... the harp sits calmly after a busy season ... the rocking chairs have a moment of calmness in front of the fireplace ... all is calm ...

tee hee ... except ollie, my studio cat who just now tried leaping at a bird through the window ... 2funny ... so much for calm ... :) ...

prairiegirl xo

speaking of quiet and calm...

took a few last pics today of the holiday goodness....
xxo, kim

i love this 'in between' week during the holidays ... time to sit in the quiet ... sip hot cocoa (yummy white hot chocolate from my stocking!) ... gaze at the tree ... the calm before the shoveling ... :)

2bbb
prairiegirl xo

merry, merry christmas dear kim ~

well, even though christmas day proper has just slipped by, i still wanted to send this greeting to you and yours to carry close in heart the whole year through ...

i am so delighted that your family had such a wonderful gathering ~ what a blessing to be all so close by ... especially your mom and dad right across the street! but of course, as you have said in your blog posting, there just couldn't be a better gift than to have your son 'back' ~ i really can't express how happy i am for you, for him, for all of you ... the lost is found, but in god's eyes bryce was never lost, just on a different path for a wee while ...

our christmas was absolutely wonderful in every way ... we ate, laughed, cried, played games, hugged and were just as merry as can be ... did i mention we ate? my tummy is actually a wee bit sore from over indulging ...

i am sorry that i wasn't able to get my gift and greeting to you on christmas day, but when the roads started to get so heavy on christmas eve, we knew we had to head to town before we couldn't! and grandma doesn't have internet, so there i was ... a bit out of touch! that was surely different! hb had even loaded all my files up for me on my laptop, so i could zip down and catch the wireless at the library, but to be quite honest with the weather outside so frightful, my dear it was just too delightful to cozy in with the family ...

tee hee ... and thanks so much for the gift of 'ordinary courage' ... and wtf (what the font) ... i took the test and i am helvetica as well ... did you take the test? too much fun ... for us font girls ...

anyways, we are home again ... thankfully the plow cleared our roads and our lane (and thankfully our oldest son's car which was stuck right by the house, was out of the plow's way!) ... i'm ready to snuggle in with hb and watch a movie ...

hope you and yours are all cozy as well ~

prairiegirl xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this the twelvth day of christmas, (a day late) my friend i give to you


the gift of great peace among all man, spoken by a man of great words who had a dream ...

i had something else in mind when i originally put together this posting, but i have to say i that on our 'slower than usual because the roads were so bad' trip to town on christmas eve, we were able to listen to nearly the entire recording of martin luther king junior's speech 'i have a dream' on cbc radio ... truly a remarkable man with such an insightful message ... for every day of the year for everyone ... everyone ought to be able to dream and to reach their dreams ...
let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me ... xo


to view a video of this historical speech, click here ...

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann  7. stuart mclean's christmas at the turlington's  8. loreena mckennitt

9. tina burke 10. jacquie lawson 11. straight no chaser  12. i have a dream

happy boxing day pg,
i hope your christmas was lovely.  i am sure it was very busy and full of family fun! 

we are enjoying a quiet day around our house.  i am just soaking up the quiet.  the only sound i hear is andy snoaring at my feet.  there's something very peaceful about it.  :) 

so before christmas is a wrap on 2bbb, i wanted to post a few of my favorite holiday pics.  just for fun!

a pic of my parent's tree and brett's girlfriend alannah, who let's me take her picture whenever i want, unlike my boys.  so sweet. 

but what i love about this pic, besides the light twinkling in the window, is that if you look thru the window, past my aunt's car parked outside, you can see the big tree in our yard.  the one where john and the boys built a bit of a tree house, so many years ago.  when i took the photo, i didn't even notice it.  i love the surprises that i discover when i upload the images onto my computer.  it's like little gifts just waiting to be opened. 

this next picture was a funny moment on christmas morning.  after we opened up all our gifts, we took turns going around the room and sharing what we received.  well andy's cousin, sophie, gave him these doggy treats....and he just laid there waiting for his turn.  and when i took this photo, brett was sharing, and it honestly seemed as though andy was listening and waiting for his turn.  too funny....so sweet.  :)

and this pic is of my nephew, jer, sitting in his wheelchair, enjoying his most favorite potato chips, jalepeno and cheddar.  jer has a small seleciton of favorite foods, and these chips are at the top of his list i think.  check out that smile.  :)  i love this picture!

