Dancin’ With the Stars!

New Dance Class this morning at the YMCA—here are some photos of the ‘stars’ dancing!

 

Bellevue YMCA, Studio 1, Tuesday mornings at 7:30 a.m.!

COME JOIN US!

Buddy the Elf’s Home!

“Okay, okay, you’re at the top of the stairs, so turn left, turn left!” Jabber directed……..we were at the top of the stairs, in NEW YORK CITY!

  “See?  It’s the Rocky-Fella Plaza Tree!” Jabber ‘splained.

So we turned left…….and went through THE LINCOLN TUNNEL………

And then, we went through the Swirly, Twirly Gumdrops……

We knew we were going in the right direction ‘cause of the sign posted:

NORTH POLE!

And then, we came to the Seven Layers of the Candy Cane Forest!

Dazzling!  The Seven Layers of the

Candy Cane Forest

 

“Yes!  See how each tree grows a different kind of candy cane?  The blue ones and the pink ones and the green ones and the yellow ones and, ‘course, the regular red and white ones?” said Jabber, explaining the whole forest………

             

“An’ a picture of Father Elf, there…see?  That’s Buddy’s Dad at the North Pole.  He raised him, but Buddy left on a ‘venture’ to find his REAL Dad in New York City!” Jabber further explained the whole environment…

And here is Buddy’s room.  His little table and chairs all set up for his favorite meal:  spaghetti with syrup!

“The Elf ladder soes he can get up on the great big bed.  ‘Course,, Buddy, being HUMAN, would have no problem getting’ into this bed, but an Elf would!”

“There is Buddy’s bed!  See his Elf hat on the left and the reindeer antlers in the middle and the sock on the right?  I think the Antlers are Rudolph’s—he sometimes takes ‘em off, for a rest.” Jabber declared, rather matter-of-factly just like she was quite familiar with reindeer habits.  And elf habits, come to think of it.

“An, there!  There is the REAL Elf tree!  There are Elves on it!”

Such an adventure we had going to the North Pole and seeing all the sights.  I took another look at the Candy Cane Forest.  I didn’t know that candy canes grew this way!  Did you?

Beauty Parlor, Restaurant, Cleaning Establishment, etc., etc., etc.

Okay, okay, I know you all think I live the MOST

glamorous life, admit it now—the MOST GLAMOROUS LIFE!

Oh yes indeedy!  And to prove it, let me show you what was

going on today at my house:

 

Beauty Salon, four clients

In the living room, a consultation……….

Another client waiting her turn at the beauty salon

Rock and gem collection in dining area…….

 

Yep, beauty salon continuing—with a break from the cleaning by the ‘staff’………….

In the living room, the gem and precious rock show is over and the piano is now being used for both entertainment and enjoyment.  I think it is called “Heart and Soul”……….

Meanwhile………………..

Searching for the North Pole

“Well………you gotta’ go up the stairs first, ‘course, and then you run into New York…….” directed Jabberwocky.

“See!  There is the tree at Rocky-fella Plaza!” she declared………

“Extra!  Extra” Read All About It!  This gold tree is

made out of NEWSPAPER!”

  

Well, yes, of course!  We have found New York!

“An next, you’re gonna’ see Central Park with the Poodles……hanging around…….”

 

 

Yep, there is one hanging around!

 

“Poodles on Parade in Central Park”

“An some other types of doggies, too…..”

Oh, good!  A sign telling us which way to go…….

We are going in the right direction for sure! 

“You lookin’ for Buddy the Elf from the movie?” Jabber had figured it out…….”Keep goin’ and you’ll find him, but you gotta’ go through the Lincoln Tunnel and the swirly twirly gumdrops and the Seven Layers of the Candy Cane Forest first, ‘fore you find his place.”

So we shall proceed and I will report!

 

Moon Shot!

During this busy season, take time to ‘smell the roses’ or look at the moon!  Life is full of beauty………..

 

The moon was beautiful last night through the trees.  I took a picture of it and the lights from the neighbors’ house.

Addendum

Forgot to add these pictures for the Snowman tree!

What happened was……….

Racer Daughter decided I should make a Snowman Tree.  Of course she did.  Not that SHE should make one.  Oh no!  I should make one.   I always try to be accommodating……….

The tree was $5 at a yard sale.  Missing one foot at the bottom, so, of course, I chopped off all the plastic at the base and stuck it in an umbrella stand used, during the summer, for outdoor umbrellas. 

