looking back.

...at 2010. it was very hard to select just twelve photos to tell the story of this year. so many changes in my life - all good. yes, I can even say that now about the hard things, like katie moving across the country, because it's been a wonderful change for her (and it's ok if I tear up writing this).

the look back is shimelle's prompt for the 30th, so I also have one for 2007 and 2009 (2008 was a letter to myself and I didn't share it online). I'm sure I couldn't imagine how different my life would be in 2010 when I did that first page in 2007. and I wonder how surprised I'll be this time next year when I look back at 2011. time flies. I need to remember to enjoy it.

undecorating.

a nice dinner.

...the shop was busy yesterday - knitters visiting from many places (I waited on ones from germany, new hampshire and north carolina) with families and friends kind enough to show us off - knitters needing help with projects (mostly ripping! but I'm pretty good at that since I've had years and years of practice!) - and I'm sure a few knitters who were thinking about this weekend's upcoming football marathon and planning ahead to have something to do. it made for a steady stream of customers, plenty of running around, and no time for a break.

sara came to visit in the afternoon - she brought holly (the regular tuesday knitters had been asking to see her) and asked what I wanted for dinner. oooohhh yes! I suggested cheese sandwiches, maybe with soup? she agreed. she cooked. she cleaned up.

and we enjoyed a delicious hot meal. thank you, sara. it was very nice!

more details on the layout here

10 intentions for 2011.

...we were talking at lunch yesterday about making resolutions for the new year. katie & sara both had plans for a few, but not me. nope, I wasn't planning to layout anything specific for 2011. and then I saw today's prompt and started thinking maybe I'd been too* quick to dismiss. 2011 doesn't need to be the first year for which I resolve nothing!

created in photoshop using ali edwards 10 things template - formatted 4x6 so I can print it out and keep it handy!

Go here if you would like to sign up for the Ten on Tuesday mailing list.

*12/28/10 5:25 p.m. edited to fix the misspelled "to" in my opening paragraph (thank you sara for telling me!) and thinking maybe I need a new blogging rule that I should not post until I've had at least one cup of coffee...or that I simply need to proof what I write? :-)

merry and bright.

...from our house to yours - best wishes for a merry and bright holiday!

more holly pics.

...I had to smile at a comment left in flickr on monday's december journal page about how much holly is showing up in this year's journal. because I'd just uploaded tuesday's page.

yep, more holly photos! I know they're much cuter and probably appeal more broadly than the in-process shots of my holiday knitting. which I am really (really!!!!) hoping to finish today. and I'll admit I spent a few minutes yesterday happily thinking about what I might cast on next.

ready to bind off (finally!)

is it tuesday already?

...oh my, time flies when you're having fun! following sunday's relaxed pace, we hit buckhead for lunch and shopping yesterday. I was perfectly happy to knit and hold holly while katie and sara drove*. anis didn't disappoint - seriously, they are great with dogs! - and the food was delicious. after lunch, we went to phipps plaza and actually found all the gifts we were shopping for (plus two more - santa is going to be so pleased with me!)

*to accommodate everyone's evening plans, we had a very complicated car arrangement which involved two cars and ended up with my coat (and my keys) parked at phipps instead of with me. so glad my neighbor donna has a spare key - I'm embarrassed how often I end up using it!

merry times.

...indeed. our annual family gift exchange is one of my favorite holiday traditions. karen hosted this year and it was especially nice this year to have the whole family there - we missed katie last year (which is maybe why I didn't even blog about it!), and of course holly came too.

I had fun this morning going through the nearly 100 photos from katie's and my cameras. and was pleased I ended up with a enough good ones to create a collage for day 18.

we didn't take our usual group photo this year, but we did get one of the cousins so my mom can put a new photo on her refrigerator.

sara, pj, jillian, andrew, paula, katie

I was surprised how much the "kids" have grown and changed since 2007 and 2008. I'm really thankful we have these fun times together...and the photos!

all here.

