The Map Monster

The newest member of my family has arrived and it is the map monster. He came all the way from Denmark and I think he is the cutest thing! I love the heart on the front and the bottom is sooo cute(look at that heart).

I read a great blog called moments of perfect clarity and Julie shares her creativity in so many ways. She loves to paint, knit, sew, did an art journal last year and her creativity also comes out in her cooking. Julie also shares a cooking blog with Beth and yes-I have tried some of the recipes and they are wonderful!

I consider, Julie a friend--and I believe you can have friends without meeting them face to face. I have made friends all over the world and have learned so much from different blogs, that's why I love to blog! Julie did a post on this and I agree with her.  One of my dreams is to attend blog camp, Julie has the camp at her home or it has been in other parts of Europe (England and Berlin).

Now, back to the Map Monster--daughter and I are thinking of names and cannot come up with one. He is a male that has done more traveling than myself and has been through heck with the postal service-- he had to go through having an x-ray (it was marked on the envelope). If you would like to help with the naming of this special monster, please leave me a comment or e-mail me and I will share your thoughts on a future post.

Have the day of your choice!
Tracy :)

Map Monster

Cute Bottom

White Christmas

The last time the Upstate of South Carolina had a White Christmas was in 1963(I always  knew that was a good year :).  We always get the nasty ice, but this winter wonderland was beautiful snow. I left for work Sunday morning and the snow was still coming down, but around 12.00 it all came to an end. I hope the next White Christmas will not wait another 47 years!

Have the week of your choice.

Best

Tracy :)

The Start

The End

Snow Tree

Ice Cicles

Daughter's Foot Print

Walk Way At Work

Snow Boy And Snow Girl

Looking Out My Window At Work

                       

Christmas 2010

Hope everyone will have a very Merry Christmas!

Best
Tracy :)





Oxford Street--London England

 

  

A Special Christmas Tree

This years Christmas tree is very special, because my daughter decorated the tree.  After a hard day at work it was so nice to come home and hear my daughter tell me, "look what I did for you mama."  Yes, the tree is fake and small, but to tell you the turth, I would not trade this tree for all the money in the world(I must tell you husband did put the lights and tinsel on)!

I collect Spanish ornaments from Hallmark and pretty much the ornaments on the tree are the Spanish ones but I have others. For some reason Hallmark did not offer a Spanish ornament this year--maybe next year. I also collected ornaments when I lived in Washington, DC--a few of them are on the tree.

It's not a tree that makes Christmas--the true meaning is a little baby that was born over two thousand years ago.  I am a truly blessed person and I am thankful that my daughter thought of me and wanted to surprise me. I have already received my Christmas present!

Best
Tracy :)

A Special Christmas Tree

              

Christmas Meme 2010

This is my first meme so I hope you will enjoy and learn a little bit about Tracy.

1. Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider?
      Hot Chocolate(light)

2. Turkey or Ham?
       I love turkey, but since my weight loss surgery it seems ham is better on my stomach

3. Do you get a fake or real-cut-it-yourself tree?
       Fake, but maybe next Christmas a real one

4. Decorations on the outside of your house?
        No--well I do have a Christmas garden flag

5. Snowball fights or sledding?
       Snowball fights, sledding would be nice to try on a very high hill

6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
      I enjoy the mall  

7. Favorite Chritsmas Song?
      O Holy Night and A Baby Changes Everything

8. How do you feel about Christmas movies?
       I love the movie-- It's  a Wonderful Life.
       The movie has a great meaning

9. When is it to early to start listening to Christmas music?
         After Halloween

10. Stockings before or after presents?
            After

11. Go to someone else's home or do they come to you?
        Someones home

12. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?
        Yes, but I will ask my daughter to read The Christmas Story this Christmas Morning

13. What do you do after presents and dinner?
         Take a nap :)

14.What is your favorite holiday smell?
          Pine

15.Ice skating or walking around the mall?
           Walking around the mall, but I would like to learn how to ice skate.
            Growing up I loved Dorothy Hamill (Gold medal in the 1976 Winter Olympics)

16. Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?
               Christmas Eve

17. Favorite Christmas memory?
               My daughter's first Christmas

18. Favorite part about winter?
           Curling up with a good book and something hot to drink

19. Ever been kissed under the mistletoe?
            Nope

Thanks to Lorri from  fabric, paper, thread for letting me sharing this meme with my readers.

More Beautiful Mail Art

Enjoy!


Postcard From Japan



Noosa, Australia



Would Like To Vist This Market



Lovely Pictures

Look At The Watermelon

Would love To Try This Ice Cream

Have a great week-end!

Best
Tracy :)

Books, Ect......

I am a big lover of books and wanted to share my feelings on a few things that I have been pondering for a while. Books has always been a part of my life and as far back as I can remember I have always had books around me--I used books to escape the pain of being an overweight child. I can remember well three books I would check out of the Berea Elementary School Library and keep them for as long as I could and then I returned the books only to check them out again--the three books were: Blueberries for Sal, Make Way for Ducklings and One Morning in Maine. What was it with these three books I have not a clue, but I LOVE THEM!!

Book clubs have become very popular in America. You can find a book club at the local library, church and even on your job. I am a member of  Berea First Baptist Book club and I must say it is a wonderful club! We read all types of books and our leader does a wonderful job sharing her views and getting the members to voice their opinions and views on the book we have read for the month. Trust me we have had some great meetings!! I was on Boston University's website doing some research and came across this video and it touched me and would like to share it with my readers:  www.bu.edu/today/node/11975

I would love to attend a meeting with this book club--what wonderful insights and opinions we all could learn from this group.

Also, it sad to see so many independent bookstores closing. Here in Greenville, one of the best independent bookstores--The Open Book closed out in March and boy do I miss walking into that world of books. It's not just the books I miss, but the friendliness of the staff. You know people care where they call you by your name or when I was doing research and needed a book, the staff would do all they could to help me find what I needed. If there is an independent book store in your area please do all you can and support these great book stores before it's to late!

 I think books are a wonderful gift--so this Christmas, my family and I will be giving books to the small ones in the family.

I hope everyone will have a nice
week-end!

Best
Tracy :)

Mail Art

I have a new hobby and it is called--mail art. You might ask yourself, what is mail art? Let me share my definition with you.  Mail art is taking what you have(recycle paper items, ect..) and create a letter and envelope with art. I have saved everything from magazines, Starbucks coffee holders, old stamps and I went to city hall and got everything on Greenville I could take!! The sweet man working that day just looked at me and laughed after I asked for a bag. I told him I was sending art mail to several countries and was sharing my city with new friends--he smiled and seem happy. :)

I have received letters from Australia, Hawaii, Japan, Ohio and Alabama and have shared a lot about Greenville to people I have sent mail art to. I have learned a lot about the area where my letters have come from and have made friends I hope will visit Greenville in the near future. We have a blog where we post out letters and share with other members all we can about mail art. I am very happy to be part of this group and I am learning so much.

Computers are a good thing, but I think it's sad to see the art of  letter writing becoming a thing of the past. I love receiving a nice hand written letter in my post box more than receiving an e-mail.

(More letters will be posted in the future)

Have the week of your choice!

Best
Tracy :)

From Australia

Australia

Letter from Australia

Beautiful art work and letter from Hawaii

Hawaii

Butterfly from Alabama

                   

Wordless Wednesday