and finally, i love this picture of bryce playing cranium.  you can also see brett in the background.  i posted this pic on my blog this morning and shared a little bit about what this picture means to me.

can't wait to hear more about your holidays...xxo, kim

happy, happy christmas my friend....

here we are, december 25th has arrived.  my, oh my the time just seems to fly.  christmas crept up so quickly this year. 

we had a fabulous evening at my mom's.  the pizza (made by my mom & bryce) was fabulous.  mom made apple, lemon and sour cream raisin pie for dessert....  crazy.... she sure can cook!  today we head over to mom and dad's again for our traditional christmas brunch.  christmas morning wife saver, hashbrown casserole and toast.  while the brunch is cooking in the oven, we will open gifts with my parents, my aunt, my brother and family and us (the klassens)....oh and andy will most likely be plopped right in the midst of it all.  then we play some kind of game together, hang out, maybe watch a movie, oh andy and i sneak out for a walk...  then around 5ish we eat our dinner.  my mom pretty much prepares the whole thing.  we are 2spoiled. :) 

i truly hope you had a most perfect day with your family... so happy your niece and her sweetie made it safely home.  your mom will be so happy to have you all there!  such a blessing! 

i must post this up now... it's time to head over to mom & dads... 

looking forward to talking soon...  hugs to you and all your family...  xxo, kim

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this the 12th day of christmas, my friend, i give to you....

another gift of beautiful images.....

from a talented flickr friend, jaybirdie. she posted the most beautiful candy cane image, titled "hearts filled with joy" a few weeks ago.  it ended up on the front page of flickr explore.  she has many, many fantastic images to peek at.  such a talent. 

i have truly enjoyed sharing these "gifts" with you, my sweet 2bbb friend....  here's to a most wonderful christmas day and many 2bbb days ahead....

1. thea 2. images by claire 3. kind over matter 4. shutter sisters

5. the magpie's fancy 6. canadian house & home 7. westsidebeadery 8. a primitive place

9. misty mawn 10. ilka's attic 11. ordinary courage  12.  jaybirdie on flickr

hello dear friend....happy christmas eve....

by now you are probably long gone to your mom's house....thank you so much for your gifts. i am going to take a peek at them a little later. my time is running a little short today. oops. my how the time slips away. but i am ready! other than little ol' andy needs a nice christmas eve stroll in the snow. wow, it's most definitely a white christmas!

i am really looking forward to a few days of family and visiting, good food (too much of it i am sure) and just celebrating the many gifts we have been given.

at the same time i am beyond excited about the new year. never have i felt more inspired and excited about so many things!

january holds 2 amazing eCourses in store for me. as i mentioned in my last post, i signed up for misty's portrait class.... i am so very excited!
and i am also going to be part of the mondo beyondo eCourse! here is little snippet of their course description.

"What happens when you give an unspoken wish a place to become a dream come true? How do you gather the courage required to help a new found dream soar? Join seasoned dreamers Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen as together we explore Mondo Beyondo--the powerful point of view that transforms our deepest dreams into practical realities."

i really wanted to take this eCourse, as you know, and i was so excited when design mom hosted a give away to win a spot in the class! and guess what?!  i was one of the 2 winners... out of 699 entrants.  wow!  mondo beyondo...WOW.  i mean, could it get any better than that?

so with all that, some exciting new art work, this new adventure with you on the 2BBB.... look out 2010.  i am so ready for you!

i really must push publish and get moving.  the gathering has begun at my parents.  tonight we have pizza to look forward to!  and tomorrow the traditional christmas meal.  i think i am full already!  :)

i hope your day is so full of love, peace, hope and joy.... 

talk soon....xxo, kim

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the eleventh day of christmas, my friend i give to you

a reminder...

to visit the amazing site, ordinary courage.  brene brown is so inspiring.  her site is full of so many blessings of courage and wisdom.  her latest posting is all about fonts...which is perfect for you and i...as we certainly do love our fonts. there is just a ton of inspiratioin over there...  it's a must fav blog for all!  :)

