Thursday, December 27, 2012

Happy Post Christmas Everybody!

Good Morning Everybody!

Back home and feeling happy!  I had the most amazing Christmas with my family!  What fun it was to see everyone and to find everyone happy and healthy!  You know, you can't get any better than that!  The drive up to Brownwood, Texas was equally fun.  I don't know why, but when I drive through these small towns, there is something about the white painted wood houses, the one stoplight in the middle of town and the Christmas decorations that are attached to the light poles that bring back so many cool memories of childhood.



Christmas Eve was a hoot!  I won the lottery and got the couch in the Den in which to rest my weary head!  This room is adjacent to the kitchen which gets a lot of action, the room where the mantle above the fireplace holds the billion stockings so carefully hung above the fire.



 The very same room that is next to the new kitchen that Liya received from Santa....


The picture above shows the coolest kitchen the triplets and Kim made for Liya.  They went around and found furniture pieces that looked like kitchen counters and even a fridge.  They sanded, painted and even made an oven from scratch that lights up when you open the oven door!  AMAZING I SAY! OK, see the vent-a-hood...Yep, old Uncle Bubba was up until 4:00 a.m. helping with this contribution.  Kim, painted it silver, Molly added the knobs and Gibson hung it!  What fun we had.  When the kitchen was done, I was off to the sofa for a bit of sleep.  Kim still stuffing the stockings until 4:30 a.m. Finally she was done and I drifted off to dream of the North Pole!  What to my twinkling eyes should appear but Emily and Tucker and no reindeer...at 5:15 a.m. ready to open presents!!!!!!!  Coffee was a brewing, kids were a screaming and I in my kerchief wondering where sleep had gone?

We had a wonderful time!  Yesterday, I did one of those amazing things I truly NEVER-EVER get to do...I laid around all day catching up on sleep, watching movies and eating sweets!  OK, maybe I do eat sweets on a regular basis, but that will soon be nipped in the bud!  Can we say DIET anyone?  What a fun day just to relax.  It's so nice to allow yourself some time to just do nothing!  The hard part, not to feel guilty for doing nothing! LOL!

This morning brings a renewed interest to go back into my studio and start "shelling peas"... Time to get busy! First, I think I will clean up the studio.  I did do a bit of it yesterday when I finished up a small CHA project.  It always makes me feel like I can start anew and when I see that clean work surface, it just begs to be dirty again and hence new excitement and new projects to be made.

Here's a picture I just took with my phone of my studio....



So it begins.... Maybe, I should make a project I can actually show you guys!  LOL!  I've got something in mind...wonder if it can be made????

Hope all is well and that you are having an awesome day my friends!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Ahh...I just finished cleaning the studio...errr, picking up the studio...LOL!


J.

22 comments:

  1. Your holiday sounds wonderful, and I'm incredibly impressed with that kitchen! Awesome!

    Remember that taking a day to "do nothing" is not a waste ... it's a *required* renewal to keep you going the other days!

    Prost to the coming new year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. what a wonderful gift of a kitchen! I see craftiness runs in the family! Your studio looks so comfy and cozie! what great light shines in that window! I understand the small town charm..we used to live in Kansas and driving thru the small towns was such a neat thing for us since coming from So Cali....time almost stands still out there. So lovely. Enjoy your day!

    (and diet is a four letter word til at least January 2nd, shhhhhhhh)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, the kitchen is too awesome. She will have a lot of fun in there. You'll be doing some 'tasting' in the future. lol. Great that you took a day off - good golly - you can't be collapsing at CHA.My best gift this Christmas was from my daughter. She took me to see a small parade that is provided daily by a family in Bellevue,WA. Like your drive, that instantly put me back into the Christmases when I was little. Plus, she cheerfully stood out there with me when I know she wanted to be shopping. How lucky am I! Your studio looks very inviting - like it's OK to go in there and create. Enjoy the last days of 2012.
    Hugs
    Mo(Mori49)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so glad you had a fab time I just wanted to tell you two of my pressies this year where a result of watching your videos lol one was the creatopia I just had to have it still waiting for it to arrive and a heavy duty rotory cutter for cutting chip board again still waiting for It to arrive I will then have all in need to start my carols cabinet managed to get some feet and hinges, and paper. I also got a zutter heavy duty corner rounder for chip board and a hot glue gun kit for not burning your fingers plus a gorg new costa coffee maker for my craft room so I can't just pop a capsule in turn it on and hey presto coffee or chocolate or latte lol so,thank you Jim for inspiring my Christmas pressie all the way to the uk some going lol the universe is vast lol hope you got lots of crafty goodies to no that you need them after seeing your craft room. I also love the brill kitchen that was made it is amazing Liya loved it
    Have a great new yr happy crafting