(Hint here:  it took a lot of choppin’ to get that plastic off!  Do this in the warm weather.  When you decide to make said Snowman tree.  Do not wait until October when it’s raining and you have to sit down on concrete and hammer and chisel off the unnecessary plastic which takes HOURS…………)

So, then, find a HUGE plastic ornament ball at a yard sale.  Maybe in a bag with a bunch of others…..for about $5 total for the bunch.   At the time, you do not have to know what you’re going to do with them.  You’ll think of something. 

I did.

Have someone (Baker, of course) drill holes in a circle and then saw out the entire circle so you can stick the head on.  If you do not have a “Baker” friend, you are outta’ luck here, Weeders.  MAKE A FRIEND who can do this sort of thing.  And doesn’t think you are completely nuts.

Spray paint the ball.  White.

Find some felt scraps in black and orange and fashion eyes, nose and mouth—glue ‘em on the now-dry painted ball. 

Locate some old women’s boots—oh, alright weeders!—they can be any kind of boots–and fill them with newspaper so they’ll stand up on their own.  Find a top hat (I had it because, as my friends, family and TMWLH will attest, somewhere in the attic I’ve got about anything you can think of and you usually do, family, friends, but not so much TMWLH) and take your only long, red scarf which you were going to actually WEAR during  the holidays and drape that around the ‘neck’ of said snowman. 

(Next:  Revise your wardrobe for the holidays—this may be an excuse to buy ANOTHER scarf or accessory you’ll actually like better, I don’t know……yet…….) 

Stick on some Styrofoam balls spray painted black and add some sticks for arms and voila!  SNOWMAN TREE.

Actually, I didn’t include some steps here—like the one where Racer Daughter comes by and rearranges said Snowman’s arms and puts in some different sticks and removes one top hat and puts on another and announces this Snowman is a little, well, sort of a little bit transvestity what with his saucy top hat and women’s boots and just his expression—and I suppose he/she is.  But it’s a SNOWMAN Tree for heaven’s sake!

So, you’ll all just have to adjust your own Snowman Tree as you see fit.  Actually, he/she does sort of take on his own personality……….

Snowman Tree

 

“That is NOT a Snowman Tree!” Jabberwocky declared, continuing, “It’s a normal looking, semi-Christmasy bed in a normal-looking guest bedroom.  Show ‘em more……….”

Okay, alright………….

On the bed,

pillows…..                                                                                                                                                                    yes, yes, with snowmen of course……                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 And a throw with Santa and reindeer:

Above, the bedroom dresser has snowmen and a description of the Snowman Tree……….

And the description says,

“I don’t know.  He just showed up after I purchased some items at a yard sale.”

There!  Snowman Tree!

JOY!

“Joy to the world!…….” Jabberwocky declared and began singing the carol.  She does this every time she goes into the guest bathroom—or the “French” bathroom as she dubs it. 

Because, of course, Joy lives in there.  No, she is NOT actually a Christmas tree.  She’s just sort of……”Christmas-y”………….

What?  You don’t recognize a  “French maid” when you see one?   What’s wrong with you people! 

“Hello, my name is Joy!  I am the Guest Bathroom French Maid and a ‘found’ new friend, with an old Vogue pattern on my torso, removable head, and holiday clothing.  I try to lend a bit of holiday cheer to the Guest Bathroom.  Please, no tips!  (If you find me a bit strange, please understand there was some assembly required.)”

No, no.  In answer to your question, I don’t have a French maid ALL the time.  Just for this holiday season. 

Well, of course, I KNOW some people DO have a bathroom maid all the time, just not me. 

Because! 

Just because—I mean, she would require constant monitoring, you know.  I don’t have the time for all that………….Oh, for heaven’s sake! Read on………….

Joy has a history, of course.  Her torso came from the state of New York—Buffalo, I believe.  She came to me via Girlfriend who found her at a yard sale, sans head.  Girlfriend talked hubby into transporting her torso, in the back seat of their vehicle, from New York to Tennessee.  And then she delivered Joy to me.

She was not only sans head (NO! Not Girlfriend!  Joy!  Joy was sans head.  Which was located at another yard sale.  For a quarter…….)  Sans much of anything, actually.  Except a very long neck. 

So we remedied her minor flaws to the best of our ability:  she had a neckectomy, performed free of charge by Dr. Baker (you do recall Baker don’t you?—a man of many talents!)  Her torso was covered in an old Vogue pattern with decoupage.  We found her a cute little Christmasy skirt at a yard sale.  And I made her an apron and some cover-up clothing out of miscellaneous fabric lying around.  Oh, yes, and Girlfriend found her a bra, which she definitely needed.  (Joy.  Joy needed the bra.  Just to be clear here…….)

