"Hey, if I had somewhere to go, I certainly wouldn't be in Cleve-Land." -Howard the Duck

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas to all !



OK...so I'm a bit petrified by Santa in this pic...but it's my favorite of all the Santa photos I have from my childhood.  It's 1954 & I had just turned 2 in November.  Every year we would go to downtown Cleveland to see the major department stores all decorated for Christmas.  Santa would have his very elaborate & special room in a wonderland of Christmas displays.  The Halle Bros. with Mr. Jingaling...the keeper of Santa's Keys. Higbee's with lunch at The Silver Grille, where the children's lunch was served in a little wooden sideboard & later in a cardboard oven...complete with little plates sized just right to fit inside. Sterling Linder with their amazingly tall decorated Christmas tree each year.  All these stores have long since gone out of business & mall stores no longer go to those elaborate extremes to create a Christmas wonderland, but it was a very special part of my childhood & I cherish those memories.

We had a very nice & quiet Christmas Eve here, noshing on some shrimp & cheeses & such.  Watched "A Christmas Story", of course, just before midnight.  Did you know that the original house where Ralphie lived is now a museum?  And it's right here in Cleveland.  We haven't been able to get over to see it yet, but we will one day. 

Nothing creative going on here today...except maybe trying some new goodies to nosh on.  I'm wising y'all a very Merry Christmas, one spent doing things that make you happy.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Sophie the Cat says Meowy Christmas...and please help her friends if you can



Sophie the Cat is a rescued kitty...we brought her home with us from Operation Kindness in Dallas, TX on April 9, 1998.  She had been injured & the angels at the shelter nursed her back to health so she was ready to pick us as we walked through the cat room one night.  Sophie has lived in TX, CA & OH now...and is quite spoiled as you can see.  That orange blanket was a gift to ME, but you can see who owns it now!

Sophie hopes you will check out this blog...A Place to Bark & Meow.  Bernie Berlin runs a very active & worthy animal rescue in Tennessee & needs some help right now to achieve a matching grant to help finish the shelter for her critters.  If you can find it in your heart, and are able to help with any monetary contribution before December 31st, your gift will be doubled with the matching funds.  Be sure to watch her newest video & while you're at her blog, take the time to see some of the happy critter faces that have a new chance at life thanks to Bernie & her loving care.  That's the best kind of gift you can give!

Best wishes for a happy & peaceful Christmas Eve & Christmas to all of you from all of us.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

My Flickr Photos - Artful Charms



I'm truly trying to get more organized as this year winds to an end and the new one begins.  I've added pics of some of the charms I've made to my Flickr Photostream.  I'm Artsy Kitty in Flickr, BTW. 

More pics will follow as I take the time to add them to Flickr.  I really enjoy making charms & will post new ones here to my blog as I make them, but wanted to catch up on some charm history, too.

The ATC image above is from one of my favorite shops. Red Lead Paperworks in Webster Groves, MO...or for those of us not lucky enough to live near their wonderful shop, you can find them on the web here.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I'm dreaming of a GREEN Christmas!




I'd be ecstatic with a sunny & warm Christmas...but here in Ohio, that won't happen...unless by some freak of nature, which would be quite welcome! So, since Christmas will be the same gloomy, cold weather as always here, we had to settle for our little Christmas tree decorated with our Santa in the Sunshine ornament collection. The photo shows a small part of the collection...the warm weather Santas take up an entire side of the tree & it makes us happy to see them.

The traditional Christmas tree has made it's appearance here for the first time since we moved to Ohio from sunny Southern CA in October 2004. Our previous Christmas tree was the kitschy faux palm tree you see above. LOVE it!!! In fact, it stays up all year long as our "lamp" by the front door. Hey...a girl's gotta have a bit of CA in her life no matter where she lives!

May your Christmas & New Year's be warm & bright...and full of love & happiness.