Great idea starting us a new post for the month. Remember when we used to do weekly ones? LOL

Tomorrow I hired a lady to come stay with Rich so I could get out and try to finish Christmas shopping. I'm still trying to make my list so I can follow a route and not waste time. Need to see about a new sprinkler timer too, but that just may wait until after the holidays.

We've had our strong Santa Ana winds. Usually get them just before Halloween but they were later this year. I wasn't happy with Mother Nature--blew the bow on my lamp post completely away and blew part of the garland around the door off. I have a small plastic three piece train on the window ledge and that blew off too. Had to fix some ribbons/wires that were holding up some painted signs on the lamp post and gate too. Enough already!

Did get some nice gentle rains, but one day we had thunder and lightning! We seldom ever get that! Pretty to look out now and see the snow on the tops of the mountains.

Anj, hope your back is improving and glad you will be able to stay in where it's warm and cozy and just enjoy your home and family for the holidays.

Belle, we're waiting to hear your news about your neice and Mom. You take care of yourself too, okay?

Luvs

Sorry I have not been able to drop buy....I miss everyone!

Things have not gone well with my Mom, she is till in ICU after 18 days and gradually getting worse. We try to keep her spirits up but that is also harder each day. Thank Goodness for my youngest sister...she is a God send.

We have been back and forth over the mountains so many time I know the road blindfolded...well not in the pass area, tooooo steep! We have seen hundreds and hundreds of elk, deer and mountain sheep, something I had not seen in the wild before and thank Goodness the weather has been really dry which mean little or no snow. Most of the ski area are not operating which mean little traffic...which mean a quick 4 hour trip over or back.

My niece just had her last surgery, we lost count at 12. They are hoping to move her out of ICU this coming week. The pain she is enduring I can only imagine. When she goes into surgery she is having several thing either done at once or one right after the other. She is taking it like, as they used to say, "like a trooper" don't know if I could have.

My email box stopped delivering mail, my mail lady almost had to use a truck to deliver our mail and our animals don't know who we are....matter of fact...I don't either....but please remember....I think of you all as family and I know that you will understand that I am just not able to be here as much as I would like to be!

A late...ooopppssss! I still have 28 minutes to Wish You All a Merry Christmas and only the best in the New Year!!!

A Very Tired Belle

Hope you all had a very good Christmas with your families.

Belle~ You sure are having a rough time right now, but I hope Christmas wasn't totally bad for you! Of course we understand you not being here. You are right where you are supposed to be. Prayers for your mother and niece. Sorry that they had to spend the holidays in the hospital.

Sorry I didn't get here sooner to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Kids went to bed late and we didn't get to bed until 2am....kids woke us up at 3am!! Oy!! Made em go back to bed and try again at 7! ha We had a nice day with the family. Youngest had strep and was still contagious so she didn't get to do as much with the cousins as she wanted and she had to wear a little face mask around the pregnant aunt and everyone, but it all went well. Hubby surprised me with a Cricut Expressions 2!! (May need some coaching Luvs!!) I also got a work light for my painting desk and a small drill for doing my crafts! My back is still out and I've been in a lot of pain so I didn't even get my neighbor gifts out. Oh well, there's always next year, right? You can only do what you can do. Anyway, wanted to wish you all happy during the holidays. Don't know if I'll get back here before the New Year, but hope 2012 brings lots of joy and happiness to you all! Love ya my painting friends!!

Belle, so glad you found a moment to update us on your Mom and niece. Hope your Mom rallies and can soon go home, and your poor niece--so many surgeries, so lucky to be alive! Continued prayers for both of them. I too hope you had a few pleasant moments to celebrate Christmas.

