Christmas Tree and Ornament Collection

Been busy last few days, but really wanted to get these pictures posted. Since we moved to Florida, we were unable to find my collection of beaver ornaments. Russel found the box after we took the tree down last year and that is just about all we put on our tree this year – the ornaments out of that one box. I really missed these little guys. Most of them are Hallmark ornaments. They came out with them pretty regular for a decade or so, but not many lately. I tried to take the pics right on the tree, but too blurry. So I had put on my stand in a better light. Click on the pictures to see them in detail.

First is one of our two lit beavers, this one with a burning barrel next to some fresh cut trees. Light in the barrel flickers just like a little fire.

This is a little blurry, but shows the back side of the fresh cut trees with a silly wabbit caught up in the ties.

This is the little Wood Sox beaver who made his own bat.

This little guy was putting a star on top of his tree, but there’s a blue bird on top! Love his little footprints in the snow.

This little guy is a high-rise construction worker with his tool box and lunch pail, along with hard hat and building plans. His tail hangs over the other side of the girder.

This is a lazy beaver that didn’t chew down his own tree. Chainsaw guy!

This little couple is stringing some lights.

Frenchie! I think he is only non-Hallmark beaver.

This little hooded guy chewed down his own tree!

This little guy is perched on a pocket knife and cooking a marshmallow on the corkscrew.

Another industrious beaver that chewed down his own tree.

Soccer player using his tail as a third leg!

This little guy is sledding down a hill on his tail with his little boy.

This is just as tiny as he looks! One inch high. The amazing detail shows he chewed his own little tree ornament.

This is our other lit beaver. Caution, Tree Trimming Zone!

Here’s our tree, all lit up.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Christmas Party in Alabama

Every year since Russel started working for Jim (now Jace) Chandler and Associates in 2003, we’ve traveled to Birmingham for the company’s annual party.  Jim and his wife Shirley have a lovely home and they have hosted the party every year.  It’s like stepping into the pages of a magazine like House Beautiful or Southern Living!  I asked Shirley this year if I could post pictures of her house on my blog.  Shirley decorates every room but here are the highlights, starting with the exterior shot as we drove up to park in the front.  As always, click on any picture to see it in more detail.  There is a ribboned wreath and an electric candle in every front window,

This is the entryway tree visible through the front door in the above pic.  This is a huge tree, but still not the biggest!

Shirley even decorates the kitchen.  The wall facing the window is a breakfront with a counter covered with Christmas decorations. 

This is the breakfast room table set for six, half of those attending.

This is the “smaller” tree in the breakfast room.

This is the formal dining room where the other six sat for dinner.

 

This is the buffet/sideboard all decorated in the formal dining room.

This is the other corner of the formal dining room.  Check out the cakes to the right.  The other side of the strawberry cake was half a caramel cake and the white cake was coconut cake.  I saved room for dessert!

This is the fireplace in the formal living room.  It was a faux fire, but very pretty.

Last, but not least, here is the main tree in the two-story living room, taken from the balcony on the second floor overlooking the living room.

We had a great time, a nice visit with Russel’s co-workers and some great food.  Thanks, Jim and Shirley for having us in your home, again, and for letting me post these pictures to share.

Thanks for stopping by.  Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Oh, Man! Atlantis Was So Coooooool!

For one reason or another, we’ve never been able to see a shuttle go off from our back yard.  Either launch was delayed, we were working, overcast, it was at night, whatever.  Other than the launch we went to in the Spring, we’ve not seen a Shuttle launch.  A friend had told me we could see it in Ocala on a clear day, even 100 miles away, and SHE WAS RIGHT!  So after setting timers and getting camera and tripod ready, Russel and I were ready and waiting for lift off right outside our back screen porch.  So, here’s what we saw from 98.5 miles away.  As always, click on the pic to see more detail. 

This is very first sighting.  You can’t hardly see it, but it right in middle, just over the trees.  Ugly fence is not ours.

You go, girl!  I got goose bumps!

Russel had to move the tripod as Atlantis was disappearing into the trees!

This is last pic before trail ended.  Atlantis was moving so fast and away at that point, she just winked out.  Could look up statistics and say how far and how fast, but all you need to know is from start to finish, less than two minutes to climb out of our sight.  Miles and miles per second.

The vapor trail is all we were left with after Atlantis had booked out into orbit.  Perfect launch on a perfect day!

There’s only five more Shuttle launches before fleet is retired.  I want to be where I can hear one go and feel the Earth move.  Not an unreasonable request, I think.

Thanks for stopping by.  Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

November Creative Images Meeting

We had a good meeting last night, though several ladies couldn’t attend for various reasons, i.e., out of town, injured, schedule conflicts.  We got a lot done and Jeannie has fired off an e-mail with the information on the upcoming Christmas stamp camp.  Our treasury didn’t do well last night in the fine department as all of us in attendance brought in an exchange card!  100 percent participation!  Our theme was “Celebrate the Season of Your Choice.”  Without further ado, here are the exchange cards.  As always, you can click on any picture to enlarge it.

First up, Lona’s coppery Autumn scene.  I believe she embossed it in copper, too.  The layer under the copper layer looks like wood veneer.  Lovely coloring job.

 

Next is Linda’s Christmoose.  She says it’s a reindeer.  Love the fussy cutting and googly eyes!

This is Holly’s mistletoe and snowflakes Christmas card.  Love the sentiment.

Ella did this bright Valentine’s Day with a dressy theme.  It’s was all glittery IRL.

Gale made this lovely blue snowflake card.  Look closer to see all the shiny silver glittery CS.  She must miss snow, too!

Jeannie submitted this lovely bouquet done with Twinkling H2O’s as her Spring bouquet.  I have one of these someplace.  Gorgeous! 

Rosie embossed with gold on blue this lovely Joy card.

Ursula colored and fussy cut this cute couple of Pilgrim turkeys.  Gorgeous leaf brads along the right. I got this in the exchange and will be mailing it off to my niece’s family for Thanksgiving.  Four kids under 8!  They’ll love it!

Therese brought this cute little Halloween witch experiencing aerodynamic difficulties.  Lots of fussy cutting and watercoloring.  Spooooky!

Last of the exchange cards is mine.  Scenic Season and Teeny Wishes stamp sets, sponging and masking done on this Thanksgiving card.

Jeannie did gift cards for our project.  She brought lots of samples as she gives lots of gift cards.  She has them for all occasions and as thank yous.  Here’s four of her samples.  All are gorgeous with fibers, layers, bellies, pearls, lace and embossing. 

Jeannie provided the template and I think we all got the project done.  Nobody showed me theirs, so only one I have a pic of is mine!  All stamps are from SU’s Winter Post set.

Here’s pictures of all the ladies in attendance, including Jeannie and me.

For next month’s stamp camp, the ladies decided that in addition to the altered lunch tin, they wanted to try and finish the acrylic angel ornament that we ran out of time to finish last year.  As there are lots of new members who’ve never seen her before, I said I would put a pic on my blog and here she is.

That’s it for this month.  I can’t go to Stamp Camp as I will be in Alabama, so others will have to get me pics!

Thanks for stopping by.  Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)