Her feather duster arrived via CCQ daughter’s request for said duster from a client of hers—the conversation went like this:

“I see you have a feather duster in your closet you don’t use,” CCQ Daughter said to client.

“Yes, I do.”

CCQ Daughter:  “Could I have it please?”

Client:  “Yes, but what will you do with it?”

CCQ Daughter:  “Well, my mother needs it for her French maid in the French bathroom for Christmas.”

Client:  “Huh?  Your mother needs it for……why does your mother have a French maid in her bathroom?”

CCQ Daughter:  “Well, you see, it’s for Christmas.  It’s a French bathroom and…….”

Client:  “What’s a French bathroom?”

CCQ Daughter:  “It’s for the holidays and she’s putting a French maid in the bathroom and the bathroom is French…..”

Client, getting more and more perplexed:  “So you want a feather duster for a French maid in a French bathroom, but just for the holidays?”

CCQ Daughter:  “Um hummm” 

And CCQ Daughter left Client’s house with Client still confused.  CCQ Daughter had the feather duster and now Joy has the feather duster and so everyone is happy.  Except, perhaps said Client.  I don’t know.

I digress…

“You do digress.  Go on, show ‘em some more pics……” Jabberwocky chided me.

Joy was named by Girlfriend.  “Joy” was Girlfriend’s mother’s name—and her Mom was with her when “Joy” was found, so naturally………her name is “Joy”!

On the opposite wall,

  Yes, yes.  Aren’t I clever putting a towel with the word, “Joy” on it across from “Joy.”  It’s just a very ‘joyous’ place, that’s all I can say…………(okay, you want the truth.  I didn’t even notice the connection until just now when I was putting up pictures and writing this post.  So I’m really not as clever as you thought, now, am I?)

 

Oh.  And it’s very French, too—see the French picture above and the French Wallpaper?  And I just love these little hooks—a metal hanger and hook structure.  Oh, well, I know—it’s not really FRENCH, but, oh gimme a break here, weeders!

Oh……..and something else quite French:  the nightlight, a gift from Sosew and Hubby.  Hubby drank the wine in the bottle for Sosew to use for the French night-light.  How clever of them!

“Menage a Trois” is the name on the bottle.  It’s French, you see, and…….oh nevermind………….

Anyway, Sosew’s hubby reported it was wonderful to assist in this project.  And I love it!

And Joy seems very happy in her position as French maid.  Even for just one season…………..

Cooking Bears Tree

This is the kitchen tree with the cooking bears:

Nestled in a corner of the kitchen’s sunny bay window.

“The cooking bears have come out of hibernation in the attic to cook up some holiday cheer.  They have been joined by the pesky Pandas who have migrated from the bathroom into the kitchen, looking for something other than bamboo to consume.   And then there is the question of the Polar Bears.  Where did they come from?  An ice float which melted?”

(Last year, the “pesky Pandas” took over the bathroom which had recently been remodeled with bamboo flooring.  A friend had jokingly remarked, “Aren’t you worried about pandas?” so, of course, I had to DO a panda tree in the bathroom……….)  See them here:

http://harpethview.com/2012/12/19/christmas-pandas-yes/

Back to the Cooking Bears Tree:

 

I always enjoy my kitchen ornaments, many collected over the years from sales. 

The top of the tree:

On top of the baker’s rack, a gingerbread house from a couple of years ago:

 

The chandelier with bows and red cardinals coordinates with the other decorations in the kitchen.

Christmas Trees are for the Birds

“Not all of ‘em!” Jabber ‘sclaimed.  “Some of ‘em aren’t, but this one is………..”

Yes, this is a bird-themed, bird-decorated Christmas tree—located in our master bedroom.  It’s not a really tall or wide tree, but works very well in this corner.  A variety of feathered birds collected over the years and peacock and other feathers embellish this tree.  On top I placed a bird cage.

Another bird cage in the room:

A small bird eating sunflower seeds out of a cup—a gift from one of my friends (it says “Montreal” at the bottom of the cup):

A larger bird peers from the door of the cage at the one eating birdseed.  Note the large ‘egg’ inside the cage!

                                         

Perched on the curtain above the chair:

On the dresser, a small feather tree:

and on the lampshade above this feather tree:

                                                

The tree lit up at night:

“Yes!  I ‘gree!  Christmas trees ARE for the birds!” Jabberwocky said, shaking her head in agreement.