Swanky Lifestyle

Ho-Ho-Ho

2012-12-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

I hope you are all having

a fabulous Christmas Day!

We had a surprise visit from Santa

so, of course, we had to take

Phant out to see him

on his sleigh.

We aren't sure how his sleigh works

without any snow,

but apparently Santa has his ways.

(My, what lumpy legs you have Santa....)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas People

2012-12-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

Husband and I went to see

a special Christmas concert

last night:

Gord Beukema and his Musical Saw.

Yes, saw, the kind you use

to cut down trees.

Consider this our gift to you:
Gord riffing on a Christmas carol:

Merry Christmas folks!

Letterboxing

2012-09-17T16:56:00.002-04:00

Husband had the day off today.

To mark the occasion, we went letterboxing!

Have you been before?

Have you ever heard of it?

Well, here's the deal:

First you visit http://www.letterboxing.org/

Click on "Letterboxes",

search for your state and city,

print off the directions and clues

and you are off on a fun adventure!

(Note: you will need a rubber stamp of some sort, a stamp pad,

and a small blank notebook to record your letterbox finds in.)

Here was our first find of the day:

The box was underneath those sticks.

Once you find a box,

you will find a mini paper book

and a stamp inside, like this:

The stamp was wrapped in the brown cloth.

Here's a close-up of the stamp:

Cool, eh?

It is always awesome to find a hand carved stamp!

You use the stamp and pad that you brought with you

to make a stamp in the mini book.

Here's an example of stamps that have been left in this letterbox:

Usually, you would list the date and where you are from

next to your stamp.

Then you use your pad and the stamp from the letterbox

to make a stamp impression on the notebook

that you brought with you.

Here is me getting all the "paperwork"

taken care of:

Here are my printed clues and

my book after I stamped it with the cat stamp

from the letterbox:

Replace everything back into the letterbox

you found, make sure it is mostly hidden

just as you found it and

ta-da!

You've just letterboxed!

Our second box was found here:

See it?

Here's a closer look:

This is why I think it is important to bring

your Husband along with you when letterboxing.

The boxes are sometimes found in

spider-friendly places.

Husbands are always useful for putting their hands

into spidery spots!

The second stamp:

Another cool hand carved stamp!

Here it is in our notebook:

Isn't this the best fun?!

We have been letterboxing since 2003.

There are new boxes listed

on the website all the time so keep checking.

I think our next challenge may be to

hide a letterbox ourselves!

The Shaft

2012-05-27T16:36:00.000-04:00

We hopped on our bikes and

went to visit our old pals,

Bill and Puzzle, today.

This was the welcome we got:

The butt from Puzzle.

And this from Bill :

Don't they look thrilled to see us?

I called them and called them.

I waved my carrot offerings high and low.

Nothing.

Well, Bill did lift his head and look my way once,

but he went right back to chomping grass.

Silly donkeys!

Luckily we did see some new creatures during our ride:

Baby turkeys!!

They weren't too excited by us either

but at least two turned around and looked our way!

Happy Memorial Day!

Crazies in the Hood

2012-01-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

Just when you think that

you are the only unusual person on the block,

you come upon a neighbor with this

in their front yard:

Aren't they fantastic?

The idea for this snowman is so awesome,

I wish it had been mine:

Yippee for upside-down snowmen and

yippee for kooky neighbors!

A Puzzling Situation

2012-01-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

Blizzard conditions outside

mean a lot of inside time for us.

We always find fun things to do,

but I hate it when this happens:

Can you see the problem?

And now?

Let me tell you, buddy,

missing puzzle pieces make me go, "Grrrr!"

What have you been doing to amuse yourself

this winter?

Mail Art

2012-01-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

For those of you who were worried,

I haven't stopped sending mail.

I just haven't been very good

at posting about it.

I'll use "the holidays"

as my excuse.

Outgoing:

I love how this guy is not only cute

but is also helpfully

pointing the way towards the address.

I'm guessing that postal workers

really dig this kind of stuff.

Just a bunch of chicks

cackling away a meal...

Maybe it's just me, but

I think that the hen in the back

is racking her brain to find a way

to discreetly pull up her friend's bra strap.

Part human, part Klingon, part ape.

Sweet.

Don't think I'm not desperate to

bling out my cat's litter box in rhinestones after seeing this!

If only I had a Bedazzler...

Pretty birdies.

Do they really live in holes in trees?

Not nests?

Hmmm...

Can't you just envision Phant going for a ride in this?

He'd wear a matching scarf, of course,

and maybe with just his head peeking out

of that hole in front.

One day Phant,

one day!

Rah-Rah For Centerpieces

2012-01-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get the feeling that your

dining table needs a little sprucing up?

Instead of playing it safe with

a ho-hum floral arrangement

that will only wilt the next day,

try making something fun yourself.

I did.

Let's hear a big cheer for:

Paper Pom-Poms on a Stick!

Who knew shredded paper could be so fabulous?

A lesson that you can make cool stuff

out of anything.

So much better than typical flowers, right?

And, how timely seeing as it is NFL Play-Off time.

