MY NEWEST TOY...

Isn't the color fabulous?  I love it!

THE NEW CHAMPEEN!!

Fun eve last night~playing Wii bowling!  Guess who's the new champeen?  The last game I 'bowled' a strike or a spare every frame!  It was total fun, and so much easier than real 10-pin bowling, with no heavy ball to lift.  Even so, I think a trip to the bowling alley is in the future!

I've been  treating myself to cooking classes lately~classes I think will be fun with some learning too.   My goal is to take one a month.  Since October I've taken classes on Thanksgiving side dishes, soups and breads, and an Italian Antipasto Platter~it's been awesome!   While I enjoy baking, cooking dinners isn't really my thing, but I made a Linguine Puttanesca while my Mom was here visiting between Christmas and New Years.  It was pretty easy and sooo tasty!  Usually we just dish everything up from the stovetop, but that night I put the pasta on a platter and chopped up a little fresh parsley for garnish.  Looks so much more appetizing!  I can't say that we'll give up our stove-scooping ways, but honestly, the pretty presentation made the whole meal taste better!  It's for sure~I'll be pulling out the platters more often!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We spent a quiet evening~moving furniture!   I bought 2 new chairs at Ikea a couple days ago and mr pawprint put them together, then we re-arranged everything.  It's way more spacious!  I love the POANG chairs.  My brother has them in blue, mine are off white and look awesome with the white leather couch.   The cat has claimed one already!  She bit me when I tried to move her off it! 
We watched 'Get Him To The Greek', had some appies and I made a whoppin' big martini.  I'm really, really happy to see the hind end of 2010.  It's been a very stressful year, and I'm hoping for a better 2011. 
Happy New Year everyone!!

                                                                             

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I wish you all a Christmas filled with Peace, Love and Joy!!

PARTY TIME~

We recently attended my work Christmas Party,

where I may have gotten up in front of the crowd, along with a few of my co-workers, dressed in a glittered hard-hat and my daughter's old steel-toed boots, and sung a specially written parody to the tune of 'YMCA'.  What a hoot!  It was a fun night~great food, and the Mr even got up and danced 4 or 5 times.  I've been advised not to quit my day job tho, so I guess a singing career is out of the question,  Sigh...

                                                 

A COZY CORNER...

Sunday I had my pre-Christmas meltdown.

I felt overwhelmed and under-prepared.

I felt like the kitchen reno would never be finished

and I am so tired of living with it half done.

Once the tears stopped, I started clearing out stuff~the recycling bins

and reno supplies.

And I decided to make some prettiness in one corner.

My Mom will be visiting over Christmas and I wanted a spot for her to sit

and visit with me when I'm doing kitchen prep.

I'm pretty happy with it! 

As for feeling overwhelmed, I've decided that anything not done now just doesn't matter.

Oh, I'll still wrap presents and do some baking for Christmas dinner,

but that's it!

Mr Pawprint put up my outside lights on the weekend, I've got my cozy kitchen corner,

and I just want to enjoy the prettyful for the rest of the year.