Winter Vacation - and a New Year's Wish

 

We took a couple of days this week and went down to the condo at Barnegat.  While we only had about 5-6" of snow here, there was well over a foot, if not 2 feet of snow there.  This first picture is of the bay at sunset the night we arrived.  I couldn't quite capture the beauty of it though.  The pink and orange reflexion on the icy, snowy parts gave it a pearlescent quality.

The picture below is taken at the Barnegat Lighthouse on Long Beach Island.  These are the dunes at the end of Island Beach State Park across the inlet - snow covered.  There were many photographers with their tripods set up on the walkway hoping to get some wildlife pictures.  We were told that there had been a seal in the inlet just before we got there - darn.  The water was remarkably calm and although the temp was about 33º, we were quite warm as we walked along the rocks to the point.

Okay, a little out of order, but you can see the lighthouse as you enter the area by the visitors center.  There was a very narrow pathway to walk through - not shoveled, but just compressed snow. 

This duck was sitting on one of the rock.  You can see how peaceful the water was.  There are some flowers floating in the water that a group of young adults had thrown in just before we got there.

This is the view of the lighthouse from the point.  I have to say that I have never been on the beach when there's been snow.  It is quite pretty.

In the afternoon we took a ride to Cape May and after walking around the outdoor mall and doing some after Christmas shopping, we drove around for a while to admire the holiday lights.  This is the gazebo in the middle of town.

This morning HWNSNBP woke me up and said that if I hurried I could catch the sunrise over the bay, which at this time of the year is directly across the dock.  He went to get his coffee and I quickly threw on some street clothes and walked up to the dock.  As you can see from this picture below (which I took from the top of a picnic table) there was a significant amount of snow on the dock.  In fact, it was up to my knees as I tried to climb the stairs.  But it was worth it.

I am being hurried off now as we prepare to go celebrate New Year's Eve with our friends - a long-standing tradition. 

I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year - good health and prosperity to all !

The Last of the Christmas Projects

I wanted to post the last few pictures of Christmas projects I worked on starting with the second card that we sent out.  This trio of bluebirds was fun to color and this card actually was mailable without extra postage which was a plus!

This next card was a CASE of, well I had seen it done a couple of different ways on SCS, just know it was not my original idea.  This was actually made to hold a gift card for our custodian at school. 

These little guys were on my counter at work.  They also are CASEs, but I did add the string of snowballs to the snowman.  I'll try to get back later with links to the originals.

This card will be used as a thank you to the staff for my Christmas gift.

And lastly, this little lantern, made from the milk carton die, was a CASE (I'll post the link later) with some personal additions.   Actually, now that I'm looking at it, I will have to take another picture and post that because I added something else to it.  The roof has a velcro closure and there is a battery operated tea light inside which looks so cool when it's lit.  I made these as gifts for some close friends.  You can hang them on the tree or let them sit. 

So there you have it.  The last of the Christmas projects I'm trying to get posted today.  I will have some more pictures later today of our little holiday vacation.  See you later.

Teapot Tuesday 126

Gotta red hat?  You'll need it for the party this week.  Check out Cindy's wacky story here.  We're supposed to bring a hat - a red hat and some purple and some wallpaper, well, something like that. 

I had good intentions to use this stamp before the holidays but never got around to it and wasn't it lucky that this little girl is wearing a hat and I can make it any color I choose.  So, I decided she would wear a red hat and coat and her scarf, mittens and leggings would be Rich Razzleberry.  She looks quite comfy I think.

I tried to pair the vintage type image with some vintage type trims - the lace, the seam binding, and the paper.  I was going to add some glitter but decided against that. 

The seam binding was four lengths of two different colors that I just tied one on top of the other and then trimmed the ends to a point.  The green and red leaves on the image and in the corner were punched from the 2-step bird punch.  I used my ink pads and an aquapainter to color the image on watercolor paper then I punched it out with the 2 3/8" scallop punch and layered it on a punched circle of Cherry Cobbler cs.

The sentiment is from Teeny, Tiny Wishes and trimmed into a little banner.  This card's destination is to a lady who is a redhatter and she's having a rough time, so I just wanted to let her know that we're thinking of her.

Now, why don't you join me in the gallery.

Merry Christmas

The cactus Christmas tree from my desk at work.  This is the cactus that I have been plant-sitting during the past several summers while the teachers are not at school.  It now has become a permanent fixture on my desk just below the counter.  I decided to decorate it for Christmas this year.  I strung some jingle bells on white cord and wrapped that around it.  Then I got some pompoms and taped them to the cactus.  Lastly, I created an origami star for the top which was placed there using a coiled pipe cleaner. 

One of this year's Christmas cards.  I asked for a bicycle and then rethought that.  It will be better to get the bike in the spring when I can try it out.  I was thrilled when I found this stamp.  It was colored with markers and shimmer paint with a little white gel pen thrown in.