Rah-Rah-Rah!

Go fun tablescapes!

Go Detroit Lions!

Mail Art

2011-12-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

Usually I attach some type

of visual picture to the mail

I send out and call it Mail Art.

But this Christmas,

I made a visual picture

out of the mail I received.

Voila!

Christmas tree Mail Art.

The tree ended up being

about 7 1/2 feet tall

and over 3 feet wide at its widest point.

I spent the entire month of

December being thrilled, THRILLED,

by the pile of fun mail

that arrived daily in our mailbox!

Thank you to every single person

who thought of us this season.

A true delight of Christmas!

Let this be my appeal to the world:

Never stop sending Christmas cards through the mail!

Or, at least, never stop mailing them to me.

Time's Up!

2011-12-27T09:02:00.002-05:00

Christmas has come and gone.

What a whirlwind!

Here's the rundown on our Official Activity List:

The Most Fun was the "secret" activity:

Call Friends and Family

and Carol Them Over the Phone!

People were caught off guard,

people were weirded out.

Some joined in the singing,

some moaned and, I suspect, rolled their eyes.

Others laughed and mocked.

Some applauded and cheered.

One nine-year-old told us not to quit our day jobs.

It was a blast!

The Most Involved was:

Stringing Popcorn Garland.

Sure, it looks charming.

But . Come. On.

With the slowness, the sticking yourself in the finger,

the blood on the popcorn,

the pieces breaking in half as your shove them on the needle,

the needle pulling off the thread constantly.

No wonder this tradition fell out of fashion.

Can't wait to do it again next year!

The Least Involved:

Building a Snowman.

It simply couldn't be done.

We got no snow. None.

Green/brown grass for Christmas.

What fun activities did you do this season?

Phant Believes!

2011-12-21T16:32:00.002-05:00

Our tiny town has its own professional photography studio,

Marc Photography.

When they announced earlier this month

that Santa Claus would be in the studio

and available for photographs with community children,

you know we were there!

Phant was pretty nervous

when he first saw Santa

but he was a brave boy

and once Phant made it onto Santa's lap

he had quite the chat with the man.

Marc said Phant was his

most cooperative poser of the day.

Merry Christmas from Phant to you!

Surprise Activities

2011-12-18T12:51:00.001-05:00

While we have been busy working

on our Official Activity List,

we've also squeezed in some unplanned holiday activities, too.

Such as:

Horse-Drawn Carriage rides through town.

We were pulled by Tim and Molly

who wore lots of bells that jingled with every step.

Can you believe that there is no snow?!

(If this keeps up, how will we ever do our

"Build A Snowman" activity?)

Still, there were lots of pretty lights to see:

And carollers-a-carolling:

Things don't get much more Christmas than this, folks.

Hope you're enjoying it all!

Activity Time

2011-12-13T22:58:00.002-05:00

Time for another Christmas Activity update!

Today's Activity:

Color a Christmas Picture.

I'm sure you aren't surprised that

I chose a picture with Mail Art.

And Husband is always about the rabbits.

He even did that rabbit drawing in the middle.

Here's a better look at it:

Pretty good, eh?

I don't know when you last colored using crayons

but, let me tell you, it was fabulous.

It was like being in kindergarten all over again

only, this time, without any of that pesky learning stuff.

Need some relief from holiday stresses?

Go color something. Immediately.

Snoopy-Doggy-Dog

2011-12-11T11:46:00.001-05:00

We have been enjoying our

incredibly fun Christmas activities.

Last night, we went for our first

of many Christmas Light Drives

and you know I was squealing with delight

when we came upon this display:

Yes, yes, yes!

A bicycle and a Snoopy dog!

One of the most brilliant ideas ever.

The only thing better would be

my bike and the Phant,

the whole affair aglow.

I can see it now....

Stay tuned and maybe you will be seeing it, too!

More Fierceness

2011-12-06T16:11:00.002-05:00

My family and I recently met up with

members of the

Great American Fierce Beard Organization

again and, of course, I had to try

another beard craft.

Here's a link to last year's beard craft

in case you don't remember.

And here is this year's beard:

I went a little more free-style than last year!

Once again, I was the only adult

participant at the craft table.

I don't get it.

Who wouldn't think beard craft was fun?

Oh well, my friends from GAFBO

understand fun:

Right next to the beard craft table

was a grapevine wreath craft

and I definitely wanted to try that as well.

But it was difficult.

So I whined until a family member

took pity on me and helped.

Ah, the miracles of good whining!

Ta-da!

A pretty great day crafting with the family, eh?

Activity Time

2011-12-02T11:55:00.001-05:00

It's the Holiday season

and you know what that means?

Unlimited potential for fun!

To ensure that we get in

enough fun around here,

I have posted eight Activity Tags with

one incredibly fun activity

on each card:

I thought that eight would be the perfect number,

equalling two activities a week until Christmas.

Activities of Fun:

Go on a Christmas lights drive

Make Christmas cards

Build a snowman

Enjoy a hot chocolate and candy cane night

Color a Christmas picture

Watch "The Christmas Story"

Make a popcorn garland

The eighth activity is a secret

as it might involve a surprise for YOU!

