A New Beginning, A New Year!

Another year will be past and in a couple of months I will be another year older! Oh dear... thank goodness I love parties.

Whatever your plans are tonight my friends, please be safe and enjoy.

Wishing you all a bright and shiny New Year!
Cheers,
Joyce
xo

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. 

 ~Oprah Winfrey~

Oh my darling, Clementine

I can't get enough of these little gals! I love clementine oranges, not only for their taste, but they are easy to peel and the perfect size.

I guess it is better reaching in the bowl for one of my sweet Clementines verses the cookies on the counter. Don't you agree?

Have a golden day my friends!

Hugs,

Joyce

xo

There is no blue without yellow and without orange

Vincent van Gogh

A Good Time

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We did! Bo played so hard the last couple of days, he is now resting after a visit to the vet today. Nothing serious, he was having so much fun in the snow over the weekend, that he split one of his toenails.

Doctor's orders, no playing or walking for a couple of days. So... while Bo was resting in his new bed Santa brought him, I decided to take down the decorations and put them away until next year.  I know, I know... but I figured I should just go ahead and take everything down so I could enjoy the rest of the week. 

I hope you all have a golden week!

Hugs,

Joyce

xo

Merry Christmas!

Warm hugs and golden wishes my friends for a very Merry Christmas!
Joyce
xo

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Longfellow~

Corner View: December Holidays

This week's theme is December Holidays.

In our home we celebrate Christmas and open our gifts on Christmas morning. 

I have been sharing some of my favorite ornaments and wanted to share two very special angel ornaments close to my heart. This one is of our first pup, Buddy. He paved the road for Kelly and Bo to come into our lives.

and of course our sweet Kelly (I love the 2- photo locket ornament I purchased at Pottery Barn). This is our first Christmas without her, so she has been heavy in my heart this time of year. She LOVED Christmas, Easter, her birthday... just like her momma she loved a good party!

Christmas is not the only thing we celebrate in December, but our anniversary. Today marks 20 years for us! Happy Anniversary my love! Thank you for always being in my corner and my biggest cheerleader, for your love, friendship, support and for taking your vows to heart "in sickness and in health" the last 3 years. My parents gave me life, but you saved my life.

I couldn't find the perfect card for this year's anniversary, so I purchased this little message in the bottle from HERE. Jessica typed a small personal note to Gary from me, along with one of my favorite quote; It was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul, by Judy Garland. 

To see more December Holidays visit Theresa's corner. Thank you Theresa for this week's topic!


Have a golden day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. 

 ~Burton Hillis~

Some Of My Favorite Things

I would need to have 60 days in the month to show all of my ornaments.

This little sweet guy is from my Backdrop friends. I love the smile on his face.

And this little arrangement adds a smile to my face. It was made by my friend Catherine, using vintage pieces and fresh greens.

I hope something will add a smile to your day. 

Have a golden day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo 

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.

~Author Unknown~

How Many More Days Till Christmas?

Do you think Bo believes in Santa? I have found him often looking around the tree   

and even taking a few naps near it. 

Have a golden weekend my friends.

Hugs,

Joyce

xo

"All I want for Christmas is a new bone"

~Mr. Bojangels~

Corner View: Traditions

This week is traditions. I love traditions! I do a couple for the holidays. One, is I mail out the end of November a chocolate advent calendar to my nieces and nephews. I have been doing this since they were knee high. Would you believe the oldest is 28 and the youngest is19 and they still want the calendars?!

My other tradition is the Christmas pickle ornament. I purchased this ornament ages ago, while I still lived at home. When the salesperson shared the story of the pickle, I knew I had to have it. You can also read about the pickle ornament HERE

This is the last ornament I put on the tree, so I can hide it somewhere within the tree branches. When I’m lucky enough to have my nieces and nephews here for Christmas, it is fun to watch them glaze ever so often trying to get a glimpse of the pickle. When I get everyone around the tree, the first one to find the pickle wins a small gift.


To find more traditions visit Theresa. Thank you Cherry B for picking this week's topic!!


What traditions do you have?

Have a golden day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone
~Charles Schulz~

A Visit With Santa

and a walk on Main Street.

Last week was the first snowfall for Bo and his first visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. He actually did really good during his visit and managed to keep his own hat on during our walk. He even had his own fan club!

I liked how this antique store really got into the "spirit" of Christmas

A view of the evening on Main Street winding down.

Enjoy your day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.

~W. T. Ellis~

Happy Friday

Another week has gone by and yet my list of things to do has not shrunk.

I thought I would end the week with a couple of my favorite ornaments.  Oh heck who am I kidding I love all of my ornaments. Especially the ones that were given to me as gifts. I love glass art, so when I spotted this glass ornament at my favorite store, The Backdrop I just had to have a few of them.

I might have shared the story of this paper straw angel before, but I will share it again. Now you know what poor G goes through every year. As I pull out the ornaments I share who gave them to me and or the story behind them.

This sweet angel came off a tree at O'Hare airport when I use to work there.  I love angel ornaments so every day as I walked to my gate to work, I would pass the Christmas tree covered with ornaments made out of paper straws. This angel always caught my eye and melted my heart.

After Christmas a few gals were taking down the ornaments. As they were ready to leave one of the gals walked over to the gate I was working and handed me a small box, inside was this sweet angel.  

Have a golden weekend my friends!

Hugs,

Joyce

xo

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they all are 30 feet tall.

~Larry Wilde~

Corner View: Improvising

When I roast vegetables, I just toss whatever vegetables I have on hand in olive oil and season with a bit of fine sea salt.

This particular time I thought I would try them with a little balsamic vinaigrette. By mistake I reached for the apple cider vinegar, so I made a honey cinnamon vinaigrette instead of a balsamic vinaigrette.


When you are in a pinch cooking, do you find yourself improvising? To see more improvising visit  Theresa's corner. Thank you Anna for this week's topic.

Have a golden day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

A jazz musician can improvise based on his knowledge of music. He understand how things go together. For a chef, once you have that basis, that’s when cuisine is truly exciting.

~ Charlie Trotter~

First Snowfall

I never did make it up to Wisconsin on Saturday, because of this

a ground covered in snow! It was our first snowfall and Bo's first time seeing snow.

By the look on his face, he was not going to have any part of that white stuff outside

so G had to walk him outside.

His fear was short lived knowing G was nearby. 

He went from standing still to running like a crazy dude

Watch Bo run, run, run... 

run....run... and run...

If he wasn't running his face was in the snow!

I hope you have a golden day my friends.
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event

~Anonymous~

Double Booked

I hope I am good at juggling this weekend. Our town is having their holiday day walk and my photography group is going to Wisconsin to take photos of Christmas decorations. Wish me luck, they are on the same day and I'm going to try to make it to both.

For my friends, who celebrate Chanukah, Happy Chanukah! May the light continue to shine in your hearts.

I hope your weekend is a magical and golden one!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

~Hamilton Wright Mabie~