Ringing in 2011

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.    ~Mark Twain

Wow, my friends, what a year it has been! Tomorrow we say farewell to 2010 and ring in 2011. It’s been quite a year for us to say the least.

The Good: Our new house, our daughter starting kindergarten;
The Bad: My mom’s illness and the after-effects;
The Ugly: The economy, politics, celebrities behaving badly, etc.

But, I am determined to see 2011 as a glass-half-full-year- red or white, whatever you prefer - and I pray for good health and happiness in the new year. The fact that my mom is returning to teaching part-time in January already has things off to a great start! And, my brother and his wife are expecting a baby in March, so another awesome event in which to look forward!

So, dear friends, how will you ring in 2011? Any special traditions, such as clanging the pots and pans at midnight? A champagne toast? Black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? By the way, if you’re looking to start a new tradition for New Year’s Day, consider making a batch of Hoppin’ John. Mmm, good!

We’ll be ringing in the new year at a dinner dance with friends and then spending the weekend taking down the Christmas decorations. Sad to see them go, but it’s time to clear the clutter and get ready for the New Year. As far as New Year's Resolutions, I bought a new pair of trail shoes today and have already put them to work on the treadmill. I hope to bump up my exercise regimen over the next year, eat healthier and have a more positive outlook. What are your New Year’s Resolutions for 2011?

Thank you for such a wonderful year. I value your comments, insight and support that you provide every day. I may not always respond directly to each of your comments, but please know that I appreciate them so very much. It means the world to me that you read my daily ramblings and find it worthwhile to visit often.

I wish you and yours the happiest of New Year's! Talk to you in 2011!
Image courtesy of Google and recipe from Garden & Gun

Cool Post-Christmas Find

I finally took the plunge and purchased a pair of boots that all of the cool kids are wearing. No, not UGGs. But, a similar boot from L.L. Bean, the "Wicked Good Shearling Boots - Cable Knit style." The name reminds me of the Saturday Night Live skit where Rachel Dratch and Jimmy Fallon played kids from Boston who always used the term "Wicked." Not a popular slang term in these parts, but I digress.

The boots were on sale in the catalog we received yesterday. Then, when I logged on to L.L. Bean's website, they were $30 less than the catalog sale price. Plus, I had a $10 gift card. SCORE! (I must have locked into a special online deal yesterday, though, because when I went to L.L. Bean's site today, the boot was back to its original sale price. A sign that I clearly was meant to purchase these boots at the moment I did. :)

So, these warm and fuzzy numbers will hopefully arrive on my doorstep soon. Just in time for the weather to bump up to 60 degrees this weekend. But, hey, there is still plenty of winter left and I imagine these boots will be keeping me toasty-warm over the next few months.

Any post-Christmas sales that you've taken advantage of? Good deals? Share!
Image courtesy of L.L. Bean

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

My husband rocks. What did he give me for Christmas that elicited shrieks of excitement?

This vintage LP...

...which held tickets to the U2 concert in Nashville in July. My all-time favorite band. A weekend get-away with Hubby. How excited am I???

Today is Boxing Day and we'll be joining family and friends for brunch later this morning. More celebrations and time with family. Good times!

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!
Image courtesy of u2.com

Merry Christmas One and All

The kids have been watching a variety of Christmas programs over the last several days. Everything from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and "Elf" to "A Christmas Carol" and "The Polar Express." But, one of my favorites is "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

I was in the kitchen while they were watching this classic and I heard my favorite scene, delivered by sweet Linus. This always gets to me and it's a wonderful reminder of why we celebrate this sacred season.

Dear friends, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May your holidays be safe, happy and healthy. I'll be taking a break to enjoy this blessed season with my family. I look forward to returning in a few days and reading about how you celebrated the holidays. Thank you for your support over the last year, your thoughtful comments and words of good cheer. Each and every one of you are such a blessing to me.

Merry Christmas!
Image courtesy of ABC, via YouTube

Christmas Traditions

Last year, we started a tradition of giving the kids Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve. I had heard of other people doing it - including many of my blogger friends - so we decided to pick up the practice in our home.  Christmas Eve, before we leave for Mass, the kids will again open packages featuring their new pajamas. (They certainly need new PJs - what the heck are these kids doing by getting so big?)

