Boy is the flu nasty. I feel like a freight train ran over my entire body. Thankfully Sean and Cade are better (Connor hasn’t gotten it) but Quinn, Michael and I are still recovering. My Momma and my sister Colleen are both sick too but they had flu shots so their symptoms don’t seem as bad.

Family tradition dictates that we spend New Year’s Eve at my parents house…not sure what tonight will bring.

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It’s getting colder here! Maybe snow will work its way into our local forecast soon. *smile*

For things to do outside, visit MacBeth’s Winter Opinion…lots of great ideas!

If you’re stuck inside due to weather or illness (like me!) here are some winter-y things to do…

A Snowflake Builder

Everything you wanted to know about Snowflakes plus gorgeous photos

Winter Haiku 2007

I’m really lucky…I have two computers, a desktop and a laptop so even if I don’t feel like sitting at my desk I can still browse on my laptop and since it is a tablet PC I’m able to draw and play in Photoshop…even in bed. *smile* If you are a graphic artist and used to using a pen and are in the market for a laptop…make sure you buy a tablet PC so you can draw. Wacom has a driver just for tablet PC’s that make the pens pressure sensitive. I found a bunch of really easy but instructive tutorials at Tutorials of Rachael Tallamy. I did the Pine Tree with Snow tutorial. It took about 20 minutes and looks pretty nice if you ask me. *smile*

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Nice things to read…

Old Poetry

Old Time Children’s Poetry

Poet’s Corner:  Subject - Birds

Pretty things to look at…

Flickr searches on “ephemera,”  ”winter,” “hot chocolate,” “frost” and “winter birds.”  Things I’m interested in…you can do your own searches for whatever you like.

I digitally drew the blue jay, shown in the previous posting, in Photoshop, in December of 2002.  Since everything I create is in layers I was able to easily recolor the body, draw a new beak (because cardinal and blue jay beaks are very different in color and shape), black mask and new greenery and my blue jay became a pretty little winter cardinal…I love creating digital art with Photoshop!  *smile*

The hustle and bustle of getting ready for the holidays is now behind me.  While the boys and Michael are busy playing with their new toys, it’s time for me to relax.  I’m going to enjoy a few bites of the cakes and cookies that I baked now because I will be seriously dieting and exercising in 2008.  I need to finish reading my Christmas magazines, I’m keeping my bird feeders full so my feathered and furred friends entertain me while I work in my kitchen and hopefully I will get a chance to take advantage of some of the after Christmas sales…if Michael deems it financially feasible, that is.  *smile*

I also have time now to just meander through the web.  I started yesterday with one of my favorites, Ullabenulla and I’m visiting all of the beautiful blogs that she has listed.  It’s quite a list and I’ve been waiting for the pages to load in full, reading beyond the first couple posts.  I’ve found that each has provided lots of beautiful eye candy and quite a bit of inspiration. 

I’ve been brushing up on my skills by reading Sprague Lab’s Photoshop Friday Index and watching the video tutorials at Oman3D to see if there are any new Photoshop CS3 techniques to be practiced and I’ve been downloading new brushes to play with from PSBrushes.net and Brusheezy.com.

Feeling so very thankful this morning for all of the many blessings that God has bestowed upon me…keeping all in prayer.  I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with family, friends, good health and good food.

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Father, We thank Thee for this day.
Bless all we do and all we say.
May we each enjoy Thy blessings great
As Jesus’ Birth we celebrate.
And may the love that we share here
Remain throughout the coming year.
Amen!
~ Gertrude B. Byram ~

I make pretty Christmas cookies but THESE are fantastic!  Just keep scrolling to see some really beautiful sweet eats.

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Since we’ll be too warm for snow here, I added a snow script to my blog.

Since Michael and I are trying to finish up wrapping, delivering gifts, cards and pictures and some unexpected last minute shopping, plus we have a party to attend this afternoon, I don’t think I’ll be online again.  So…May God bless you, keep you safe and a very Merry and Joyous Christmas to all.  love, Dani

Today Momma and I are spending the day finishing up some last minute stocking stuffer shopping.  Hopefully my sister, Honey, and her crew will be able to join us for lunch.

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I made PioneerWoman’s French Breakfast Puffs early this morning while waiting for the garbage collectors to arrive so I could give them their Christmas card and money.   Yummy!

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A place to dream…Inspiration boards.

