45 Pines Winter Wonderland

December 29, 2012

 

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Pics and Random Stuff

David Phelps sings 'O Holy Night'

This live version of 'O Holy Night' might just blow you away!

Winter Crafts

 

 

 

Am finally done with my crafting projects. Yay!

 

 

Gingerbread Houses

The kids made their very first ever gingerbread houses this week.  My daughter-in-law posted some pictures on her facebook page and I, of course, "borrowed" them.  It's moments like these I really wish we could all live more closely to each other.

Lexi making her gingerbread house...she didn't feel well, but stuck to it.

Aiden singing "snow, snow, snow" putting the icing on his house.

Lexi's house.





 

 

The finished product...notice there's no gingerbread man on Aiden's because...

 

 

he's eating it!

 

Christmas Spirit at the Office

My office is really quite ugly.  It's a metal trailer that sits inside the warehouse.  I hate it, but I try to keep it as tidy and neat as I can.  I am the only woman who currently works in this office and not to be stereotypical or anything, but the guys just don't care much how it looks.  I took it upon myself to decorate it for Christmas.  I think the guys appreciate it, but would never take it upon themselves to decorate.  It makes it seem a little more tolerable for the season.



Lights around office door



Snowflakes on windows




More snowflakes on window




Office Christmas tree





More Snowflakes

Decided to try some snowflakes with some color.  Here's the result:

These are made with glittered wrapping paper...what a mess, but I think they are very pretty!

3D Paper Snowflakes

A couple of years ago, I found a neat 3D snowflake on the internet and instructions on how to make it.  I made a whole bunch that winter for the office and the house and one for my granddaughter to take back to Florida with her when they were here for Christmas that year.  I didn't make any last year, but this year V hit me up for some help making a bunch for the classroom. I said I would love to and so the last couple of days have had a chunk of time devoted to cutting out and making these snowflakes.  They really are fun to make.

 

 

 

 

If you are at all interested in making this, check out this how-to video on YouTube - 

 

How To Make Paper Snowflakes

 

 



Been Busy

The last 5 days were extremely busy for me...so much so, that I didn't even get on the computer and that's unusual for me, to say the least.  Last Tuesday, Sophie had a fatty deposit removed from her side.  It was pretty big, but the amount of hair that got shaved off and the size of the incision were really big in comparison.



The surgery was scheduled around my planned day off last Wednesday so I could be with her all day.  She sure was a trooper!  She has just, however, developed a pocket of fluid just in front of the incision and so we will be making another trip to the vet this afternoon as a precautionary measure.  I think they may have to drain the fluid, but that shouldn't be too bad. (Yeah, tell that to the dog).

The rest of the week and weekend were loaded with Thanksgiving feasts and family and lots of Christmas decorating and the watching of Ohio State beating U of Michigan...sorry about that, E!  :) 

So, today is back to the old grind and I managed to catch myself a nice little cold to go along with it.  Thanks for that, E!  (Must be payback for the football game).  :) 

Christmas Cactus

The Christmas Cactus is blooming...yay!

'This Christmas' by ONJ and JT

My favorite [70s] singing duo have collaborated on a new Christmas album which was released last Tuesday, Nov. 13th.  I'm still undecided on whether to purchase it.  It is for a good cause...Travolta and Newton-John will donate the album’s proceeds to their respective charities — the Jett Travolta Foundation, which works to combat children’s disabilities and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne. One thing that makes it intriguing to me is the fact that one of the tracks, "I Think You Might Like It," is described as "the sequel to ‘You’re the One That I Want.'"  The reunion tune was written by John Farrar, who also penned both that famous Grease duet and “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” (Quote taken from EW.com).

(I'm sure I'll succombe to the cheesiness)  :)

1. Baby It’s Cold Outside
2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (featuring Kenny G)
3. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (featuring Barbra Streisand)
4. This Christmas (featuring Chick Corea)
5. Silent Night
6. The Christmas Waltz
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (featuring Cliff Richard)
8. Winter Wonderland (featuring Tony Bennett and The Count Basie Orchestra)
9. White Christmas
10. I Think You Might Like It
11. The Christmas Song
12. Deck the Halls (featuring James Taylor)
13. Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Time Is Here (Medley)

Hostess Twinkies

 

 

LIMITED SUPPLY

 

HURRY!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will Sell For Just
 $150 a Box

Vodka Christmas Cake

Once again this year, I’ve had requests for my Vodka Christmas Cake recipe...so here goes. Please keep in your files as I am beginning to get tired of typing this up every year! (Made mine this morning).

 

1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 cup water, 1 tsp. salt, 1 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, 4 large eggs, nuts, 1 bottle Vodka, 2 cups dried fruit.

