The Stone Rabbit

THE FUN OF SIMPLE PINKNESS

THE STONE RABBIT wants to show you one of the most popular items in our house!

It's hard to believe that this recycled  "simple PINKNESS" can provide. . .

 

so much fun!!!

Twiggy can spend hours playing "tug" with it or whacking it under footstools and chairs just so she can figure out how to retrieve it.

She and THE STONE RABBIT also like to play a game they call "How Fast Can  You Get the Pink Ring Off My Ear"! 

On that day, Twiggy set a record of 3.7 seconds!!!  

 

Frankie doesn't like that game . . .

especially when he's trying to take his Cat Nap!

 

Whitney would rather keep the Pinkness on her ear instead of having one of the others try to rip it off.   She says she always gets compliments on that little touch of color.  Twiggy agrees that it looks marvelous with her slick white coat, so she just lets her wear it. . . .  for  awhile!

The most fun comes when the rabbits and Twiggy decide to play together using the "simple PINKNESS" in a game they created over the winter. They are such a creative little group!

 

The game is called "Pass the Pink".   Actually, this game came about because of the interest our town has now grown in the sport of ice hockey.  We just recently opened an events center in Independence, Missouri,  and it is the home to our very own minor league ice hockey team called The Mavericks.

Anyway, the crew here in our house love to pretend they are skating on the ice rink. . . while passing their little pretend Pink Puck!

Here we go!  First Twiggy has the PINK circle and she passes it to . . .

 

WHITNEY!  

Whitney quickly stops the circle with her right front paw. . . . then fakes  back at Twiggy, but slyly shoots it at THE STONE RABBIT instead!

THE STONE RABBIT successfully stops the circle.  He tapped the Pink Puck back and forth between his front paws for just a bit then  sent it sailing to. . . . .

 

Twiggy!!!   What a stop. . . . I mean CATCH !

 

Unfortunately, the game ended there that day.  Twiggy wanted a little alone time with the circle of PINK! 

Sometimes she makes up her own rules.

 THE STONE RABBIT didn't care.  He knew that in a while, Twiggy would be back wanting to play   "How Fast Can  You Get the Pink Ring Off My Ear" again.

  He would be ready!

 

I hope YOU'RE ready for some Pink Saturday fun once again!  Our wonderful hostess Beverly has made certain there is a long list of folks waiting for you to visit just by going to her blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND! 

Have a wonderful Pink Saturday!

DANA

I'm LOST. Are you?

I am sooooo sad.

It's the last season for "LOST".   Oh, the agony.  I don't know how I will be able to go on once that show is over!!!

You see, I have loved LOST from its very first episode six years ago. 

The personalities of the plane crash survivors.  The strange white bear, the evil black smoke,  the weird "other" people on the island.   ALL of the odd stuff that occurred . . . .  and it was somehow all so connected. 

I was hooked.  They kept reeling me in year after year. . . even though I was totally "lost" most of the time as to what was actually going on in the episodes! 

Last night, a particularly cold evening had settled in, so I lit the fire.  THE STONE RABBIT, who was a little chilly too, joined me as we prepared to watch the weekly two hour event.  He's been a fan from the beginning, too.

  THANKFULLY, the first hour is devoted to showing us the episode that was on the previous week.

I need this second dose of the show because I have usually forgotten some of the events that actually did occur  the week before.   However,  the BEST part about seeing a replay of the previous show is. . . .

that the makers of LOST also include a little script that runs at the bottom of the screen.  This script "reminds" us of former connections, events and some times explanations about the story line we're watching.

   

I love this. . . because, for me, it does help clear things up a bit. 

For awhile. 

Then the second hour comes on. . . the new show. . . and when we reach the end of it I find that I am once again. . . .

          LOST!!!!! 

          But I love it!!!

 

 

DANA

IT'S ANOTHER FROZEN MONDAY!