I’ve finally finished my Christmas baking. I do love to bake but towards the end it does get to be a bit too much especially since it ties me so much to the kitchen. My house is in shambles at the moment because I’ve spent the past five days baking around 8 hours each day but I’ve got a few days to play catch-up with my cleaning.

Click to view larger image.

I baked oatmeal-coconut crisps, Russian tea cakes, thin and crisp chocolate chip cookies, hazlenut thumbprints, almond butter crisps, butter drop-ins, raspberry crumble bars, raspberry jam filled thumbprints, and peanut butter chocolate chippers. I made almond brittle covered in melted chocolate, peppermint bark, chocolate truffles and chocolate caramel dipped pretzels. I wish I could have made a few more candies but since I’ll be watching my little twin nieces and nephews (Hanna, Ellie, Hans and Erich) tonight while my sister Honey and her husband attend his work’s Christmas party, I really needed to finish and to get my kitchen cleaned up.

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Michael, the boys and I are headed out the door first thing this morning to finish up last minute shopping and to get the boys photo with Santa. I’ve already been out this morning (the streets are so empty and boy is it cold 2 in the morning but the moon and Christmas lights were gorgeous!) because Sean’s car is acting up and he needed a ride to work. I, hopefully, will be able to take a nap sometime today so I can be (sort of ) awake this evening to watch all the kids. *smile*

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Michael’s semester ended last night so he’ll be home at nights for the next three weeks!!!!

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Check out Pioneer Woman’s Jesus Loves the Little Mustangs.

Notes from A Cottage Industry is hosting a 2007 Virtual Holiday Home Tour.

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‘Tis the Season…and I love it.

I’m in the midst of my cookie baking frenzy…trying to bake them quicker than the boys can eat them. *smile* I baked for six hours straight yesterday and only have six gallon freezer bags of cookies (and they were not full mind you when I got up this morning…I think the boys are getting sneaky and dipping into different bags to try to hide their munching) to show for it. I made Russian Tea Cakes and a variation of Martha Stewart’s Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies using mini chocolate chips (and only half of what the recipe called for because I mostly like the dough part) and about a 1/2 cup of toasted hazelnuts, ground. The Russian Tea Cakes I dusted with edible multi-colored and white glitter. They are very sparkly and pretty.

Today I’ll bake several batches of shortbread jam thumbprint cookies and one of our favorites Oatmeal Coconut Crisps. Since I give so many away, I like to make double/triple batches. My wonderful KitchenAid Mixer, courtesy of my husband 2 Christmas’s ago, makes it very easy.

Talking about kitchen appliances, my crockpot is really coming in handy these days. I’ve made things in it that I wouldn’t have thought possible…macaroni and cheese (2 cups macaroni, 1/2 stick of butter, 1 lb. velveeta and 1 qt. milk–cook on high 3-4 hours), baked raviolis and baked potatoes. At the store this week I stocked up on clementines, fresh vegetables, bagged salads, ciabatta and french breads and a supermarket roasted chicken to help make feeding my bunch easier. After a meal of roasted chicken, salad, garlic bread and herbed rice, with the leftover chicken, I’ll make a bit pot of chicken noodle soup using a whole box of kluski noodle soup mix, more noodles, chicken stock, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, parsley and garlic. Hopefully that will last a couple of days though with my crew you never know. Growing boys surely do eat a lot.

It’s hard for me to do any work (or play) on the computer Friday mornings because it runs its weekly diagnostics…and is as slow as molasses while it does so. So only one graphic today but it’s a pretty one! One of my favorites from Harrison Fisher’s beautifully drawn ladies. She graced my old Christmas webpages way before I started blogging. I dusted her off, prettied her up since her colors were a bit faded and uploaded two versions of her for you to use. *smile* She’s a bit large so you can resize…but make sure that you use a sharpen tool if you do.

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Home-Keeping Hearts’ 40 ways to bring more loveliness to your life.

Forever Christmas by Chelsea, Inc.

Lynn Haney Santas

Old World Santas

Dee Gann Santa Figurines

Northwest Santa Creations

Mark Roberts Christmas Fairies

More Mark Roberts Christmas Fairies
Absolutely adorable little Santa fairies
I Want, I Want, I WANT!!!

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Colleen and me on Santa’s lap at either
Hochschild Kohn’s or Hutzlers about 1963, 1964.