Hi all! Did everyone have a great Christmas? Whatcha gonna do now?

[C.Ann]

Ours was super - as usual.. Lots of good food, fun times spent with family, and of course, "Santa"s haul.. Everyone was very pleased with their gifts - I got spoiled again (LOL) - and now it's time to settle in for the long winter..

Went up in the attic with my Dson-in-law and had him bring down the plastercraft and ceramic pieces I have to paint (two very large totes full - as well as 6 large pieces in boxes) - got my paints all set up in my scrapbook/craft room - and I've been busy painting away from early in the morning until late at night..

The first partially completed piece I came across was obviously my very "first" attempt at doing this kind of painting.. Oh my gosh! Hysterical!! Between my choice of colors (think "bad psychedelic trip")and the work I started on it you would think a 2yr. old had painted it.. I started it for my DGD when she was a baby (she's 11 now) and I finished doing it all over again between Christmas evening and yesterday afternoon.. It's a foot long Christmas train - with bears as the conductors and railroad workers and in the back of the train there's a Christmas tree and all sorts of toys.. The entire train then sits on top of a slab of snow.. Needless to say, I changed all the colors and it obviously came out much, much better than that first attempt.. She was very happy with it and had me sign it and date it on the bottom.. She said she's going to put it on the mantel here every year until she leaves home and then she's taking it with her.. The one thing I forgot to do though was to take "before" and "after" photos of it.. I really wish I had remembered cause when I say it was "bad", I mean it was BAD !!!!!!!!!!

Tonight I just about finished up another Christmas piece that I'll send to my DD out west.. This one has quite a few bears (dressed up like Santa's) holding a banner that reads "Merry Christmas" - along with Christmas trees and snow.. Decided to do something very different - based on a comment I saw on the "Holiday Decorations" thread.. Hats, shirts, gloves, banner, and wording is all being done in different shades of purple.. It's SO pretty - and since purple is her favorite color (and the color my Mom always chose when buying clothes for her), it will have an extra special meaning for her.. Hopefully I will finish that up early tomorrow morning and move on to something else..

So what all does everyone else have planned? Any winter projects - or just kicking back and relaxing after all of the holiday hustle and bustle?

I'll be popping in every now and then, but for the time being I'm so excited about being able to paint again (NO problems hanging on to the brushes ) it's pretty much all I want to do.. My DD and DGD want me to show them how to paint so smaller pieces, so they will be doing some painting with me this coming week as well..

I'm excited over the weeks and months to come.. Once I'm tired of painting, my "art studio" will then be transformed into my "quilting corner" and we'll see how that goes.. For now it looks like my scrapbooks are going to be pushed off to the side until I get tired of working on these new projects..

Hoping you all have something fun and exciting to look forward to as well..

 

[MIGrandma]

I'm glad you had a good Christmas, and it sounds like you have some nice projects to keep you busy over the next few long winter months.

I am planning on working on photo albums/boxes over the winter. I have so many photos that are just loose and I want to get them organized so I'm looking forward to digging into that. And I have a couple of "memory" books that I want to get filled out for my son and daughter. I want to type up my answers to the questions on each page, and then just copy that onto the page in my own handwriting. And I still have a couple closets and the "storage room" to get cleaned upstairs.

Plus I enjoy having time over the winter to read, watch movies and take some nice, long afternoon naps.

 

[Ppufi]

Great Christmas. The rest of vacation will be spent relaxing, because when I get back there's musical practice, moving towards Regents, and all together craziness till mid-winter break in February.

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

Christmas sucked, long story...lol but I am in school so I have to get ready for a really TOUGH semester with 3 labs! and one course on history which I HATE! Then I will pass everything and go to the Grand Floridian for my birthday two days later! so that is what I am working for!! May is my focal point! and maybe my work christmas party in two weeks!!

 

[RyeCrimsonMoon]

My x-mas was about average, family wise. But I got a whole bunch of series on DVD and my friend got a bunch, so when I get back we're going to marathon them all.