With the sun shining brightly this morning, our frozen world springs to life in glistening beauty.

The "expanding"  pole is in the "down" position. . . waiting for it's icy case to melt so a flag can be attached and lifted high!  In the mean time, it too becomes part of our winter show.

 

Our young trees are decorated with little fingers of ice. . .

and the early buds are now tucked in frozen blankets.

  The spirea proudly display their snowy and frosty coats, while . . .

 

Big Boy keeps his winter watch without complaint.

Inside, Frankie, THE STONE RABBIT, and Twiggy enjoy the February spectacle from their warm and cozy spot.

So do I!

DANA 

POINTING OUT THE PINK!

When our little Grand Girl comes for a visit, I have lots of fun things waiting for her.   

In fact, almost as soon as she steps into the house, she's asking for one of the special treats she knows I keep in stock just for her. . . . yep, she wants a lollipop!

On this visit,  she had the chance to incorporate a little fine motor skills practice while enjoying some of her favorite activities.  The first involved dealing with a licked and wet lollipop that had been placed momentarily upon a paper towel.

   

Yes, those fine motor skills kicked in while holding a slim lollipop stick in the fingers of one hand and. . . .

carefully "picking" the stuck paper towel pieces off the lollipop with the fingers of the other hand!   She was a determined little gal.   She stuck with the task until every trace of paper towel had been removed. . . .then she finished her treat without putting it down again!

 

Our little Grand Girl loves to draw and color!  What a wonderful way to encourage the growth and development of fine motor skills!   Little fingers holding on to crayons and practicing making precious  figures like . . . .

 CIRCLES!! 

Those were not just any circles either! 

NO! 

Notice how those circles started off large. . . . then slowly became smaller and smaller!  That's a great deal of fine motor stuff going on!

 

Then, THE STONE RABBIT came forward to be of assistance in that evening's entertainment and fine motor skills practice.  He volunteered to be her subject for a picture she was going to draw.  

"Hold very still,"  she told him.  Then she proceeded to create her masterpiece.

LOOK at those rabbit ears she drew!

Yep, her fine motor skills are getting better and better !

THE STONE RABBIT was very pleased with  his portrait, too! 

He thought it made him look younger!

 

The skill of pointing with her index finger is something she's been very good at for a long time.  However,  that night it warmed my heart when I asked her to "point to a PINK flower" and. . . . . .

   

she did!!!!   What an  amazing child !

 

Our hostess for Pink Saturday is very amazing, too.  Even when dealing with her own health issues last week, she managed to have our Pink Saturday Event up and running in typical fine style!  Thank you, Beverly.

Now, please visit Beverly at, HOW SWEET THE SOUND. She will have a long list of bloggers with great PINKS to share with you!

Happy Pink Saturday! 

DANA

PAYING IT FORWARD. . . a little bit

As I was looking  through my photo files, I came across this series of pictures I took one day last fall. . . .right before Thanksgiving. 

On that particular day, I was realizing that my plants were starting to look a bit weather worn.    We hadn't really had a hard frost that affected them at that point, but they were starting to show signs of being finished for the season, and the frost that would eventually "do them in" wouldn't be too far off.

I especially hate it when my ferns start "to go".  They are such wonderful plants. . . . but so hard for me to winter in our house.    So each fall, I pitch them and buy four new ones come next spring.  I'm OK with buying them again. . . it just really bothers me to throw them away. 

That's when I came up with the idea of trying to give them away.

 

 I got a plastic trash bag and put it over the wire frame of an old political yard sign.  Then, with my magic marker, I wrote "FREE FERNS" on both sides.  Next, I put it at the corner up from us on our street.

I hauled my four ferns out to the end of our driveway and added another sign.

Not too much time had passed before I saw a car had pulled up and stopped  by the ferns.

A young lady got out, looked at them, then came up to our door and rang the doorbell.

When I answered it, she said, "Are those ferns really free?"  I told her they were.

