very

merry!

{12.25 to 12.31}

christmas eve

{late into the night Kadee and I stayed up making ornaments for the family, shhhh, this one is for Mom}

{oh the prettiness, my sister-in-law gave me fingerless gloves from here, thank you Bree!}

May you cozy up with the ones you love and give gifts, read books, bake, stay in
your jammies all day, play games, watch movies, eat treats and have a beautiful holiday!!

{12.23 to 12.24}
...

jingle bells

jingle bells

jingle all the way

oh what fun it is to

exchange gifts with the ones you love

jingle bells

jingle bells

jingle all the way...

oh what fun it is to find kitties and Hermies in bed

{12.18 to 12.22}

a quietness

when I woke up this morning I felt a little lighter, I didn't rush, I took time to pet
the kitties and clean the fallen needles from beneath the tree, after many busy days
it is wonderful to feel the quiet of the season wrap around me like my favorite blanket...

more than five

today when I was making a pear cranberry crisp I wished for ten more baking days,
but was oh so grateful for this one...

a rescued chair that is in the process of getting a whole new life, a delicate sparkly
thread has been unearthed

tangerine season is the very best, not one should ever be wasted..

beautiful packages arriving in the mail daily, I thought this one for the kitties would
be okay to post since only Hermie reads the blog

tomato vanilla jam? yes it is and it is delicious

a fabulous trade with my friend Raychel from Fruition Jewelry, feeling so lucky
to have crossed paths with her last spring...I love this ring

Unique LA was absolutely amazing! The long nights, early mornings, and a house,
husband, three kitties and one dog covered in glitter are so worth it. To wrap up
goodies for people to give as gifts or sell cards that will be mailed to loved ones or
package up sparkly acorns for tree upon tree, it feels quite wonderful.

Thank you to everyone who visited and shopped at my table, Sonja for dreaming up
Unique, my favorite table neighbor Sasha Bell and Mom and Case, I could not and
would not want to do all of this without you two! xo

{12.11 to 12.16}
...

unique la!

                                {a favorite ornament from my tree, Mom got it for me years ago}

If you're in the Los Angeles area and like handmade creations of all sorts and
pie and shopping on the penthouse floor, then come on by and say hello!
...

a gift


Well it is late and I have so many projects all around me to complete for Unique LA
this weekend. One of the things on my list was pretty holiday packaging for my jewelry
pieces. Brown paper packages tied up in string... now onto all the other things on the list!
...

hee hee

I photographed some new items for Mom's vintage shop and these smiling foods
kept dancing in my head all afternoon... too cute!
...

i spy

leaves tucked in my pocket

a festive custom garland

the top of Kadee's tree

a dainty dancing queen

& peppermint sprinkles

. . .

I blinked and the first week of December was already underway! The days have
kept me busy preparing for my show this weekend, shipping packages and finding
time to decorate the tree, fold warm laundry, curl up with Hermie, make lists and
watch The Grinch.

{12.03 to 12.07}
...

'tis the season

for giving...the first two 12 Days of Christmas surprise goodie bags are listed in the shop

{12.01 to 12.02}

oh


comfort and joy....

Receiving an item in the mail is awfully wonderful, especially when you weren't expecting it. A surprise package arrived yesterday from Aunt Crissy and Uncle David...acorns!!! Thank you!! I will be glittering them for days. Also, a box of twine in every color of the rainbow is on the way to my house, I can't wait! I am a member of the Twinery's Design Team and will be twining away with ideas for the next twelve months!!

{11.29 to 11.30, goodbye November 2010}

the most

{each year the marines we have over for Thanksgiving dinner write in our special guest book}

wonderful time
   of
     the
        year....

{11.25 to 11.28}

roots

I have roots that twist and turn and grow from one coast to the other. My roots, my childhood, my family's history fill my heart with warmth, a love that doesn't know time has passed, a love that can be seen just looking into each other's eyes and felt in a hug.

 {the chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes I ate on Monday and Tuesday}

My parents met in a charming small town, eloped at a young age, Dad joined the navy and Mom ventured from the only place she had ever called home.

They left behind sisters, brothers, my aunts and uncles, a baby nephew, my oldest cousin, mothers and fathers, my dear grandparents...

California became their new home and soon that home was filled with my sister and me.

 {my sweet second cousins}

Missing our family in Pennsylvania, we packed up and moved back. We made memories with all of our cousins...now there were many. We sat in Grampa's lap and rode the big lawnmower, became a family of five with the surprise of my baby sister, watched the birds with Gramma, ran barefoot in the greenest grass, played Barbies into the night, got snow in our sleeves and lived happily on Leslie Road.

Three years later we moved back to California, better weather for Dad's masonry business and opportunities my parents wanted us to have as we grew older. 

Last Wednesday Mom and I visited our family in Pennsylvania. It was wonderful. We helped cousin Missy with her Trees of Christmas boutique, stayed up late talking to Aunt Chris, walked through the Market House, saw three doe run right by the kitchen slider, watched the squirrels and ate chocolatey chocolate cupcakes with Aunt Crissy and Uncle David and remembered the years that have passed.

We sat at a long table filled with cousins, second cousins, aunts and uncles for Friday night dinner. We toured the Trees of Christmas at the Baldwin Reynolds house, a place I hadn't been inside since a first grade field trip. A birthday on Saturday was celebrated with Pizza Villa pizza (the very best) and an ice cream cake. Cousin Karen's home was filled with laughter and stories late into the evening.

Much too soon our trip was coming to an end, too many goodbyes and much too sad.

I am grateful for my roots, that I have a place where people know me, a place where Mom shows me the store Gramma and Grampa owned, or the sidewalk she walked home on, or the place where she had her first job, Jack's. Every moment spent with family is truly precious, may you find your way to your family this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!

{11.17 to 11.24}