Then I have to go back to school for a semester of 18 hours. Ugghhh

 

[minniebeth]

We had a great Christmas and still in holiday mode with friends coming to visit for a couple of days tomorrow .

We have gone to Disney almost every January for the last 5 years, so we are usually in Disney planning/preparing mode. We are taking a break from Disney this year with some other fun adventures on the horizon, so I'll be a little lost since I love to plan. I plan on working out a lot and organizing my house, catching up on some scrapbooking (about 6 years of Disney to do! ).
I'll have to look back on this thread in March to see if I accomplished my goals!

C. Ann, the painting sounds fun!! Glad you had a nice Christmas!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We had a great Christmas. We still have another week off work/school so we get to relax and spend a few gift cards. We counted up our movie gift cards and they came to $180 so we've got some movies to see!!! The kids want to see Alvin and the Chipmunks first. We have a birthday to celebrate on Wednesday (mine) and another next week on 1/6 (my sister's). So our party season isn't quite over yet! I have some knitting projects to work on and some books to read. And I keep saying I'm going to take all the pots and pans out of the cupboard and box up the ones I don't use. We'll see if that actually happens!

 

[donac]

I started on a pair of socks that I want to give to a friend for her birthday.

I want to finish a quilt top for my parents and my younger son. I can work on son's quilt while he is away the first two weeks in Jan.

Dh has been painting the downstairs for the last couple of months. He just did the downstairs bathroom and now needs to put up a new border since the old border was ruined while he was painting (don't ask)

I like having a project for after Christmas.

Have to get younger son packed. He was asked to go to Africa with his engineering dept at his college. THey are going through Engineers Without Borders to do some surveying work on a road in Gambia. Just waiting for his visa to come back from Washington.

 

[4nana]

Glad to hear all the holiday stories and plans! Good luck w/your projects C.Ann!

Our family had a very wonderful C'mas thx, counting our many blessings . Our C'mas eve party was a great time for all, lots of special memories made, yummy food, everyone enjoying exchanging gifts, playing games, cousins having the time of their lives and the kids managing to surprise and spoil the ole' fokes once again.

DD/SIL and 3 grands came up from NC to spend a three days, DIL (wife of DS's in AFG) and 4 grands arrived last night to spend week . Nana's in her glory, the old home place is jumping and I'm taking a short break after fixing breakfast for 10 . The visiting and holiday will continue till New year when things will slow down. Then it's back to 'real life', the infamous annual diet, and definitely better health kick commitment for the ole' fokes. Soon as DH has his surgery this spring and gets a clean bill of health, a big celebration vacation will be in order!!

 

[Meriweather]

Glad you had a good Christmas, C. Ann.
Sounds a great way to keep you occupied too.

We fly back to the home in WA tomorrow.
I only have 2 weeks until a short trip, so not too much will happen before that. Then it will be cleaning out drawers and closets and getting rid of things in antipation of maybe actually getting to move by the end of summer (fingers crossed).
Almost all my craft and fun projects are already in the AZ house , so that leaves the scrap book things and reading. That is how my winter will be spent. Maybe I can catch up on the scrap booking!!

 

[acename]

We had a wonderful Christmas. This was the first year my dd really got into it. She had a ball learning Christmas songs. She was fascinated with lights and the tree and had so much fun opening presents. It was really great.

Now that Christmas is over, I realized yesterday that there are about 7.5 weeks until our baby is born . with the holidays, it has really crept up on me. So our project will be getting the nursery ready, because other than the room being cleaned out, we have nothing done for it. I've also got some odds and ends I need to get before he comes. I'd also like to get a few meals made for the freezer to have right after he's born so at least I'll have one less thing to worry about and we won't be ordering pizza every night. Anyway, for the next few weeks, we'll be really busy around here.

 

[supercarrie]

I had a good Christmas - never as good as the years when I get to go to CA to visit my family, but it was okay!

My husband and I closed on our house on the 18th - it is our first home and needs a lot of redecorating! I spent the week before Christmas in the hospital and then we went to our in-laws so this is only the third day I've been in the house so far. We have spent the morning stripping wallpaper in what will be our master bedroom, and plan on spending the next week painting, picking out new carpet, etc!

