Holiday Musings . . . . . .

When Lee and I first met years ago, both of us had been single for a while, and neither of us had more than one or two Christmas tree decorations among our household "stuff".

So for the first few years that we were together, we decorated our Christmas tree with red and green "glitter balls" that I'd made by rolling styrofoam balls first in Elmer's Glue, and then in red or green glitter.

Even after we were married, those styrofoam glitter balls served us well for several years as our main Christmas tree decor, but eventually we yearned for some decorations with a little more "class".


So, we began making a conscious effort to build a unique and special collection of Christmas ornaments, year by year, and piece by piece.

Whenever we would travel to a new place or see a new Christmas shop, we kept our eyes peeled for new ornaments for our Christmas tree. And every year, we would add two or three new ornaments to our collection, each one carefully selected.

Now, after nearly 25 years of marriage, we have more Christmas ornaments than we can fit on our medium sized Christmas tree (yes, we eventually bought an "artificial" tree)!

Some of our Christmas tree ornaments were chosen because they represent a place we'd visited or something that we especially love (nature, animals, birds, whimsy, greyhounds!). Others were added to our collection because we simply fell in love with the artist's design or creativity.

And then there's that special group of our Christmas tree ornaments that were gifts from friends or family, or that just remind us of "home."

Now that we have so many ornaments, we don't necessarily put them ALL on the tree every year. Even so, we cherish each and every one, and each one holds a special place in our hearts. Over the years, all these special ornaments have become our "old friends".

I can't say that Lee and I remember specifically what year or from what place every one of our Christmas tree ornaments was obtained, but many of them do indeed bring back special memories of cherished times and moments in our lives.

We're not actively adding to our Christmas tree ornament collection any more, although there are times that I see something during my annual Christmas shopping (or those tempting After-Christmas sales) that I just can't pass up!

On this, my last post of this Christmas season, I wanted to share with you some photos of Lee's and my favorite ornaments from our collection. . . . . . .




We found this little resin greyhound ornament during one of our twice-a-year trips to see my family in Abilene, Kansas.

We always stop into the National Greyhound Hall of Fame to visit the ex-racing greyhound mascots there, and found this little ornament in the gift shop. (As greyhound lovers, we simply had to have a little greyhound ornament for our Christmas tree!)


Back in the mid 80's, I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Philadelphia. Lee joined me and we both saw the Liberty Bell for the first time!

In 1997, Lee and I discovered Sedona, Arizona. We'd never been there before, but we had a chance to trade an unused time-share week there. And now we're hooked on the area!

We go back twice a year . . . .this little southwest style ornament was purchased in Sedona. It reminds us of the warm weather, while we're freezing here in Utah during the winter!

Being a lover of whimsy, I have two of these little "mouse on the moon" ornaments. I actually can't recall where or when I got them, but they've been part of our collection now for quite a number of years.

Yes, I actually did make this little Rudolph counted cross-stitch ornament. I haven't done cross-stitch in years, so this little guy is now around 15 years old, I would guess!

Lee loves just about anything to do with airplanes, and this little wooden airplane ornament was a gift from me to him a couple of years ago. The little propeller and wheels actually move!

This sweet Precious Moments Christmas ornament was a gift a number of years ago from one of my very special long-term friends.

You guessed it! Lee and I purchased this commemorative ornament in 2002 during the Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games.

That was, for us, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We didn't attend any of the ticketed events, but we did walk around downtown several times just to experience the ambience and see the street displays. It was SO much fun!

This delicate glass Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is about 6 inches tall, and it was one of our very first ornaments purchased after Lee's and my "glitter ball" era. I remember paying $15.00 (!!!) for this little guy, in the early 80's, in Keystone, Colorado. Yes, it WAS love at first sight . . . . .but I would never pay that much for an ornament again!

I'm particularly fond of folk Santas and whimsical Santas . . . .and this one is a purchase from last September, during one of our trips to Sedona.

This little straw-hat Santa is another newer addition to our collection . . . .can't quite recall where we got him. But he reminds me of the Southwest, so he's on the tree pretty much every year.

And this little ceramic jester/clown struck my fancy many years ago. I think I found him in a local gift shop, and he wasn't intended to be a Christmas tree ornament, but his life's work has been decorating our Christmas tree for at least 15 years.

I believe this ornament might have been one of two or three ornaments that Lee had when we met!