...both girls arrived safely - sara on thursday afternoon and katie yesterday evening. we've shopped and sara baked and now today is our annual family gift exchange. looking forward to merry times!

(and I'm caught up on my december album - click here to see)

frozen.

10 things to do.

this week's prompt is very timely! shimelle's "to do list" prompt comes a little later, but with just eleven days to go, I needed this one today. it helps to get it all down on paper. and I love how that #1 item doesn't look nearly so intimidating in words!

as I typed up the list and grabbed the photo of my tree, I was thankful that decorating wasn't still a to do.

Go here if you would like to sign up for the Ten on Tuesday mailing list.

photoshop textures.

...I can't remember how I found kim klassen's website, but I've been following along for several weeks now and I'm just in love with what she can do to a photo. last weekend she posted these beautiful textures and I've been waiting for the right photo to use them. yesterday seemed to offer a good opportunity. it was cold, and we had snow flurries on and off all afternoon and into the evening. I loved the way our tree looked from the deck, so warm and inviting.

and I'm really excited about the image I created.

I ended up using silent night 2 - and I used it twice. once as a photo overlay (on 100% opacity) and then again as a normal layer. it was really a happy accident. I'd planned to use the texture as background paper, behind the photo (with the overlay), but when I copied it into my photoshop file, it landed as the very top layer. and now I've spent way more time on this than I have. christmas knitting awaits!!

making me merry.

click photo for more details

...and now it's friday morning: the snow might be sunday (but they're saying it won't stick). and marc got little holly get out of her very warm bed before 5am so he could see her before he went to work. smitten indeed!

smile!

a favorite tradition.

...holiday lunch at maggiano's.

I started taking my management team to lunch there in 2000 (of course my documentation skills were not the best way back when I started...and apparently pretty spotty since then, too - I found only one photo from those ten lunches, from 2007). we'd get family style, have some wine, talk about stuff besides work and generally just have a fun, loud time. as my assignments changed, so did my management team. some years were definitely more fun than others! and lisa & janel were always two of my favorites (I can say that now, right?, since I don't work there anymore!)

so glad I haven't lost the tradition forever. lisa, janel & I met for lunch yesterday. we weren't a big enough party for family style, but we had a great time and the food was delicious. celebrate together indeed.

introducing holly.

...seven pounds of the cutest toy schnauzer ever.

theresa took these photos when holly visited me at the shop today

now resting comfortably in my lap and maybe about to doze off. I know she must be exhausted - I am! we've had a big day!

and to the closest members of my family who are expecting knitted gifts under the tree...I am still on track and I am sure I can make up the time I've lost today caring for my new dog. but I think she might need a sweater (I have the prettiest machine washable red lorna's laces in my stash :-) and if that happens, I'm sorry - and you know I'll make it up to you!

p.s. because I know you want to know! her name is holly berry because her first family named her at christmas. I'm not going to change her name. but I'll probably her (just) holly.

p.p.s. she is 16 months old and fully trained (I'm glad I will get to skip right over the puppy year!). and it's a long story but the family who had her loved her but needed to make room for another dog.

p.p.p.s. I am now about to be 3 days behind on my december journal. I am going to catch up tomorrow for sure!

two for two.

...as in so far so good!

click the image for more details on the photos and digital supplies

for these first two days, I've loosely followed the prompts from shimelle's journal your christmas - hands down the best on-line course I've taken. it's a bonus that you join "for life" and get to participate year after year but only pay the first year. she updates the materials every year and this year she's added a second daily prompt focused on photography.

stay tuned for something more like ali edwards' december daily tomorrow (or saturday, I'm not promising three for three!)... shimelle's day 3 is about christmas cards. and I just don't think I have much to say about that!

today is december.

...doh, right?! but I think it's just the right tagline for the opening page in my fourth december journal.

photo from the starbucks window

participating in the project has become a tradition in its own right. and I am thrilled that katie and lydia are going to play this year, too.

happy december!

nearly finished.