1. thea 2. images by claire 3. kind over matter 4. shutter sisters

5. the magpie's fancy 6. canadian house & home 7. westsidebeadery 8. a primitive place
9. misty mawn  10. ilka's attic   11. ordinary courage

twas the night before christmas ... and all through our studios ... just us stirring our little mouse(s) ... tee hee ... sorry ... getting giddy for the festivities!

how are you today, kim? i can imagine your home is so warm and festive and people are coming and going ... oh wait! that's just a normal day for you!  :)

anyways, here we are the 11th day of our twelve days of christmas ... i have SO enjoyed doing this with you ... and finding gifts has been so much fun ... gifts for you and all our friends! and more than ever, i am excited for what lies ahead for our 2bbb in the new year ... so many things to do and share!

we are just about ready to load up the car and head to mom's ... the walls of her home will be bulging with all of us there, but she wouldn't have it any other way ... and i am sure all of our bellies will be bulging as well ... but through it all i just am grateful for the grace of god and pray he gives peace, love, comfort and some glimmers of joy to those who may be suffering or sad or lonely ... may he send angels to hug them all ... even for a moment ... so they know they are loved ...

i'll be thinking of you and yours ... and of all our friends in blogland over the next few days ... we are indeed my friend 2bbb ...

love to you and yours,
prairiegirl xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the eleventh day of christmas, my friend i give to you


a choir of angels (well, some fairly handsome fellas, actually who can really sing!)

you know my friend pj of seens from the backs of my eyelids? every day she has something lively going on at her blog ... well, today she sent me an email that i knew i just had to share with you and your boys ... kinda reminded me of our boys standing up on the stage at their christmas concerts performing ... and i had to think how much they would love doing what these guys - straight no chaser are doing! singing their hearts out for all to enjoy ... hark! the handsome herald angels sing our song ... the 12 days of christmas! xo

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann  7. stuart mclean's christmas at the turlington's  8. loreena mckennitt

9. tina burke 10. jacquie lawson 11. straight no chaser

here it is late again, dear kim ...

as i write the clock is quietly ticking, almost singing 'all is calm' ... and i sincerely hope that everyone has reached a state of peace as christmas day approaches!

i am SO happy for you that you had that little canon with you yesterday to capture the hoarfrost ... unbelievable how in some spots, you can't even see the bark of the branches ... totally laden with thick frost ... tee hee ... i noticed on your flickr stream the one image of the red machine shed that stands out so wonderfully against all the white ... i knew it was begging to have it's picture taken, and kim, you beautifully 'caught' it!

you wouldn't believe that the tree is up now ... and oh my, it has a fragrance that has one taking deep deep breaths ... and the gifts are all wrapped ... and christmas eve supper is simmering (the sauce for our traditional lasagna) ... but most importantly my niece and her boyfriend have arrived home after their 11 hour drive turned into 14 ... the last stretch was quite awful, so you can't imagine how grateful i am that they are here, safe and sound ...

there goes my computer ... 'it's 11 o'clock' ... and i promised i would be tucked in by now, so i think i will leave my gift for you today til the morning ... if that's ok ... i'm a pooped puppy and need recharging ... but i will be here bright and early ... on the most anticipated christmas eve ...

i hope you had a most lovely day with your family and are full of great spirit and much joy ...

may all your dreams be 2bbb ...
prairiegirl xo

ps. i just want to say that i am jumping up and down and up and down over here with all the exciting things going on in your life ... you so deserve all this joy my dear friend ... and i also wanted to say what a beautiful gift you give your sponsor family at this time of year ~ and i know that you give that family so much more every day of the year ... a blessing all around ... xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the tenth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


the delight of the art of animation

i just have to pass along yet another brilliant and fun and carefree illustrated christmas greeting created by  jacquie lawson ... have you seen her electronic cards before? this is one i received this season, and now i pass it along to you and yours ... merry merry kim! xoxo

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann  7. stuart mclean's christmas at the turlington's  8. loreena mckennitt

9. tina burke 10. jacquie lawson

well, my dear sweet friend, where do i begin?

what a most lovely posting you left me!  what a true blessing.  i only wish our friends could know the connection you shared with your dad.  it always, always amazed me.  he was so sweet and so very, very proud of you.  you truly were his little girl.  and i know today he must be loving the beauty all around us, appreciating the frosty trees, right along with you!