What fun things are you doing for the holidays?

Sandless

2011-11-18T15:04:00.003-05:00

Our weather has turned chilly.

A recent trip to the beach

found windy conditions that were

quite unfavorable for sandcastle making.

Bummer.

Yet, let it be known,

that when a girl has a craving to build a castle,

a way to build will be found.

Ta-Da:

a Paper Castle!

Built indoors,

where I was safe from the frigid beach winds.

I found the pattern on this website.

They recommend you make the castle out of cardboard,

but plain computer paper worked fine for me.

Now all it needs is a little landscaping.

And a princess, of course.

Chalk Update

2011-11-03T12:04:00.002-04:00

Update:

The chalk I used to draw on the house a while ago came in a box

that said the chalk would rinse off with some water.

They were right.

It rinsed off,

with lots and lots of hard scrubbing

using a stiff-bristled brush,

and with some water.

It was good for me though,

help my underarms from getting too flappy.

House Art

2011-10-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel like doing something arty

but when the weather is as gorgeous

as it is right now,

there is no way I'm staying indoors.

Guess I'll have to make art outside.

Our house before I felt arty:

And after:

Can you see it?

How about now:

Or now:

Yes, folks, I drew all over the front of the house.

The chalk box says that it comes off with water.

You don't suppose they would lie, do you?

A cheerful "Welcome Home"

for the Husband!

The Crook of A Tree

2011-10-05T11:04:00.001-04:00

While feeding the birds today,

I noticed some tiny red lines

in the bark of our maple tree:

I went to look a little closer:

Berries stuck in the cracks of the tree bark,

how odd!

I decided to walk around and check out the rest of the tree:

What's that white stuff up in the crook?

Toadstools way up in a tree?

That could only mean one thing:

Yes, a new fairy village!

It hadn't occurred to me before discovering this,

but fairies would obviously need to seek

higher ground before snow started accumulating.

Looks like they're stocking up

on berry food, too.

Gee, you just never know

what you'll find in your own backyard.

Husband's Placemat

2011-09-30T20:00:00.001-04:00

Guess what?

The leaves are changing colors.

The leaves are falling in the yard.

So, I ventured outside to gather some up.

Happy Fall Friday to you!

Painting Update

2011-09-25T21:15:00.001-04:00

Our local artists from this previous post

have finished their work

and, as promised,

here are the updates.

1st work in progress:

Completed Painting:

2nd work in progress:

Completed Drawing:

As for the third work, it seems to have gone missing.

The finished painting was not on display

with the others.

Maybe the "helpful" table dancer and shaker

got the best of our budding artist

and she had to call the project off?

I guess we'll never know for sure.

I really liked the two that did finish though!

Maybe we'll go to the auction on Monday

and place a bid.

Paranoia 101

2011-09-21T11:34:00.008-04:00

I thought I might be suffering from paranoia.

Everywhere I went

I felt trees looking at me.

Seriously.

It was like they were watching my every move.

Some trees seemed to be normal

until I looked really close.

Sure enough,

there were eyes.

Looking at me.

At first,

I didn't want to mention my problem.

I was afraid of what people might think.

Then things got really bad.

I came upon this tree

and felt that it was not only watching me once,

but three times!

Well, I knew it was time to reach out.

I cautiously mentioned my paranoia to a parental figure

and to my relief, he had also noticed

that trees were watching him.

Ahhh, I wasn't alone.

I immediately felt better.

I felt so much better,

that I began to mock the nosy trees.

I am pretty sure that mocking your problems

is the first step to recovery,

right?

Painting the Town

2011-09-17T16:01:00.000-04:00

Our area Art Council sponsored

a fundraiser event this weekend.

Local artists were invited to stake out an area

anywhere downtown and paint

a scene of their own choosing.

Of course, we had to bike down

and check it out.

It was very cool to be biking along

then suddenly come upon an artist at work.

Here's this gentleman's painting

with the actual buildings he is painting right behind.

Pretty good, eh?

This lady was a little more bundled up

as she was sitting in the shade.

You must suffer for your art!

She chose to paint the post office which,

as you might have guessed,

is one of my most favorite buildings.

The actual Post Office.

And, as you can see, this artist had a little dancing helper

shaking her table as she worked.

Always handy.

And helpful.

She chose the most complicated scene we saw.

It included the town bank, the clock tower, a little side park, etc.

Here's a photo of the actual scene below:

There were other artists out, too, painting various churches, etc.

Who knew our small town was bursting with such talent!

There will be a reception and auction

for all the finished work at the library

later this week. We'll have to scoot down

and get some pictures so we can all see

how these artists' pieces turn out.

Fun!

This Just Popped Up

2011-09-12T20:15:00.001-04:00

While out for our bike ride,

we came upon this:

A popcorn tree!

What?

You didn't know that popcorn grew on trees?

Anyway, we stopped to pick for a while.

And had ourselves a nice little snack

when we got home.

Popcorn trees are one of my favorite things!