This beautiful brass rocking horse was a gift to Lee and I from my dear sister a number of years ago. The photo doesn't do "him" justice, but there are several layers of embossed metal, for a 3-D effect. I LOVE horses!

And this moose, although I truly have no recollection of where or when we bought him, remains one of our favorite "old friends" from among our Christmas tree ornament collection.

This Christmas ornament holds special meaning for both Lee and me, in that his mother (whom we lost to cancer a year ago) made it herself many years ago, from a kit. She and I shared a love of all kinds of crafting.

This bell (that really rings) is one of my more recent purchases from a local gift store, while I was shopping for other Christmas gifts. I couldn't resist the sparkle!

And here's yet another of my recent purchases (last year or the year before), at an After-Christmas sale in one of my very favorite local novelty and paper shops.

No, this is NOT an ornament . . . . .although I sure do wish I could capture this wonderful greyhound face (of our very special greyhound, Ride) on an ornament!


This photo was taken by Lee in 2005, during the 3 or so minutes that Ride allowed us to leave that Santa hat on her!

I wanted to end my Holiday Musings post with a photo of Ride, who, at age 12 years, will always hold a very special place in Lee's and my hearts.

(Next year, I'll try to include a photo of our other greyhound Harley too, but thus far, we haven't been able to get him to keep either a Santa hat OR reindeer antlers on!)

So, this will be my last Blog entry during the Christmas Season. Tomorrow is another day, and we'll all be looking toward the New Year.

But before the day ends, I want to share with you a lovely quote that I first saw a number of years ago, on a Christmas card. The message particularly resonates for me on Christmas Day.

"Never a Christmas morning,

Never the old year ends,

But someone thinks of someone,

Old days, old times, old friends."

~ Author Unknown ~

Until we meet again . . . . .Wishing you fond thoughts of old days, old friends and old times.

A Christmas Tour of a Historic Mansion

When Lee and I went to my childhood home of Abilene, Kansas recently to visit my family over Thanksgiving, we took the opportunity to tour a local historic landmark, the Seelye Mansion.

From my childhood memories, I have only a vague recollection of the old Seelye Mansion. What I do recall in my mind's eye is a huge, rather gray and slightly run down looking house on one of the main streets, Buckeye, that runs north and south through Abilene.

Now, many years later, and thanks to a local entrepreneur, this wonderful Georgian styled mansion built in 1905 has been restored to its original beauty, and is now open for tours all throughout the year. You can read more about the Seelye Mansion here.

Lee and I make a trip back to Kansas twice a year, usually in the Spring and in the Fall. Our trips are typically by car, so we try to schdule our road trips from Salt Lake City to Abilene, KS (1,000 miles one way!) when the weather and road conditions are fairly good. Hence, we don't usually travel home during the winter.

This year, however, we'd decided to make a trip to see my family over Thanksgiving, so we flew.

And since we were there later in the year than usual, we were lucky enough to be in town when the Seelye Mansion opened their first round of annual Christmas tours, right after Thanksgiving.

The mansion was all decked out for Christmas, with red bows and wreaths on the front porch, and Christmas decorations and lights scattered throughout the inside of the home.

I wish now that I had taken photos of EVERY room inside this house . . . it truly is amazing.

Lee and I, my sister and our niece took the tour, and it was such fun to see this lovely and unique home in all its splendor, restored so beautifully.

But, despite the fact that I don't have photos of the entire inside of the house, I think you can get a feeling for its ambience!

Here's the main foyer of the mansion, looking from the inside out toward the front yard.

This is the "library" off to the right of the foyer as you enter the house.

To the left of the front entry, here's what I would call the "music room".

This lovely tiled fireplace is in the large central foyer/parlour/sitting room of the home.


The inside of the mansion was decorated with poinsettias and Christmas trees in just about every room

AND, there were also literally HUNDREDS of decorative nutcrackers placed all throughout the mansion, also in honor of Christmas.

(We were told by the woman conducting the tour that this vast collection of nutcrackers was donated a few years ago by a woman who originally discovered the Seelye Mansion while traveling through Kansas with a motorcycle group.)

Here is the main staircase leading from the central foyer upstairs toward the second floor bedrooms and the main "ballroom".

This is one of the three or four antique Victrolas (record players) throughout the house.

Here is one of the second floor hallways leading to a bedroom

Here's are a couple of photos of one of the second floor bedrooms on the front side of the house.

I lost track of how many bedrooms there were . . . but there were LOTS!