and tina!  how did i miss her amazing art?  her artwork, her illustrations, the children's books!  let me just say WOW!  i am going to mark her as a fav...and visit often.  and i love your frosted birdhouse.  the message "let there be peace" is perfect!

i am not even sure where to begin today.

i have to share with you about yesterday's events.
it was so uneventful in the morning....but then, so many blessings seemed to unfold. 

it started with bryce wanting to head into the city to shop.  he wanted to take the escape and i wasn't too crazy about that.  i was a little worried about him driving in all the christmas traffic.  ya know?  but he had friends in there, and he wanted to meet up with them to shop.  so i totally understood why he wanted to go.  anyhow, i looked at the clock, did a little calculation and decided i would zip him in and then do a little shopping while there and be back in time for what was planned in the afternoon. 

so, there are no words to describe how grateful i am that this happened.  the drive in was breath taking!  seriously!!  the hoar frost is beyond beautiful.  (i know you know what i am talking about)
anyhow,  i forgot my camera!!  and all the way in i kept saying, "oh bryce, how could i not have my camera?"....  every few minutes i would whine a little and comment on the beauty in front and all around us.  so, anyhow, on the way home, out of the corner of my eye... there it was ... the strap from my little canon camera...that i snuck in my purse the other day.  wooo hooo!!  talk about thrilled.  so i pulled over, jumped out and took a few shots.  i was in a bit of a rush to get home.  but my oh my...  i am so glad i was able to take a few pictures to share.  and i can not wait til this afternoon, because we are heading back into brandon, and i will be packing my nikon!  happy dance....

and there's more.....

then i came home. tara and i delivered our christmas hamper to our family....and that was another amazing blessing!  seriously... so thankful!

oh and then there was the excitement i felt when i signed up for misty's portrait class. can you say, goosebumps? :)  so excited!

if that weren't enough, i had the most wonderful message from an amazing talent online.  i can't quite share the news yet.  but let's just say, it was the kind of news that could knock a person right off their feet! 

oh and talking with you thru the screen (skype) was wonderful!  seriously....

so i must finish off. we are celebrating christmas with john's family today.  i have things i must get organized before we head into the city again.

have a most perfect day....

xxo, kim

:::


2bbb twelve days of christmas


on this, the tenth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...



another inspiring artist.


susan tuttle of ilka's attic is going to knock your socks off.  her website, her blog, her photoblog.... it's just beyond!  her blog posting, christmas magic, is fantastic.  the felted garland she shares is heart stopping, beautiful!  and there's so much more, just in that one post!  soo much beauty and talent and inspiration....  please pop over and visit. 

1. thea 2. images by claire 3. kind over matter 4. shutter sisters

5. the magpie's fancy 6. canadian house & home 7. westsidebeadery 8. a primitive place

9. misty mawn  10. ilka's attic

oh kim, i love your greeting today ... that beloved peaceful tree of yours ... i am so happy for you to have that trail to walk and enjoy each day ... a blessing all in itself ...

ok ... ok ... you are right ... i AM totally blown away at misty mawn's blog ... her work is unbelievably captivating ... her whole blog really pulls me in ... thank you SO much for this gift! and for the introduction to her course ~ i know you will be brilliant at this ... and maybe, just maybe i'll join in as well ... oh, i have a very good feeling about this new year on the horizon ...

well my dear, today's posting for me is quite reflective as today is two years since my dad passed away ... i can't really describe how difficult this past while has been ... i just miss him so so so much, i ache ... but through it all i know you can't wish a person 'forever' and i count my blessings that i had so much time with him and that he gave so many gifts to me that are immeasurable ... and one of those gifts is a complete respect and adoration for nature and all creatures ... especially birds ...

my dad faithfully fed his birds and he would take extra care to make sure they had sufficient feed on the very bitter cold days ... just like dad would make hot porridge for our dog every morning so 'ralph' would have something warm in his tummy ...

the day we laid my dad to rest, it was a similar day to today, do you remember? ... a calm day with fog and thick hoarfrost ~ it was so incredibly peaceful and seemed so fitting for him ... the cemetery was extraordinarily beautiful and i felt it was ok that he would be there in that beauty ...

so today, when i stepped out the door, i was AMAZED that there was so much hoarfrost on EVERYthing  ... even the spider webs under the eaves and beyond ...

i thought taking a picture of this little birdhouse would be a nice tribute ... may he always be at peace ...

swelling with love,
prairiegirl xo

ps. as promised, i did add a bit more to my post yesterday ... speaking of storytelling!

