A NEW YEAR ON THE HORIZON

Another new year is on the horizon and at this point, my new calendar is blank. A. big. blank. slate!

I am amazed at how fast each year goes. I was talking to my boss the other day and I asked him if he made New Year's Resolutions. He does not ... and neither do I. It's funny how the majority of us see the new year as the time to make changes, when we can make those same changes when the sun comes up on each new day (I'm sort of one of those people) Each new day brings new possibilities ... get organized, start losing that last 20 pounds (me!!!), etc.

Although I do not make resolutions, I do make lists/goals. I am such a list person ... I write lists at home, at work, everywhere! I love having a long list and at the end of each day, most everything is crossed off. Satisfaction! On my list so far for the year is:

• To blog at least every other day and to figure out how to make my blog look better with a cute header and background.
• To organize that recipe cabinet (remember those pictures from an earlier post?).
• To regularly sell on ETSY
• I also want to become better at technical stuff .... like figuring out how to use the IPOD Shuffle my hubby got me for Christmas.
• I want to be walking five miles a day by April.
• And to just become a better person all around (this is definitely a daily process)!

Now see how I just made a list?? And just so we're all clear ... these are not resolutions ... they are goals!! LOL

I have been checking most of your blogs regularly and I sounds like everyone had a really nice Christmas. Mine was nice, too!! Big Christmas Eve dinner with whole family at my Mom's and then quieter/relaxing Christmas Day at home with hubby and son. I got a lot of gift cards and money ... love that!!!! I also got a nice bonus at work! Yippee!!!!

I have to show you what I got with some birthday money that I still had from October. Isn't this too cute? And unusual ... I've never seen another one ...

It is a wood cookbook holder with two birds on either side. The birds look like big, fat quail (or partridges) to me. It's a fun item for my kitchen counter. Everyone have a safe New Year's tonight!!! See you in 2010! :-)

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE AT YELLOW BEACH DOG

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Hope all of your shopping is done ... mine is ... finally! Whew! Just finished up yesterday. My Christmas Brunch was very fun but alot of work. On the menu was: Holiday Chicken Salad on Croissants, Egg Salad on white bread, Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, Yummy Breakfast Pastry, Chile Cheese Pinwheels (got this recipe off of My Romantic Home last week. Cindy made them for a party ... they are a winner!), and a very new recipe ... Artichoke Quiche. Everything was yummy! And I made chocolate dipped pretzel sticks tied with a ribbon and cookie cutter for all the ladies to take home as their memento of the day. I have also been doing so much baking ... sugar cookies, thumbprint cookies, peanut butter balls, Chocolate Christmas Bark, etc. Now all I have to do is make the lasagna for dinner tonight at my Mom's and for dessert ... The Pioneer Woman's Bread Pudding with Whiskey sauce. This is the BEST bread pudding I have ever had. I will leave you with some pictures of my Christmas Brunch (click on picture for full view).

THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!

Boy ... I have been so busy ... between work and getting ready for my brunch

on Saturday ... but I did take time to take some pics of my house all spruced

up for the holidays! And I wanted to stop in and say hi to all of you!! Thank you

to all of you that faithfully read my very insignificant blog! I feel as though we

are all friends! Here are the pics (don't forget ... if any is cut off, click on them

for a full view):

I love old Shiny Brite ornaments!! I have a ton of boxes of them!

I save vintage bottle brush trees ... here are a

few:

Here is one of my brothers and myself (I was

about 15 months old) on Santa's lap in 1961:

Here are all three of my brothers

(before I was born) on Santa's lap in the 50's:

This one you will definitely need to click

on for a full view -- I didn't want to take

too much of the right side of it because

that where our paper shredder is.

I mentioned in my last post that I had a

funny story about one of the brunch gifts

I gave to the girls. About 10 years ago,

I did a garden brunch and for the favor

for them to take home, I purchased herbs

and little terra cotta plants. I was going

to replant them into the little pots. Well,

my Dad was a master gardener and he

sweetly volunteered to replant them all

for me. Once he got them done,

he brought them by my house. I set

them on the entry table the morning

of the tea. Well, once the tea was over

and I start to let everyone take

their herb, we notice there are ants

everywhere ... in the plants, on the table,

everywhere! I found out my Dad had

used soil that he had outside that

had ants in it and he never even noticed.

My Dad has now been gone for 7 years

so this is just another one of those fond

memories that I have of him! :-)

Next post I will be sharing my brunch

photos and menu!!!