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New Year's Resolution No. 1 - Create an automatic online mailing list sign up (finally). Check!

If you would like to be among the first to know about new collection updates, events and other exciting things, just type your name and email address into my handy mailing list sign-up dohicky over on the right side of my blog. ----> I hope you decide to stay in the loop! Did you also notice my mini blog make over? I thought it needed a little help.

New Year's Resolution No. 2 - Send out an email to everyone on my mailing list! :)

A Scandal in the New Year...

Mr. and Mrs. Crepe Paper were divorcees who not too long ago fell in love. They were lonely souls who found each other by chance. His small head and her short stature was easily overlooked and they spent a very happy few months together...

...that is until SHE came along. This widowed beauty (a Christmas gift from Mom) was out looking for love and men were scarce. She fought and fought and considered no one else's feelings but her own...

And she won. Divorced a second time and quickly remarried, Mr. Crepe Paper tossed the former Mrs. Crepe Paper out like old trash. But be careful new Mrs. Crepe Paper. Your new husband is a fickle one and there are plenty of crepe paper brides in the sea....

Thank You 2010!

As we welcome in the new year, I can't help but reflect on the year that just passed. I can't believe a whole year has gone by since 2009, but as I look back at all the fun, creativity and love that was had, I can only smile.

So many great things happened. I was invited back to the Martha Stewart Show, and then Ben proposed marriage live on air! My mom and I took an amazing adventure half-way across the country to vend our wares and got to meet so many fabulous people. Baby quails were hatched right in my living room (Mama just hatched out her third brood yesterday!). Little Levi the parakeet was rescued from the cold city streets and joined our little family. I spent a fabulous warm day in May at the Brimfield Antiques Show with "the girls" and we had a yummy and beautiful picnic. Jen Murphy and I joined forces to create some whimsical treats for her customers. The only real sadness I experienced in 2010 was the loss of my very special kitty Magic, whom had been with me almost my entire life. I miss her terribly still, but shortly after her death we were blessed with two of the best furry kittens one could ask for. Sophie and Paige are now the light of my life!

I also managed to do a whole lot of creating in 2010! I can't believe all the spun cotton goodies that were made and then quickly adopted. I feel soooooo lucky and blessed and fortunate to have such wonderful customers who love the things I make just as much as I do! I owe you all, both customers and blog readers, a HUGE thank you! I wouldn't be here doing all of this without you and I hope to bring you lots more in the new year!

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2011 is to really dig into that long list of items I've been dying to make. Everything from a sun dress to paper mache reproductions of antique Halloween figures. I did manage to create quite a few different things this past year however...pillows, jewelry, pom pom birds, greeting cards and other little doodads!

And I'd also like to make time to do some more treasure hunting in 2011. While I didn't spend as many hours hunting as I normally did in years past, the quality of goodies I managed to track down in 2010 couldn't possibly get any better. From handmade whimsies from artist friends to unique and down right bizarre objects from the depths of far away antiques stores. Plus I found my prized vintage holiday thermos in the early part of last year and it's proven to be one of the most useful and well traveled things I own!

I also am proud that despite the vast hours I've spent in the studio, I still managed to go all out for the holidays, big and small! It's one of my favorite things to do and rotating my coveted collection of holiday items throughout the year can't be missed!

Also, while I don't always document these more personal happenings on my blog, I am happy to have spent as much time as possible with Ben and my family. From our trip to Miami last winter to spending time here in Boston on the shores of the Charles River, to our huge family gathering at Moosewood. I love Ben and my family most of all and I resolve to spend even more time with them this year. And I really look forward to this year. We're moving into our dream home back in my home town, getting married, and who knows what else!

Welcome 2011!!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

I love that old Thanksgiving song, but that's basically what we did when heading to my parent's house on the farm for Christmas. These photos were taken with my phone a few days after Christmas once the blizzard settled down. Look at all the snow!

Ben and my sister Suzy spent a few freezing hours sledding, while I was all snug in the house, watching from the big patio windows.

The garden has long been asleep and discussions of what to plant for next year really got me in the mood for vegetable soup!

The bird house is chirpless as well. The bluebirds will return to it in the spring though!

And Dad has the proper equipment (a payloader) for extreme snow removal.