I do remember that there were also several bedrooms and a small bath toward the back of the house, for "maid" quarters!)

Back on the main floor again, this photo is looking in at the dining room from the central foyer.

This is at the far end of the dining room, showing a curved wooden stairwell, leading down to the lower level to . . . . . .you'll never guess . . . . .the "bowling alley"!

And yes, HERE is the "bowling alley", located just below the dining room. No doubt, this was quite the novelty in Abilene, Kansas, in its day!

Off to the right is the "storm shelter", a definite necessity in the Midwest!

Here's my dear sis, posing for me in yet another curved wooden staircase going from the back of the basement (where a laundry area, food storage, and safety vault were located) up into the kitchen area of the mansion.

And here's a photo taken in the kitchen, located along the back of the house.

No, this photo isn't sideways! This shot was taken near the kitchen area and inside back door, looking up at the various staircase levels.

As I look at the Seelye Mansion today, right here in the middle of my home town, I find it hard to believe that I hardly noticed it in my growing up years.

But then I guess it's not SO unusual that, in our youth, we don't always notice (or perhaps we take for granted?) much of the uniqueness and beauty of our surroundings. Who knows, maybe we're just too "busy" with the task of growing up!

In any case, I wanted to share these few photos of my newly "discovered" home town treasure with you, and hope that you enjoy them at least ALMOST as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Until we meet again . . . . .may you never lose your sense of new discovery.

ATTENTION: Handmade Card Enthusiasts and Card Buyers!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

I hope the week is going well for each and every one of you.

As for me, I'm once again content to stay indoors and watch the snow gently falling outside. (YES, it's SNOWING again! . . . . such is life here in the Rocky Mountain West.)

I'm grateful that, being a woman of "leisure" (read: retired), I don't usually HAVE to get out in this weather, unless it's to go to the grocery store or the post office.


My post today will be short, but I wanted to draw your attention to a new poll that my friend and fellow cardmaker, Pat (http://cardsbypatzee.blogspot.com) has just put up on our CARD CHRONICLES Blog.


The topic of the poll is: "As a handmade card buyer, what type of card/s do you prefer?" Please do take a moment to head on over to the CARD CHRONICLES and take Pat's new poll!

Help us and our fellow cardmakers better meet your needs and expectations as card buyers.


We'd LOVE to hear from you!

It's a SNOW Day!

Well, for several days now, the local weathermen (and women) have been predicting major SNOW today and tomorrow, and then lighter snow flurries for Monday and Tuesday. And, at least as far as TODAY's prediction was concerned, they were right!

Lee and I went to sleep last night to the sound of a south wind rustling the fallen leaves around on the ground and up against our windows. Here in northern Utah, a south wind often portends a new cold "front" is on its way.

Sure enough, this morning we awakened to an outside temp of 30 degrees and the sight of gently falling snow. And it's been snowing ever since!

Luckily, we took the weathermen's predictions seriously this week, and did all our necessary grocery shopping and errands yesterday, so we're nicely settled in for the day.

Today, the dogs and we are content to stay warm and cozy inside, and to see the snow-covered landscape evolve as we watch through the windows.

Thank goodness Lee and I got our outside Christmas lights (a very simple display) put up last weekend, while the weather was still pretty nice. Now, we need to get busy with our inside decorations. Who knows, we may even get our Christmas tree up today! (It's an artificial tree, so all we have to do is assemble it, and decorate it.)

We're notoriously late in getting our inside decorations on display every year . . . . .in fact, some years, we've been finishing decorating our tree on Christmas Eve!

In between my daily cardmaking activities, and my soon-to-be Christmas decorating, I couldn't resist taking a few snapshots of our front and back yards so I could post some photos with a Blog entry for today. . . . . .I've missed blogging this week!

Here's what our back yard rock garden is looking like today. . . .

. . . and one of our Forsythia and Oregon Grape bushes.


Here's our wonderful Colorado Blue Spruce in the back yard (with the photo being taken from our deck). This 25+ year old tree has been home to many a blue jay, magpie, and robin family over the years.




Here's Ride, decked out in her winter coat, making her way up the stairs and back up onto the deck.

And here's Harley, waiting for the "magic" deck door to open up and let him back into the warm house!

And here's yet one more photo, this time of our front yard. . . . . .Looks like Lee and I need to get out and fill those bird feeders!

