2010 December

Project 102

December 31, 2010 By Heather Leave a Comment

So this past year my Project 365 kind of fizzled out and now it shall forever be known as Project 102.

While I didn’t take a photo a day for the whole year, I am satisfied with the end result.

This year I am challenging myself yet again, even if I don’t get to 365, I do hope to get to at least 102.

Thank you so much for being here this year with me. Being there through the good and the bad.

I am truly looking forward to 2011 and all that it holds.

Here are 12 of my favorite photos from Project 102. Won’t you join along with me in 2011?

Filed Under: happy new year, project 102, project 365

A Christmas Trip

December 28, 2010 By Heather Leave a Comment

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Christmases are pretty low key at our house.

The girls always get a pair of pajamas.

They always get something handmade from me.

They always end up with gum in their stockings.

This year, the whole year through, The Chicken has been harassing us for a pet of her own.

More specifically, a puppy.

If any of you have met the husband you would know that he is not an animal lover. If another pet never graced our home he wouldn’t shed a tear. It’s just the kind of person that he is.

We had talked lately of The Chicken’s need for an animal of her own. A lot.

He was actually pondering the idea of getting her a puppy and that made me pretty excited.

Last Thursday, after much planning with a friend of mine who lives over an hour away, we set out on a super secret trip with The Chicken being the only member of our family who was in the dark about our destination.

It was snowing that light, fluffy, storybook snow and we were listening to Christmas carols as we navigated the country roads.

The Chicken kept asking question after question about our destination.

How long would it take to get there?
Would she know the place where we were going?
Were we going to look at hybrids? We did answer yes to that one
Were we going to buy a boat?
Did we notify others of our trip to the middle of no where?
Why were we taking cookies with us that we weren’t allowed to eat?

There were breaks in the interrogation when her sister entertained her and they tried to get a good picture of her awesome skills.

Clearly my daughter has talent

The look of confusion on her face was priceless when we pulled into the driveway of a small white house in the outskirts of a small town she had never been to before.

She tenatively walked into the house with us as I gave my friend the cookies and a big hug. She then realized that we were at the house where the puppies that her father and sister had told her about were. Her voice was so high. She was so excited that she got to pick out her puppy when it was a wee two weeks old.

I forgot the real camera at home, thank goodness for my iPhone

We were there for a couple of hours while The Chicken cuddled her little Barney and her sisters and brother.

It was hard pulling her away from her little pup, but finally we got her back in the van.

The whole ride home we got to hear of purple and pink puppy accessories and all of the tricks she was going to teach her.

It made my heart happy to see how my whole family oohed and ahhed over this little tiny thing.

So while it may not be her best Christmas present ever, to me it was priceless. To have my family together for one day, so happy and so joyful. It is a day I will never forget.

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Filed Under: sponsored posts, swagg, the best christmas present I ever gave

On this Day

December 25, 2010 By Heather Leave a Comment

No matter what the day holds for you may peace be with you the whole day through

Filed Under: Christmas morning, the beauty of the season, whatever day you celebrate I am thankful for you

The Christmas Forrest

December 24, 2010 By Heather Leave a Comment

For years the husband and children insisted that we get a real tree.

There is something about a real tree. Something almost magical about it. Going out and finding the perfect tree, the one you can picture in your home, adorned with your precious ornaments.

The magic soon dies when we bring the tree home. The sap, the needles, the welts and itchiness it causes me, the wheezing. The watering, the cat going bonkers from the outside tree in the house, and did I mention the needles?

With the husband working so much this year with the weather being so cold led to me to an idea. We already had the trees in the house, why not try something new.

A Christmas Forrest.

There is something magical about several trees in the corner of your room flickering and shimmering with their lights and precious ornaments. There is something beautiful in faux snow.

As I sit here this morning, coffee in hand, I smile and let the magic of the season envelop me. And it feels good, better than I could have ever expected and I am glad.

The family loves our little forrest and I love that when it is all said and done I can tuck our magical forrest upstairs until we need it again next year.

Filed Under: christmas traditions, Less stress this season, simplifying the season

Christmas Cookie Anxiety

December 22, 2010 By Heather 10 Comments

Years ago I was a cookie baking machine.

Our house was festive.

Presents were wrapped.

Christmas Carols played on a continuous loop.

Then one year it all changed and I never could put my finger on why.

Last night while talking with The Chicken about how festive and merry my best friend’s house was, I realized it.

Seven years ago today I had just finished up all of the holiday baking. The plan was to box it all up and deliver it on Christmas like I had every year before. After hours of feeling like I should go to my dad’s house and deliver him his cookies right this very second, I finally did.

It was late and he worked early, but the lights were on inside his house. Getting up to answer the door winded him and caused him so much pain, but he was so happy to chat with me and eat the cookies that I brought him.

We stayed up later than I normally stayed up. Talking of things of little importance and watching Las Vegas on T.V. (Dad loved him some James Caan) We talked of plans for Christmas, him joking that I didn’t need to stop by now as he had his cookies and the fact that he hadn’t had a chance to get out to get the girls anything due to ‘this damn cold.’

