Yoo Hoo.....

If you'd like to hear a great rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" be sure to click on my video over to the right to listen along as you read.

(garden stepping stone from Steve Hess)

Especially when it's icy and rainy outside. Oh my gosh.....can I just say how lucky we are that it is not sticking to the streets.....mainly raining now, but it's quite a mess and will probably just get messier as the temps drop tonight.

Just popping in to say hi!

I've been a bit neglectful of my blog lately......when I try to figure out why I haven't been on here.....





....well...





....I guess I've just been busy living my life....






....work has been busy as usual...



I've had a new group of students who have started rotating through out nuclear cardiology lab, so that has totally left me with NO computer time at work.




....and then you throw in some Christmas decorating at home....





.....Christmas shopping and making.....



....dreaming up new projects.....




....and finishing the ones that are "in progress" and it seems like there just hasn't been much computer time lately.






If you need some last minute gift ideas, here are a few handmade things that I think are just great!

Just click on the pictures to go to that item.





Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Ever changing

Is it driving you as crazy as it is me?

I keep changing the background colors of my blog....just can't seem to find a color scheme that I'm happy with.

Christmas in bloom

Yes, they are everywhere and they are so beautiful! For those of you who have followed my blog for a while now, you know that my husband, Kenny, is a psycho gardener. He is passionate about plants like I'm passionate about wool....yes we are both addicts!!!

Right now the Christmas cactus' are in full bloom and he has them set out all over the house....truly beautiful!

The one above is on the island in the kitchen.

This one below is in the den....I've decided that at night our home must have a yellow glow to it....all of these pics were taken last night.

This one here, in my opinion, is the most beautiful. It graces our dining room table along with Kenny's collection of antique Christmas tree stands.

I think this is one of the smallest ones....it sits on the divider between the kitchen and den. Oh yeah, have I told you about Kenny's fascination with glittering everything for the holidays? This is his glittered card holder that he made from an old cigar box...yes, he's very creative!!!

Decopauge and glitter....amazing how it can transform something ordinary into something extraordinary!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Kismet

kis·met

A noun meaning fortune or fate.

That is what led me to this wonderful eBay seller.

humblecrowprimwares

She asked me a question about one of my items for sale yesterday.

Yesterday was a busy day and night....

...decorating the tree,

...shopping at Winterfest...

....getting the laundry caught up....

...making appetizers for the Mizzou game, watching the game and watching them lose....Kenny was so sad....poor Tigers.

However, they still had a really great season and we're waiting to see what bowl game they are going to play in.

Kenny couldn't resist taking a picture of me knitting (like an old lady is what he said) while I watched the game.

So I've digressed.......

I went to the store sight for humblecrowprimwares this morning and found all of these luscious delights that she makes!

That's where the kismet comes in....if she wouldn't have asked me a question I probably never would have found her stuff!!!

Fate I tell you!

This delightful mohair duck pull toy that is for auction right now.

As well as these past items.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Getting to know you

This is a challenge from Bren over at That Thing I Do....

The challenge is to answer these questions by typing in the answer to a google image search and posting a picture from the first page of results.....


Age you will be on your next birthday

Place you would like to visit

One of your favorite places

Your favorite object (mine is a different shape than this, but I just LOVE it...it's a desk lamp made of seashells)

Your favorite food

Your favorite animal

Your favorite color

Name of a past pet

Where you live

1st grade teacher's last name

Middle name?

A bad habit of yours.

Favorite flower

Favorite holiday

Now, if you happen to blog your favorites let me know so I can visit you!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Click here and watch me, Cleo, Lily and Belle as elves......

it takes a while to load so be patient. It is really funnier if you have your volume on!

Go forth and laugh,

Tammy

Thanksgiving recap

This is what we woke up to this morning.....our first skiff of snow....just like confectioner's sugar sprinkled over a cake....it's already gone now, but I'm glad I got up early enough to see it.

