Thanksgiving

"Burp" Excuse me. I may be a glutton, but at least I'm a polite glutton. I say things like "excuse me" and "Would you please pass the mound of potatoes in that huge heavy bowl while I grab the gravy by my plate?" and "thank you for the pie." Then, I'm always politely quiet during the meal because my mouth is full. Miss Manners that's me.

It is Thanksgiving Day. I feel heavier.I am heavier. Pondering the new layer of flab I recently discovered on my body, I realize it exists not only because of the Thanksgiving meal I gorged myself on,but because I had the flu on Halloween. Yeah, it was a nasty case of stomach flu. Usually people lose weight, right? And I probably would have too if I hadn't turned out my light. If I hadn't ignored the Trick or Treaters that came to the door. Instead the Trick or Treaters were turned away and I ended up with with about ten bags of miniature chocolate candy bars and M & M's. So, naturally I ate them. "Burp" Excuse me.

Top 5 Favourite Christmas Songs

I know it's only the end of Nov. but I did put on a Christmas CD this morning while I steam mopped my family room and kitchen floors. Just made me feel good! Do you have favourite Christmas songs that you love to listen to over the Christmas Season. I'm sure we all do!
Here are my top #5 Favourites - (It's pretty hard to choose"

1)The Little Drummer Boy
2)Silver Bells
3)Silent Night
4)If Every Day Could Be Christmas - (by 98 degrees)
5)White Christmas

What are some of your favourites?
Well I've been busy this week adding more products to my store Shell's Designs. There are so many cute Christmas ideas that I want to create, so better get busy! Here's a few of my latest designs pop by my store to see more.

Tribute to Opera

Last night my husband and I had the privilege of attending a Evansville Philharmonic concert, Tribute to Opera. It was a wonderful night for both of us, but especially for me. First of all, I love musicals and operas! Music expresses emotion and when you put music together with a story, well, there's nothing quite like it in my opinion. And so we were entertained with music from La Traviata, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Boris Godunov, Le Nozze di Figaro, Porgy and Bess, Carmen and La Boheme. It was fun listening to the various characters sing. I'm always impressed at how strong a human voice can be when used properly. When I use my wimpy little singing voice, I call it fantastic if I manage to hit most of the notes right on.

I was in my lucky seat again. This time the man on my left was Richard Kagey, the stage manager. This is what the Philharmonic program book has to say about him. "Richard Kagey, Director/Designer, has directed and/or designed over 150 productions of operas, musicals, and plays for professional regional companies, national tours, and universities..." Pretty impressive. We were able to talk a little before things got started and in course of our preconcert conversation I learned that very recently 19 different opera companies folded. When I asked why he thought that was, he said, "Operas are very expensive to put on." He said there are a lot of costs that add up. Stage Managers must be paid, musicians, costumes, hair and make-up,stage crew, etc.

I, for one, do not like to hear about opera companies folding, orchestras having difficulties, and musicians in general having a hard time. Let's do what we can to help out! Treat yourself to a couple holiday concerts. Give tickets away as presents. What we have in Evansville, is wonderful! Let's keep it that way!!!!

Beautifully Decorated - Victoria, B.C.

Well it's been an interesting week! Went to a conference with my husband in Victoria, B.C. Beautiful city... of course while I was there I had to do a little shopping and site seeing! The parliament buildings were lit up in beautiful white lights... gorgeous at night! The hotel had beautiful large Christmas trees in green and white lights. If you get a chance to visit Victoria, it's a great destination for a holiday!
Working on designs for my store... holiday and Christmas designs are at the top of my list right now. Stop by my storeShell's Designsto view the latest creations... don't forget to purchase your Christmas cards and gifttags, if you're looking for some unique designs I have lots of new ones!

Quote for the week: "Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." Make the most of it.

Australia

These flowers are originally from South Africa. My husband, Bruce, took a picture of them when he was Australia so I could see the flowers he wished he could bring home to me. They are a strange kind of pretty; sort of remind me of sea anenomies.

