HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!

I can start 2015 the same way I started 2014 disappointed that my lottery numbers weren't drawn, but hey, if you don't play you can't win so I will keep playing and look forward to my day.

2014 is coming to a close and I know I haven't posted much on this blog the last few months, but I have been quite busy.  As you know I enjoy making most of my Christmas gifts and 99% of those gifts have to go out in the mail.  This year I started early and finished early which left me with lots of time to enjoy the holidays.  I did have to make myself some party outfits and I seldom do that for myself so it was quite a treat and now that my party season has come to an end I have started my New Year's tradition of taking a box to each room to fill for the donation center.  I am quite pleased with myself this year as I don't have much to donate which means I didn't bring much in this past year, which was one of my 2014 resolutions and one I will carry forward.

For 2015 I have been thinking about what my resolution was going to be and of course the first things that come to mind are the eating better, losing weight, etc, etc, etc, but those are everybody's resolutions and I wanted something different, so my 2015 resolution will be "to live better on less". 

I love making lemon drop martini's and have perfected the perfect "lemon drop" and although I only make a few a month and you are wondering what this has to do with my new years resolution, well it's the difference between "Smirnoff" or "Grey Goose".  See, using Smirnoff  makes a decent "lemon drop", but using Grey Goose makes the perfect "lemon drop".  Grey Goose Vodka costs almost 3 times what Smirnoff does, but I have learned over the years that if I don't waste my resources on having too much I can afford to have the "perfect".

My wish for the New Year is that everyone has all they need and only want for what they need !!!!!

I NEED HOSTESS GIFTS ?????

My thoughts this morning was on the month ahead and the planning of all the visiting and parties that will be taking place during the holiday season.  With all the planning came the idea that I needed some hostess gifts.  Whether I'm planning an overnight visit or attending a holiday party I like to take something to the hostess.  An easy idea is a bottle of wine, but then that is a normal idea and I like to think out of the box, so instead of hitting up the store for some bottles of wine, I hit up my stash of saved wine corks.

Added some beading supplies and spent the afternoon crafting the perfect hostess gifts.

Some fun little "wine cork" tree ornaments.  I will be wrapping the boxes with some pretty red ribbon and will be ready for all my holiday partying.

LET THE HOLIDAY SEASON BEGIN !!!!!!

I love the holidays, it's the time of year when you can just let your imagination go and allow your inner child to come out without anyone judging you.  When decorating for the holidays we all think snowmen, reindeer and Santa.  I have decorated with these things in the past, however I do limit the amount of decorating I do these days and I love making my own decorations and using unexpected finds. 

Remember some of my latest "junk" finds, an old worn pair of cowboy boots.

They have been sitting in my craft room since I brought them home, just waiting for a new use and alas, I have found a new use for at least one of them.

 

An unexpected wreath for my door that just screams HAPPY HOLIDAYS in a Montana way !!!!!

 

 

AWAY WE GO.....

We have all seen the movies and pictures of people loading up their belongings and heading west.  Sometimes I think the hubby was born in the wrong century, but his skill and love of the old west allows him to bring these images to life.  The most recent acquisition to the gallery is a beautiful "Conestoga Wagon".

 

 

Adding another gallery and the possibility of a few more art auctions in the coming year, he has been busy creating.