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the ninth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


a gift of fine, intricate art

remember when we met all those fantastic fishies in the fish bowl at marisa's creative thursday e-course? well, i have to say that i was completely and over-the-moon captivated with the incredibly beautiful art work of tina burke who has created exquisite studies of birds ~ oh how my dad would have loved her work ... and i hope you will too, kim! ... 2sigh ... 2bbb ...

ps. tina's children's books illustrations are sweeter than sweet ... seriously ...

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann  7. stuart mclean's christmas at the turlington's  8. loreena mckennitt

9. tina burke

dear pg,
i just love your holiday greeting.  it's perfect.  and it's totally you!  that's what i love about all this....the way a person's style shines thru, even in pictures.  it really amazes me!

and thank you too for the lovely video...and the reminder of solstice. 

today my greeting is a pic of my favorite tree on the aspen trail....  i like to call it a peaceful place.  you can see full shots of the tree on my flickr stream. there's a lovely bench below the tree.  a perfect place to sit and reflect. 

so my friend, i am making a list today, and checking it twice.  i seem to be falling behind in the holiday prep this year.  i think i have mentioned that several times, haven't i?  :)

i shall send this off, before the boys come thru the doors for lunch.

talk soon...xxo, kim

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas



on this, the ninth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


a calm and peaceful blog to visit.


misty mawn's blog is just so beautiful! her images, drawings and sketches will blow you away!  her latest header is ... oh my goodnes..... i don't even have words to describe it.  pop over and see it for yourself.  she has some amazing winter images up today.  and she takes incredible self portraits. 
seriously...  it's just all so beautiful.  oh and misty's offering a portrait workshop in january that i am just dying to take.  i could truly go on and on.... and on. 

1. thea 2. images by claire 3. kind over matter 4. shutter sisters

5. the magpie's fancy 6. canadian house & home 7. westsidebeadery 8. a primitive place
9. misty mawn

happy winter solstice my dear friend!

a day to dance and welcome the light ...

and to send 'warm winter wishes' ~ your winter image is so lovely calm ...

it's pretty late for this cinderella to be up so will add more to this posting in the morning ...

and now for my late addition ... but i just wanted to say a few things ... first off, how much i really love the images you took on your sunday drive with john ... and as i said to you, i think we need a day in the country exploring abandoned farm sites (with our cameras, of course!), and i know the perfect one ... and they say there is a central spiral staircase that leads to the widows peak ... seriously ... on the canadian prairies ... 


i also have a little story to tell about winter solstice and my harp ...


it all began, i believe 11 years ago when we attended a solstice gathering where our friends brought their instruments ... there were guitars, mandolins, violins ... and a harp ... you can only imagine how magical the whole evening was ... and to top it off there was sliding down the river bank to a cleared area on the river where we skated under the stars ... it was there, gliding along that i struck up a conversation with the harpist, asking her how difficult was it to play a harp? she said ... if you can play piano, you can play harp. well, i definitely had a number of year of piano ... i was awestruck in every way and merely mused aloud to my hb on the ride home ~ 'someday, i would like to play the harp' ...


one year later, as christmas festivities were in full swing, there was my husband out in his woodworking shop all hours ... he would be out there some mornings at 5 ... some nights he would be out there til 2 ... and i nearly BEGGED him to stay in and enjoy some christmas tree coziness with me and the kids ... i told him that the kitchen cupboard he was building me would be nice, but all he needed to give me was a drawer for christmas ...


christmas morning came at our house with ALL of my family there and the gift giving was wrapping up when hb said i ought to close my eyes ... and when i opened them, he presented me with this beautiful, magnificent harp that he had handcrafted in his shop ~ oh, i gasped and cried and gasped and cried ... he is quite the character and said that all our neighbours were holding their breath in anticipation that the strings would arrive on time for this surprise harp ... can you believe that our whole community knew except me? it was, without a doubt, the most exceptional surprise ever ... and the best part is that his gift to me keeps giving and giving, as every time i perform, there is always one person who is particularly touched and it makes it all so much more worthwhile ... 