Our goal is to have the house completely re-done by summer (everything but the kitchen will need new paint/carpet, and we have some more intensive projects including redoing the upstairs bathroom and rebuilding a garage). We'll see how it goes!

 

[luvsJack]

C. Ann: Are the things you are painting something you made or did you purchase them already made and unpainted?

If you buy them made, what kinds of paint and brushes do you use? Was it expensive to get started with what you need?

I saw the little ceramic bears, santas and angels on sale yesterday at Micheal's and was thinking of going back and getting a few. I love crafts and am looking for some new hobbies to replace snacking!



Oh, and we had a great Christmas. We have had a blast with dd and her wii and watching dgd and her mom and dad on her first Christmas just brought all the magic back!

 

[Sorsha]

Our Christmas was OK - not great, but OK. I am kinda glad its over, really. I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year, and am just really looking forward to spring.

I can count off winter now, in chunks. Achieving each chunk will make it just that closer to the return of spring. January is the longest, worst chunk. Nothing fun happens in January, and its likely to be cold, dark and boring. Nothing even on TV.

February brings lots of fun. Valentine's Day is Feb 14, the Winter Olympics begin February 12, and the new season of Survivor (yes I am an addict, and I admit it ) begins February 11.

March is St. Patrick's Day, and my other TV shows (Amazing Race and DWTS) start up again in March as well, I think. March also marks the return of Spring Training Baseball!

Finally, Easter is April 4th, and then we are in the clear. Spring time!

So, I only have to make it through January. Let's see.... I have some sewing projects I can work on, and maybe I will start a new quilt project. I am in the middle of doing a scrapbook for our house-building experience last year, so I will probably finish that. There's always the library; I have a long to-read list so I am sure I will do some reading. There's nothing better than curling up in the warm blankets with a hot beverege and a good book when its cold and nasty out.

Finally, January is seed catalog month, and I have a whole yard to landscape next spring. We moved into our new house last July, and though we planted a few trees, it was too late to do much landscaping. I love getting the seed catalogs and planning out all of my plantings. The yard is too small for much of a garden so we will be doing some container gardening on the patio, need to plan that out too. I love garden-planning.

 

[momrek06]

We had a fabulous VEGAS Christmas vacation. Back now in SoCal and we are going to be moving. DH was offered an awesome job on December 23rd and we will be heading to San Deigo!! The new company will do the move but we have to find a new home!! We will start this weekend looking. We are so excited. He has a wonderful job now, it will be hard saying goodbye to everyone but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for DH.

 

[luvflorida]

We had a fabulous VEGAS Christmas vacation. Back now in SoCal and we are going to be moving. DH was offered an awesome job on December 23rd and we will be heading to San Deigo!! The new company will do the move but we have to find a new home!! We will start this weekend looking. We are so excited. He has a wonderful job now, it will be hard saying goodbye to everyone but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for DH.

Glad you had good time in Vegas! Did you win? My husband and I went to LV for a long weekend in October. First night there, I hit for $750. on a slot machine at the MGM Grand. I won't tell you how much of my winnings I had left by the end of our trip. Let's just say, we had a good time!

Back on topic- We had a truly WONDERFUL Christmas! All three of our kids, our son-in-law and sweet grandson were all here. We had a big lasagna dinner Christmas Eve, turkey and ham on Christmas Day, and more snacks and junk food throughout the week than I care to remember. Everyone loved all of their gifts, too. We spent time just being together, eating, and playing games. Beatles Rock Band was especially fun for everyone! We took walks to see the neighborhood lights and decorations and several walks around the nearby lake.

We had the best time watching our 15 month old grandson opening his gifts and just enjoying all the festivities. It has been a long time since we've seen so many toys on Christmas morning! Our house looked like it used to when our own three kids were growing up!

We did miss our family back on the East Coast, but there were phone calls back and forth on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so at least we all got to connect by phone.

