gorgeous - simply gorgeous...

This is where I live - can you imagine? Head of Harbour Light on Campobello Island....

The same morning, an abandoned weir off the island.

Can you imagine that I get paid to go to places like this??????? Shhhhh, don't tell my bosses!

Projects: completed and under way and yet to do...

Well, I have finally begun the kitchen floor and it is not a moment too soon! I was incredibly lucky that the old vinyl tiles practically popped right off, leaving a clean subsurface for the new ones. Now I can get to my refrig, stove but not the sink. Hopefully, I'll get a bunch more on today. The flash washes out the colors - making that wall look at bit minty - yet I assure you it is very lime green - so the tiles are actually a soft sand color. Gives the eye a place to rest in a busy kitchen....

Bedroom floor has had all subfloor removed and is now painted a crisp white with mild green stripes...they don't look green because again, the color is washed out. Eventually this will be a solid wood floor but that is not in this year's budget....patience!

Remember that dark cave of a guest room with the 1940's wallpaper??? Well it has been painted a light clay color and it brightened it up beautifully. All that is left in here is tiling the floor - not sure if I want to go light or dark....probably light. What do you think?

Coming up: the living room floor. Here is my new rug, a Christmas present to myself! I love it - it is so much fun. The flooring underneath is oak and will need to be sanded. Although I have done all the work that I've showed you myself, this job I think I will hire out. And I'll wait until summer when we can open all the windows!

Christmas was spectacular - still processing how much fun and meaning was wrapped up in the weekend before with my friends, and Christmas with family. Kiley was a joy to watch: when I asked her Christmas morning if Santa had come, she said No, the monkeys came! What goes on in that little head. She has become fascinated with penguins and has named her new fish Penguin...what fun. Her speech has suddenly jumped ahead quite a bit: she is talking in complete sentences and really expressing herself - "Silly Queenie" she says when I do a dance or act a bit nutty. She also has suddenly become very possessive - not wanting to share her food, dollies or toys. But she is also giving the tightest, best feeling hugs in the world!

The most exciting news is that in three weeks I'm headed to Connecticut to see my son David and his wife Lori, my sweet sisters and brothers, and then to New Jersey to visit my youngest son Russell and his sweetie, Taryn. I'll be meeting Taryn's family for the first time (PRESSURE!!!) and then I'll head back to Pittsfield for a little more time with friends. I think I have the right idea - stretch this holiday out for a month or so!

The snowmen have arrived.....There are the traditional little stuffed ones:

There are long-legged, funny hat wearing snowmen...


There are gawky snowgirl angels, framed by Jack Frost touched windows...


I really love those with the 1940s paper mache and glitter ones, like this silly snowman with his ruffle and bells, welcoming winter.


This is my dearest - look at that face. And I die everytime I see his little hat made from music sheets - another 1940s replica.


And of course, what would Christmas be without a tree - or three?

My shopping is done, all are wrapped except to add the ribbons at the last minute, and tomorrow I finish some last minute projects before heading off to central Maine and vacation. There is a cookie party, a bonfire solstice party, some girl-talk time, the annual Goddess Gathering and breakfast with two of my dearest, bestest friends. In between I'm getting new tires on the car, my eyes examined and a tooth repaired...

On Tuesday I head back home for my first Christmas in my little Sweet Pea Cabin. And on Christmas Eve afternoon, we'll all go to Tide Mill Farm and sing Christmas Carols to the cows...and of course drink hot chocolate and eat cookies!

If I'm lucky and get a few projects done, I might have TWO rooms completely finished before the new year. I lovely boy - so nice to look at - removed the old floor in my bedroom this morning so it is just a matter of a bit of paint and sewing two valances and that room is finito - finally.
I'm about eight floor tiles away from completing the bathroom. Got to move the toilet and then reset it to accomplish this one though...need Matt's help. My goal is to have four rooms finally completed by the end of January. And the lovely boy is available to help me tile the spare room and the kitchen...no broken knees for me! It sounds daunting but I've saved most of these projects for the winter because I couldn't help but be outside and at the beach all summer..... ah summer. Hard to feel it tonight, with the wind blowing the pines and the temperature below zero.

I'm so glad I have a hot wood stove to snuggle up to.

Lots of pictures today - First the paintings from the art/jewely show:

Tall Red House - SOLD! (All of the colors in the paintings appear a bit washed out because of the flash - sorry.)

Row of Houses - SOLD!

Pair of herring school - SOLD!

Very large School of Herring - SOLD!

And then there was the jewelry - how many necklaces are too many? You can NEVER have too many, sez Carla....check it out!!! Trudy's jewels are so beautiful! No plastic or elastic here.

The first snowfall was a doozy - Faye shows her little one how to make a snow angel...

And little Kiley was a bit overwhelmed. It was too much for the first one - she couldn't really walk in it. Every time she fell down she said "Again! Help" and her snowsuit wouldn't allow her to get herself back up. So cute...

And another thing...

How incredibly wonderful is it to live in the place where I can buy organic fresh eggs, Sherwin Williams Paint, a cast iron skillet AND Finnish licorice at my local Machias Hardware Store???

I love this place.