Thoughts for Today and the New year ~

I started doing this a few years ago and i really enjoy looking back on them...so here goes.....

I'm feeling...Ready to tackle a new year!  The last 4 months were jam-packed with activities, parties, appointments and holiday engagements, so my creative talents have been on hold for a while.  I am really anxious to get back into painting (i havent been to a watercolor meeting in over 3 months) and id like to try out some new crochet patterns i purchased.  Basically, im ready to start creating again!!!

I'm seeing...a lot of home improvement projects for me in the future...Jordyns room will be redone, and id really like to tackle both bathrooms.  When you live in a 90 year old cabin, there are bound to be constant repairs!  This place is worth it though, and we are sooooo lucky to live here :)  Wish me luck!

I'm thinking...About the fabulous vacation we had in California last month, and im hoping we can plan another trip there again soon. 

I'm appreciating...how blessed we are and soooo thankful for the food on the table, a roof over our head, a healthy family and a happy heart.  I wish everyone these things for 2012!

I'm cooking...Crab legs!  We will be joining Justin's Aunt LeAnn across the meadow for dinner, and we will be having a seafood medley!  Lobster, shrimp and crab legs!  Yummmm!

I'm planning...to get back on my Jillian Michaels workouts...though tough, they sure made me feel stronger, and since i have lost 15 pounds, i think some of those work outs might be a little easier for me :)  Im working on a heart healthy diet too...Ive dropped my cholesterol over 100 points, and want to continue in that direction.  So look out 30 day shred...here i come...again!  :)

I'm reading...nothing at the moment...though i have three books on my nightstand...The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Sword of Shannara, and The Greater Journey:Americans in Paris.  They all look like fabulous books, but i havent been in a reading mood lately.  However, Jordyn and i have been enjoying the Little House in the Big Woods and some Junie B. Jones books.

I'm wearing...my pajamas...thats right, im still in my pajamas (we all are)...but not for long...in a few hours, we will get dressed and headed up to Aunt LeAnns house...though i imagine it will not be your typical fancy new years getup...something more along the lines of jeans and a sweatshirt  :)  Gotta love the mountains!

I'm creating...lots of memories with this blog and my camera...i hope you are enjoying our adventures at the black bear cabin.  I hope to do even more creating in 2012!

I'm hearing...Jordyn sing and play while taking a bath...she has sharks, ponies, rubber ducks and unicorns in the tub, and it sounds like they are on a grand adventure!

I'm enjoying...a tea party Jordyn invited us to in her room earlier...take a good look at that little car bed as it will be retired soon and she will be moving up to a big girl bed in 2012!  The time seems to be flying by, but we are enjoying each new stage of Jordynworld!  She definitely keeps us young at heart!

I'm sharing...the final installment of the Photo of the Week for 2011...Week Fifty Two~

Week Fifty Two : Sled Ready
On this photo i used an antique action in Photoshop to mute the colors. Its a simple picture, so i wanted to keep the digital work simple too.  The challenge i set for myself in 2011 was quite educational.  I was forced to come up with something each week...even when i hadnt done much, therefore, it made me stretch myself as an artist and photographer.  I tried a lot of new techniques, and perfected some older ones.  I became more familiar with my camera and even added a new lens to the mix.  I used both Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop, though i tend to favor Photoshop...if only because i am more familiar with it.  My hope is to broaden my Painter skills in the future, but i definitely enjoyed this challenge and i hope you did too!  I am sad that this challenge is over, but i definitely plan to create a new challenge/challenges for me in 2012, so stay tuned!

Heres wishing all of you a healthy, happy, safe New Year, filled with Joy and Laughter!!!  Cheers~

2011 Photo of the Week : Week Fifty One

Week Fifty One : Waiting for Santa
i applied some filters and actions to get an old-timey photo look...digitally painted in Photoshop!  Only one week left  :)  cheers~

A Christmas in Photos ~

Happy Christmas Everyone!!!

Christmas Eve ~

 We had a surprise visit from my cousin Christy on Saturday!  She came bearing gifts,  one of which was a coloring book for Jordyn.  They colored for a bit, and then we did some sledding!

 Her visit was brief, but lots of fun, and we were happy to spend some time with her!  Thanks for coming up Christy...and thanks for the cool gifts!  Im looking forward to shopping at Barnes and Noble this week :)
Next stop...the in-laws for some Christmas Eve magic.  They live just across the meadow, so its a lovely stroll through Aunt LeAnns luminarias to their place.  LeAnn puts them out every Christmas Eve and they are absolutely gorgeous!  We enjoyed Grandma Kristis annual cheese soup and a spaghetti casserole.

 Uncle Damian is working out in West Virginia and couldnt make it out for the holidays, so we had a video conference with him which was nice.  Then, of course, it was time for presents...

 Justin and i got some cozy new slippers, and Jordyn got a fancy "light-up" suit case and snow toys.  Im looking forward to trying out the new snowball guns on the neighbors :)

 It was a full day and we were pretty wiped out!  We had just enough time to put out cookies for Santa and enjoy a good story!

 Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!

Winter Soltice and Festive Fun ~

 Happy Winter Solstice!  I always look forward to the solstice, its a turning point in winter, meaning longer days and more sunlight are coming...and who doesnt like that :)  We had a relaxing day at home today...Jordyns last day of school was yesterday, so we got to sleep in and hang in our pj's all day!  Now that her teachers have received their gifts, i can post photos of them.

 These little quilts are roughly 10"x 40" and they can be used as wall hangings or table runners.  Its hard to tell in the photo, but they are 3 dimensional pinwheels, so they look prettier in person...but then again, what quilt doesnt :)  Anyways, back to Jordyns last day of school...