Anj, I think Belle is way more advanced with the Cricut now than I am. Did you see all that neat stuff she made for her craft shows? Maybe she will share more of the pics when time permits. Wow! He got you the biggest, newest Cricut--good for you! You will have so much fun doing cute signs for all over the house. You can decorate the kids doors, make a sign of instructions for the bathroom, stick seasonal decor on plain glass candles and bowls--the list just goes on and on. Oh, and don't forget how easy it will make the lettering for all those science projects too! ;o)

We had a realy nice Christmas, little GD hosted a little party with refreshments around the tree early Christmas Eve, and then they all came over here around noon on Christmas day after doing their presents at home first. We didn't try to go over early, just hard for DH to get around that early, and by them coming here later, he could go take a nap when he got tired.

Here's wishing everyone a much better and healthier New Year!

Luvs

Luvs~ looks like y'all worked things out for everyone to enjoy the holiday. Did GD say anything about the "real" Santa not making a visit this year?

I am one of those people who like to get allllll my information before I start something. I have been reading and watching videos online before I have even taken the cricut out of the box! ha Finally got it out this morning. Will be playing with it later today. Someone told me to go to the $1 store and get cheap contact paper to play around with until I get used to doing it so I don't waste the vinyl. And another girl who does vinyl lettering for a side business gave me a place to get my vinyl cheaper than the craft store with more color options! Wondering if you think it would be smart to invest in the Sure Cuts a Lot software before trying to buy individual cartridges and have you bought cartridges on ebay? Any cartridges you've liked more than others. Any tips welcomed from you two more experienced users! I have loved both of your projects so excited to try some things out to incorporate with my painted projects for the spring boutiques!

I went to the library yesterday for the first time in ages. Picked up 5 copies of PaintWorks. There are a few in them that I want to try, but like you all said...more that I don't like than I do.

Do y'all have any plans for New Years Eve? Got your resolutions all ready to go? Hope your family members are better and able to be included in the New Year celebrations no matter where they are. We will be staying home, playing games with the kids and counting down to the new year.

Well, off to play. You ladies have a good day and I'll report on my trial and error with this beast! lol ~Anj.

Anj, I watched allot of Cricut videos on You tube. Don't buy "cheap" contact paper--I tried some from Big Lots and it was terrible. I did find some good contact paper at Orchard Hardware (now going out of business) and it works nicely. I haven't bought any of the crafting vinyl, but did save some sites where I could order various colors when I'm ready.

Biggest problem I've had is that something you cut from one cartridge at a certain size and then cut from another cartridge at the same size--may come out differently. That's why using scrap paper to test first is a good idea before you use your more expensive vinyl.

I'll let Belle tell you about the Sure Cuts a Lot and there's also Make the Cut or something like that. I've not invested in either one although if I were going to do allot of projects, I probably would since they let you use any image or font you can find on the web.

Have you gone to the Cricut website? They have a forum for most every one of their machines. I heard they also have a new site full of projects, but I've not looked into it yet.

You will be making lots of projects soon I'm sure. Don't forget that you can put the vinyl on wood, plastic, glass, etc. Some of my favorite projects have been on the glass in ts frames. I saw some plastic cake takers from Big Lots all decorated really cute--only cost about $5 and would make a great gift for a new neighbor, etc. My sister in law is using the vinyl and the Etching creme to personalize glasses and vases. (You can pull the letters out and use the leftover openings as a stencil).

No resolutions for me--never keep them anyway! LOL Imagine we will just be home watching tv and munching some popcorn.

Oh, as for your question about Santa, DIL has taken her to the same "santa" for pictures every year. Had a cute display on her hutch of all of them. Made me sad to see how fast she's growing up--but very cute. DIL tells her this one is the "real" santa, and the others are just helpers. The santa told her that he always comes when she is fast asleep and she reminded him of the year he came while she and her daddy were reading stories and they heard him and saw him from the upstairs balcony! The santa was really good, he laughed and said "oh yeah--I had forgotten about that!" (That was the year DH dressed up in a santa suit and they let her see him at a distance).

You all take care, and let's make sure we keep in touch in the new year whether we're painting or not. You can share your Cricut projects over here on this side, okay?

Belle, hope things are going better. Let us hear from you when you can.

Happy New Year,

Luvs