the magical Christmas tree

It’s early. And quiet. And the tree is on…

I am supposed to be doing something else right now; but I can’t. I am completely wrapped up in magic and memories this morning. So I succumb to the moment. I turn on some relaxing music, my “Spa Christmas” CD (not kidding.), light a Christmas candle and pour another cup of hot coffee. We need to chat…

You see, I realized something very, very important this morning.

Our Christmas tree is magical.

Here’s the deal. Over the years our tastes have changed, decorations have come and gone, we have even moved from house to house. But something significant occurred to me this morning. Our Christmas tree is different. It defines us as a family. It is the one true constant that ties every single Christmas together throughout the years.

We are not a fancy tree family. No white lights, Waterford crystal and Christopher Radko ornaments here, my friends. Our lights are bright and multi-colored; our ornaments an eclectic combination of wonderful memories. A snapshot of who we are as a family.

A Chiefs ornament that my sweet (widdle) hubbie made as a kid in 1971; a Santa walking his 3 little pigs (that’s mine!), a collection of treasured ornaments given to my kids every year from their grandparents, our very own “Christmas Vacation” squirrel, a beautiful assortment of treasures hand-painted by my (very talented) mom…

We have decorated this tree together as a family for more than 24 years. When it comes to our favorites (Mom & Dad), however… that is easy. We have a little box that houses all of our very, very favorite little treasures. Most of them date back 20+ years to the preschool days. Our precious little angels – perfectly framed in construction paper stars and sequins. Glittered teddy bears with crooked little googly eyes hand-crafted by two adorable little three year olds. Priceless. And, without a doubt, magical…

In the quiet of this magical morning, as I was snapping pictures of our beautiful tree – I was overcome with emotion… the treasured memories of days gone by. An intense happy and sad at the same time. Our son moved to Dallas in the fall. He was home for Thanksgiving, and it felt beyond wonderful to have both of my kids home at the same time again. As a family, we treasured every single moment together xoxoxoxo And although our time passed so very quickly, we were able to accomplish one very, very important thing before he left. We decorated the tree. Our magical tree…

For those of you who may not believe in the magic of Christmas, allow me to share one final thing. As I was reminiscing this morning, completely wrapped in a warm blanket of memories from the past, I was also very focused on the happiness of this given moment. The present; a gift. A thought suddenly occurred to me. What about our kids? I wonder what favorite memories and traditions they will carry with them into THEIR futures? Our daughter LOVES Christmas, her family and tradition. I think it is safe to say that she will probably take a lot of her memories of Christmas past into her future. My son is also very family oriented, but decorating for Christmas was never a real “priority” for him. When they were little, both of my kids each had their own little tree in their rooms. Santa would always leave one little gift under their (room) tree on Christmas Eve… if it was up!! My daughter had one tree with lights AND three bright tinsel trees plus an entire collection of her own ornaments that she had collected over the years. No problem there, Santa. My son? Well that was a completely different story. Trying to get him to decorate his one little (room) tree was next to impossible. That is, until he finally figured it out. He started hiding the little tree (completely decorated) in the back of his closet from year to year. From that point on, it was never a problem.

So you are probably wondering, as I was this morning, what special memories will he carry into his Christmas future…? He is on his own now for the first time, far from home at Christmas time. He lives alone and although he will be back in Kansas City a few days before Christmas, I was sad thinking that that he would not have any “Christmas” in his new apartment over the next few weeks. It was at that very moment that a text came through on my phone. “Mom, I’m thinking about getting a Christmas tree… Any chance you could send my ornaments? They should be in the back of my closet.”

I cried. Yes, sweetie. I know where they are.

And that is the story of the magical Christmas tree. The end.

gratitude 101

11 / 22 / 14

Today is a lesson (or two) (or three) in Gratitude 101.

When “the girls” (dogs) came in from morning potty today, they brought with them a single perfect little leaf. Not “perfect” in the sense of “PERFECTLY PERFECT”. Just perfect. As is. Lesson #1.