anyways, it was just a year after receiving my initial harp (hb went on to craft a few more ...) that we had the great fortune of taking our boys and seeing loreena mckennitt in concert ... she was breathtaking in every way ... 


so, that's my story about winter solstice and harping and seriously i could just dance at the coming of the light again ... it all brings such hope ... and life ... 

nighty night night ~ sweet 2bbb dreams,
prairiegirl xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the eighth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


more music ...

part of the origin of the winter solstice traditions relates to the holly and the ivy ... and i thought it appropriate to offer you loreena mckennitt's the holly and the ivy from her midwinter night's dream recording ... unfortunately i was not able to locate a video of her actually performing ... this artist from down the road, in morden, manitoba has moved the world with her harp and vocal performances ...

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann  7. stuart mclean's christmas at the turlington's  8. loreena mckennitt

hello my friend,

how are you?  it seems like forever since we talked.  my, oh my this time of year seems to be so busy.  today i have been trying desperately to get caught up a little in the studio.  but, the phone keeps ringing.  seriously, it's been non-stop and it's getting to the point of funny, actually.  :)

anyhow, john, andy and i went hunting for beauty yesterday around the country side.  we found some wonderful treasures.  several abandoned buildings, even a few abandoned homes. 
and i thought on these last few days leading up to christmas we could share holiday greeting images with our friends.  (as always we invite you to share these images with your friends using the eCard option below the images. afterall, it's free!)

love, love, love your community christmas concert images.  your community traditions are so fantastic... you guys always make such an incredible effort.  it's inspiring!  and thank you for the podcast!  so much.  i'm listening to stuart as i type.  it's fantastic!

so my dear, i must send this off and get this work done!  i need to pack something and get it shipped today. 

i hope your day went perfectly.... amongst the shoppers. 

talk soon, xxo, kim


2bbb twelve days of christmas

:::


on this, the eigth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...

old fashioned christmas homes, pages of them....


a primitive place is featuring "Inspiring Holiday Home Tours" on their fantastic website. so many warm and cozy homes decorated for the holidays. and there is so much more to see on their site and blog as well.  if you could steal a few moments to visit, you will be so happy you did.

1. thea 2. images by claire 3. kind over matter 4. shutter sisters

5. the magpie's fancy 6. canadian house & home 7. westsidebeadery 8. a primitive place

oh wow oh wow ... a brilliant post today kim ... all 'round brilliant ... i mean, it's always a treat to open and see what gifts await, but today is exceptional!

you know how much i love old doors and door knobs and the way you have taken this image absolutely stops me short ... shhhhhh ... can't you see the chubby little hand reaching up, wrapping fingers about the knob and ever so quietly pushing it open ... just to peek to see if santa has been there? purely magical ... as what waits beyond the door ...

mmmm, and your tradition of playing scrabble is lovely ... what a perfect evening to share with your hb ... playing scrabble is a wonderful game as it does require time and being in the moment ~ perfectly peaceful ... (tee hee ... font ... good one) ...

what a wonderfully sweet treat to visit westsidebeadery ~ thank you! wouldn't santa love a cup of hot peppermint cocoa with his snack on christmas eve ... sticky beard and all!

harp playing at the wedding was really nice ~ a winter wedding lends so beautifully to white and twinkling lights ... and it seemed extra pretty with the snow falling outside ...

speaking of traditions and harp ~ tonight is our community christmas concert at our one room country school house where my dear friend and neighbour always reads a christmas story to the children while i accompany on harp ...
it is extra special for my friend as she actually attended the school when it was still open! we are so blessed that the community has kept the school up and the traditions alive ~ a gathering place for neighbours, family and friends to meet ... as long as that old furnace keeps running ...

of course santa will find his way and we will indulge in a feast of sandwiches, cakes, tea and visiting following the festivities ... christmas must be here ... sigh ...

your day today sounds really peaceful ~ enjoy your long walk and do say hello to your mom and dad ...

prairiegirl xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the seventh day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...