Time to Start the Christmas Shopping

Well it seems it's time to start some Christmas shopping. Zazzle has a sale on today $5 off any purchase of $35 or more. Use code VETERANSDAY9 at checkout! There are lots of items under $10, perfect for those stocking stuffers. I've been busy working on Christmas designs... lets see I've done some cool winter house designs, some pretty white Christmas tree designs, and I have some more ideas brewing. Stop by my store to see the new designs! Shell's Designs So I'll keep this brief so I can get to work on my ideas! Have a great week everyone!

Quote for the week: "Essentials to Happiness - Something to work on, Someone to love, and Something to Hope for."

Thank You!

Today is Thank A Youth Worker day. I imagine some people are shaking their heads at this. I, on the other hand, feel it's good to have a day set aside to acknowledge someone/something. I know there are those that grumble when they're buying roses on Valentine's day or roll their eyes at Secretary's day and a good number gag if they hear about any new day set aside to recognize anything. I'm not one of them. I think it's important because life gets busy and complicated. How many husbands would buy flowers for their wives or mothers if there wasn't a day set aside to do so? It's not just the card companies and flower shops that benefit. We all do. We do feel grateful for the people who work with our youth,however, we may not have opportunity to thank them unless a day is set aside for that purpose.

The first person I want to thank is Parri Black, the Executive Director of Youth First. Not only does she make a difference in the lives of all the youth connected with Youth First due to her excellent leadership skills and sincere desire to help, but she has been there for my own kids as a leader in the program Journey To Adulthood at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and a chaperone for their trip to Rome (both my girls went). I've appreciated her patience, respect for my kids and their opinions, and her caring open mind.

Katherine Savia is another person who has made an impact on our lives. She was my daughter, Janine's, violin instructor here in Evansville and went that extra mile for her. She also directed the quartet my girls were a part of. See what I wrote on Carver Community Organization...


Our children are our future! Think of the impact these people make on our lives! The individuals I've mentioned genuinely care and that makes them great!

How could I possibly forget to thank Altrusa? They do storytimes and give books away! I believe that, along with Altrusa's spirit of giving, the books can be life changing. Thank you Altrusa for all that you do to make the lives of our youth a little better!

Time to revise the Christmas Card List

Do you have a lot of friends and family that you keep in touch with over the holiday season through a note or a Christmas card? It seems to be the perfect time to let people know you're thinking of them and wondering how they're doing? I've been working hard on several new Christmas and holiday designs for my store, winter scenes, whimsical trees, adorable snowmen of course ( one of my favourites to create) and other fun designs! Zazzle has a fantastic sale on this week for holiday cards - 40% off from Nov. 2 to Nov. 12, you won't want to miss this deal! Just use the code HOLIDAYCARD4 at the checkout! Happy Shopping!

Quote for the Week:
"The seeds we sow today determin the kind of fruite we'll reap tomorrow." - Hess

Frank

Frank (the guy with the green face) has been coming to visit for quite a few years now... There's nothing quite like seeing his silhouette outside our front door around Halloween time.

I used to take care of a little boy named Elliot while his parents were at work teaching elementary kids. He was three when I began watching him, and Halloween was beyond fantastic to him. It wasn't about the candy necessarily, it was about the characters that came out in books, stores, yards, and even cereal. His enthusiasm was catchy!

Elliot enjoyed all sorts of monsters, but Frankenstein was his favorite. I drew Frankenstein out on paper (and other Halloween characters as well) and hung him up on a wall. I used a coloring book he'd been coloring in at my house, as a guide. He loved it and rewarded me for my efforts by being so incredibly enthusiastic. Before I knew it, I was painting a thin piece of wood and the current Frank was born. He's been properly weathered over the years so he looks like a true monster now.

I asked Elliot why he loved Frankenstein so much and he said, "He's a slow walker." Does that not make you laugh!