Well, now that my little Blogging interlude is over, I guess I'd better get back to "work"!

Until We Meet Again . . . . . .Wishing You a Lovely Weekend, filled with Nature's Beauty.

Yesterday Was A Three-Card Day . . . .

I kept my head down yesterday, working on Christmas cards. I know that I'm later than usual getting into Christmas cardmaking, but I'm hoping that there are still some folks out there, like me, who don't get their holiday cards in the mail until a few days before Christmas!

And now that Lee and I are back home and not traveling again until sometime next spring, I'm settling in to do some serious cardmaking.

At this moment, I have all my Christmas and Holiday-themed patterned papers, cardstocks, embellishments, and ribbons spread out on my dining room table (read: Craft Table), as I continue to seek out new inspiration for this year's Christmas and Holiday card creations.

The Christmas cards I made yesterday were all about the embellishments, meaning that I first selected an embellishment that I particularly liked from my collection, and then built the card design around it.

As it turns out, I was able to make THREE new cards yesterday, which is somewhat of an accomplishment for an inordinately SLOW cardmaker like me!

All three new cards are now listed in my Etsy Shop. . . . . .I figure even if they're not purchased this year, I can always save them and put them up next year for a Christmas in July promotion.

OR, I could even surprise my family and friends this year by sending them a handmade card! (Remember the old adage: "The cobbler's children have no shoes"? . . . It sure hits home in my case! )

I won't bore you today with the details on how I created these cards . . . .for once, I'll be a woman of few words (well, SORT of!).

So, without further adieux . . . . . Here are yesterday's card creations:

Well, now that I've had my little Blogging Break for the day, I guess I'd better get busy making cards!

Have a lovely day!

Back in the Groove and Gearing Up for Christmas!

Well, my hubby Lee and I arrived back home in Utah during the wee hours of Wednesday morning, after a long and tiring day of jockeying from rental car to airplane, airport to airport, concourse to concourse, gate to gate, and plane to plane . . . . .

After this most recent experience with air travel, I think both Lee and I have a much greater appreciation for the advantages of traveling by car! Thank goodness we don't have any more flying trips planned for several months.

Although Lee and I enjoyed our time with my family in Kansas, we're both glad to be home and done traveling for a while. I picked up our greyhounds, Harley and Ride, from the "doggie hotel" (shh . . . . .don't tell them it was the KENNEL!) yesterday, and they were ecstatic to see both Lee and me. And now, they're contentedly settled into their own routine and their favorite napping places here in THEIR house.

Now that I've had a little time to rest up after our trip, I find that I'm once again getting "back in the groove" of cardmaking. After over a week of not being able to work on cards, I really missed my crafting!

Although I didn't actually work on cards while I was in Kansas, I did have my sketch book with me all the time, just in case some inspiration hit me! And I actually did come up with a few ideas for new Christmas card designs this year, so I hope you'll keep an eye on my Blog and my Etsy Store for new card creations.


Today, I spent some time looking through all my Christmas papers and embellishments, and decided to start on a couple of fairly simple new card designs, using some new cardmaking materials that I'd purchased on sale a few months back.

I've never made any card designs featuring a pull-out tag before, so this was a bit of a departure for me.

For the base of the card design I worked on today, I used a pre-made tag pocket and tag (by Making Memories). The card base is constructed of archival safe papers and cardstock.







Then I added my own handmade embellishments.

I drew a tree pattern the right size to fit where I wanted it on the outside of the tag card pocket, then used the pattern to cut out a tree from white textured Bazzill cardstock.

I added a little sparkle (with crystal "Stickles") to the perimeter of the tree.

Then to add a little pizazz to the plain white write-on tag, I handpunched some holly berries and leaves, arranged them into several designs and glued them to a couple of places on the tag. I also threaded a length of silver-edged white organza ribbon through the pre-set silver tone eyelet at the top of the pull-out tag.

I was having so much fun using these "pre-fab" pocket cards that I decided to make another handcut tree, and used this second tree to create a similar card design for a second card.

I have four more of these tag pocket cards by Making Memories, so you can be expecting some new variations of this design real soon!

I listed these two new cards on Etsy this afternoon, but so far, there are very few viewers. Oh well, there's still time before Christmas.

I sure hope now that I'm "Back in the (Cardmaking) Groove, and Gearing Up for Christmas (Cards)" . . . . .all the handmade card buyers out there haven't already finished their card purchases for the season!