear friend to wish her a happy birthday (sending hugs to Mississippi!) and hearing her sweet southern accent on the phone. I gotta get Skype, right Anne girl? Of course, scrapbooking was never far from my thoughts, and I mulled over what paper and photos to use next. I just bought a few 12x12's of the Harry Potter line, as well as a couple of pieces of graphic 45's Springtime with fairies on it. I am squeazing every bit of 'do nothing' out of this holiday break, because in a blink it will be over. Move over, kitty, I am staking out my spot by the tree!



Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day~

Warm wishes for glowing health, fun moments and special memories on this day and in the New Year.
Here is a photo of the luminarias we set out on Christmas Eve...I am on the hunt for more of these bags so next year we can line the street for several blocks. They look so magical~

Mica!

I made this tag last night because I could not wait to try the vintage mica a friend enclosed in a Christmas card for me! With vintage in mind, I used my Distress Inks (Shabby Shutters, Scattered Straw, Weather Wood & Frayed Burlap) to color the plain tag. I also sprayed a bit of Wild Currant Glimmer Mist onto my non-stick mat and pressed the tag onto the mist. I added the mini calendar (inked), the Santa image mounted on grungeboard, the paper covered oval grungeboard with the inked #25 on it, the mini ticket, and some fiber. The last thing I did was place tiny dots of Glossy Accents on the tag, then sprinkle with the vintage mica. I love how it turned out!

Christmas Surprise~

Just watched this recent Flash Mob video...what fun! I ended up looking at more flash mob videos on YouTube and really enjoyed the performances and crowd reaction.

She Poured Two Cups~

I love traditions, and books are a part of connecting me to sweet memories and special times. One book I like to read once the stockings are hung is  A Cup Of Christmas Tea.   

I've read it aloud at all my Christmas tea parties and shared copies of the book with friends and family. It is a heartwarming tale of a man who goes to visit his great aunt, and the unexpected joy he gets as he spends some time with her. I highly recommend it! Tom Hegg wrote A Cup of Christmas Tea in 1981, when his pastor asked him to write something for his church's 125th anniversary. Drawing on childhood memories, he composed a straightforward, sentimental poem that brought tears to his audience's eyes. First published in 1982, it's been a seasonal best-seller ever since. I hope you get the chance to share this story with somebody special~

Women Encouraging Women~

I was surprised & delighted today to log on and see this gift from a caring lady named Sandi. She made my day! What an encouraging thing to do for a newbie blogger like me. She taught me how to put links in my blog....THANKS, Sandi! Some special women who have encouraged me;  ~Patty~  Special friend in Texas. My partner in crime.Scrapbooks wonderful memories and heritage pages. She is generous & thoughtful. I look forward to her regular emails. Sandi~ Helpful, cheery & warm. She has cool downloads on her Blog. Maggie~ took me under her wing, wonderful team spirit, supports my Inking Group @ Pages In Time. Stacy Julian~ Love her attitude, love her Big Picture Scrapbooking. Alissa~ I do not know Alissa well, but she is positive & encouraging. Sweet mini album on her blog. Kelly~ As well as creating gorgeous scrapbook  pages, Kelly leaves generous comments and encouragement for other scrappers. She goes out of her way to support others!

THANKS, ladies.

Art Is The Weapon~

My newest page~ This is actually a Halloween LO(layout). My teen created a character and her own name, "Flash Point", to go with the new MCR video NaNaNa. The theme of the video is a combo of sci-fi~futuristic~Mad Max~good guys vs evil. Hubby painted her ray gun pink, she designed her mask with paint and electrical tape and I suggested the bungee cord as an accessory! Love using punches, and the matting for the color photo was made for me by a sweet friend using a Martha Stewart edge punch. I used cardboard under the heart matting to raise the photo a bit. The road sign die cut is Little Yellow Bicycle, red cardstock is Bazzill. I also used black Distress Crackle Paint on the photo edges.

The stamped "Be Nice" at the upper right corner is a copy of what the House Of Blues stamped on all concert-goers hands at the My Chemical Romance performance to verify their tickets! I always like to add something related to my subject on my LO's. In this case, it is the clothing tag tucked next to the color photo.