I feel so blessed to have had so many loved ones here for Christmas! And speaking of loved ones...here is a pciture of our precious grandson with one of his favorite gifts, his new baby doll!

We are now looking forward to our upcoming trip to WDW.

 

[momrek06]

Glad you had good time in Vegas! Did you win? My husband and I went to LV for a long weekend in October. First night there, I hit for $750. on a slot machine at the MGM Grand. I won't tell you how much of my winnings I had left by the end of our trip. Let's just say, we had a good time!

Back on topic- We had a truly WONDERFUL Christmas! All three of our kids, our son-in-law and sweet grandson were all here. We had a big lasagna dinner Christmas Eve, turkey and ham on Christmas Day, and more snacks and junk food throughout the week than I care to remember. Everyone loved all of their gifts, too. We spent time just being together, eating, and playing games. Beatles Rock Band was especially fun for everyone! We took walks to see the neighborhood lights and decorations and several walks around the nearby lake.

We had the best time watching our 15 month old grandson opening his gifts and just enjoying all the festivities. It has been a long time since we've seen so many toys on Christmas morning! Our house looked like it used to when our own three kids were growing up!

We did miss our family back on the East Coast, but there were phone calls back and forth on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so at least we all got to connect by phone.

I feel so blessed to have had so many loved ones here for Christmas! And speaking of loved ones...here is a pciture of our precious grandson with one of his favorite gifts, his new baby doll!

We are now looking forward to our upcoming trip to WDW.

Great pic of the babe, luv!! So sweet!!

We loved spending 4 days in Vegas!!! Yes, I did win, $6.00!!!

We, like you, were on our cells to our East coast families. We missed them terribly this time of year BUT not their weather.
It was allot of fun being in Vegas for the holiday!!! So much going on, so much to see and do!!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010, EVERYONE!!!

 

[puffkin]

We had a nice Christmas, but unfortunately no break for us....back into the grind today with work/daycare. Except for having Friday off for New Years we are pretty much back to our normal schedule

I actually am hoping for a few quiet weekends to get caught up on some things around the house. I am making a project list to start tackling on the weekends during the winter since we seem to be less busy then. First and foremost is weeding out the toys (easier said then done since i have to do when DS3 is sleeping or out of the house) and getting through the closets to weed out too small clothes. I plan to weed out the Christmas decorations that I haven't used in years when I put the stuff that is out away. And, since TV is pretty quiet the next few weeks, I want to catch up on the backlog on my DVR.

 

[SamRoc]

Had a great Christmas! Now we are traveling to North Carolina to visit my Dad, Sister and Nephew. Its our annual tradition to spend New Years there. Kids have off from college til the first week in February, so we are planning on doing alot of catching up!

 

[C.Ann]

C. Ann: Are the things you are painting something you made or did you purchase them already made and unpainted?

If you buy them made, what kinds of paint and brushes do you use? Was it expensive to get started with what you need?

I saw the little ceramic bears, santas and angels on sale yesterday at Micheal's and was thinking of going back and getting a few. I love crafts and am looking for some new hobbies to replace snacking! !

Sorry I didn't get back to you until now - I've been painting since 7 a.m. this morning..

The pieces I'm currently working on were purchased in a grage sale years ago - enough to keep me busy for a long, long time.. However, I have also made plastercraft pieces on my own (you can purchase the powder) and then I used candy mold frames for small ornaments that I used to attach to the bird houses that I made and sold..

Anyhow - if they're on sale - give it a try.. Buy acrylic paints - which can often be purchased 4 for a dollar if you catch a sale.. Get yourself a set of paint brushes - not the cheapest, but close to it - and make sure there is a very, very fine brush in there for getting into tight places.. It's really fun - and quite addicting! LOL.. I finished the piece for my DD out west this morning and now I'm working on a very intricate wall hanging.. Hopefully I will finish that up tomorrow and move on to something else.. If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me..

Oh - one other thing.. After I finish my pieces I spray them with a matte coating.. It makes them sturdier and easier to dust.. For anything that is going to go outside, I spray it with poly..