Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Happy Holidays


This obviously wasn't a picture from this year since I didn't put up a tree.  It is mine though from a few years ago found in my flickr account... which I haven't added to in a long time.  It is handy to have pictures that I have taken all the same.  I love and hate to say that I am taking a holiday break.  I will return to blogging on January 5th.
  So, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! 
Thank you for reading and commenting all year long and hope to see you next year! 

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Sunday faves

Sunday was so sunny and beautiful that I didn't have any desire to stay inside.  Despite finally giving in and going to the clinic after two weeks and four days of trying to let my body heal itself from a cold and not feeling terribly good from the steroids and antibiotics I stepped outside and right back in to grab my camera and Tommy.  I finally planted tulip bulbs from Holland in the pet cemetery and my friends all helped.  Then I helped Shaun ready the side by side for our upcoming trip.  I took a stroll through our back field and slightly into the woods.  I didn't venture down the hill to the creek, although I wanted to, because I had the wrong boots on.  Cowgirl boots are too slick on the bottom and no good for walking in a winter creek.  Mine are anyways.  When I did manage to make myself go back inside I made myself rest a bit and then made granola bars and supper.  Happy Winter to all.  The days will now gain a touch of daylight every day and it warms my soul.  I know I will soon be starting seeds because I get so giddy by February to grow something... and I just can't wait.

Kitty always sit on this log when I am working where the dogs are buried.


Cotton Bottom came a runnin when asking "is that brown rice I smell in that bowl?"

Haven't had a sky like this in weeks. 

Black Rose is still down... working on her when every chance. 


Tommy enjoying some sunshine.





Cotton's eggs are so big the lid won't close.  Bless her heart!

Friday, December 19, 2014

merry christmas to me

I know that you're not supposed to buy yourself things for Christmas... so they say.  But who better to know what you want than yourself?  I got my Christmas present from Shaun a couple of weeks ago and believe me I have been enjoying it!  On a Sunday afternoon, he was taking a nap on the couch as I was putting white lights and two small alpine trees above our fireplace and watching a QVC special "deal of the day" that totally reeled me in.  They can usually talk me into just about anything but this one completely made sense.  He woke up to me saying PSSST and needing help getting down from the top of the fireplace.  I had to get up there because there is a plug up on the loft (which I think was a genius idea of mine when we were wiring the house, and it is on a switch) and I had to plug the lights in up there and got nervous about jumping down and scaring the day lights out of Shaun in his afternoon slumber.  So, he easily woke up and after helping me get down said... "what do you want for Christmas?"  I pointed at the Dyson vacuum cleaner being advertised on the tube and said "THAT!"  He said... "order it" and I said ... aaaiiiggghhht!  So and few days later I was happily playing with  my Christmas present from Shaun and doing a chore that I have always loathed doing until now... now that I have the proper tool to use.  It is amazing.  That said... I think he got me enough so the following Christmas gifts are to myself because I know that I will enjoy them tremendously and each in their own way.


I bought myself this little speaker... yes from QVC and you should have seen the hosts dancing and jamming to it!  I feel I've needed one for some time.  It will come in handy at home, on our upcoming vacation and at the day care where our famous dance parties will now be filled with music instead of low, barely heard tunes coming from my pc being drown out by laughter and joy from us all.  

I've talked about the Food Bible lately.  I rented it from the library and loved it and know it will be a fantastic and helpful addition to my world by being able to quickly look up foods to help certain conditions and things to cut out too.

I bought myself the 2015 planner from A Beautiful Mess, which is a blog I follow, sort of on a whim.  I am hopefully going to force myself to use it although I've had planners in the past that I didn't really use.  We'll see.  This was a limited time only purchase.  I didn't know that at the time until I was trying to link it and failing to do so today.  Maybe, along with my scrap spiral and inspiration journal that I carry around all the time, I will find it necessary to log appointments and daily things... maybe.  Or maybe I will use it sort of like this... except in a one year sense.  I love the description of the journal in that ad.

I made a stop at Wal-Mart to buy myself a couple of sports bras for our trip coming up.  It turns out that four wheeling can do a number on a female's uppers being jostled around on rough terrain and a whole week of it without the proper support just sounded insane.  Even small ones need to be still!  I've woke up in the morning on our adventures feeling sore and just holding myself on one occasion or two and feel a little smarter and more prepared this time!  I don't feel it's necessary to spend tons of cash on items like this so Wal-Mart comes in very handy for me!  I bought a two pack (and a three pack) and they even have a bit of padding.  It's going to be a lovely week of muddin' folks!!

Happy Christmas!  See... even though I don't have a tree up this year I still have the feeling of Christmas!  Even Shaun does... I caught him singing Rockin Around the Christmas Tree this morning in the shower.  I somehow found it odd and hilarious that he knew all the words!

Do you buy Christmas presents for yourself?

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

twelve easy diy's

Need some homemade gift ideas?  I have grabbed twelve simple ideas for you from previous posts of mine that you could almost make with things lying around your house and give as simple gifts to friends or family.  If you don't already have the stuff I bet you could make a quick trip to the grocery and be done with it.