Sample a cup of Vodka to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality then repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the Vodka is still OK. Try another cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor, wash it and put it in the bowl a piece at a time trying to count it. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Vodka to test for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the Vodka. Now shit shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the Vodka and wipe the counter with the cat.

Found this one on Facebook and I knew I had to share it.  :)

Voices That Care (Warren Wiebe Demo vs. Various)

My Warren Wiebe infatuation will probably never go away.  I just never get enough of listening to his voice.  I was messing around some time ago with the "Voices That Care" demo sung by Warren and the actual released supergroup version and I mixed them together.  It's not anything that would be worthy of a YouTube video or anything, but it is kind of neat to hear the two blended together. I've uploaded each song individually and then the mixdown version below. 

 

The Home Depot

I had an idea for a Christmas crafting project.  I needed those crafting glass blocks that you can open and put things inside.  They're called Decobloc.

I hunted all over Findlay and couldn't find any and the nearest store (Michaels) that I could find selling them is a 45 minute drive.  My next choice was to order them online.  I only found one reasonably priced place to buy them from...



I forked over my money and ordered two 4-pack boxes for $80 (plus shipping).  It didn't take long for them to arrive on my doorstep.  When V picked up the first box there was a pretty tinkling sound in the box and we all know what that means...

AAAARGH!!!!!

I was stunned to see absolutely no packaging material between the glass blocks or around the outside of them.  The boxes are shipped that way from the manufacturer.  I called The Home Depot online order help folks and talked to a really nice gal who got the ok to send me two replacement blocks without me having to return the damaged blocks at all! The normal procedure is to send the product back and then get the refund or replacement product.  And, she actually credited my account back 10% for my inconvenience.  Now that's customer service!!!

KUDOS TO THE HOME DEPOT!!!!

Yay! It's vote day!

BC's Music Day 8 and Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

Today's song is called 'The Darkness Sees.'

BC's Music Day 7

Today's song is called 'Hearts Beating.'

 

 



BC's Music Day 6

Today's song is called 'The Graveyard.'

Stonecrop Sedum 4 Weeks Later

This is about as dark as it will get.

BC's Music Day 5

Today's song is called 'The Lost One.'

BC's Music Day 4

The song for today is called 'He's Catching Up.'

 

 

BC's Music Day 3

Today's is 'Dark Circus.'

 

 

BC's Music Day 2

Today's song is called 'Hour of Doom.'

 

 

 

BC's Music Day 1

I am such a huge fan of anything horror and a few years ago I started dabbling with Acid Pro, a loop-based music creation program.  I downloaded hundreds of loops and started making my own Halloween/horror music.  Some of it is just kind of simple and somewhat boring, but some of it is not too bad.  I will be uploading one everyday until Halloween from a selection of the ones I consider to be pretty ok.  Today's is called 'It Breaks Free'. 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday the 13th Theme

I love horror music.  Here's a compilation video of nine of the Friday the 13th movie themes I edited together.

9 Themes On Jason's Friday The 13th



The Grim Reaper

My favorite Halloween decoration this year.

On My Ipod This Morning

These are the first eight songs I heard on my ipod this morning.  How many do you recognize by the first line of the song?

Lookin' back on the track for a little green bag...

Big ole' Ruby red dress...

In a bar in Toledo...

Headin' out to San Francisco...

Ooooh, let's go riding...

I put my hand on your stocking...

Late weekend night and I'm at the Bojar grill ...

Stand up, you don't have to be afraid...

Stonecrop Sedum 2 Weeks Later

This flowering bush gets darker as the days get shorter.

Incredibox

I found this neat website this morning. Check it out and make some beatbox tunes.

 

 

 

Incredibox

 

 

 



Gargoyle Prop

I need $5,600 to buy this. 

Heaven or Hell

While walking down the street one day, a corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died.  His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. 

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter.  "Before you settle in it seems there is a problem.  We seldom see a high official around these parts so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher-ups.  What we need to do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven.  Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really? I've made up my mind.  I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.  The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.  In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.  Everyone is very happy.  They run to greet him, shake his hand and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.  They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.  Also present is the devil (who really is a friendly guy) having a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it's time to go.  Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises. The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit heaven," says St. Peter.

The Senator joins a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and before he realizes it, 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well then, you've spent one day in hell and one in heaven.  Now, choose your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute and then answers.  "Well, I would never have said it before, I think heaven is delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell...

The doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.  He sees all his friends dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls to the ground.  The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

"I don't understand," stammers the Senator.  "I was here yesterday and there was a golf course and clubhouse and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne and danced and had a great time.  Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.  What happened?"

The devil smiles at him and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning.  Today you voted." 

Vote wisely on Nov. 6, 2012!

Some Autumn Quotes