I know its been a while since I have updated…the holidays were busy and there was a lack of creating. There was certainly not a lack of travelling and family time! Things are getting back to “normal” and the creating should start again soon…well it will start again very soon, this evening I hope!

I am starting a new job in a couple weeks and I believe I’ll be working evenings so that will leave me with plenty of time to create during the day as well! So keep an eye out for lots more!

I was surfing the web today and reading some great blogs and I came across a wonderful quote that I wanted to share.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Siskind

I found this at Sara Janssen’s blog. I just found this blog today but I am developing a blog crush….very inspiring!

With Christmas just a couple of days away  I wanted to make a wish. I wish for peace to be with you and your family over the holidays.

As it gets closer and closer it seems to be getting harder and harder to believe that this is my families first Christmas without Nanny.  It is also my first Christmas away from my family. This is the first year that I will not be with my brother on Christmas morning.  I am spending Christmas eve and morning with Todd’s family up north.

I am looking at this as much of a good thing as a sad thing.  I know that Christmas on the Island this year will be very difficult and I am sure there will be many tears shed over the course of the weekend.  As hard as it is to be away from my family at this time, I am glad that I can be with Todd’s family (who really are lovely!), I can call home on Christmas morning (and I am sure share some tears), and then I can hang up and continue enjoying new holiday traditions with Todd’s family.

So my one wish this Christmas is for peace to be with everyone. I especially hope that peace remains in the hearts of my family as we get through the holidays, and the hearts of all that are experiencing loss or pain this holiday season. Peace be with you….

Every once in a while I would make a card or write a quick note and throw it in the mail for Mom. I always meant to do the same for Nanny. When Nanny unexpectantly past away in Ocotober, I started sending Mom a card a week. Mostly just to cheer up mom, but also so I never regret not sending her more cards.

For her birthday I made her a card box. I bought a wooden chest and I painted it and then put some postage rubons and signed my name in the bottom corner. Love, Rocky

This past weekend I went home to PEI to help my mom do some of her Christmas baking. It turned into doing all of her Christmas baking! What a wonderful time we had!

I arrived on Friday afternoon and went into her shop (she has a fabric store/sewing business) and hung out there before we headed home to start our baking extravaganza!

We started out with shortbread cookies. I brought little tiny cookie cutters and we made a million (ok maybe not a million but hundreds) of shortbread cookies! Then we moved on to bird nest cookies. It was getting late but mom whipped up the dough for the doughnuts so it could rise overnight. Then we were finished for the evening.

We got up early (for a Saturday) and we started baking at 9am sharp! We took one break at lunch time and headed out to Kensington for a few extra supplies and I went to a scrapbooking store to check it out as it just opened. Then we headed back home and baked for another few hours before we stopped for the evening and went out for supper…I think we deserved it!

On Saturday we made, homemade doughnuts, peanut butter balls, coconut balls, cherry balls, lemon squares, rocky road squares, fudge, sweet marie squares, score bar, and peanut brittle. MmMmMmMmM

On Sunday we got up and made homemade egg rolls! They are one of my favorite things that mom makes! I did the wrapping and mom did the cooking. We work very well as a team!

We had planned on only making egg rolls, shortbreads and doughnuts but we got a lot more done!! It was super fun to spend the weekend with my mom in the kitchen! I believe this will be a Christmas tradition from now on!!

I am always envious of people who’s desks are neat and tidy and eveything in place. My desk is usually a mess. The above picture is part of my work desk. I’ve got just about everything stuffed into this box in a sad attempt to make my desk somewhat less of a disaster. The box is an old tangerine box with coffee cups (I used to get my cup double cupped and always kept the double for other uses). I do like that you can tell that I am a creative person just by looking at my desk. I have everything from stamps to pencil crayons, glue sticks to white out (which has doubled as white paint on more than one occasion). 

I am going home this weekend to visit with my Mom and help her with some Christmas baking and cooking. We are going to make shortbreads, egg rolls and doughnuts! It should be a good time!

Happy weekend!

I have slowly been adding to my Christmas tree. I think by Christmas it will be fully decorated…but then, is a Christmas tree ever really done? There’s always room for more decorations! This year I wanted to focus on making most of my decorations.

The most recent addition was a string of glittered “lights”. They are blubs in the shape of lights, look close, they are near the middle of the tree.

The only things that I did not make on the tree are the little rusty bells, candles, and the tin punched star on top (which I adore).

So I made some paper wreaths out of Christmas scrapbooking paper that Todd gave me for Christmas last year…I was so proud of him for picking out a beautiful paper pack all by himself! I think he was pretty proud of himself as well! I put some of the paper wreaths into a garland and some of them I just stuck on the end of branches.

I put my paper quilled snowflakes on the tree, I just love them. The words that I glittered are now hanging from red ribbon. And I took some very tiny bulbs and glittered them white…they are like little glittery snowballs full of wonderful!

Hope you are having a wonderful December!

I just wanted to share this lovely picture with you all! When I came home from working a late shift it was snowing!! Its the first time this year that it has snowed enough to accumulate any amount!! I love it when it snows! It really makes it feel like the holidays! Especially with the tree lit up in the window! *sigh* I love the holidays! But this is a reminder that I should start checking the weather because I didn’t have my mittens with me! hehe Snow!!