The biggest smile crossed her face. . . . then she said,   "Oh, thank you."

I can tell you, watching this lady put the ferns into her car. . . .

one. . . .

  after. . .
   

the  other, until. . . .

 they were all. . . .

 

in her car and on their way to a new home certainly put a BIG smile on my face!

That nice lady even brought the box back up to our house and placed it on our front porch before she left.

THE STONE RABBIT wanted me to tell you that it was his idea for me to keep the signs,  because he thinks we need to "pass our ferns" on next fall, too!

You see, he and his friends were watching it all from the front porch the day the nice lady took our ferns home with her.    That made them happy,too!

  DANA

PRESIDENTS DAY 2010

This morning, our local Fox News Station featured a darling eight year old boy who had a keen interest in the presidents of the United States.  He was able to correctly answer all sorts of questions about them. . . including their birth dates!  He also accurately named them, in the order, in which they held the office.

That child's knowledge made me feel so inadequate.  I know, at one time, I was required to memorize the order in  which they served,  but on this day, I was lucky to recall that George Washington was number one and Abraham Lincoln was number sixteen.

I sat a little flag out on the front step of our house, in honor of this day. . . this Presidents Day. . . this dreary, snowy and cold day our government has designated as the official day to honor Washington, Lincoln and the others who have held the highest office in our land.

  I realized that since I left my job of working with children in public schools I probably hadn't really thought about  "honor" and President's Day together.  I know our bank is closed and we don't get our mail.  Schools are out.  Those folks get the day off work. . . as a Federal holiday.  Do they spend any of their day off "honoring" or "paying tribute" to the presidents?

I also know our newspaper is filled with great buys that are waiting for us at local retailers.  Actually, that seems to me, to be more of what Presidents Day is all about.  Deals.   Shopping.  Not too much honoring.

I'm still a bit under the weather, but I did think about a few special things I could do to keep Presidents Day in mind today. . . in my own little way.

Below is a picture of one of the plates I have from the LIBERTY BLUE design called "Old North Church".   Now that sounds very patriotic, doesn't it?  I thought that was a good start!

I decided I'd have my very own little Presidents Day Brunch with a couple of the yummy treats I made for us to enjoy yesterday on Valentine's Day.  I'd  serve them on my LIBERTY BLUE dishes! 

The first of the treats I made were "Raspberry Streusel Muffins".  I used the recipe that Mary, of ONE PERFECT BITE, recently shared on a Pink Saturday post.  If you click on her blog name, you will be directed to that post!

My photo doesn't look as awesome as the one Mary shows, but I have to say, the muffins certainly tasted AWESOME!

Next, I was inspired by Pat, of BACK PORCH MUSINGS , to prepare crepes.  Now, again, my version doesn't look as beautiful as Pat's, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

I couldn't find the raspberry sauce she showed us on her post, but I DID find a recipe for one on Yvonne's post this last Saturday!  She has a wonderful blog called STONE GABLE and if you click on that name, you'll see the recipe I used!

Yes sir!  Today, I will do something very special for Presidents Day.  As I enjoy my yummy brunch I will play a little game.  A game of Presidential Fun Facts.  

I went to the internet and found a great list of questions to ask myself.  Like. . . 

1.  How many presidents have been left handed?

2.  Which president published more than 16 books, including one called "Fishing for Fun-And to Wash Your Soul"?

3.  Which president was both ambidextrous and multilingual and could write Greek in one hand while writing Latin with the other?

4.  When the weather was warm, which president would go skinny-dipping in the Potomac River before dawn?

5.  (This last one will interest Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND )  Which president was sedated only by brandy when he underwent gall bladder surgery at the age of 17?

 

Isn't it fun, learning so many interesting things about our former presidents?

Even Twiggy wanted to join in, but she suggested doing something a bit more creative. . . Presidents Day Crafts!

  So, once again I Googled and came up with this great website called KABOOSE.  It showed some really neat ideas for being crafty on Presidents Day. 