Two days later, on Christmas eve, he would go to the ER having trouble breathing from what he thought was that damn cold, only to find out that he had a severe case of pneumonia. He would hold on for eight days, but finally his body gave up the fight. He was only 49.

Christmas and New Year’s hasn’t been the same since dad died. Sure I think of him often throughout the year, but when I am out in the cold driving around my mind flashes back to those days I spent by his bedside praying that he would open his eyes and ask what the hell he was doing in this bed, hooked up to all these machines.

For seven years our holidays were sufficient. Things got done, but the magic of the season just wasn’t there. I see that now.

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present. ~Jan Glidewell

So this year I embrace the cookies, the decorating, the trees, and the lists for me and for them.

Now where to start. Also…what cookies do you make every year?

Filed Under: cookies, my past, talking about my dad

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year again.

December 21, 2010 By Heather 10 Comments

While our stockings are not hung, the halls are not decked and the tree is definitely not trimmed I am happy to report that our cards have been sent and well received.

As much as I would love to send each and every one of you a snail mail card (because seriously who doesn’t love getting Christmas cards in the mail) I can’t. But as soon as I win the lottery…….

Many thanks to Shutterfly & Clever Girls Collective for the beautiful cards

As beautiful as the card is the thing that drew in the most compliments was the stamps I used to send them.

Years ago when the postage went up I was in Walgreens and noticed that the Photo Stamps were being sold a considerable discount on clearance. I immediatly called PhotoStamps to find out if I would be able to use the stamps and I was assured that indeed I could because I was buying a gift certificate for a set amount of stamps and not the stamps themselves. I was beyond excited and snatched up the last four boxes they had left.

Fast forward four years when I found the boxes of Photostamps. Lo and behold they worked! Not only did they work, but I was able to get all 100 of the stamps I needed because when you buy more than one sheet you get a discount. I was so excited!

The only sad thing about the whole photostamp process was the fact that I forgot to save one myself as they are so neat!

Photostamps has no clue I am writing this post as the stamps were paid for years ago at reduced rate, but I would use them again at full price

So head on over to Meghan’s and see all of the neat holiday cards that other bloggers are sending out and feel free to add your’s too! And just in case you missed them, below are cards from previous years!

Our 2009 card (that didn’t get sent out…whoops) can be found here.

Our 2008 card (that I did send out thankyouverymuch) can be found here.

Many thanks to Meghan for organizing this again this year. Meghan…You rock!!

Disclosure-please check link under card photo for original disclosure on the cards & as with the stamps….I mentioned it above, Photostamps has no clue I am writing this and I paid for the stamps with my own money about 4 years ago

Filed Under: fun times involving family, great bloggy holiday card exchange, Merry Christmas

The State of Christmas in My Living Room & other such stuff

December 20, 2010 By Heather 2 Comments

Currently my living room looks a lot like this.

You know probably because that is my living room

I won’t tell you how long those trees have been propped up in the corner of the living room, but I will tell you that I thought I was going to rock out all of December with my happily decorated house.

It’s now one week until Christmas and I am now realizing why our decorations are up until nearly February each year.

Also I know that Christmas is on Saturday, I was talking business week people.

I have great excuses why I haven’t been doing important things like decorating and updating this space here.

For Example:

One of my posts is syndicated over here.

Here I talk about ~~how I like to peek into your house in a totally non creepy way~~ the first Capture It over at Aiming Low.

I tell you about why Roxanne is my favorite Christmas Carol here.

Please help me come up with more excuses as to why she shouldn’t be driving here.

So if you feel so inclined please check out a link or four!

And check back tomorrow when I post our family’s Christmas card for the Third Annual Bloggy Holiday Card Exchange!

Filed Under: I am not really ready for Christmas to be on Saturday, other places I write, the holidays are just around the corner

Heather Durdil

December 20, 2010 By Heather Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Uncategorized

This Year

December 11, 2010 By Heather 2 Comments

On your birthday this year, there wasn’t a lot of hub-bub. Your little sister wanted to throw you a surprise party because you were turning sixteen, but you hate surprises. You actually pulled me aside some time ago and told me that you didn’t want a big party, just a nice dinner out with us as a family.

I thought about planning that surprise party, but unlike your sister and her many friends, you have a core group of people that mean something to you and while you didn’t want to order pizza and watch movies, when I did get home from your sister’s basketball game on your birthday you were sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor eating buttered noodles with one of your best friends.

Sadly you didn’t get the snow day that you were hoping for, but like I told you last year, that isn’t going to happen every year. But you did get that footlong sub you were wanting after I picked you up from school.

I want you to know that I love you dear girl. That you will always have a special place in my heart for being the oldest and making me the one others call Mom. Looking at you makes me so proud of what your dad & I created and have instilled in you.

I love you so much dear Alexis, I hope your sixteenth year is one of the best yet!

Much love, Mom