I also have a few pictures to share from Thanksgiving....here is the hustle and bustle before the big feed. Kenny is getting ice for the drinks, I'm washing up a few pans, my grandma is sitting out her chicken and noodles and my mom could possibly be sampling something :)

This is me before the big feed begins....I'm sure I'm twice that size now :)

Oh yeah, here is the recipe for the cranberry-pineapple jello that you see in the big trifle bowl.

Holiday Salad

3 packets black cherry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 can whole cranberry jell

1-20 oz can crushed pineapple (not drained)

1-1 pound package frozen strawberries (thawed)

Dissolve jello in boiling water

add the cranberry jell and stir until melted

add undrained pineapple and strawberries.

Mix and pour into dish.

I like to sprinkle crushed pecans or walnuts on top of mine!

Here is Cleopatra resting under the china cabinet while everyone eats.....she was such a good girl during the festivities.

And here are pictures from the day after.....over at Patti's house visiting with her dogs Lily and Belle.....Belle would be the one on my head giving me kisses!

Go forth and be creative,
Tammy

All cookin'....no hookin'

All cookin' no hookin'!

Okay, you sure won't hear me say THAT very often!!!

Every year I host Thanksgiving for my family and my husband's family. Everyone brings a dish but there are still soooo many things to cook!



Today was my assembly day.....

So tonight in the fridge I have:

cranberry-pineapple salad (one of my VERY FAVORITE recipes from my Aunt Joanne)

pumpkin-pear bread pudding (this is a new recipe that I'm trying out this year...my husband ADORES bread pudding.....we'll see if it's a keeper or not)

dressing (basic cornbread dressing.....not stuffing.....feel weird about putting stuff inside a raw bird and then eating it....just grosses me out actually.....dressing is on the side)

a smoked turkey AND a ham

glazed pearl onions a la Martha Stewart (why oh why didn't I try another grocery to see if they had these frozen and already peeled......yes, I peeled them all myself....what a pain!)

yummy sweet potato casserole (not MY favorite thing.....actually can't stand it, but as lots of the relatives say....you just HAVE to have icky sweet sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.....I prefer mine baked or roasted with just a little butter, salt and pepper. This concoction has sugar, brown sugar, pecans....the works of icky sweetness)

I think that's it.

Oh yeah...I cheat and use those rolls from Mrs. Rhodes....gotta get up at 5am to get those crazy things out to thaw and rise!



Yes, ALL of those things have to be baked in the oven tomorrow except the cranberry salad and the pearl onions.....I do have double ovens, but they are from the 50's so they are not large like the ones in a lot of people's homes today......have I mentioned we are having our kitchen remodeled come the first of the year.....YAY!

Wish me luck at being able to keep everything warm until it's time to eat!

Counting my blessings that I am fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family at my home for a bountiful meal.

Go forth and be thankful,

Tammy

What's up?!

So what have I been up to you ask?

Good question.

eating pomegranate pancakes.....

hooking....

knitting....

dyeing wool.....

leaf raking and mowing.....

dog walking.....

grocery shopping.....

cooking....

Can you tell I'm on vacation again?

Lovin' it!

from Allison Strine Designs

Do the things you like

like the things you choose to do

smile and don't look back.

~haiku by Tammy Burks~

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Beautiful day

Today was a beautiful day....warm, sunny, no breeze....just perfect for raking and bagging leaves. I truly enjoyed myself and tried to be "in the moment". That smell and crunchiness of the leaves, the sun on my back...it was wonderful.

I spend a LOT of my time indoors at work and it was just so nice to be outside today.....just one of those "perfect days".

Sunshine on my back

rythmic raking of the leaves

brings me joy and peace.

~Haiku by Tammy Burks~

I really had some things I needed to do.....dye wool, catch up on the laundry, shop for Thanksgiving dinner.......well, I did shop a little but just came home with clementines and pomegranates.....some things are just GOOD this time of year and I don't want to miss out! Can't wait to slice open that pomegranate in the morning and spoon it over some pancakes.....it's pretty much all I can think of!!!

As Scarlett O'Hara says "After all, tomorrow is another day".....I'll shop and do laundry tomorrow. While we're on the subject of Scarlett, I found this video tribute....I love it!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy