So it was a busy weekend before Christmas at the Queen’s palace.
It was Day 7 of the Canadian Chickie Christmas Swap and our Mother Hen, Hostess Extraordinaire, Dawn was the gift maker.
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![DSC01052 DSC01052](//lh3.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pAtA1ChI/AAAAAAAAFf4/fFMzLVHyIkk/DSC01052_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Brown paper packages recycling sewing patterns ! Ingenious !
![DSC01051 DSC01051](//lh5.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pBVPY2bI/AAAAAAAAFgA/dx4MetJiG9s/DSC01051_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
![DSC01053 DSC01053](//lh3.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pCVd-nII/AAAAAAAAFgI/xt1oXUG_GqE/DSC01053_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Gorgeous attention to detail…
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Sweet swap key…
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and this beautiful, beautiful Hang Up, made just for me !!!
I love the quote – it so reflects how I feel about Winter too !
Thank you, Dawn. I have hung my Hang Up right in front of my computer so I can enjoy gazing at it every day !
Now, it wasn’t only about opening gifts. It was about making them too.
The Rock Fairy was almost as busy as Santa…
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She doesn’t do the whole sleigh/reindeer delivery thing but has to rely on getting things to the post office and allowing the wonderful USPS Elves to get the gifts to the rock lovers on time !
Keeping up with orders and having enough rocks to decorate for the whole winter meant one last trip here :
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to North Beach in Hampton Beach, NH before the snow comes and covers her supplier !
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![DSC01079 DSC01079](//lh4.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pJGPAfjI/AAAAAAAAFg4/BAEQVNaNwEE/DSC01079_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
It was cold but not too bad. Only about 34 degrees F and not too windy ! A perfect December Rock Picking day for the Rock Fairy and her hunky Man.
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These nutters seemed to think it was also a perfect day for surfing ! Me, not so much !
We also did a little hall decking…
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Here is the tree. I went with colored lights this year. I usually always do white lights and most of my ornaments are traditional green, white and red or natural fiber tones.
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I think I like the white lights better but I remember that our trees when I was a kid were always lit up on color so I thought I would try it.
It ended up looking very old fashioned to me, but pretty…
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These fun little bubbling ornaments that shine blue look right at home!
![DSC01097 DSC01097](//lh6.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pMtQAfvI/AAAAAAAAFhk/Zw_d-4JP4rs/DSC01097_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The gorgeous stained glass star on the top that David and I made looks beautiful on any tree !
![DSC01107 DSC01107](//lh4.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pNcNXTsI/AAAAAAAAFhs/Y2NlNQa1OYs/DSC01107_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
as does the gorgeous white doggie sitting the the twinkle light glow…
![DSC01081 DSC01081](//lh4.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pOCscbPI/AAAAAAAAFh0/lTmLMesieuA/DSC01081_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Today, Monday, is Day 8 of the swap and Heather’s beautifully wrapped gift was up.
![DSC00973 DSC00973](//lh5.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pO9oWxHI/AAAAAAAAFh8/TgnVljqHUmw/DSC00973_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The wonderful collaged book mark on the front gives a hint to the beauty inside…
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This beautiful collaged writing journal ready to fill with doodles and words in the New Year !
Thanks so much for this lovely gifty, Heather ! You did such a beautiful job !
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So it is Monday, 5 days before Christmas Eve.
The week will be filled with baking, wrapping, last minute errands and a 7 hour trip way up North to share Christmas morning with my side of the family.
I am feeling like I have it under control, like I have set expectations low enough that I can get to everything, and that it will be filled with sweet moments of joy and gratitude along the way.
One thing though !
I miss my ART !!!
I am so looking forward to January and February where all I have scheduled is creative time for myself !!! Arty hibernation, here I come…
My beautiful Muse and my abundance of toys await me…
In the mean time, I have visions of silliness dancing in my head…
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![silly150x250[1] silly150x250[1]](//lh5.ggpht.com/_1vnAVDgaUuk/TQ9pQ1L-J4I/AAAAAAAAFiU/1eMCO1AsetM/silly150x250%5B1%5D_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I just signed up for this fabulously silly class with Carla Sonheim that starts January 5th.
A gift for myself ! Merry Christmas to me !
Maybe I will see you there, Beautiful Silly Ones !
Happy Holiday Making !