Happily Ever After

I don't remember where I saw this....but this quote made me chuckle this morning. And it made me chuckle because I knew it would ring true!

"This New Year's Eve is looking very living roomish."

It's New Year's Eve....the last day of 2024. But it was really just another day. Another day puttering and tending the things that are right in front of me...and another day embracing bits of joy. And much of that joy was right in the living room-ish hanging out...chatting and playing games with Paul. (cribbage, backgammon, and dominoes)

Happy New Year! I'm hopeful for lots of joyful puttering in 2025!

Twila and Hank got a second coat of zinc white paint....and they found a home in my art journal.  I think they'll live happily ever after there. 

There's room along one edge for a quote or some other snippet....but that's another day. And it just dawned on me as I write this that what's going in that spot is "Happily Ever After!"

There's only a hand full of pages to fill in this journal....maybe as I clean up my studio I'll find other things that need a happily ever after home too in 2025.

Twila and Hank

Meet Twila and Hank. Aren't those great names! Margie had a LOT of photos. Vintage ones and not so vintage ones. 

She saved every photo Christmas card and every photo that came in a Christmas card. She saved all the photos Paul and I sent of the boys growing up....and every other photo that came into her life. And Clarke and I went through all of them. We sorted and tossed...and we both pulled out ones we wanted and ones other family  members might want.  

AND....I kept all the vintage photos of people we didn't know for art and crafting. I couldn't bare to put them in the trash...so I might as well play with them.

I didn't do that great of a job on the background.....but it just occurred to me as I am writing this that I could paint over it and start over. Or not. 

Mostly I wanted to experiment with a little embroidery....and I think it turned out OK. For the next one I'll back the photo with stabilizer...because poking a lot of holes too close together on paper just makes bigger holes. It would also help to use a smaller needle. French knots worked pretty well....and I especially love Hank's boutonniere with just three little simple knots.

As I was writing this....the background was bothering me more and more. 

So I just went upstairs and put a quick coat of transparent zinc white paint over the background....and it's already so much better! It knocked down both the aqua...and the black. I may put a second coat on tomorrow and tuck this one in my art journal. 

I have a plethora of photos to play with....so bring on the stitching and doodling! 

And this one is a keeper....Margie's 2nd grade class when she was a teacher.

Joyful Thing!

I volunteered at Maine Needs this afternoon.....and every single order had a request for winter coats. And from 2T....to XL mens....they had what I was looking for. 

I mostly shopped for men....and it felt so good to find exactly what someone has requested. I was thrilled when I found this brand new XL Columbia vest! It was a joyful thing.

The last few times I've gone there were very few men's sweatshirts. 

But a huge supply of mens hoodies and zip-ups were donated....so it was almost like shopping in a store. It was a joyful thing.

Maine Needs is moving to a much needed larger location in March....and not a moment too soon.  

This is just the corner of filled requests for those with last names from A-C. The whole room is overflowing with bags for the rest of the alphabet....ready to go out into the community.

It's a joyful thing!

Peek-A-Boo

I thought I would share a little Christmas present I made for Max. Max is the almost two year old of my dear goddaughter Emily. He's such a sweet little boy.

Paul and I often check out the free little libraries on our walks and I picked up a peek-a-boo zoo board book a few months ago. The minute I saw it I knew I was going to alter it for Max.

It's what was in my little woven package I wrote about a few weeks ago. 

There were five peek-a-boo pages....and working on it during the focused and somewhat heavy time after Margie's death was good therapy for me. It got me out of my head and emotions and into something simple and creative. (If you are reading this in an email and the photos are oversized and distorted I recommend you link to the blog by clicking on the title.)

I didn't take any before photos...but each page featured an animal that you could peek behind the wings....or arms...or feathers or something. I altered/covered parts of all the pages.

Hand Project

The sunrise over the pond always makes me pause.

"May you find bold, unbridled joy in a thousand little ways you didn't expect."

Morgan Harper Nichols

Kelly has a little Christmas tree at her apartment that she and Sam decorated with shells and sand dollars...and other nature finds. 

I made her a tiny felt tree with some tiny beach finds underneath including a few teeny sand dollars I found at Popham Beach.

It was the perfect evening hand project.

And I will admit that I found a little unbridled joy making these flat bottomed mini bags. I repositioned the handles on one to became a mini version of the larger Trader Joe's grocery bag...which held Kelly's tiny tree. For the small stand up bag I folded over the top and instead of securing it with string through the holes...I inserted a stick. 

I referenced this video tutorial for the folding technique for the flat bottom...and it worked perfectly. The brown bag paper was a little thick for crisp side folds...but that would work well with thinner paper.

Here is a photo of the Crafty Cottage bag from the link above. I'm going to try it with different papers including gelli prints and I do love the book pages.

Day After

I kind of like the day after Christmas. The big events and celebrations are mostly over and you just get to sit back and put your feet up if you want to....eat leftovers and maybe...just maybe tackle a few things you might have been putting off. 

But my niece Clarke came for the day and is staying over....and she helped me go through the rest of Margie's things...mostly the massive collections of photos and precious papers. It was a big project I had been putting off....and doing it with Clarke made it just a delight.

It was the perfect way to spend the day after! 

Glow

Merry Christmas evening! All is calm....all is bright.

I'm basking in the glow of a wonderful day with Nate, Sam, and Kelly. 

A Christmas puzzle done...and a beautiful Christmas gift from Marita waiting in the wings!  (All that orange looks challenging!)

Christmas Day marks the official end to the Advent season. But let's keep hope, peace, joy and love in our hearts all year long! 

Labor of Love!

