Happy Birthday Hawley

Our sweet dog, Hawley is twelve years old today.

Hawley is moving a bit slower now.  It helps his arthritis to lay by the wood stove and soak up the heat.

Though he still runs around in circles like a puppy when we let him out of his kennel and he still limps slowly like a very elderly gentleman when we call him to get back into his kennel.

He's been playing us with that song and dance for years so it's difficult to tell if he really is aging or just Oscar award worthy acting.

Hawley had a dog party for his first birthday with the boys' friends and their dogs.  There was puppy chow for the kids and treat bags for the pups.  

Today Hawley will have a few extra treats and and an evening by the fire.  I think that will be enough celebration for him.   

Not Necessarily What We Went For

Hubby and I went to Seattle Friday and Saturday.  I went to a gift show for the museum gift shop and he went along to keep me company.  The gift show wasn't good, we got skunked, however; now we know not to attend that show.

 We consoled ourselves with a drink at Oliver's in the Mayflower Hotel.  Truly, a favorite spot to take in the hustle bustle of the city on a Friday afternoon.  Their Silver Belle makes a wonderful Christmas party signature drink

Oliver's Silver Belle Cocktail
In a mixing glass with ice add:
2 oz. Grey Goose Vodka
1 oz. St Germaine
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Champagne
Pour over ice in mixing glass, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. 

Top off with Champagne.
Serve on a winter's day to friends from near and far.

We needed some plate hangers from Hobby Lobby. 

 We found quite a bit more than we went for though and left with a bag or two  from Hobby Lobby.

We were looking for new outdoor Christmas lights and thought we might find them this weekend.

 No luck finding exterior lights but we did find interior lights and we did find our favorite designer at Restoration Hardware.  It was fun to see Grace at work.

We went to Pottery Barn to make a return and left with more.

We went to Anthropologie, where they take the ordinary and always make it extraordinary.  

Walnuts and paint, hello!

 We had a long lunch with Laura at UVill, it was literally  hours  of lunch.  So good to catch up with her.

The Fall colors were gorgeous in Seattle and the trip was great.

Even though we didn't really get what we went for, we got  more  and  even better.  

It was a wonderful weekend in the city.

Inspired

Yesterday afternoon I went to the Lynden Craft and Antique Show(Still open today and tomorrow).  I had an hour before the Seahawks game and decided I would do a quick visit to the show.  I was so glad I took the time to go.  I found some sweet Christmas vintage goodness, I met a vendor, Sherri and had such a nice visit, I saw old friends and new.  I even met a blog reader that recognized me.  

All of that goodness and the best part... I left the show feeling inspired!

Ready, set, go!  I have a day filled with ideas and projects.  Hubby and I have the same day off, first one in 4-5 weeks.  And the sun is going to shine. 

Oh Happy Day!

This is the day the Lord has made,
We will rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24

Quickly

 I've been super busy at the museum.  Daily new inventory for the gift shop arrives.  Today I have 15+boxes of Lego to unpack.  It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas in the shop.

Last week was the annual Lynden Pioneer Museum Open House.  I had so many great actors for the shops throughout the museum.  It's the best night of the year at the museum because everything seems to come to life.  And my docents bring homemade cookies!

 Chris sent me her recipe for French Onion Soup Spread.  I made it for dinner guests on Saturday evening.  Oh my, good stuff, my friends!

 Let those onions cook for a long time...

 Though I am not decorating our home for Fall this year I couldn't resist walking around our yard and bringing in a few branches of pretty leaves.  Isn't Fall gorgeous this year?

 Sunday evening we went to Dan and Brenna's wedding.  Apparently my ankle wasn't healed enough for the shoes I chose to wear.  Shelly calls them valet shoes because you can only walk in and out in heels this high.  

 As you may know I judge a wedding by the cake.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  You may have all the bells and whistles at your wedding but if there's no cake or dry cake, I leave disappointed.

One cake is hidden in the photo, there were four beauties at this wedding.  We had a nice time with family and Hubby and I loved the faith based ceremony.  Best Wishes to the happy couple.  Your cakes rocked!