    ReplyDelete
  5. How Wonderful a Time you must have had. I Love Christmas with children. They bring out the Joyful Magic in me. Love looking at your studio, what a wonderful Spacious Room you have. Love all the light too. My 10 x 10 cave I hope will one day be more than a storage room and more of a working Craft room, where I can actually craft in it, instead of easing in and balancing on one foot so I can reach across an already full table to get something behind it which is balancing on an already full stack of boxes. All the while praying that I don't knock any of my carefully balanced items over. Well, I'm really wishing that I was skinny so my belly or chest wouldn't hit anything and knock it over... Enjoy starting on something new.... I think I love that feeling most.... when the Idea hits you and you start planning on how you are going to make it... :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jim, I'm glad you had a great Christmas, so did I. Liya's kitchen is so adorable, great job on the stove hood. Your studio is really nice, I want your dressform!!!!!I'm glad you got some down time before all the madness of CHA, I can't wait to see what you create. Happy New Year my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas with your family. And we ALL need a day to chill and do NOTHING. Your craft room looks like a great place to create (she says, dreaming of more than just the end of the dining room table, sigh). Can't wait to see what you have in store for 2013, have fun :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Studio is looking really good in the picture! Let's see--by now you have had time to cut, tape, spray and build any number of things! What does it look like NOW? Bwahahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes, I would say that craftiness runs in the family! That kitchen is fantastic and I'm sure lots of happy hours will be spent there. Down time is essential but with our busy lives it can be hard to come by. Glad you were able to get some. Thanks for the peak into your studio. Looks like a nice place to work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a cute kitchen! Glad you had a great time ! Welcome home !

    ReplyDelete
  11. Is the figure on the worktop the start of a new project Jim? lol

    ReplyDelete
  12. I find it hard to do nothing too, though it is good for the soul to re-charge. That tree looks naked after looking at your other one you posted! I love your studio set up, can't wait to see the CHA stuff you create, at least it is 2 weeks early this year so we can see them sooner! YAY!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hmmmm....who is Kim and why was "she" stuffing stockings? Does she work for Santa? If so, I would like to talk to her. Sounds like a job I need....one night a year. I know the clean feeling, can't start a new project until the old is put away. I just did the same thing, my room looked like I had a classroom full of pre-schoolers with scissors. How I got anything done in there is a mystery. Happy Crafting, can't wait for CHA reveals!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cool Kitchen. I'm impressed with how clean your crafting table is....Time to make a new mess!!! Have fun

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love the kitchen and their craftiness! Makes it so special! Love your craft room! I hope you get to spend some quality time in there over the holiday weekend. I just finished mine! (Well, hubby did the hard stuff...I decorated...) Have a happy, healthy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely kitchen, great job y'all! What a great space in which to create! (Clean or messy ;->) Big hugs, Jess

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks like Liya's kitchen is a HIT!!! Kim did a wonderful job putting all of that together!!

    Thanks for sharing your adventure...sounds like Uncle Bubba got some much needed R&R away from the studio.

    Um...now you can come and organize my studio...LOL!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Many happy times will be spent in that lovely kitchen and what a fantastic job everyone involved did making it happen. So much better than a store bought one. You did a great job preparing (cleaning up) your studio for your next project . . . it just makes you want to get stuck into it. Glad to know that many of us have had a wonderful Christmas and some well deserved R & R. I'm now going to grab a cuppa and hit my craft room!

    ReplyDelete
  19. lucky you... was it at least a sofa bed??? LOL LUV LUV your studio....sooooo big!!! any hints on your next project??? have a fun and safe New Year celebration

    ReplyDelete
  20. Been cleaning my studio, too. And now I'm ready to get busy. Love your workspace...so bright and cheery. happy creating, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  21. It is great seeing your studio. It always interests me to see the space where great things are created. Feels great to clean it up doesn't it!? I am always amazed at the lift it give me.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.