Picking up that little leaf created a pause within me. A moment to reflect on this fleeting moment that we call “Fall”. Never EVER long enough. One moment we are ablaze with glorious color, the next we are bare naked. “Mable”, the Maple tree in the backyard, is my fav. She waits until all of the others have succumbed to the early winds of winter. Like the end of an amazing concert, Mable waits until the stage has gone dark… and then she performs her breathtaking encore. Mable never disappoints. Patience. Lesson #2.

In glancing out the back window, it is plain to see that Mable is thinning with each day. Her leaves, once a brilliant red-orange, have faded. I feel sad. It’s a weirdly warm, foggy morning – so I decide to wander out onto the deck and whisper a little “thank you” to Mable for yet another stellar performance. Hopefully the neighbors won’t see me talking to my tree with the fog.

Our small deck is littered with a multitude of leaves, and I begin, almost subconsciously, to pick them up one by one. Where did they all come from? Where ARE all these different trees? Have these leaves been here all along? I thought that, aside from sweet Mable, the fall foliage was long gone. And here it was all along; right under my feet. I just had to open my eyes and take notice. Lesson #3.

Gratitude 101.

live happy

one week and counting…

11 / 20 / 14

My baby boy moved to Dallas in September. I miss him.

A lot.

How old? Twenty four. So what…!? You don’t just NOT miss your kid cause they are 24 with a real job… in their own apartment… in a fun area… surrounded by people their own age… in a big city… with a lot of golf and restaurants and nightlife… ??

Yep. I’m pretty much screwed.

So I simply hang on to whatever lands in my lap. A phone call, a ~~letter in the mailbox~~ funny text, an Instagram pic, a Snapchat video… Anything that brings him just a bit closer to home. But I miss still miss him.

A lot.

If you follow me on Instagram (creationsbycathy) you know that I have been posting every day during the month of November about things that I am grateful for. Spoiler alert… Exactly one week from today is Thanksgiving. A day for giving thanks for all of our many, many blessings. That being said, I can already tell you what I will be posting that day. “Someone” is flying in to spend Thanksgiving with his family… and mama bear, papa bear and sister are so, so, SO excited!! Three and a half glorious days!! The hugs. The kisses. Sitting next to him on the couch. Waking up in the morning with BOTH of my kids here… It’s almost too much! Yes, the countdown has begun…

tick, tock, tick, tock….

live happy

the gift of laundry

11 / 19 / 14

Sometimes we make the simple act of gratitude way too complicated.

Case in point; laundry.

So raise your hand if you enjoy doing laundry. Anyone…? Ya. Thought so. And who among you gets “slightly irritated” when someone says they “did” the laundry when, in fact, all they did was put the laundry into the washing machine?? OR… (and this is worse!) merely transferred it from the washing machine to the dryer?? Ya. Exactly. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you. It’s about FOLDING that doggone pile of laundry when it comes out of the dryer. Am I right?? Often times I find myself questioning how many times you can actually “re-fluff” before everything in the dryer becomes American Girl doll worthy…

But today was different. Kinda. Ya; I still refluffed a couple times, but once I finally dumped that (first, of many) load on the couch and started folding – I did so with a fresh new attitude. An attitude of gratitude. I decided to find five reasons to be thankful for the privilege of folding laundry. And, surprisingly; it wasn’t even hard to do.

I was cold and the clothes were toasty warm. I wrapped up in an oversize sweatshirt and fresh socks. Instant warmth xo
We are so fortunate to even HAVE these crazy inventions called washers & dryers! Can’t even IMAGINE washing all of this by hand! Our poor great grandparents!
I am so very, very, VERY blessed to have a wonderful hubbie; someone that generates all of these dirty socks and underwear that I have the privilege of folding. xoxo
We are over the top materialistically blessed. We have a home to do our laundry in, and a closet full of clothes to wear. Some have nothing.
Down time. In the midst of a busy day, folding laundry gives me a little time to quiet my thoughts, slow down and reflect on my day. And all of the many things I have to be grateful for…

Today I am thankful for the gift of laundry.

live happy…

steak soup weather

11 / 11 / 14

Right off the bat I’m gonna tell you that I am a believer in recipes, but more as a guide than a rulebook. Sort of a suggestion on how to “begin the process” of creating your own personal culinary masterpiece!!