Merry Christmas Eve! We got a dusting of snow this morning....so we're going to have a white Christmas after all! 

Paul was gifted this colorful star made from the old church stained glass windows from the Blue Point Congregational Church.

It's was labor of love....and a wonderful symbol of the season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Roseanne sent me this article from The New York Times: How Babies Teach us to be Human. It's about babies and advent...and it's about LOVE...and it's worth a read!

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/opinion/christmas-story-child-born.html?unlocked_article_code=1.j04.qUX9.37s4TWhfxxyW&smid=em-share

People We Love

I'm not sure where I found this quote...but it made me smile. It's so true!

As a grown-up I've learned that all the "Christmas magic" I felt as a kid was really just parents who loved me so damn much.

One of the definitions for love is a having a deep interest or affection for something or someone. So much of the business magic of Christmas is doing special things for people we love. Today I enjoyed doing a little baking....a little creating....and even a little cleaning for people I love. 

I haven't had a lot of art time for in a while...and the few handmade projects I did for Christmas reminded me how much I love making things with my hands.

I made this tiny matchbox accordion book of sun prints for Kelly, Sam's girlfriend. It's what was in the little woven TJ's pouch from yesterday. Kelly is an artist so I'm hoping she will appreciate my little project. I'm really enjoying having her as part of our family.

I painted the matchbox prussian blue and wrapped it in a print. I used a tissue sunprint to cover the front and back covers of the book and cut little abstract thumbnails for the inside pages. I filled the front and back of the accordion.

It was too cold to stand in the backyard to take a photo in the natural light....and the light in front of the dining room window was the best. And that gives me a chance to celebrate my foxtail fern. It thrives outside in the summer...but it's doing pretty well inside too. You know a plant is healthy and happy when it throws out new shoots! 

And there are little berries here and there that go from green to red. Perfect for Christmas!

Love

It's the 4th Sunday of Advent....leading into the week of LOVE. Love is one of those words that gets used often...and in so many different ways. Let's see where love takes me this week of Christmas.

It was perfect timing for this quote  to float came across my screen this morning. I do think love is part of the the answer to almost every question. 

I'm still having fun wrapping my gifts in the Trader Joe's bags. I made a series of three little pouches today for some small things for Sam. I LOVE that I haven't bought any wrapping paper this year! But I will admit that the last time I went to Trader Joe's I did buy a few extra bags at 5 cents each. 

I stitched around three sides...folded over the top...punched a couple holes and closed them up with string. They're so sturdy so they can be reused! I LOVE that! 

And I weaved a small pouch for a gift for his girlfriend Kelly. I may give you a peak at that tomorrow. 

Lights

Today is the winter solstice....the day with the fewest hours of light. But at that very moment of the most darkness...the shift happens....and light starts to return again. The light always returns.

Today I'm finding joy in the lights. This tiny fiber optic tree was a gift from Becky....and one of my favorites little objects. I can plug the USB into my computer and enjoy it while I'm write. 

The lights....in the darkness bring me joy.

Connecting

Today I found joy in connections....via text...email...blog comments...Christmas cards....and face to face. 

I had a good long phone conversation this morning with Becky....and she's the one who gave me this little JOY on my tree.

And I just got off the phone with my son Sam. We talked...we laughed...we cried....and we connected in just the way a mother and son needed to.

Connections = Joy!

Felt Good

"When you choose joy you feel good & when you feel good you do good & when you do good it reminds others of what joy feels like & it just might inspire them to do the same." Linda Williamson

I dropped off some of Paul's chili on Marita's doorstep today....and that felt good. She's a busy high school English teacher...and deserved dinner tonight. That's what joy feels like sometimes.

We've had some mild temperatures lately making it nice to get outside....and I found some seasonal color in the winter landscape.

The JOY Santa was a gift from Paul...and one of my favorite Christmas decorations. 

Attitude

Today was mostly a chore and errand day....and I was mindful about having a good attitude all day long. I remember hearing one time that rather than thinking I have to do something....your mood will shift if you think I get to do this. Having a good attitude makes joy possible.....even when doing tedious paperwork or standing in line at a store.

I can't write about joy this week without celebrating our regular guests for happy hour. No matter how busy a day is...Paul and I continue to pause at 4:00 and gather for for conversation....a game of cribbage....or just to sit quietly and enjoy the Christmas lights. And recently.....and almost without fail...a flock of doves gather at the birdbath by 4:10....and a doe or two wander through the backyard foraging for food. 

My visual isn't very good...but if I try to get closer to the door the doves fly away. And if you look just behind the trees you can see one doe.

We move the bath near the patio in the winter and add a little heater and we have regular birds including bluebirds all winter long. 

A positive attitude....and regular happy hour guests = Joy!

Extra-Ordinary Joy

I found joy in an ordinary task today. And as a nod to artist Lynn Giunta...I'm going to call it extraordinary joy! It may actually be just extra-ordinary....but that's good too!

Lynn Giunta

Some of you may remember that I am a bit particular about my tissue boxes. When I find one I like...I stock up. I wrote about one of my favorites here:

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2016/11/its-little-things.html

I keep a box on the kitchen counter....and the colors and design are just perfect. I have yet to find a design I like better.

So on a tip from Martha's mom....I've been refilling the box.

I've refilled this same box for a couple years now. I do have more in the closet...but I'm going to use this one as long as I can. Because it sits near the stove....it does get splattered...but I give it a little wipe down when I refill. It works like a charm.

It's was moment of extra ordinary Joy!

Good as new!

And the new puzzle is done!

And I'm sorting the pieces in my album boxes for the next one. 

I've done this ornament puzzle several times....it's a favorite! 

It was an extra-ordinary joy-filled day!