Twiggy and I decided we really liked their ideas of making a paper plate stove pipe Lincoln hat or . . . . .

a cute little pretzel log cabin.  But the idea we both flipped over was. . .

this wonderful POWDERED WIG!!!  

Isn't it terrific?

It's made by covering a painter's hat with cotton balls!!! 

AWESOME. . . . and soooooo colonial presidential !

 
As Twiggy and I discussed making a powdered wig, THE STONE RABBIT was sitting quietly in the chair across the table from me- - - just listening!

 

When Twiggy ran to fetch the bag of cotton balls, I fetched our wig model!

Twiggy selected the perfect cotton balls for our Presidents Day Craft Project. . . .

 

then one, by one, she carefully placed them . . .

on the model's head . . . .

until she had given THE STONE RABBIT his very own powdered wig!  

Wow!  This has turned out to be a really great Presidents Day. 

I enjoyed delicious food inspired by talented bloggers, served on patriotic dishes, while answering presidential trivia, then helping to create a great Presidents Day memento- - - one that even George Washington would have been proud to wear!

I hope you had a great President's- Presidents'- Presidents Day, too! 

DANA

Oh, here are the answers to the Presidents Day Trivia Questions! :)

1.   seven

2.  Herbert Hoover

3.  James Garfield

4.  John Quincy Adams

5.  James Polk

GIFTS OF LOVE

My husband has made many Valentine's Days memorable for me over our four-plus decades of marriage.  The one that most stands out in my mind was eight years ago. 

On the evening of February 14, 2002, he came home from work.  I had prepared one of his favorite meals. . . Chicken Ala King.  As he came in the family room, I handed him a glass of red wine and we sat down on the sofa to talk a bit before we ate dinner.  He soon excused himself and went upstairs.  When he came down, he had changed into some casual clothes.  I didn't think anything of that. . . but, then, I noticed he had his glasses on, which meant he had taken out his contacts.  This was not at all a normal behavior pattern for him that early in the evening.

 Shortly, he turned to me and said, "We need to go to the hospital." 

"Why?", I asked. 

"Because I think I'm having a heart attack," he answered.

We soon found ourselves in an emergency room with all sorts of medical flurry going on about him.   Yes, he was having a heart attack, but they were able to get things under control pretty fast. 

The next day, it was determined he had blockages that would require surgery.  Because they had given him so much blood thinner the night before, the surgery had to wait two more days.  On February 18th he had three by-passes performed.  While that was the most frightening time of our married lives, it was also a gift. 

Had he not realized that the pressure he was feeling in his back was probably a heart issue, it would have been a matter of time before  the blocked arteries caused  an irreversible health crisis.

Since his heart attack, he has taken better care of himself than any of the years prior to that Valentine's Night. . .and I have NEVER fixed Chicken Ala King again.

                         *   *   *    *   *   *   *   *   *    *   *   *   *   *   *   *

When he came home from work today, he had brought me a couple of Valentine's gifts. 

In one hand, he had a bouquet of fresh flowers.

 

In the other hand was an item he had picked up at the pharmacy. . . . for me . . . .cuz I'm going to need this for a little  routine exam I'll be having soon. 

Now THAT'S true love!

THE STONE RABBIT wanted to wish a Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. 

  

  Please visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND for a long list of bloggers with more Pink Saturday Valentine Fun to share with you.

Also, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Beverly and her family as she recovers from her recent surgery!

DANA

A SPECIAL VALENTINE PROJECT

Recently, my blogging friend Nancy of MY CRAFTY LITTLE PAGE, showed us some of her amazing Valentine Decor.  I loved this banner that she displayed. . . . . and do you know what?  That sweet gal shared the pattern with me so I could create my own version of "LOVE"!!

 

I am not a paper artist like Nancy and her friends, therefore, I didn't have  neat supplies to make this project.   Also, I've been battling a "bug" . . . so I couldn't get  out to shop for cute papers! 