Or not.

Yep. That’s part of the deal when you allow yourself to be a creative cook. You must take risks, think out of the box, have fun and – yes – be willing to fail sometimes. Boo-Boos happen. So what. One of the biggest problems I have is trying to re-create something that does end up coming out pretty tasty. I start “creating” with a little of this, a pinch of that, a little more of the other and a whole lotta whatever. At the end of the day, I have NO IDEA how much of this or that is actually in the final product. My poor hubbie… “Hey sugar lump; any chance you can duplicate this?” Ummm… ya… No. Sorry. And, sadly, he does not actually call me sugar lump.

So I’m getting better about tracking my “culinary creativity”. I have always been one to mark all over the recipes in my many, many (many) cookbooks. Cross this out, halve that ingredient, omit this, sub that… What I have also started doing is making notes on a post it note until I get to the “final answer”. I write down the exact ingredients as I add them, updating the amounts as I go along. For example, I may start out by adding a tablespoon of minced cilantro to a dish; but after two more adjustments I end up at 1/2 cup in the end. The same goes for something you might add that you aren’t so keen on. Make a note. Cookbooks were meant to be tattered and dog eared and scribbled on!! It’s a sign of love and affection! (Side note: the exception is BAKING. For the most part, stick to the exact measurements when baking)

So it’s the first really cold day outside today. All thoughts are on comfort food. So how ’bout some Steak Soup? I am going to give you the recipe as it was given to me, first. Then we’ll talk.

STEAK SOUP

8 T butter ½

1/2 c flour

40 oz. cans beef broth

¼ c diced carrots

¼ c diced onion

¼ c diced celery

½ c chopped canned tomatoes

1 T Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce

¾ t seasoning salt

¼ t black pepper

5 oz frozen mixed vegetables

½ lb lean ground chuck, chili grind, browned and drained

Melt, but do not brown, the butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and stir to form a roux. Cook over medium heat without browning for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beef broth to roux and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a full boil. Add the carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 20-30 minutes. Stir in browning sauce to achieve a richer color and flavor. Stir in frozen vegetables and cooked ground beef. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, or long enough that the flavors become well blended. Makes about 4 servings.

Here’s how I “personalized” this soup to make it mine… I gathered whatever veggies I had fresh, and oven roasted until tender, rather than boiling them in the soup. (In this case that included carrots, onions and tomatoes.) I had frozen peas and corn on hand, so those were my frozen veggies. (On the fresh and frozen veggies – I don’t measure. Just add as much as you want) I also had some oven roasted sweet potatoes leftover from the night before, so in they went as well. I don’t use butter. I use a combination of a little olive oil and some of the stock. I use unsalted beef stock, eliminate the seasoning salt and add in 1-2 packets of beefy onion soup mix. My hubbie likes a meaty soup, so I double the amount of meat… or more!! I also add dried thyme; to taste. (I like a lot) and I double the pepper to 1/2 t (or more).

So there we go. My version of Steak Soup. Would love to hear what YOU add into your Steak Soup to make it special…

live happy

monday morning

11 / 3 / 14

Today was your typical Monday morning. 18 things on the “to do” list. The first item was a priority for today – Collect all the dead plants from the planters. Two reasons. First of all, we had a hard freeze over the weekend and everything that was alive on Friday was not alive on Saturday. (Luckily I had the sense to move all of my potted herbs inside and cut the last of my sweet little blooming hydrangeas on Friday, right before the freeze.) The second reason to do this today – Tuesday is trash day. Gather up the dead plants today; get them out to the trash tomorrow. Simple enough.

Ya; right.

I gathered up all of the dead stuff in pots. It took longer than I anticipated. It always does. As I was doing this, I couldn’t help but notice the annoying little voice in my head that kept nagging. And nagging... “Look around you. There is certainly a lot more to do around here than the dead pots. What about the dead peonies. And daylilies. And hydrangeas. And clematis. And roses. And…” “UGH!!! STOP TALKING!!”, I wanted to scream. But that stupid voice just continued. “It’s a nice day today. Tomorrow IS trash day, you know! What are you waiting for? Don’t be a procrastinator!! And (this is the biggie); if you DON’T do it… Who will?”

