Some trinkets....

Posted over on my art blog some magnets I made and a tin I made for a good friend.

Post Christmas Update

Yesterday Michael and I were out of the house before 7am heading out for post Christmas shopping. I know we are insane! We picked up Christmas items...holiday tissue, gift bags, bows, Christmas cards for next year. Plus Michael had given me a gift certificate in my stocking and so I got a Buddha with a tea light candle holder at the base and a few other little things. We picked up MORE movies. Really after all the ones we got for Christmas we didn't "need" them but they were good deals so it was hard to pass up. And then we hit this new place for breakfast and we could have fed 5 people on the food they served us. We took home lots and had it for breakfast this morning.

We spent the rest of the day just watching movies and napping...kind of a repeat of Christmas day. It was nice. We are having lots of quality time and that is has been great!

Today I woke up with a migraine but it was cloudy all day so I think it was weather related. By tonight migraine had faded. I am watching Robin Hood Prince of Thieves....Alan Rickman steals the show. His lines are so funny!

A Very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I just turned my computer on for the first time about 20 minutes ago. It has been a wonderful Christmas. Last night Michael and I had an amazing dinner....stuffing ourselves with all the delicious things on the table and drinking a bottle of mead. It was really perfect with the ham. It did make me a little tipsy and I was a wee-bit more flirty then I have been in a while. It was fun though. After cleaning up, we went and looked at lights. This years theme seemed to be cut out lighted palm trees (yes Kate that made me think of you). One of our Christmas presents to ourselves was a new dvd storage unit. The one we have now is wide so takes up most of the hallway where we store it and we ran out of space in it awhile ago. So Michael and I put the new one together last night. And then headed to bed as we were both tired and wanted Santa to visit our house.

This morning Michael and I both woke up really early so we said why not get up. So we did....and Santa did an amazing job on our stockings! Lots and lots of goodies....one being Godiva chocolates for me. Yum! After we opened our stockings we got the cats going on their stockings. We got them some new toys and replaced nip packets in some of their other toys but their favorite toys...were the stir straws that I put in there at the last moment remembering we had a packet up of them in their cupboard. So the thing that was free basically is the thing that they enjoyed the most. figures!

We had some cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then we opened packages. Our stockings had been a surprise this morning but our gifts together this year the storage unit but also tons of movies weren't a surprise. The day after thanksgiving had really good movie sales - 3.50 to 10 dollars and so we really stocked up. The gifts from family and friends though were of course. After opening gifts there was a knock on our door....it was the postman he had a gift for us from my one of my best friends Aydeen and her husband. It was very fun receiving a gift on Christmas! Thank you Laz and Aydeen - Michael and I love the gifts!

One of my gifts was the Alias DVD set - all 5 seasons. Michael and I had watched all of season 4 on TV except the last episode of season 4. So this morning we watched that and then watched the first episode of season 5! And then another episode tonight. WOW! (Can't wait to see where you are at with the season Mandy...I can't believe the first episode OMG!) We also watched the first part of the Chronicles of Riddick and will watch the 2nd part after I am done posting.

It really was a relaxing day...we watched movies and Alias, ate yummy food, and napped!

The best part of the day was captured in words that Michael wrote in a card he gave me....really our gift is the gift of being togehter and taking this journey together. So today I was with the man I love and enjoyed another perfect day...it was the perfect gift....being together.

I hope everyone had a magical Christmas full of love and joy!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town....

• All the presents are wrapped and under the tree. Stockings waiting for Santa to fill them.
  
• Dinner is in the oven. Hopefully done about 5:30pm. Bottle of wine chilling. Goodies on the table that we have been snacking on.
• We saw a postal worker out today. She was delivering packages. With the snow storms here in Colorado I am sure there are a lot of people waiting for Christmas packages. So on a Sunday they were delivering packages. I heard also they will deliver tomorrow too.
• We had a marvelous brunch full of fresh fruit, pastries, hashbrowns, order your way omelets and mimosas - yum!
  
• Been listening to Christmas carols all day! Singing as I cooked.
  
• I know I say it often but I don't feel I can say it enough how blessed I am to be loved by Michael.
  
• Also I have so many good friends and wonderful family. I am very grateful for all the support and acceptance you give me. Thank you for!
  

I want to wish everyone a VERY Merry Christmas! I hope you have a holiday full of love, laughter and the magic of the season!

Christmas Randomness

Sound of Music is on....it is a favorite musical of mine. I love the music and sing along to it.