(this keeps happening! it was the movie the other night ... and now a car has driven into our yard, so best go see who is calling ... back in a bit ... do you like that i keep you in suspense? tee hee ...)

and now ... the gift of humour and storytelling

for years now, stuart mclean of cbc radio's the vinyl cafe has delivered heartwarming and humorous story after story over the air waves ... and i have to say that some of my favourite stories are his christmas readings ... so maybe while you are working today, kim ... you might treat yourself (and your boys, too!) to this podcast of 'christmas at the turlington's' ... definitely a whole lot of ho ho ho! ... xo

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann  7. stuart mclean's 'christmas at the turlington's'

good morning prairie girl,

oh my i so love your baking image!  i mean LOVE it.... and amy and ann.... what a most fabulous site and a definite fav of mine too.  there are so many mouth watering images on their blog.

so how was the harp playing and the wedding?  you have such a gift... and i must say, what a wonderful touch for a wedding reception.  sigh.

i wanted to share 2 images with you today.  the first is a pic of 2 things i love.  old doors and twinkly lights. :)

the second shares a holiday/winter tradition for john and i.  and sometimes, if we are lucky, the boys join us.  john made the nuts & bolts yesterday, which reminded me of playing scrabble, because we always have a little snack while we play the game.  so i was so happy that we were able to steal a few hours to play.  i am  really bad at it....and i rarely win.  as you can see by the board, there are very few big words used. :) i did have to giggle though, that one of the words is font.  you and i both love our fonts. anyhow, it's just fun to stop the rush, rush and enjoy some quiet time together in our warm home. 

well my friend, here's to a quiet and peaceful sunday ahead.. we are off to my mom's (across the street) for dinner with family.  i hope to do a little tidying around here, maybe some baking and take a nice long walk as well.  how bout you? 

xxo, kim

oh, p.s. i will share my twig tree tomorrow.  i promise. 

:::



2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the seventh day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


candy, eye candy that is.....

i just love the flickr photostream from westsidebeadery.  and i think you will too.  this image in the collage of yummy hot peppermint cocoa is so christmasy.....  please steal a few moments to visit her stream today.  i know you will be so glad you did.

1. thea  2. images by claire  3. kind over matter  4.  shuttersisters
5. the magpie's fancy  6. canadian house & home  7. westsidebeadery

tee hee ... sorry ... got the giggles here cuz i was SURE you were going to post about christmas baking today ... i guess after seeing that wonderful image over at your cafe! (lucky you to have your mom and aunti baking for the family ~ they are incredible cooks! ... and i can almost smell those nuts and bolts roasting ... yummers)

anyways, i thought to myself ... there we go again ... thinking the same ... and i guess we were, just in different places!

this image is from when i was rolling out and baking the little bow-tie dainties for our community dainty exchange on monday ... how did they turn out, you ask? that's a story for another day... wink ... but i was grateful for my angel friend watching over ... and a cup of hot tea to help me through!

kim, your mantlepiece is beautiful ... so calming and peaceful ... i can only imagine the lovely glow of the candles lit in the evening ... your home is so charming and welcoming ~ no wonder you have so many coming and going ... (and probably lots wanting to stay!)

speaking of calm and peaceful ... thank you for the gift of holiday inspiration at canadian house & home ... nothing speaks more calm to me than pristine white ... pure peace ...

and did i mention how much i appreciated your gift of everything soulful at gigi's the magpie fancy? she simply warms my heart ...

i am off to play my harp again today ... for a wedding reception ... looking forward to seeing the happy couple and their families as they are from my brother's town ... and then to our friend's for some christmas cheer ...

hope your day is lovely in every way ~
prairiegirl xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the sixth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


festive foods!

can you guess?  well, let's just say these two wonderful women have an eye for the tastiest of tidbits, and i believe that everyday is like a day of festive celebrating for them ... cooking and creating ... oh my!

have you guessed yet? of course you have! amy and ann always deliver the most delightful images of delectable food, dishes and offer up recipes with their images every friday ... a tasty treat for you, dear kim ... xo

(oh dear, now i have to go and eat!)

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time

5. a gift wrapped life  6. amy and ann

good morning prairie girl,

oh i so love your handblown christmas ball.  so festive.  just lovely!  and a gift wrapped life... be still my heart.  there are pages of inspiration over there..  so beautiful.  thank you!

today is about little things around here.  john is making nuts & bolts.  the boys are both away doing their thing.  i am hoping to do a little wrapping and work on my twig tree that i mentioned in an earlier post... i'd like to share the pics tomorrow. :)  i also want to add a little christmasi-ness (there's a word for you) to the front porch, seeing as it is a beautiful day.

so my dear, i shall sign off for now....

xxo, kim

:::



2bbb twelve days of christmas


on this, the sixth day of christmas ...

amazing holiday inspiration  & more......

from the fabulous canadian house & home blog.  wow, there is so much to see over there.  video tutorials, images, thoughts... it's endless...please, please pop over and peek...  you will be so glad you did. 