Ya. No one.

So what if I just decided not to do anything at all? What if I just left all of the dead stuff there for now. And said that I was gonna get to it. Soon. Real soon. But I didn’t. And then winter came. And there was snow. And cold. And all of the dead stuff stayed right there through winter. All, well… dead. I’m not saying that I would EVER do that, of course. I guess it could kinda… accidentally… sorta happen. Maybe?

OK, Ya. It did. And when springtime finally came around, all of the new growth started coming in. Or should I say, TRIED to come in. Around the dead stuff. Not a good plan, really.

So, in the end, I decided that today was THE day. For yard work. All day. Five HUGE bags, cuts and thorns, a couple band-aids and an aching back. Upon completion, my reward was a hot cup of tea and an Aleve. I sat down (Ahhhh…!) at the kitchen table and admired the vase of beautiful hydrangeas that had been in full bloom just days ago. Time. Where does it go…? The “to do” list from this morning was sitting there on the table. I grabbed a pen. Task #1 “Remove dead plants before trash day”. Check. Alrighty then. Guess I will just carry those other 17 items over to the Tuesday list… And Tuesday is trash day, you know.

hello, again

11 / 1 / 14

hello. again….

I’ve been gone awhile. Six months, to be exact. But I’m back. In my usual, haphazard sort of way. You know; a post every day for 2 weeks. Then nothing for the next three weeks.

Or six months.

I needed a little social media hiatus, I guess. A time to chill. Regroup. Collect my thoughts. Ponder life…

Bold statement: “I’m going to attempt to be a bit more consistent in my blogging” (don’t think that I don’t hear the muffled giggles amongst you…)

Followed by the “however…” statement: “In order to do so, however, I must learn to be a bit more, well.. brief?” (OK – the muffled giggles just turned to outright laughter…!)

OK, Yes. I said brief. I know. It sounds ridiculous coming from me, doesn’t it!? I agree. But I’m sure gonna try. Truth is, I think that I really need this place, this little space, to share what’s in my head and my heart. I’ve said it a million times before, but blogging – for me – is an online journal. My diary. My therapy. I’m sharing my thoughts, feelings, experiences with you, in hopes that something that I say may touch your life in some small way. Perhaps we will connect on some level. Start a conversation. Or not. It may simply be something you just needed to hear or see at that very moment. Something in your heart; not to be shared with anyone. That works for me too…

So it’s November. A beautiful month to honor the spirit of gratitude. Every day this month I am going to post a picture on Instagram; something that I am grateful for. I am going to jump back on Facebook, as well. Although not as often as I used to. And, of course, stay tuned – right here – for future “brief, yet meaningful” blog posts from yours truly! (teehee!!)

yes. it’s hello. again…

got s.w.a.g.

4 / 30 / 14

Got milk? Ya. Me neither. Lactose intolerant.

But I got SWAG! Yep. Just returned from my SNAP! Blogging Conference on Sunday night. And let me tell you, friends… I got seriously “SWAGGED”. Yes ma’am!! Now, like me, you may lie awake at night, tossing and turning, wondering to yourself; “But what IS “SWAG”, actually?” Hmmm… I started playing around with the letters in my brain. Wait. Think I’ve got it. “Sweet Widdle Assorted Goodies & Givaways”. Ya. That sounds right. Nope. In reality, it means “Stuff We All Get”. Really? Wow. That is seriously b-o-r-i-n-g. Liked mine way better.

