Serenity Sunday...week 39

Groundhogs Day is right around the corner. When it's this time of year and February 2nd is upon us...who cannot think of this movie?

The Old Painted Cottage: Living Room Redo – Fireplace Makeover

Jennifer at 'The Old Painted Cottage' has the right idea....with a teeny bit of varathane and pretty much nothing else but a surround, she's made over her ho-hum fireplace into a show stopper! Look back into her archives for the before and after of the ranch style home she and her husband purchased about 1 1/2 years ago. You have to take a look! This girl has got such vision....

This is one of my favorite blogs...

check out this post...
The Old Painted Cottage: Living Room Redo – Fireplace Makeover

Barnhouse Marketplace...now open!

You have to check this place out! The Boys of Barnhouse, who hail from the upper northwest, Battle Ground, WA, and have an awesome blog, have opened a new online shop. Stop by their blog and enter to win Barnhouse cash! I have been reading about their events and sales for a while and I'm so excited that now I can have a little taste of BarnHouse style from the east coast!

So...go straight to the marketplace, and see if I'm right! Awesome stuff!


http://BarnHouseMarket.com/

Serenity Sunday...week 38

"The path to our destination is not always a straight one, Ed. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark."

- Leonard to Ed, Northern Exposure

I don't know what it is, maybe just that it's WINTER, but the TV show 'Northern Exposure' keeps popping into my head for my Serenity Sunday series. I always loved the show and one of my favorite characters was Chris, the "Philosopher, radio show host". I always found his message to the good people of Cicely, Alaska, relevant and insightful. His monologue on his radio show always made me think...and isn't that what it's supposed to do? Make us think about those things that motivate us. Those things that move us into action, or make us stop and think about what's going on around us. I realize that this quote, itself, isn't from Chris, but it is one of those quotes that makes you think....

Serenity Sunday...week 37

"The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour."- Vita Sackville-West

** Yes folks, that's right...the days are getting longer. I can attest to that! We've had what you might call a "January thaw" this week. The temps have been hovering around 40* and that puts a smile on this bloggers face. Winter may have started later than usual this year, but when it started, it got intense quickly. All I can hope for is that SPRING follows suit and comes in like gangbusters...but early... ~ Tami

LaFayette NY...winter wonderland

My parents live in LaFayette, NY which is the next town over from mine. I however, live in a valley (the sunrise and sunset really are different in the valleys) and they live over the mountain and in a higher elevation. The idea that they only live about eight miles from me and our weather is so different at times, astounds me. It is usually a little warmer at my place, the snow isn't quite so bad (they get a little more) and the ice sticks to the trees better up there.

I took these pictures last Sunday. When I was arriving, the scene before me was almost unbelievable. Not a bit of any color was visible, only white and a faded blue in the sky. It literally looked like God shook a sugar shaker overhead and it stayed where it landed. Every tree, from trunk to twig was perfectly cast in white...like they were spray painted. An hour or two later, when I left and was able to get these pictures, the ice/frost had begun to melt...just a little.

I'm lovin' taking winter pictures this year (I use them for research/reference for painting). They all look like I took them black and white or photo shopped them...I swear, the only thing I did was crop and lighten up the background a little. The top/first picture is my favorite. The only color is the little red barn in the center of a vast blanket of white. I hope you enjoyed this journey!

I won, I won!

While I was out of town visiting my sister and her family during Christmas week, I got an email. The email was notice that I won a drawing! Now, I have to say, I NEVER win anything...so this came as a huge surprise. Gio of "Decorator to the Stars" sent my package right away and I LOVE IT! I've been eyeing those Junk Diva necklaces for a while and the tote is the perfect size to carry things back and forth from the office. THANK YOU Gio!

Happy Birthday...to my sister...

Happy Birthday to you! Yep, that means you Wendy...
My sister is celebrating her birthday today... please send good thoughts her way...

My sister and family the day after Christmas.

Believe it or not, we were out shopping!

Serenity Sunday...week 36

...from KBHR, the heart and soul of Cicely, Alaska. This is Chris In The Morning...

Time for the weather report. It's cold out folks. Bonecrushing cold. The kind of cold which will wrench the spirit out of a young man, or forge it into steel.

Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider,

Northern Exposure, Episode: Lost and Found, 1992

***and so it goes folks...IT IS COLD OUTSIDE...-5* as I write this...it will go up as the day goes on, but only to about 21* today (windchill will make it feel only half of that). We look forward to a little sunshine amidst that snowflurries...only a few flurries...they say...*** Tami......reporting from Syracuse (Jamesville), NY

Snoooowww Stormmmm...Brrrrr!

Scenes from South Street early this afternoon. I just came in from shoveling and it's over my knees! When I took these pictures, it was just about 6 inches and still snowing. It was cold...a mere 12* at my house and the wind was howling...wind chills were about -2 all day. Tonight calls for another 6 or so inches. Needless to say...it was a perfect day to stay inside, watch a movie or two and putter. Believe it or not...none of the pictures were black & white, it's just the way it looked this afternoon. I think they turned out fine!

Serenity Sunday...week 35

Your Merry Christmas may depend on what others do for you. But your Happy New Year depends on what you do for others.

Anonymous

HAPPY (belated) New Year!

Happy New Year!

I've been out of town visiting with my sister and family in Avon, Ohio. Well. I did return on Wednesday, but have been busy ever since. I went into the office on Thursday and yesterday I worked around the house. My plan today is to continue yesterday's work. I have some pictures from my trip to show you later. I had a wonderful time!

I don't ever make resolutions...not seriously anyway (can a resolution to win the Lottery really be taken seriously?), but try to think about what I should do to improve my life. It's not an easy task. So, I'll just leave it like this...I'll try not to make bad decisions, I'll try to improve my health and save some extra money. After all, you cannot make a lot of promises to yourself that are impossible to keep...you have to be able to trust yourself.

So, anyway...my wishes for myself aside, I hope the new year brings happiness, health and wealth to you my friends...

All the best to you! Tami