 The kids had a book exchange and then a big party!  There was a giant Christmas tree pinata filled with all kinds of toys, snacks and candy...then they decorated bagels with green cream cheese and red cranberries to look like holiday wreaths to eat for a snack...and then they went outside for some snow fun!

 The big kids pulled the little kids and there were relay races and lots of laughs!  It looked like soooo much fun, in fact, we had to blow the whistle to get the kids back inside and ready for the bus!  They just kept running and running and running! 

That evening, Jordyn wanted to sleep under the tree...doesnt she look cozy!  In fact, shes sleeping there tonight too :) 

Today we baked cookies and played Legos, then Justin and Jordyn went sledding and worked on our sled run while i made lasagna sauce for our Christmas Lasagna.  Then i made enchiladas for dinner...you could say i spent the whole day in the kitchen (but at least i was in my pj's :)
Oh...and we also made reindeer food...looks like we are just about ready for the big night! 

Cheers!

2011 Photo of the Week : Week Fifty

Week Fifty : A Moment With Santa

Digitally painted in Photoshop!

Santa, Reindeer and an Early Christmas!

We went to see Santa on Saturday at the Bath Garden Center, and we were very lucky because he brought a few of his reindeer with him.  Jordyn had never met reindeer before, so she was very excited...and they were friendly too!

The atmosphere was wonderful...gorgeous poinsettias for sale in every color...free popcorn and cider...

 lovely Christmas music performed by some of the high school students in the area...

 and of course, SANTA!

 She had a nice long conversation with Santa...she showed him her new teeth and her necklace from the tooth fairy...she asked about the reindeer...and then she told him what she wanted for Christmas...Little Pet Shop Pets and a Creepy Doll (Monster High Doll).  Then, after a big hug, it was time to head over to Uncle Dave and Aunt Lisa's house for an early Christmas dinner with the family.

 With families being spread out and numerous, we decided to have an early holiday get-together.  All of the men in this family like to cook, so the ladies kicked back while the guys prepared the feast!  The meal was fabulous!  Stuffed pork, mashed potatoes, spinach and artichoke casserole, cranberry casserole, broccoli with hollandaise sauce, salad and of course lots of pie for dessert!

 After the feast, it was time to run off some of that energy...at least for the kids!  The adults sat around sharing stories, wine and laughter! 

 Then it was time for the infamous grab bag!  Basically, everyone brings a bunch of junk and wraps it up for a grab bag.  There may be a few quality items in the pile, but most of them are cheesy and hilarious.  You can either pick from the pile, or steal from someone who has already opened a gift.  Regardless of what you end up with, the whole point of the grab bag is to bring us all together for laughter and story telling.  We reminisce about grab bags from the past...a particular item that seems to haunt the grab bag year after year...and the fun that it brings!

 When we run out of presents in the pile, we have a speed round at the end...for two minutes, we take turns stealing items from others (ex: if someone steals from you, then you get to steal from someone else, and so on)...this year, the CD player, a jar of pickles, the Lottery Troll, and a fireplace lighter were hot items....none of which i went home with :(

 I can happily say that i didnt end up with last years broken up ginger bread house or these saucy tank tops and a crazy straw! 

What i did take home...were some wonderful memories, left over pie, a bag of sillyness and a camera filled with hilarious moments!  Happy Early Christmas Everyone!

Message for Santa ~

After receiving an email and video from Santa, Jordyn decided she wanted to send an email back to him...this is that video :) Merry Christmas from the Black Bear Cabin ~

Jordyns first time in the Ocean

2011 Photo of the Week : Week Forty Nine

Week Forty Nine : Snowflake Girl

Digitally painted in photoshop.  i should probably do more work on this one, but i like the loose approach! 

Bah Humbug!

 On Saturday afternoon we took Jordyn to her very first theater experience...we went to the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse to see the musical Scrooge.  Our friend Marlin, who plays Jacob Marley,  had given Justin and i tickets as a thank you for all the tech support Justin had given him recently, so we purchased a ticket for Jordyn and another ticket for Christy, as a thank you for being our airport driver (and best friend)  :) and off we went!

 This was my first time going to a dinner theater, and i have to say, it was absolutely awesome!  The only way to go really!  We had terrific seats, but then again, there werent any bad seats in the house.  The food was delicious, Justin and i had the lemon pepper cod, Christy had the traditional beef pot pie, and jordyn ordered off the kids menu and had a corn dog.  Dessert was served during the intermission...and for dessert, we shared...a peppermint creme brulee and a piece of pumpkin praline cheesecake (which was quite tasty). 

 The atmosphere of the theater was quite cozy and beautiful.  Jordyn was fascinated by all the bling, the lights, the Christmas tree in the lobby, and she even thought the carpet was fancy!  And when the show began, she was mesmerized!  In fact, i found myself watching her as much as i watched the show.  The excitement on her face when they all came out to sing and dance...the costumes, the music, the set designs and how things moved on the stage.  She loved the way the stage went dark while the reflecting light from the ceiling mirror ball danced around the room during the set changes.  She would stand up by her seat and carefully spin around with the lights, and then sit down again to watch the next scene! 

 When Marlin, aka Jacob Marley, came on stage, she was absolutely taken by him.  I could hear her asking daddy all kinds of questions..."why is he wearing those chains"..."why is he green"..."how did he come out of that chimney"...He was scary and fascinating all at once!  So she was quite thrilled when she got to meet him after the show...

When Marlin asked her what her favorite part of the show was, she said, "when you came out of the chimney!  How did you come out of the chimney?"  To which he replied..."its magic!"  And it certainly was a magical evening for all of us!

Thank you sooooo much for a wonderful evening Marlin, we had a blast!  And thank you for taking photos Christy, im so glad you had your phone with you for these, you really captured our evening, and im soooo glad you shared it with us!  Bah Humbug....i think not!  :)