1. thea 2. images by claire 3. kind over matter 4. shuttersisters

5. the magpies fancy 6. canadian house & home

here is it evening again, kim as i write ...

i had to giggle about you being in the city shopping this morning, as i was amidst the crowd as well! i even took my camera should we actually meet and i thought it would be a funny sight to share with our friends ... but the masses must have kept us from meeting ...

in a brief encounter today with a friend, he lamented on how much he dislikes the way commercialism has overtaken christmas and the holiday season ~ he was calm and sincere and almost sad ... and i just ache at how much it must hurt for those so caught up in a 'must do', extending themselves beyond their limits in too many areas ... and all along i kept thinking that last night when your boys ... all your boys gathered for that hour by your tree, how that would the best gift of all ... the very best gift of all ...

i LOVE your 'night before christmas' greeting card idea ... you are SO clever and i really hope folks will print off a few to share with someone special ... the background is so cool ...

anyways, my hb is waiting to watch a movie together, so i'll leave you with this, my image of one of my favourite seasonal ornaments ~ a handblown friendship ball, set in a clear glass vase ~ all sparkly for you, my friend ...

prairiegirl xo

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the fifth day of christmas ... i'm sorry i don't have five golden rings my friend, but i do have a gift of ...


beautiful ribbons


oh my! the movie master is calling ... please sit tight my dear ... i'll be back to post your gift! xo


*** two hours later ... ***


most sorry for the delay ... our boys all had their own plans this evening, so we grabbed the opportunity to watch a movie ~ peaceful ...

now to your gift of beautiful ribbons and exquisite wrappings ...

i give to you ~  'a gift wrapped life' where you will surely be awed and inspired at the beauty of sande's most elegant art of gift wrapping ... the colours and textures she puts together are remarkable  ... (wouldn't the three wise men have loved to have her wrap their gifts!) ... sande brings real pleasure to giving ... enjoy! xo

1. jumping tandem   2. forty-sixth at grace  3. singing for supper  4. christmas time
5. a gift wrapped life

good morning prairie girl

how are you?  thank you so much for the posting last night.  soo sweet.  i love the little snowmen twinkling in the sun.  that is such a thoughtful tradition your parents started so many years ago now.  time is slipping by so quickly. sigh.  and i will definitely visit the christmas time site later today.

before i head off to brave the shopping madness i  have to share with you, just a little story. 

last night, i was in the living room sitting right beside the christmas tree, and one by one, almost magically, completely unplanned, the boys and then john came in and sat down.  it was so nice.  the tv was off, the sparkle of the christmas lights all around, and we just chatted for over an hour.  we talked about family and past christmases and a little of this and a little of that.  i won't pretend every moment was warm and fuzzy.  the boys had their usual bantering back and forth, throughout.  but oh my, it was a special little gift.  one i will definitley treasure. :) 

but i must carry on here.  i want to "beat" the crowds.  today i shall shop! :)

looking forward to catching up when i return. 

oh, my, i almost forgot.  i wanted to share a little gift with you.  a printable christmas card deSign.  please click HERE to download thd pdf file. :)

xxo, kim

:::

2bbb twelve days of christmas

on this, the fifth day of christmas, my friend i give to you ...


a gift of inspiration

inspirtation from a friend i recently met.  who is also a sweet friend of yours.  your friend, gigi, has the most beautiful blog.  this morning, i had tears while reading her posting, "looking up".  what a gift she has for writing.  sigh.  i wanted to share her beautiful christmas photo below. the one that drew me to her, without me even knowing that she was your friend gigi.  i discovered it on her flickr photo stream.  it's such a small world.  so perhaps my gift to you is a gentle reminder to steal a few moments to enjoy the magpie's fancy today.  even if it's crazy busy...just take a few moments. :)

1. thea  2. images by claire  3. kind over matter  4.  shuttersisters  5. the magpies fancy