Replaced...Finally

A couple of years ago our microwave hit the dust.

With a few clicks and a little plastic...

Two days later a big cardboard box containing this beauty landed on my porch:

So nice to be back in the microwave groove

BTW...I love Amazon! You surely can't beat their $$$'s...with free shipping (thanks to Dan), no sales tax, hassle-free, and car-free (save on gas) shopping.

Look What is Still In the Trees

I can't believe it is December 1st...
Time to hang up the advent calendar
The one I made over 30 years ago
And the one I hang every Christmas season

Speaking of Christmas season
Check out what is still clinging to the trees around here:

The view from the window at my office overlooking of the Chinese Pistache trees in the parking lot 

The maple tree outside my front door

Can you believe it? LEAVES.
Most of the county's deciduous trees were denuded long ago.
Not here...albeit the leaves are falling fast with this swirling wind.
This is what I stepped on outside my front door this morning:

Don't you just love this mixed up season...fall/winter???!!!

A Foggy Morning

Early this morning, I looked out the window and saw that my yard was blanketed in fog...It was so tempting to pull the covers back over my head and go back to sleep...Enticing as it was.. I prevailed and headed off to the gym. 

Check out the view I gave my car while I went inside to move my bod:

I love the fog...especially when you can stay home in your flannels and read..or just plain veg...

Unfortunately, I must be on my way to work.

It Is Now Official

For some, Christmas season starts the minute they put their fork down after stuffing themselves with turkey on Thanksgiving and they race to stand in line for the midnight opening of their favorite big box store.

For me, Christmas really does not begin until Sunday night where our town has their annual Festival of Lights Parade

The Shoes came with us...this is little Shoe's first parade..

isn't that shark hat a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e?

There were motorcylces pulling trailers topped with snowmen

Choo Choo trains festooned with lights galore...

And more trains..

There were high school bands, and fairy tale characters, and dancers, and butterflies,

 all lit up with colorful lights.

The most important float of all was Santa and his eight reindeer

The 2011 season is official now.

Giving Thanks

Thankful for such deelish food

Thankful for my dear parents

So thankful for this sweet babe

Thankful for my family

And thankful for such scrumptious pie

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

A Jungle Themed Baby Shower

When I found out one my friends was pregnant with her first baby boy

I asked her if I could throw her a baby shower

She was planning to decorate her nursery with a jungle motif..

So I decided to go with the wild animal theme.

Since the invitation sets the tone of your party

I  created something a bit different:

(those are wild animal squishy balls  inside the cellophane spotted bags)

I put the word out to my sisters to go on the hunt for jungle stuff...
And Gayle sent me the cute vintage giraffe and lion ceramic vases

 and the glittery "BABY" sign:

I served "Monkey Banana Cream Pie"

And had a treat bar with "Cheesey Cheetos", "Gummy Grizzley Bears", and "Wild Animal Cookies",

I had monkeys swinging from the rope "streamers" and hanging vines

My friend Lisa collects Noah's arks...

and she let me dock two very cool arks and all the animals at my house for the night.

Martha made the cute signs for the treats and desserts

 (she attached the signs to vintage wooden elephants )

I also placed a ferocious lion to guard the piranha gold fish treats...

A collection of Stieff bears enjoyed the festivities  too

as they sat atop of the buffet

What a fun evening with these lovely ladies ....

Can you find our soon to be mama?  (Hint:  her name is Tracy)

Tracy

Alfred Hitchcock's Birds Stopped By This Morning

I heard some racket outside my bedroom this morning

A major war of the birds was going on

Must have been at least 75 crows 

Perched and flying between three trees

The Monterrey pine and two redwoods 

It went on and on...

I wonder what they were crowing about....