Wrapping Up the Year

It's that lethargic week between Christmas and New Years where time and day aren't terribly relevant, although at least some adulting was necessary.  But mostly it was a quiet week, one of eating leftovers, lounging in pajamas and watching Harry Potter movies.  I should really have started keeping track of how many times I've seen each movie.  I'm going to say at least 25 times a year, if not more.  Never gets old.  I haven't been this obsessed with a fandom since I followed the Dead around.  But I digress.

I did manage a few crafts in December, although not the volume that I'm used to making.  I bought a bunch of sparkly jewelry at The Christmas Tree Shop and made a festive frame for the pic of the kids with Santa.  Dale was not a happy camper.  This was his 3rd trip to see Santa and 3rd time he had a meltdown. 

I did a few quick cross stitch projects in Dec. as well.  A couple friends up in Maine destashed kits they got ages ago (the copyright dates were in the early and mid 1990s) so I knocked a bunch of them out.  West Quoddy Head Light is located in Lubec, Maine.

I did some small ornaments to send to Tina & Pam out in OH....and I was in such a rush to get them in the mail early that I spaced on taking pics.   But I did remember to shoot the Santa I did for Lisa and celestial I did for Annette (which wasn't a kit, but from one of my pattern books).  It kinda looks like a fancy Death Star.  I also made them cranberry bread.

This was another kit that my friends sent me so I whipped it up real quick for my friend Tracy.

The other project I did was a Witch/Yule jar.  The tutorial suggested using wintery greens, crystals, lights, etc.  It took a few days for me to decide how I wanted it to look and when I finished, realized it really isn't any different than all the other Christmas-themed altered art jars I've done in the past.  

Still, it was enjoyable to assemble.  Finally found a use for that wizard head & crystal pendant.  That's hung from under the lid. I used a pic of a vintage card that has a pink tree, and added the owl, holly leaf & berries, moonstone crystals and sparkly 'snow'.

I covered the jar lid with natural paper and glued the metal finding on it, and then glued an old crystal cluster earring to that.  That's a stretchy hair elastic around the side of the lid, and then wrapped the lights under the lid.

Hung a couple jingle bells and charms from the lights.

I was out running a bunch of errands and decided to head down to Town Neck Beach.  I thought maybe I could do a bit of beachcombing.  Nope.  The wind was so cold and I hadn't brought a hat or scarf.  Even if I had it was too windy to walk on the beach anyway.  It really bugs me that this tree is always crooked. 

Choppy out on the Bay.

Low tide too.  I was bummed that I couldn't look for glass.

Next stop was downtown at the Grist Mill and Shawme Pond

I know I've shot this picture like a hundred times but it really never gets old.

Herring run.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Christmas 2018

Just a few pics of our decorations, special effects with the lights and a couple pics from Christmas Day.  I wasn't in the mood to go all out this year with decorations.  It's so much work to put up and take down!  Instead of hanging that ornament wreath I made a few years ago, I put the lit ball in the center on the floor.

Through a marble

Lisa made those awesome scrabble letter ornaments for us!  I just LOVE them!!!!!

We got that lit wooden arch decoration at Epcot, in 'Germany'.  I wanted one ever since I saw them in Gettysburg last summer but those were out of our price range.  This was much more reasonably priced.

Our 2018 ornament from the Sandwich Glass Museum.

Christmas Corner

We did deli, munchies, prime rib, mashed taters and green beans for Christmas Day.

My inlaws joined us this year.  It was a little crowded but very mellow/peaceful and great to have the kids as well.

Munchies!  My fave!

This was a project I saw making the rounds on Facebook so I decided to make one. 

I hope everyone enjoyed their day as much as we did!

Festival of Lights, La Salette Shrine, Attleboro

Way back in the 80s I went to the La Salette Shrine in Attleboro to check out the Festival of Lights and never forgot it.  I was happy to see that they still do it and this year we finally went there to check it out. It's a total mob scene so we were in the parking lot by 4:30, a half hour before the lights go on.  La Salette is a Catholic shrine and when I was there in the 80s, there was an amazing 'castle' on the grounds where the clergy lived and studied.  Sadly it burned down in 1999, and a modern building now sits in it's place.  

The lights were as awesome as I remembered.

The light designs are mostly religious in nature, including angels that flank each statue of the stations of the cross.

There are two places where you can go up the stairs to the top on either side by walking, or on your knees on low rise stairs.  I actually saw a few people doing it.  You ascend a step and then pray but I don't know which prayer.  Hardcore.

These lights in the tallest pines are my favourite.  They evoke a feeling...maybe a memory or a dream....that's very familiar.  I think something like this was in a Christmas-themed dream I had a few years ago that I never forgot.

My other fave part was shooting around the little pond.  The reflections were beautiful.

I loved the reflections.

The last time I was there, people were chucking pebbles on the ice because it made a chirping sound.  I never forgot that either.  So I tried it and it made the noise again!  This is the only place where I've ever heard that phenomena, which you can read about HERE.  

I hope everyone has a happy holiday, Merry Christmas, etc etc!