It will take several blog posts to tell you EVERYTHING about my incredible time in Salt Lake City. Truth be told; I am still slowly p-r-o-c-e-s-s-i-n-g all that I learned and experienced. Yep. It’s gonna take awhile, friends. There were “secret sisters” (another blog altogether!) and door decorating contests; “pajama parties” and “prom night”. We had AMAZING keynote speakers, sponsors and entertainment. The classes to select from were so wonderful that I found myself torn between “this one or that one” many times over. My only option…”eenie-meenie-miney-moe“. From the word “go”; it was truly a feast for the senses. Rooms set up like your favorite Pinterest boards come to life; detailed delights and surprises around every corner. And just to be surrounded by so much creative energy… Wow. I’ve just gotta say it again… WOW. Absolutely amazing, really. My brain is on super-duper serious overload. For the time being, I can only process SWAG.

To be continued…

A great big THANK YOU to ALL of our sponsors…

The Home Depot, Cricut, Miniwax, Duck Tape, Rust-Oleum, baby lock, RYOBI, Cents of Style, Elmers, World Market, Darice, Scotch, Jo-Ann, Homes.com, Thompson’s Water Seal, Simplicity, Sizzi, DecoArt, Moen, Gorilla, Charmed Collections, Lollipics, DohVinci, DCWV, Modern masters, hometaslk, Tough Press, IKEA, O’Keeffe’s Company, ruffle fabrics, Sweet!, Pick Your Plum, inlinkz, Wacom, Atly, American Crafts, The Ribbon Retreat, Art Gallery, Pollinate, WEAVE, Persnickety Prints…

Human Beings are all Kinds of Awesome-Sauce (Part-2)

4 / 28 / 14

Having a rough Monday so far? Well, I’m about to change all of that. This is from a blog that I follow… “The Kindness Blog”. I guarantee a change in your day once you read through all of these. Promise. I was going to try and list my favorites; but it was just too hard. Do be sure to read the one the one of the gentleman in a dark blue jacket holding a Starbucks coffee. Then get out there and “Do some kindness”… xo
Kindness counts. live happy…

off to SNAP!

4 / 23 / 14

http://www.pinterest.com/poeticwanderlust — Source: Tracy Porter poetic wanderlust

So it’s time. The “to-do” list is checked off, my bags are packed and it’s time to head to Salt Lake City for the SNAP! Conference. (lies, lies, lies. My “to-do” list is MILES from being completed, and I haven’t even touched my suitcase. I’ve got less than 24 hours as I write this post. Ya. Whatever.)

http://anightowlblog.com — Source: A Night Owl

So you’re wondering. What is SNAP!, exactly. Well, in all honesty… this is my first SNAP! Conference. But here’s my guess… Think “creative thinkers” meet “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” meet “middle school slumber party with your (new) BFF’s.” Ya. That’s a lot, isn’t it. Can’t wait!! We have “secret sister’s” and we bring “roomie gifts” ( Check out Kimberly, from “A Night Owl“). And, of course, there’s a slumber party and a door decorating contest! (Yes. I am 52.) Oh ya… and classes. Two and a half days of great classes!! Should be a BLAST!

Still wondering? Alrighty. Here is a direct quote from the official SNAP! site…

“Welcome to SNAP, where you’ll find creativity at your fingertips. There is something a bit different about being a creative blogger…Instead of dissecting life and examining the pieces like many online writers, we’re busy dreaming, sharing and building things up. We inspire one another and when we connect in ways that comfort and sustain, it is something truly extraordinary.

That is why we launched SNAP – a community where imaginative bloggers can come together; learn from one another and walk away invigorated.
The hallmark of this community? A three-day conference April 24-26, 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah,targeting the best bloggers representing modern handmade, contemporary craft, mind-blowing events and DIY.
Take a step away from your busy life and join us for lots of laughter, hugging and replenishment. You’ll walk away with a stronger sense of community, enhanced skills and an even greater sense of self.”

Little-America-Hotel-Salt-Lake-City — Little America Hotel & Conference Center – Salt Lake City, Utah

So I’m sorry to have to say this, but I’m gonna have to give you a little break on the ole’ blogs here for a short time. (Suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard inconsolable weeping…) But no worries. I’ll be back in no time. (wink, wink!) Dawn (Joyful Scribblings) and I are gonna do our best to throw things on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… as we go along. Otherwise, we will just catch up when I return!!

live happy… Cathy