FREE Vintage Image Thursday and a Happy New Year

I love this image. I wanted to share it with you all. I do hope you will have fun using it in your art works. You may sell the art work you use it in but please do not sell the image, itself. Have fun creating and if you feel so inclined, please stop back and leave a link to your art work, for all of us to enjoy. Here's wishing all of you a safe and Happy New Year, full of love, happiness, wealth and good health. Be safe! Cheers! 2010, here we come!

FREE Vintage Image Thursday

This lovely lady was my husband's grandmother. Isn't she gorgeous? The first is of her in 1903 as a baby and the second at age 16 . Two images for you this week. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all of you! A great big hug is being sent your way. Use these images in your artwork for sale or not but please do not sell these images themselves. Enjoy!

Holly Jolly

Hope you are having a Holly Jolly Christmas! We have just completed our shopping. Yay! Next year my goal is to have it finished by the end of November or the first week of December. We now have to bake and decorate the tree. Yes, we still need to do that. It is hard to find the time when we are all available. We will make the time tonight, no ifs ands or buts about it. We have 4 or 5" of new fallen snow and the sun is shining. It is a pretty sight to see. I have a few more packages to wrap and something to assemble. Can't say what, in case someone's eyes should see this. So sending warm wishes your way for a wonderful holiday. Enjoy your time with family and friends and I hope your home is full of love and laughter!

FREE Vintage Image Thursday

Click on the photo to enlarge, then right click and save image. You may use this image in any artwork for sale or not, but please do not sell this image, itself. Thank you and enjoy! I would love to share any artwork you create using any of the images here. We all love eye candy!

Surprise Mail

This sweet surprise ATC came in the mail last week on a day when I was ready to scream at work, so it brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart when I came home and found this little hug in the mail from the lovely Joy of Joy to the Blog. Thank you sweet friend! You are a blessing to me.

Lynn Stevens of Trash to Treasure Art had a Blogaversary party on her blog in Novemeber and sent me a surprise. Here she is in all her glory. Such pretty colored beads. Thank you, Lynn!

Imagination Mixed-media Piece

This week's challenge at Inspiration Avenue was "Imagination". This is my take on it. All sorts of wonderful thoughts and visions escaping into realism. This will be for sale in my etsy shop later this afternoon. Next week's challenge is "Hidden". Sounds like fun, huh?! Come play with us. It's fun! Enjoy your day!

Everything's all White

We still have snow on the ground. We have about 1" of ice underneath so I expect we will have it around for awhile. It looks so pretty on the trees, doesn't it? We are keeping warm and cozy with throws, sweaters and slippers. Tomorrow we will decorate our tree and Alex and I may do some baking. Chris's (our soon to be 25 yr. old son) birthday is this coming weekend and we are going to  slip a homemade cake into a round cookie tin and send him some frosting and a few candles, as he lives in NC. That way he can celebrate it with his roommates. Have to send it out Monday as the post office said Weds. is the last day to ship to make it on time for Christmas.

FREE Vintage Image Thursday

Here is your vintage image to use at will. All I ask is that you do not sell the image, itself. You may sell any art using this image. Have fun! 

My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Well, I had an awful day at work today and I felt like this little fella, Alexander. I just typed an entire paragraph describing it and realized that this is not the place for me to vent. I do not want to have any negativity here. It is art and Inspiration, so I am chilling a bottle of my favorite wine so I can relax and decompress. A bubble bath sounded so good all day but I am too tired to run one, so I am in my pj's at 4:57p and not going anywhere. I need to get copies of some photos to add to my Christmas cards for family members and, then package up 3 boxes of Christmas gifts and pop them in the mail and then return something to Kohls and you know what? I am not going to do a single one of them. Nope. I am going to get off of the computer, drink my wine, ask hubby to order a pizza or sandwiches and watch House Hunters International until he asks me to watch something else. That's it. No house work, no preparing dinner, nothing. Zip, zilch, nada. I am going to relax, period. 

If I could, I would have a huge cocktail party for all of you and we would dress in our holiday finery and laugh and tell stories and be our silly selves. Simple and elegant. How about you? I am blowing a kiss to you all. Muah!

Our perfect Christmas Tree

So off you go to cut your own perfect Christmas tree. Over the hills and along the snow strewn paths, hunting for one tall enough, with full enough branches, one that can hold up to your ornaments and has the perfect shape. Glad I am not a Christmas tree being sized up and passed up. Sheesh the pressure. lol

 So off we went cart and saw in tow...searching...
And there she was...someone had already shook off the snow and passed her by. Our daughter wanted that one. It was 10' tall. My husband, Jack in the foreground is 6'. Our ceiling is only 8' so we have a lot of pine boughs to decorate with.
30 degrees and my daughter is in 2 sweaters and a cami. What the heck was she thinking? Brrrr...She got her tree though.
Here she is at home. We had to cut off the foot high top branch and a foot off of the bottom and she just fits. Guess I'll be making one of those huge bows for the top, this year. Have to find the perfect ribbon now. What? Another reason to shop? Me? Nooo...;D

Peaches and Cream Challenge

Peaches and Cream Photo submission for Inspiration Avenue's Weekly Challenge. I found this lovely Camellia outside of my BIL's home on Thanksgiving. Made me miss my own when I lived in NC. They are blooming when most other plants are dormant. Isn't it gorgeous?!  We are going to the tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree today and decorate. Should be fun as there is snow on the ground and hot cider to be sipped and the challenge of finding our perfect tree. Hugs to all! Enjoy your Sunday!

Christmas is in the air Blog Party

Bella Dreams is hostessing a Christmas Decor Blog Party. Click HERE to see many more parties. Happy Holidays!