I hope you all are reflecting on a pleasant holiday as we look forward to the New Year! Tonight Ben and I are having dinner with friends, going to see the ice sculptures in the Commons and to watch the Boston Ballet perform (one of my favorites) the Nutcracker!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I wish you the most joyous Christmas ever! I'll be spending it with my family, and I'm really excited about seeing their faces when they open their gifts! I thought it would be fun to share with you some of what they're getting:

A little hand screen printed owl onesie hides in this little party cracker for my unborn niece! Her mom will open it for her since she's preoccupied with growing...lol.

Every year my dad gets a hand painted T-shirt made by yours truly. The theme this year is a trio of cows (you know, since he's a dairy farmer and all)!

I've been eying these fabulous baby head pots from Etsy for a while now. The one on the left is for me and the crying infant is for a my mom. I think she'll love it!

And I found these guys recently at an antique store. They're made of bisque and have really interesting positions. Also for mom!

Ben is always complaining that he doesn't have any mugs for his evening tea. Well now he does! These brainy cups were found at the SOWA holiday market. :)

My sister Sara is a freshman in college and I thought she might like something to dress up her room a bit. So I made her a sturdy fabric banner! Some of the pennants are made with fabric that used to belong to our Grandmother, so it will be extra special.

She's also getting a smaller banner to compliment the fabric. This one is made from a map of Boston. Where her big sister lives!

And of course who can forget the kitties! These wool kitty toys were inspired by a gift from my sweet friend Mary. Her wool mouse was so well played with that it now is simply a lump of gray wool, and it still gets lots of kitty action! :) These guys will go to my sister Suzi's cat Ollie and my brother's cats, Emme and Mila. Meow!

And Merry Christmas! I hope you got everything that you wanted! :)

Day 11 of Twelve Days of Christmas

I went around the house the other like the paparazzi snapping photos of all of my fabulous displays! I'm too lazy to set up a tripod for each shot, so bear with the half blurry, half clear photos...

The photo above shows my pretty glistening village on top of the TV thingy.

A giant Santa goes roaming through the town ringing his bell and scary children...(hehe)

A modest deer and a family of snowmen grace the nooks and crannies.

A full green forest grew just over night on top of the DVD shelf...I just love it!

The spun cotton tree and the feather tree hang out together on the dining room table. I didn't hang anything too breakable, just because of the curious kittens. Knock on wood, they've been good so far!

Vintage gnomes and Santa's hang from the branches, many of which hadn't seen the light of day for a while because I wasn't decorating with red the last few years. Now that I haven't had it for a while, I really need it! Red accents in a light airy room are just perfect!

A log cabin church doubles as a smoke house, high on the snowy Alps (aka, overturned milkglass).

I didn't even see this neat mushroom globe ornament until I unpacked it. I bought the whole box and just put it away without really looking through it. I love surprises like that! Thank you me! :)

What a heard of reindeer. Poor Santa can't even keep up!

More details of my feather tree ornaments. Russian cardboard ornaments are abundant on this tree!

And my antique spun cotton and crepe paper treasures never cease to put a smile on my face.

As do the dresden and glass ornaments. Look at the fine glass bird cage...can you believe it's survived all these years?! I saw it in a guidebook and it's quite rare apparently! Not bad for a $1 box of ornaments!

And duckies are one of my favorites.

My main tree isn't quite what it was last year.... Bins and bins of glass ornaments were never even opened. It was for their own protection. The kitties have been fairly good so far, but they have climbed the tree several times already. Another year of training and I shouldn't have to worry too much. The glass will be out again next year!

I did have a surprising amount of non breakables though...I love them just as much!

I had a lot of fun with my dining room cubby nook this year. In addition to my usual putz village, I also added a vignette of Santa's, gnomes, bottle brush wreaths and trees and a few glass ornaments. One of the pieces in this photo is the first little gift Ben ever bought me. I found it at a yard sale when we were in college for 50 cents and he gave me the two quarters to buy it. Can you guess which piece it is? A hint: It's a little different from the rest!

Vases filled with icicles and yummy vintage sprigs.

The angel visits one house while Santa visits another.

Ben's gift is pictured here too. Which one is it??

I had so much fun decorating the house this year. I hope you enjoy my little tour! We'll do it again...same place, next year. :)