This was one of the treats from a classroom party at school that they shared with us in the office.  The ornament cookie on top has a clear candy center.  The white icing was also sugared.  What a sweet treat!

May the sweetness of the season fill you with joy.   Merry Christmas!

Teapot Tuesday 125

What would you do with a blank canvas? 

Imagine just that - you are going to decorate your canvas anyway you want.  I started with a scrap of watercolor paper, my aquapainter and three ink pads - Real Red, Green Galore, and Marigold Morning and working from memory here is my finished still life.

I usually go for the pink poinsettia when I buy one, but HWNSNBP chose a red one for us this year (another one of his deals at $.99!).  Although this flower was colored with Real Red ink I didn't lay on the color so I could have my pink poinsettia anyway. 

This was a fun challenge this week and if it weren't the week before Christmas I would probably find this very relaxing. 

Gotta run and get some more cards done - anyone out there ready for the holidays?  I wish I could say I was!

Historical House Tour of Barnegat

Last Saturday night we took a tour of some historical houses in Barnegat sponsored by the local Historical Society.    The first two pictures are from the Cox House.  I loved the detail in the wood of the second floor landing and the balaster at the bottom of the stairs.

These next few pictures come from a house full of glass - depression glass, cut glass, fiesta ware and much more in the form of special collections like the nutcrackers pictured below.  The table you see set in the dining room will remain that way year-round and the owner said that they were fitting the doors with glass so it could remain that way as it is "too pretty" to put away.  It is lovely and much prettier in person.

The last house that we visited was not a historical house that had been around for many years, it was the furnishings that were the attraction here.  The owner told us that except for her couch and one chair, all the other furnishings in her house were found on the curb.  It was decorated with such tropical colors and the little collections that she had throughout were a feast for the eyes.  This particular vignette in pink was in one of the bedrooms.  She had another area with turquoise nutcrackers and the kitchen was red and white.  So pretty. 

A Rarity for 10¢

Last year after Christmas HWNSNBP happened to be at Home Depot, or maybe it was Lowe's, I don't remember, anyway he was there to pick something up for undoubtedly some kind of project or repair he had planned for that magical time between Christmas and New Year's and whilst browsing around, looking for that necessary item he went there for, came across a bunch of plants on clearance...... for 10¢ each.  He couldn't resist bringing home some healthy looking, albeit already blossomed Christmas cactuses. 

Christmas cactuses we have found, do not really need much attention and with a little water now and then, and just the right amount of sun, will usually flower once or possibly twice a year.  Although I still do not know how exactly the plant growers get them to flower at the perfect time just before Christmas, ours usually flower just right after Thanksgiving and then maybe just right before Easter.  But we get to enjoy the flowers even though any holiday guests we have might miss it.

One of those 10¢ cacti has turned out to be, it would seem, a rarity in that it is yellow.  I can honestly say that I do not remember ever seeing a yellow Christmas cactus, but now I have one.

There is but one blossom presently, but there are more buds that I'm hoping will hang on and surprise us again next week.

A Sign?

 I walked out of the doctor's office this afternoon after having a test done and looked down and saw this on the sidewalk.  I thought it was someone's wad of tissues, or perhaps a glove needed in this bitter cold we've had the last couple of days. 

It stopped me in my tracks as I realized that it was not a glove or tissues, but a bird.  As I stood there, not more than four or five feet from it, I retrieved my camera from my purse so I could get some pictures. 

He calmly sat there and I wondered if perhaps he had hit the window on the side of the building and was stunned from it as sometimes happens in our backyard at this time of the year.  Or maybe he was after the red berries on the ground cover. 

Even as I bent down to get a closer look, he just sat there.  I was so tempted to try to pick him up - he reminded me of Pidge my cockatiel that I lost a couple years ago.

And then he stood up and started walking around. 

 And eventually walked towards me passing not more than a foot from my shoes and kept going. 

I noticed at that point a car pull away that had been parked nearby and chuckled to myself as to what the driver must have been thinking about the nutty lady on the sidewalk doing deep knee bends with a camera. 

Then as I drove away I thought that maybe this was a sign of some kind.  Do you believe in signs? 

Punched Penguins

One penguin.

Four penguins.

Thirty penguins......

became 30 cards.

Found this cute guy on Kay Sha's Creations on Paper and used them to make a set of cards for Rachel to use for the holidays.  Punch, punch, punch I did and embossed the hat and earmuffs and card fronts.  Thank goodness for my Xyron Sticker maker which helped with those eye slivers.  A little sponging on the beak before gluing together and then creation via assembly line. 

The final step was to add the Happy Holidays banner.  Want to know an easy way to trim those banner edges into points?  Get a square punch - size doesn't really matter.  Feed the end of the strip into the punch corner as below (sorry for the blurry pics).

And you get a crisp and neat end.