There is a song that plays this time of year that always always makes me cry. It is The Christmas Shoes by Newsong (link to lyrics). I hadn't heard it this year until just the other night while wrapping gifts. And of course I had to reach for kleenex. (Mom if you haven't heard this song you need to hear it....you will need kleenex too.)

Silly Christmas link....Mt. Dew Christmas Tree

Yes! A wonderful Christmas gift

Been cleaning house most of the day as I have neglected it with the holiday preparations.

I was just thinking yesterday while unloading the dishwasher that I have had lots of depression this year but I can honestly say this Christmas I haven't felt it. The holidays can get me blue and this year doesn't seem to have hit me that hard.

Michael just called me into this office. He has video tape his Dad took of when Michael when got Chessie for Christmas. She is just a little kitten and she is so her. All the things that make her darned adorable now were there in the video of her from her baby days.

Well going to go find my slippers because my feet are cold. And then maybe fold clothes...I know the excitement is too much!

But tomorrow will be good - we are going to brunch to one of our favorite places, then deliver presents. Tomorrow night will be a nice dinner followed by going out to look at Christmas lights.

Caesar Protesting Christmas!

When we put up our tree - our kitty cats get their sunny spot bed taken away. And so Caesar was sitting on the sub-woofer in protest the other day. He was highly annoyed that he didn't have his spot in the sun and couldn't figure out how he could get to it without being in lots of trouble (because it would involved tipping the tree over).

That big round ornament with the poinsettia on it...is Michael's...it is his Baby ornament. I think it is his first Christmas ornament. The one below it with the 2 cats is the closest we have come to finding something that at least a little resembles our babies.


There is a yarn drum ornament. Michael has a few drum ornaments - as he is a drummer.












You can barely see a red bell ornament in the right hand corner. Michael's Grandmother made that and a few others we have on our tree.

Friday Gratitude

I am doing a tribute to all things I am grateful that start with E!

~ E ~

Eating - I love food so I like to eat.
Epicurious - Which goes with the above. I love that site for recipes, good wine suggestions and other food related ideas.
Encouragement - I am thankful for all the encouragement I get from my friends and family.
Emotions - Although my emotions have been all over the place I am glad that I do have them. I am glad I feel a wide range of them.
Energy - Having energy...to just do things I am grateful for and also feeling energy/vibes or whatever you call it. I like it when I encounter someone with good energy. My friend Jane is coming to mind. She always has such a warm clear soothing energy coming from her. Just being around her for a little bit always makes me feel so good.
Expression - Being able to express through writing, spoke word, art, and so many more ways...I am grateful for the ability to express my thoughts and feelings in so many wonderful ways
Envelopes - Mail Love! I love seeing envelopes in the mail with my name on them. And I love sending out envelopes full of mail love to others.
Eggs - I like eggs. Egg sandwiches, Godfather Eggs, Scrambled eggs with hashbrowns, neatly folded eggs piled on a fluffy biscuit. Also thankful to have them so I can bake yummy cakes, cookies, brownies and breads with them.
Eggplant - Not the food....oh no...don't like eggplant to eat but I love the color! I would love to have a room painted with that color
Edward Gorey - Lovely work....dark and delicious
Eddie Izzard - He is so funny! Plus he looks good in heels and make up!
Electricity - Without it....there is so much I couldn't do. So I am very thankful for electricity...for keeping computers running, heat going on this cold snowy day, power to run my bread machine and crockpot to make a yummy a warm dinner, to give me warm water for my shower, and dryer to warm up my robe to make me toasty when I am cold, to run all the tv to watch Buffy and Alias...yes I could go on and on with all the wonderful things that electricity brings to me. Very thankful for electricity
Egyptian art - Art history was one of my favorite classes in college. I always got A and A+'s in it. Egyptian art was one area that I took several classes as it really just has always fascinated me. I even remember in grade school doing papers on Egyptian art as I have drawn to it.
Eyes - I like eyes...I like the expressiveness of eyes. I keep thinking of Michael's blue intense eyes. Yummy! so grateful to be able to look into them every day! I am also thankful for my eyes...to see all the wonderful things that pass before daily.
Ephemera - My art consists of lots of ephemera so I am very grateful to have it as an available resource as it inspires me often.

Busy Busy

Right now life is extremely busy...'tis the season right? We were suppose to leave for a trip today, but well Michael has some sad news this week. A friend died so we are delaying our trip. We will be leaving on Saturday. Things we did/doing this week: finished Christmas shopping, baking, more baking, making jar mixes for gifts, getting packages ready to mail and...oh and did I mention baking. My Christmas baking includes: Festive Bark (almond bark with pretzels and M&M's mixed in), peppermint bark, chocolate fudge, chocolate caramels, Cardamom cutout cookies drizzled with espresso glaze and dark chocolate, sour cream cookies, molasses cookies, and chocolate chip cookies with peppermint bark. For jar mixes I did hot cocoa (amaretto and french vanilla), brownies (with white chocolate chips and coconut), Cranberry & white chocolate cookies, and then M&M Chocolate Chip cookies.