I'll be sporting my flannel reindeer lounge pants I got last year at Old Navy. They're comfortable and no need to buy another set of PJs for me. I'm certainly not growing like the kids - nor have I grown in other ways, thank God. :) Although, if I were to get new PJs, I'd love a pair of these Vinyard Vines lounge pants. Cute and comfy!

Another tradition we've continued this year is "Elf on a Shelf." Last year, our Elf, Jack, was a gift we received just a couple of weeks before Christmas. This year, Jack made his first appearance on Dec. 1 and each day, Hubby and I have to find a new hiding space for him.

If you're not familiar with Elf on a Shelf, he's a special elf doll who stays with your family until Christmas, and each morning he appears in a different place, watching what's going on and reporting back to Santa each night. (A friend of ours said this is a bit creepy. Yeah, kinda). The kids have to seek him out each morning; it's a fun little activity for them leading up to the holidays. Meanwhile, for parents, it's another thing to try to remember each evening, as you relocate Jack to his new place. Add the fact that last year, Mommy thought it would be a good idea to leave a little note each morning from Jack to the kids, putting more work into the process. Yeah, that was a tad bit insane on my part. But, the kids love it and so that makes it worth while. Except on those mornings when we realize we didn't move Jack from the night before, nor did we write a note, so some creative scurrying has to take place behind the scenes to continue the magical facade. Sigh.

So, dear friends, what are some Christmas traditions in your home? Cookie-making? Caroling? I would love to hear about it!
Images from Vineyard Vines and Elf on a Shelf

P.S. - Please keep my Little Guy in your prayers. He was up late last night sick to his stomach and is feeling pretty lousy. (It wasn't pretty - let's just say I was washing my hair at 10 p.m.) Fingers crossed that this is just a 24-hour bug and he's much better by Christmas.

Christmas Vacation - Good Times

Happiness is sipping one of these,

while sitting like this,

...knowing that you're on Christmas vacation for the next several days.

Later this afternoon I have to take Little Guy to the dentist, so I'm getting some rest in before that adventure. :)

How do you like to spend your mornings while on Christmas vacation?
Images courtesty of Starbucks and verypink

Glass Art

This is a blown-glass ornament I made at a local glass art studio last week.

One of the great things about where we live is that there is a thriving arts scene, both visual and performing. An art form that Hubby and I both love is art glass. When he was in college, he studied under Stephen Rolfe Powell, a renowned glass artist who creates the most amazing glass pieces and is a master teacher. He has produced many accomplished students, several of whom have gone on to teaching glass work at a number of universities around the country.

 

"Winking Tangy Orb" by artist and Centre college professor Stephen Rolfe Powell

We're very fortunate to have two excellent glass blowing facilities in Louisville: Glassworks and Flame Run. Both studios create and sell gorgeous works of art and there are opportunities for the public to not only watch the artists in action, but to participate during special times of the year, such as the Christmas holidays.

An artist at work at Flame Run Glass Studio

Last week, a group of us went to Flame Run for their "Blow Your Own Ornament" sessions. Each of us picked out the colors we wanted to incorporate into our ornaments, then worked with one of the artists in creating the piece. You actually blow into a device while they instruct you as to how heavy or light you should blow in forming the ornament. Obviously, it's more the artist doing the work, but it's fun to be part of the process in creating a special ornament for your tree.

Glassworks, meanwhile, hosts these events beyond just Christmas. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, you can blow your own beer mug; for Valentine's Day, a heart; for Halloween, a pumpkin; and on and on. Each studio also offers classes on glass blowing.

So, if you're ever in the area, perhaps plan a visit to one of our glass art studios. Or, if you have one in your city, be sure to stop by and watch the artists at work. It's spellbinding. And always consider glass art as a gift. Some of the pieces are very affordable, from bowls to jewelry, they make great gifts and conversation pieces.
Images courtesy of Glassworks, Flame Run Gallery and Stephen Rolfe Powell