This meant I had to use what I had !   

SOOOOO. . . . I copied the hearts on some parchment colored card stock.  The color on this photo is not the REAL color of the parchment. 

Nancy had a cool background paper. . . I didn't.  Nothing I had looked right.  Then I recalled that lots of bloggers show projects  using old pages/sheets of music.  Well, that presented another problem, as I didn't have any sheet music or books of music. . . except a couple with Christmas carols and a hymnal that once belonged to my mom.  I looked in the hymnal index and found this song entitled "Oh Perfect Love"!  It was under the category of "Marriage"!   Now that would be "perfect" for Valentine's Day!

I made four copies of the page. . . once again on the parchment card stock.

This picture shows a better likeness of the "parchment" color.

Next, I trimmed the four sheets of music to the same size.  

I decided to use red card stock as a background to the music.  After trimming the background with my scalloping scissors. . . .

 

I adhered it to the music page with one of my favorite products ever. . . double sided tape on a handy roller!!  All of you scrappers know about this stuff.  I was introduced to it by my DIL . . . I've loved it ever since.

The above step was  repeated  until all four sheets of music had been trimmed and attached to the scalloped red card stock background.

Remember, I was feeling pretty rotten as I made this. . . don't be too critical on how evenly things were trimmed!
 

Twiggy supervised the project.  She felt sorry for me cuz I was (and still AM) sick.    Can't you see the compassion on that little furry face?

It's really hard to stay focused and "create" when you have such sweet company.

Here, Twiggy is showing you that I repeated the previous process with the hearts as I did with the music pages and red card stock.

Once the music pages and hearts were attached to their scalloped red backgrounds, it was time to adhere one heart to each page. . . I used the tape for all of the "adhering"!

 

 
 

Now it was time to punch two holes at the top of each completed page and then. . . .

 

 thread  ribbon. . . .OOPS, that darned kitty.  Please excuse her tail and scroll on. . .

As I started to tell you, the next step was to thread  ribbon through the holes until . . .

 

all of the cards had been connected.   I left extra lengths of ribbon on each end for hanging the garland!

 

Because Twiggy had been such a big helper, I decided to make a little Valentine necklace for her to wear!!

 

Hmmmm. . . . that does not look like the face of a Happy Valentine Kitty, now does it?  :)

I grabbed my creation and hustled as quickly as my sick body would let me hustle. . . .up the stairs to the entryway and the fireplace surround we have there.   It was the perfect spot to hang my garland!

Just pretend you don't see the tacky nail  in the wall behind my garland!

 

There it is. . . . .the ONLY Valentine's Day decoration I have displayed in our house.  I was going to do a little more, but I'm still feeling cruddy, so for this year . . . .that's it! 

I really appreciate Nancy's inspiration. . . . thank you!!!

THE STONE RABBIT, unlike Twiggy, proudly wears the little heart necklace!!  He told me he could count as my second piece of Valentine Decor. . . yes, he can!

 
DANA

THE PINK TIME IN MY LIFE

Recently, I  came across this little green box on a shelf in my closet.   It holds something I had nearly forgotten about. . . a treasure from my mother many years ago.

My mom often included a note with her really "special" gifts.  I am so glad she did.  :)

 

 

 I loved her "style" when it came to printing. . .the way she mixed upper and lower case letters always made me smile.

Yes, this was my very first watch.   I received it when I was in high school.

My dad had attended "watchmakers and jewelers school" when I was a  child, so he knew the value of a good time piece.  This watch is a GRUEN.   I don't know how he came to have the watch, because it was not new at the time I received it; however, he did get it "running" and proudly presented it to me.   He had even engraved my name on the back of it. . . . just in case I lost it. :)

I wore that watch for years.  I don't recall when I gave it back to mom and dad. . . .at some point after it had quit working.    In fact, I  had forgotten about my first watch,  until mom had her cousin repair it many, many years later. . . . after my dad had passed away.