Good thing or Bad thing...??

Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I got so caught up in painting that I almost took a drink of the water I rinse my brushes off with? Instead of my diet coke sitting on the other end of the table?

Thank goodness...I caught myself before I actually drank...not sure acrylic paint is really "good" for a person.

Going back to work!

Tree Decorating Adventures....

Last night we had to run around to several places as the garland we usually do on our tree was not in the Christmas decoration boxes. So we went to 3 places and didn't find what we wanted but got something that will do at least for this year.

We finally got the tree decorated today. I brought over the tins that have the ornaments in them. I have a ton of Christmas tins that I use to put baked goods. When I pack up the Christmas stuff I put ribbon garland in one tin, ornaments and just other little Christmas odds and ends. And I lifted a few ornaments out of a tin....a scream emerged from me... that the whole neighborhood heard...

My fingers wrapped around...

....the ribbon garland!

Caesar was in the living room he looked at me and you could tell he thought "what is it that she has in her hand that has made her scream so...it must be horrible." He stalked over to me very cautiously and then sniffed the ribbon in my hand. He looked up at me cocking his head and again you could tell he was thinking no that I can't be what I am smelling. So he sniffed the ribbon again. He looked up at me saying in his cat meows "you do know this is the ribbon garland you have been looking for several days right. You should be happy." And then walked away like "okayyy she has lost it - AGAIN"

See when I looked in this tin before it just looked like it was well packed with ornaments but under the ornaments was the ribbon on their spools. So now we have not only ribbon garland but we have the garland I got at Target last night that is gold with little sparkly stars on it. They actually look good together because the ribbon has gold in it.

I am such a dork sometimes. I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had just emptied out each tin. Oh well...live and learn and now the tree is up and looks very pretty.

Friday Gratitude

1. Mail Love - Mail Love was in abundance! I got a package from a very good friend - stuffed full of recipes, a cookbook and magnetic "paper" dolls that are gingerboy and girl. They have little pieces to decorate them and are just too adorable for words. I can't wait to get them up they will be great when I am baking, while something is in the oven I can play! I also got a few other things from her and her husband. Thank you both so much it was very sweet of you guys!

Last year my family did up a big package for Michael and I. In it was one little special package to open every day until Christmas. Last year there was gourmet hot cocoa packets, M&M's, slipper socks, notepads and such. Well they decided to do the same thing again this year and so we have opened 4 gifts: recipe cards & holder that have candy canes on them, holiday spatulas, 2 magnetic notepads, holiday sprinkles for cookies and baked goods, little holiday paper cupcake liners, and a ceramic spoon holder. It is very thoughtful of my family. Michael and I get such a kick out of it. It is fun to see what they came up with and it is nice to feel their love through their extraordinary thoughtfulness.

2. Birthdays - Michael's birthday was this week. He had a great birthday and we both had a wonderful day. He is a wonderful man that daily I see all the reasons I fell in love with him. And how lucky I am to be with him. I know this past year was a hard year but exciting at the same time. I love you Michael!

3. Links - The link I posted early in the day. Many topics wrote about there have been on my mind. Making me contemplate the season even more. It might be another blog entry soon....my thoughts on the reason for the season.

4. Water - I have been drinking so much water today. It is good and refreshing.

5. Warm clothes - Thermals, cuddl duds, soft sweaters, sueded cotton sweatshirt, long sleeve thick t-shirts from Eddie Bauer (that I have had for 13 years and still in great condition), wool socks, knitted socks, fleece purple bathrobe... all items that keep me warm when it is Oh so cold here!

And just thankful for this season and enjoying it!

An Unexpected Link....

I stumbled upon a link to a blog that I thought for sure just looking at where it was originating from I wasn't going to like it. But that was pretty closed minded of me. In a swift judgment I decided I wouldn't like his views without even opening and reading. Not something I like that I did and want to work on that more. I am sure this person and I don't share all views but I do have to say many things he says in the handful of entries I have read - I was thoroughly impressed.

The link is from a Catholic Monk. The Spiritus Project: liberating the Message of Christ from Christianity

His latest entry is what prompted this post....to share his blog with others...
Santa's not the real problem...

It is the message I have believe for a long time....inclusion, tolerance, giving, and love. It is a message I feel we don't hear often enough.

