Christmas 2008 ...

We had such a wonderful holiday ... :)!!!
We played in the snow, we spent time with family and friends ...
We laughed ... We sang ...
We snuggled by the fire, we ate tooo much yummy food and most of all, we LOVED being together.

{Spend a moment in Bedford Falls ...}
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas ....!!

PS: Life is wonderful :)

The paper Jacob Marley costume ...

Becoming Jacob Marley ...(The ghost in "A Christmas Carol")

{Take 1}

Here's the situation - My son (who is in middle school) announces that he MUST have a Jacob Marley costume for the next day. This costume he informs us will be a major part of his grade. So, we became very busy creating a ghost suit...Yes, we decided to make a paper shirt. Laugh with us please ...! Oh it was comedy central!!! "Ah Mom I can't move my arms in this..."

{Take 2}We turned the one-of-a-kind designer paper shirt into a tank top .... snip snip off with the bulky arms. (stitching - staples). We then added one of Dad's big white dress shirts to the mix!
{Take 3}
Ta dah - Jacob Marley costume!! :)
Please notice the lovely paper chain hanging from the ghost's neck.

Producer notes:
The costume was a HUGE hit ... The teacher was so taken with the creation, she gave him extra credit. (Thank you thank you - bow) ...

Cheers to creative moments at home ... and to Jacob Marley.

It's snowing ... (again)

So grab your coat, boots and mittens and lets go sledding!!! ....

PS - We'll meet back at my place and drink hot chocolate by the fire.

:)

A formula for {MADNESS} :) ...!!

1. Snow ...

2. Holiday Decorations

3. Anticipation combined with imagination and boredom ...

Kaleb came up late last night all dressed up as a creature from his basement bedroom :) ....

4. An ear infection ...
Lauren - finding 'escape' from the madness on Bella Sara (dot) com - !
This is a great site for horse lovers - check it out:
http://www.bellasara.com/

Not pictured: my son, Kade, bundled in winter garb out on the street begging for chocolate chips :) - He wanted me to make cookies last night but we were out of those much needed morsels. End result: no chocolate chips ... we ended up making star shaped sugar cookies. (YUM)

I think its safe to say that last night was a magical, mad night on a cold, December night!!
Oh what do you do when it's cold outside?!

Family ... It's worth FIGHTING for!

So I find myself in the drama section of the local video shop and grab this movie called "Evelyn" starring Pierce Brosnan (I'm a Pierce Brosnan fan) ... Anyhow, my husband and I stayed up late last night watching this gem of a movie - It's fantastic! If you need a good, clean family movie (its PG) grab this one. (Grab a few tissues too... you might need them for the tears of joy that freely fall)!

{Dreams we can SEE from the road}
Photos of real houses with really random curbside appeal ...

Drive by "shooting" #1
(What caught my attention? The big poster of John Wayne in the front window)
I'm guessing visions of John Wayne, cowboys and western saloons dance in their heads at night ... I'm also guessing the song on repeat in this house is - "I wanna be a Cowboy"
(Boys Don't Cry)
Drive by "Shooting" #2 -
(Attention grabber: The Dr. Seuss tree in the front yard)
I'm guessing Thing 1 and Thing 2 live here :) ...
Playlist repeat song at this house: "Shiny Happy People" (REM)

Drive by Shooting #3 -
(Attention grabber: The fake, paper palm trees in the front yard)

Grab your surf board baby ... there are people in this house that wish they could be sun bathing on a beach with a boom box playing "California Girls" by The Beach Boys.

What random stuff do you see as you drive the streets of your town?! It's amazing how funny things are when you really stop and think about it ... or drive by it!

{The no-smile, grumpy old lady drive by encounter}

The following scene is real and continues to happen day after day after day ..

Monday thru Friday, I drive down a certain street at 11:30 AM. I’m heading north. The car that passes me every day at the same place and time is heading south. The lady in the car is anything but happy. And if she is listening to anything my guess is its “Doom & Gloom” radio. You see, every day I see this person. She is older and her face is full of anger and ‘disgruntled with life’ look. It’s possible the topic for today’s “Gloom” show is – how to look angry all the time. Perhaps that is her favorite episode and she has it on repeat? I don’t know. (I secretly wish I could put something else on her radio…) Maybe she could use a little positive re-programming?

You see, I have this desire to see her smile – just once this year. So when I get to the very spot that I know we are going to pass – I look her directly in the eyes and SMILE. (The turtle photo above gives you a glimpse into the north & south daily encounter).

Does it work? No – never.
Will I give up? No - never.

‘Drive by’ stats for 2008 –
Grump Lady : NO SMILES (yet)

PS: There’s hope: 28 days left in 2008 – there’s still time for a miracle…. :)

{John Mayer's Holiday Cake Celebration}

Are you a John Mayer fan?! Me too. That guy can rock, sing and he seems to have a thing for holiday cakes... Check out his blog and see what he's up to. Feel free to get busy in the kitchen and enter the cake making contest!! :) I did!!

http://johnmayer.com/blog

"You think I'm crazy now, but once you apply the last dollop of frosting, or that finishing touch of icing, you'll understand that there's just no hiding from the feeling. I've set up an e-mail address, interfaithcakes@me.com, so that you can show off your own baked goods. I will post the best cakes on my blog, and the one I deem most beautiful will win an autographed signature series Fender Stratocaster guitar." - John Mayer (from his blog)

Cheers to cakes and rock & roll...

:)

{Monday Morning Pitch ...}


My friend Emily Cushing just started a new blog! Please feel free to check it out at - http://www.giveawaytoday.blogspot.com/

This site gives away something free everyday - (Fun stuff!!)

PS - If you choose to sign up/post a comment please say you were referred by Wendy Christensen... Thanks!

:)

Happy Monday!