The other day, as I pulled the watch out of the box, I once again turned the little "crown" on the side a few times . . . . .then held it to my ear. 

The soft little "ticks" I heard  sent shivers down my spine.  . . . stirring  memories of the "times" when that GRUEN was frequently on my wrist. 

That first watch was with me while I nervously sat in the backseat of our family car on my way to college.  Life was about to take a drastic change from my experience of growing up in a tiny town  where I was so sheltered from the real world.   Soon I would be exposed to a whole host of new and exciting (and sometimes NOT so exciting) experiences.  During that period of life,  I looked at my watch many "times". . . while waiting for the "time" for a  class to be over,  or waiting for the "time" when  the buzzer on my dorm room wall to go off signaling my "date" was  in the lobby. . . or while anxiously watching the minutes tick away when I only had one more hour to "cram" before I took a test. . . or looking forward to the "time" when the dorm cafeteria opened so I could grab a bite to eat.  You know, really important stuff like that!

 I still wore that watch when I met my husband to be. . . . and I had it on the day we wed.

As my mind was swept up with thoughts of that first watch of mine and the many "times" it shared with me, I realized I still had a few other "pieces of time" stashed away.

Like THIS beauty!! 

This  keeper of time given to me by my husband . . . . during the seventies.  I remember how COOL that watch was!  I  was new at my job as a speech therapist in a public school. . . . and those little kiddos I worked with LOVED my watch as much as I did!

I just HAD to display it on a piece of vintage gift wrap paper. . . also from that "time" in my life.  It was used on a gift I received at a shower given for me and my baby!  In the Olden Days, we used to keep gift paper and "recycle" it. . . .like lining drawers with it.  This, at one time, had been in our nursery furniture.

My mom and dad gave me this next watch for Christmas one year.  It was one of those neat "light up" watches!  The face is dark red and to see the time, you had to push the button on the side. . . then PRESTO, the time appeared . . . in LIGHTS! 

It was also my FIRST battery operated watch.  I wore it during the "time" I was a "stay at home mom".    I  know, that unlike my life which revolved around keeping up with two small children, the watch  was uncomplicated.   It just told me the time.  It didn't tell the date or the rate of my heart or emit audible and irritating tones at certain points during the day or night.  It just told me the time. . . plain and simple. 

 This watch wasn't mine.  It belonged to my daughter when she was about ten.

I believe we gave it to her for Christmas one year.

She wasn't very careful with it and I'm  certain I had found it one too many times in a spot where it shouldn't have been . . . and I hid it.  Actually. . . I  don't think  she ever missed it.    In fact, she probably would have preferred a Hello Kitty watch or one with Garfield on the face. 

Hmmmmm.......maybe I'll get a new battery for it and give it back to her with a little note!  Maybe . . . .  :)

After my kiddos reached a certain age, I returned to work part time for several years.  It was during that "time" that I purchased this watch.   By that point, I needed the numbers to be  larger because my eyesight had started to go.   That watch was with me during many enjoyable "times" spent with children from preschool to high school ages.  It was also with me during the "times" my own kids were in high school and college.  In fact,  it still works, and  I  still fall back  on it when other watches fail. 

I loved the two tone silver and gold on the band.  Over the years of use, lots more faux gold has appeared as the silver wore off.  That's OK. . . .it just means it has been around and working for  a long period of "time".

 

This is the watch I bought to wear during a very special "time" in my life. . . . my son's wedding six years ago.  

The wedding reception was held at the Kansas City Royals Stadium Club.  Here the bride and groom were on the baseball field, posing for more pictures.  The old Royals scoreboard is in the background.