I seem to be on the fly all of the time lately.  Probably because I am on the fly, and the faster I go the "behinder" I get.  The blog has suffered.  Bear with me... this too shall pass.

Fall Light

I love watching the Fall light in our back field in the evening.  There is something so soft and beautiful about Fall light.  It makes me sigh to think of it.

In the Fall the sunshine comes through the living room windows in the morning, catches the chandelier and creates a pretty light show too.

It only lasts for several minutes, and it only hits just right over a week's time in the Spring and in the Fall.  The sun needs to be shining, which doesn't always happen in the Pacific Northwest.   

So when does shine, it is treasured and enjoyed. 

The color bounces on the ceiling, the walls and seems to reflect everywhere.

 My camera shadow had to show up in order to capture the color going up the stairs this morning.

The rainbow is God's promise and that is powerful when the room is filled with  color and light.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Do You December Daily?

If you have never made a December Daily album you probably aren't going to  get  this post.  If you want to confirm your suspicions that I'm crazy, keep reading, because today I'm keeping it real.

I just watched the entire December Daily video on Ali's blog this morning.  Just as though I have nothing better to do.  It's over twelve minutes.  It is Ali unpacking a box of the new December Daily album aka paper.  It is a paper addict's crack.   The entire kit is 100 bucks.

I couldn't help myself.  I was like a moth drawn to a 100 watt bulb in the dead of night.

Oooh, just look at that shiny, glittering stuff.

While I haven't ever used a kit, I have made December Daily albums.  As a non scrapper, I do love this project.  My last one was a disaster and I still cringe when I see it sitting on the coffee table however; then I open it.  And there is Christmas 2011.  So many details and fun memories that I had  forgotten.

This isn't a project that I do every year.  But if you've ever scrapped this project you know it's a tad addicting.  Are you making a December Daily this year?  

This year I really, really know that I shouldn't make an album.

It's home tour year, and there is a to-do list involved.

As Hubby and I talked this morning, we acknowledged that we have NOT done any projects that anyone will notice.  The looong list is made up of to do projects that would only be noticed IF they weren't finished.  It's all things that regular people have finished in their homes.  In the meantime it is a hot mess here.

A girl with a mattress and pillows drying in her living room shouldn't be considering a December Daily album.

 A girl with a door on the floor in front of the front door shouldn't be considering a December Daily album.

By the way, please do not come to any door right now.  It's not a good time for company.

 A girl with a head board blocking the stairway? That's an easy one.  She shouldn't be considering a December Daily album.

 You eat at your dining room table?  Not me!  I'm fixing a cuckoo clock.  You didn't know me as a "jeweler slash clockmaker".  Oh yes, I'm watching YouTube videos and obviously that makes me an expert.  Cuckoocuckoocuckoo, and I don't mean the clock.

 Last night I put away the paint cans that have covered the kitchen counter for months.

Hubby was curious as to why I would do that as the painting isn't finished.

"Well hon, I just need one clean spot.  Just one little area that looks like a normal kitchen."

Quite possibly, that is why I am watching videos about a December Daily album.

I just need a little normal right now.

And there isn't any in sight.

Zip, nada, zilch, no normal in sight.

Except for one kitchen counter, right?

Repurposed Hunting Trophies

While at our local consignment shop, (cheers for the Picket Fence) last week I found a desk organizer.  It included antlers and pieces of the stained wood you see below.  It was broken and I was given an additional discount.

The decorating world is being inundated with faux animal taxidermy and I wanted to jump on that trend without actually hurting any animals or my bank account.

Its being broken wasn't an issue as I had no intention of using it as a desk organizer.

I tapped softly with my hammer and the antlers came right off.

I purchased two wood pieces at a craft store.

 I gave them a coat of paint, then sanded some of it off.

I used a bit of superglue type product to attach the antlers and voila!

 Now I can't decide if they are wall worthy or if they look like a $6 recycle/reuse/repurpose project.

Be honest.  Wall worthy or not?