So I have spent the last 30 minutes reading other entries...
This link he uses a quote from RENT on the bottom of it...and again another message of tolerance, inclusion....not the us vs them that is the norm of these days.

Even this entry...where I don't agree with him...I enjoy reading his thoughts. I am pro-choice. And pro- stem cell research. But he is the first person I have seen that is pro-life - in the terms that I think of as actually pro-life.

He talks of a book both Michael and I would like to get...
"The Bible is not divine. God alone deserves our worship. Bibliolatry, worshipping the words of Scripture instead of the God they manifest, absolutizing them and using them out of context, is a most insidious vice...Read it correctly; read it as a whole. Don't fall into the trap of using the Scriptures to self-righteously condemn everything from homosexuality and abortion to people of non-Christian faiths. Taking the Bible literally and simplistically without regard to its literary forms, historical context, and even its use by the living tradition of the Church, ultimately is a sterile exercise." From: "In the Spirit of Happiness" by the Monks of New Skete, 1999

Birthday Wishes...

Today is Michael's Birthday! I hope that your day is a celebration of what a truly amazing man you are...I am blessed to have you in my life and so I hope to make this day a celebration of YOU!

Happy Birthday Michael...I love you!

Soldiers Away From Home

Another friend posted this (at the moment not remembering who sorry about that) but I wanted to pass it on.

Let's not forget the people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places during the holidays. Every day they put themselves in harms way. And I can't imagine all they go through - just the mental and physical strains, the emotional and spiritual strains, being away from their family and friends, just being so far away....so sending a little Holiday cheer their direction is not only as Thank You but I am sure it will brighten the day by giving them a gift.

http://anysoldier.com

You can even order packages online to send to them so you don't have to put a package together yourself at Treat Any Solider

Friday Gratitude

A few months back I started doing letters of the alphabet every once in a while so I had to search back and it was in October that I did the letter C so next...the letter D as my Friday Gratitude...

~ D ~

~ Diet Coke - I can't go long without a diet coke. It just refreshes me. I like the bubbles and the taste.

~ Decadence - chocolate dessert, a wine that makes all the troubles of the day fade away, kisses that are full of passion - and other stuff that would be TMI (too much information) for the family that reads our blog.

~ Drawing - I am thankful that as a child I learned the joy of drawing.

~ Dinner - If I have to choose a meal that I enjoy the most it is dinner. I like cooking dinner also so many things I can make with it. I thankful for wonderful dinners I have made, created and shared with friends and family.

~ Dessert - If I could skip though meals and go straight to dessert that would be best! Thankful for all the sweetness that comes with dessert!

~ Dove Chocolates - Well it is chocolate you know...and I don't turn that down.

~ Darby - me...thankful to my parents for brining me into this world and raising me, thankful for the life I have lived...the grand adventures as well as the times I was not doing too good. They all have given me valuable lessons, life experience and memories. I also am thankful for my name. I love my name....so I am thankful my parents gave me this unique name.

~ Destiny - Michael and I talk about this quite a bit as we do think it seemed like we were destined to meet. There were several times our paths did/could have crossed. And we are thankful we finally did meet and are able to fulfill our destinies together.

~ Desire - I am thankful I am able to desire all the wonderful things I do...Michael, art, books, music, food and so much more.

~ Dreams - I am thankful for dreams...night time dreaming and day dreaming.....dreaming of life

~ Dressing up - I like dressing up.

~ Dolls - As child I played with dolls - just baby dolls, barbie dolls, paper dolls. I loved dolls and I have many wonderful memories involving dolls.

~ Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, The Dandy Warhols, Darling Violetta, Dido, Dar Williams, Dixie Chicks - All good bands/singers that start with D. I enjoy the music they bring.

~ Daily OM - Thankful for the Daily OM. I usually start out my day with them and when I do skip them I am always reminded when I read again the next time why they make me feel better. They allow me to learn more about myself - learn more about my spiritual self.

Daily Message

I get a daily message from the Universe...and this is todays that gave me shivers even though you fill out one line but it wasn't exactly what it lists so that is what is giving me shivers...

Darby, can you believe it's already December?

That it's Friday, again?

That as you read these very words, somewhere in the world there are waves crashing, eagles soaring, lilacs blooming, and friends laughing so hard tears are streaming down their faces?

That your life has been changing so swiftly?

That you're absolutely gorgeous, inside and out?

That you're new art website came so quickly?

That others who now want to be selling art, emulate how you did it?

That peace, love, and happiness are flourishing around the world?

Yeah, Darby, I thought you would.

The Universe