Happy Dog!

This is the face of a very happy dog!

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick note to say that Christmas 2009 was a lovely success.  Dan and I chose to have a quiet day at home doing a lot of "nuthin'"  which for us was perfection!

I heard someone say the other day that the key to a happy, successful life is to find the calm in the midst of the storm.

Easier said than done sometimes but this is what we strived for on Christmas day.

There were lots of phone calls to family to connect and plenty of quiet moments for hugs, naps, walks in the snow with the puppy up above as well as some quality eating and watching some movies.

I am happy to report that I wouldn't have changed much.

We had a big snowstorm dumping about 6-8 inches in the Chicagoland area.  It was really beautiful and added to the serenity that surrounded our days off.

I hope all of your travels got you to where you were going, safe and sound and I especially hope that your holidays have been happy and stress free!

The pretty brunette is my good friend Jeri who's here for a visit and braved a snowstorm just to come and play with us!

Hmmm, not my best picture.  I'm wondering what was going on with my glasses!  Yikes.

Much Love,

Linder

And the winner is...

Teresa aka 1badmamawolf!  Woo Hoo!

Congratulations!

Please email me your address and I will send out your copy of "A Homemade Life"

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

I promise to have another one very soon.

Hugs,

Linder

The Magic Chaos

This is the "After" picture.   Sooooo pretty!

 

And this would be a portion of the "before"...not so pretty but certainly festive!  LOL!

I didn't feel like baking last night but in the line of finding and keeping my bliss on a daily basis, I asked myself "What would make me happy?"  The answer was "Let's watch movie's and wrap presents!"  So that's what I did.

I rented Julie & Julia on pay-per-view and enjoyed it so much.  Made me think a lot about blogging and what makes me happy.

I've got SO much to learn but love the adventure of blogging.

I would like to some day have a blog as popular and as beautiful as the pioneer woman.  If you haven't visited her site, you should it is pure reading yumminess!

On a personal note, I have to cram for a test tonight.  Ugh.

Seems I was in an all-fired rush to get to Evanston one morning and got caught doing 52 in a 35...yikes!

The good news is, that the officer did not write me a speeding ticket.  The bad news is that he wrote me 2 fix-it tickets...1. Get my Illinois drivers licence (hence the test) and 2. Get Illinois license plates.

So tonight instead of baking to my hearts content, I will be mastering the book so I can get my license tomorrow.

Hey any suggestions of what is and appropriate weight lie?  I'm over 160 right now, so I'm thinking 150 is reasonable for my license.  What do you think?  How much did you fudge on your license?

Enquiring minds want to know!

OK, today is the last day to enter my first ever blog contest!  Get your comments in and I will randomly choose a winner (names in a hat) after work tonight.

Thank you all for stopping in.  I am grateful for your presence!

Hugs,

Linder

Finding my Bliss!

Dan & Linda Christmas 2009

I just sat down to write and heard the timer go off in the kitchen.  My first batch of shortbread is done!

Like many of you at this time of year, my plate is full with my job, my home, my lovely daughter & boyfriend as well as my other family members and then there's the preparation for Christmas!

Calgon take me away...

My goal this year is to find my bliss, however small, every day.

My job can consist of very long hours but I've decided that this is just not the year I want to stop creating.  Probably because my job is so demanding and requires so much of me, I've chosen to seek out my joy in baking and sewing for the holidays.

My plan is brilliant!  I am dividing my projects up into small windows of time.  So, for instance, when I got home from work last night, I went through all my cookbooks, decided what I was going to make, went grocery shopping and then came home and made truffles and butterscotch haystacks.

It was fun and it was NOT an all day project.  I was in bed by 10:00 p.m. and so happy that I had carved some time out for me and my pleasure.

I hope that you can carve out some time for yourselves today and find your own bliss whatever it is.

Don't forget to enter my first ever blog contest.

In the comments section, please tell me how you "Celebrate the spirit of the season".

A winner will be randomly chosen tomorrow after work.

Much Love,

Linder

And so it begins...

I am bleary-eyed from a very long work day yesterday (14 hours) and dragging my poor behind around this morning much like I hadn't slept at all!

BUT with coffee in one hand and a pen in the other I begin to make the mammoth list that will commence the bacchanalia of the Christmas season in the Montgomery household today.

Woo Hoo!

It is not Christmas for me if I'm not creating something.  Funds are low this year so I find myself joyfully going back to my homemade holidays which everyone seems to love.

I am going to start baking tonight.  The fare includes but is not limited to: snickerdoodles, oreo cookie bark (so easy), cornflake marshmallow wreaths, butterscotch haystacks and  kourembides (those fabulous crescent shaped almond cookies rolled in powdered sugar).

Those items will be in the boxes I send out to my family.

I am going to attempt a nice biscotti for my step-mother who LOVES it as a treat with her coffee in the mornings.

OK, yes it's a lot to do but I am excited for my work day to zip by so I can get down to the business of merry making!

I hope you have scheduled in an activity just for yourself today that brings you bliss!

Speaking of which, don't forget to enter my "Spirit of the Season" contest today.

In the comments section of this blog, please share how you are celebrating the spirit of the holiday season.

On Friday I will pick a winner and send the lucky person out a copy of " A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg

Blessings to all!

Love,

Linder

Pictures were taken at the Chicago Botanical Gardens.

Counting down the days contest!

At this writing there are 11 days until Christmas!

I have not shopped much.  I have not begun baking.  I haven't even addressed 1 Christmas card yet! 

This morning though, in the quiet of my little coach house, it doesn't matter.  I feel the spirit of Christmas and that little umph, that little charge that I get that induces me to go out of my way to pay a kindness or to sit down and craft something special for someone.  Do you know what I'm talking about?

It is a magical feeling that I try to keep all year 'round.

I am having a little contest.  The prize is a copy of "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg

To enter, please tell me in the comment space of this blog "How you celebrate the spirit of the season"

I welcome you as a fan to my site.

The winner will be chosen the Friday Dec. 18th!

Good Luck and I look forward to hearing your lovely responses!

Hugs,

Linder