Again, I love the combined silver and gold look on this watch, but the face is so small. . . . .I have trouble seeing the actual time.   It looks great for "dress up" purposes. . . . just don't ask me what time it is if you see I'm wearing it! :)

I'm  very much in the practical "time" of my life.  I wore this Timex for several years.  It's an everyday kind of time tracker.  I love the leather band and the big face and the second hand.  The little calendar on it, however, is worthless for me.  First, I have never been able to set it. . . and even if I did get it set to the correct date. . . the numerals are so danged tiny I can't make them out.  That's OK, I pretty much usually know the date.  I just need to know the "time".

The band was scuffed up, but it still worked just fine, so I continued to wear it for day to day time keeping.  However, when the band finally broke, I figured it might be "time" to just go ahead and buy a new watch.   SOOOOO. . . . .

I bought the SAME watch. . . . again!  It's been with me during the "times" of the last six months. . . performing at the expected "top notch" style I had become used to with my old TIMEX.  One day, I realized it was an hour SLOW. 

Hmmmmm. . . .

I  reset it and it kept me on track in a "timely" manner until BAM.......a few days later, it was slow again.  I reset it and hoped for the best once more, but alas, that watch just gave up and quit running!

Six months old and it had QUIT on me.

I'm hoping it's as simple as replacing the battery. . . . we'll see!

 

My friend Bonnie (pictured on the right below) has taught me many valuable lessons over the "time" I've known her.    Like, how to smile and keep going when things are really rough in your life and . . . . .

how to have fun with watches!!!  She taught me that watches don't NEED to always be PRACTICAL!

She gave me this swell Halloween watch one year.  Who couldn't enjoy their "time" while wearing such a festive item?

With my new appreciation for fun watches, I branched out to Christmas!!  The green one in the foreground was found at a local sale. . . the replacement battery costs more than what I paid for the watch!

The snowflake and snowman watches have a great story.  A couple of years ago, maybe three, these watches were for sale at our Jones Store, which is now a Macy's.   Anyway, I bought two snowmen watches.  I gave one to Bonnie for a Christmas gift and kept one for me!  On the day she opened her watch from me, I opened a box from her.  It contained the snowflake watch!!!  She had bought two. . .she gave one to me and kept the other one.  :)

  This brings us to the "time" now.  Since my TIMEX is on the "fritz", I've been wearing my ancient, but still working, old watch again.  That's OK . . . .it's another PRACTICAL thing to do.    Except recently, I was really in the need for a bit of "perking up". 

That's when I recalled the watch I saw a young waitress wearing one day.  She told me where she bought it and how super cheap it was.

So, off I headed to our nearby Walmart and returned with . . . .

 
this vision of plastic loveliness.

Yes, this is the PINK "time" in my life!

  Sometimes, spending twelve dollars to boost my morale IS a practical thing to do!  

NOW, if I could only figure out how to set it. . . .

without having the alarm go off in Church! :)

  DANA

For lots of PINK Saturday fun, please visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND.  She will have a long list of bloggers with PINKS to share!

If you haven't had a chance to visit Nan from RETIRED IN ALASKA.......you should!   She shares so many beautiful and interesting sites from her lovely home!

MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS Part 3.....an amazing holiday brunch!

I know I am dragging out my MEMORIES of CHRISTMAS posts. . . however, I do want to complete my goal of sharing hi-lights of the season .   Mainly, as I said before, I'm doing it for me. . . and for my friends and family.  However, I also hope that you, my blog readers,  enjoy it a bit as well.

My pictures from this near mid-December day, do not do justice to what or whom I was photographing. . . but please bear with me.  You will be impressed. . .  inspite of the poor quality of my pictures. . . you will be impressed!

So today, in this third installment of my Memories of Christmas 2009,  I am introducing you to a very special friend AND family member AND hostess extraordinaire! 

This is Eloise. 

She is pictured in front of her fireplace on the day she hosted the most delicious and impressive Christmas Brunch!

Eloise is my niece's mother-in-law and a co-worker of one of my other friends.

She and I clicked from the moment we met. . . she is not only an amazing addition to our family, but she has become a very dear friend.  

Eloise, like me, loves to decorate for Christmas.  However, I pale in comparison when it comes to collections of seasonal items.

When she decided to have her brunch, I knew everything  would be over the top. . . . from decorations to food. 

I was right!   Just settle back and enjoy the tour!

This picture shows one of the many groupings Eloise displayed of her collectible SIMPICH characters.

She also had several decorated trees in her home.  This smaller one, in her family room, had a patriotic theme!

Eloise  has collected many  Department 56 houses and had them displayed around the fireplace area of her family room.  This photo shows some of the houses from the NORTH POLE series.

She also collects the DICKENS series of Department 56 houses, as shown in this photo.

THE STONE RABBIT wanted me to show you where my five Department 56 DICKENS houses spent this Christmas . . . and last Christmas.  

It's so sad that I didn't take the time to get them out, because I truly love them.  I fondly recall how excited I was when I had saved the money to purchase my first little Christmas house! 

NEXT YEAR!!!

 

Somewhere in my many boxes of Christmas decor, I have two or three nutcrackers that haven't seen the light of a holiday since we moved here five years ago.  Mine aren't  nearly as beautiful as Eloise's German made fellows, but they do have special memories.  I need to be sure I find a place to display them for Christmas 2010.

Eloise displayed her Hallmark "Santas from around the World" ornaments on  a wreath near her fireplace!

I did a terrible job taking a photo of her large family room tree.  I took several pictures and they all turned out blurry and tilted.  Normally, I would not put such a poor quality picture on a post, but I wanted you to get the idea of how full that tree was with special decorations.   Decorations that Eloise has gathered . . . .

as mementos of her travels. . . . such as this one from a trip to Washington DC.

She also had many ornaments that are part of the official White House Historical Society series.  I didn't even know there was such a thing. . . . and they are beautiful.

 

Eloise has an impressive collection of Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates displayed in her family room.
   

This picture shows the tree  in her formal living room.

  

It is full of hand made ornaments that artist, Lois Buck, created from goose eggs.  You can see the tremendous amount of detail in the designs.

In addition, there were ornaments from the same SIMPICH family who made the wonderful characters I featured earlier and. . . . .

these in this lovely nativity set. 

Next. . . the dining room!

On a previous visit to Eloise's home, I had seen these beautiful items.

I did not know, however, until the day of the brunch that Eloise had painted them!  They are spectacular.

In one corner of the dining room is another little tree.  This one was full of small baskets and topped with an angel that Eloise had created.

 She had her table set in the loveliest fashion.

The runner on a table in the entry, was made by one of her sisters.

 

In the kitchen, there was a little shelf with more SIMPICH characters and a few of the gingerbread men that are in abundance in that room.

She also had a sweet little tree in the kitchen . . . .  decorated in her gingerbread men theme.  I have to apologize again for the poor quality of my picture.

We were treated to this outstanding array of food that Eloise had prepared for our brunch. 

Wow!  What a feast!

Not only did everything look picture perfect. . . it all tasted amazing. 

Eloise has a large collection of one of my favorite things . . . vintage RODNEY KENT hammered aluminum pieces. 

Didn't they looked great filled with Christmas goodies?

Here we are, ready to fill our plates and enjoy a great meal and a long visit while gathered around Eloise's dining room table.  Pictured, L to R:  Mary, Mary Ann (she works with Eloise), me, Eloise, Beth and Laura.

Thank you Eloise for your gracious hospitality. . . it was so much fun and certainly appreciated.  There's nothing better than taking the time to spend with great friends. . . especially at Christmas!

 

As we headed out the door from Eloise's lovely home, she had gifts for us.   We each received a sweet Christmas hand towel and a great bottle of holiday scented hand soap.

I have to say, THE STONE RABBIT was really fond of that soap. . . I have never seen him so eager to wash his paws!

     

DANA