Monday-7:15am: Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!  Happy Holidays!  

Where did this year go?

I got a couple more handmade cards.  

One is from a new blogger friend, Dianne...

...and there was an envelope attached on the inside cover...

...that held ten stamps!!  That just tickled me!  Thanks so much, Dianne!

And this one is a delight because it is from Leah's dear friend, Amber, who never made cards before she saw Leah was making them.  

Leah and Amber made her wedding invitations together.  I got a kick out of the dog stamp that represents their Blixie--cute! 

Now, I haven't actually bought a card for many years.  These aren't handmade, but they blew me away!  Have you guys seen cards like this?  They are made to be taken out...

...and unfolded...

...so that they can become a sitting decoration!  This one is from Pat, my BFF in high school.  A snow globe, do you believe it!  Cool!

And then I got this Santa in his sleigh from Diane (I think she moved away when one of us was in fifth grade).  I had never seen these unfolding cards before.  I don't know if you should even call them cards--LOL!  Really fun!  Thanks to everybody for all the cards and well wishes!!  This has been the most amazing holiday season--starting in the end of November!  ;)  Wow!  

On Friday...

...it was a kind of pastel pre-dawn.

Dagan came over in the early afternoon and we headed over to PetSmart where I got a new hood for the ten gallon...

...half a dozen new live plants...

...(notice how happy my four tetras are)...

...three ottocinclus (of which I couldn't get a picture that wasn't blurred) who will eat snail eggs...

...and a blue dwarf gourami...

...who, I was told, will eat baby snails.

Everyone looks very happy...except the snail population...which is dwindling rapidly.  Well, not that they're unhappy until the moment they are eaten.  They seemed to leap upon the new plants with great joy.  

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Dagan thought it was silly that I was trying to save as many snails as I could off the underside of the hood when I had just purchased fish for the express purpose of diminishing the population.  I tried to explain to him that it felt like the difference between the circle of life and my killing them myself.  Dagan took on the hood responsibility and I took on the burying snails in the gravel while planting new plants responsibility.  Between us, I know we were the cause of much snail carnage.  But the population had been cycling (didn't know that these little plant snails don't live that long) and there were more and more empty shells on the bottom of the tank as the larger ones died.  If the new fish survive, might not have many or any snails in a few months.  

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I only bought the one blue gourami because I found out they only sell males!  Back when I worked pet shops (and actually ran the fish department a couple of times) you had to order them in pairs.  They're territorial and the males fight, so you'd lose a few of the males and have extra females--who are not as flashy and colorful.  So--I mean I can understand why they would sell only males these days, but I found it quite upsetting.  What do they do with all the females at the breeding farms?  All these males are destined to live alone.  If you bought more than one you will probably end up with one in the end--unless you had a really large tank.  Maybe one of the two privately owned pet shops in town might have a girlfriend for him?  I plan to call them after the holidays.  Should probably make sure these new fish stay alive for at least a month first.  Anyways, the tank looks good and the fish all seem quite happy.  Thanks Mom and Dad!  ;)

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   I finished the wall art this weekend!!  I went over all the colors with appropriate colors of the Silks acrylic glazes and I love it!  The colors really popped!  

They came alive...

...deep and rich...

...with a bit of shimmer.

I added some gold highlights, too, with a palette knife.

For once, something came out more like I had in my head!  I wanted just abstract bright colors like this. Yes, reminds me of tie-dye.  ;)  But that is just what I wanted. 

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I got it in the frame yesterday and set it down while I went to get the hammer and a nail.  Karma went nuts over it!

Pawing...

...smelling...

...and rubbing...

...while she purred and purred and tried to scooch up even closer to it.

I actually remembered to take a short video!

She literally didn't want to leave it...

...pressed her face up against it...

...and fell asleep.

But later, after Karma finally left, I put it up on the wall in the kitchen where it used to be in its former life as a clock.  ;)

I am really sooo happy with it!  There's a dozen colors of Silks on this.  May not be anyone else's cuppa tea, but I am grinning from ear to ear every time I lay eyes on it.  Talk about changing from my old victorian decor, eh?  I plan to gradually add some bold and colorful accents around here.  This is the first step.  

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Tonight, Karma and I have some presents from Tori in England to open.  We were always a Christmas Eve night present opening family.  How did you do things in your family?  Any special traditions for the holidays?  Whatever your plans--enjoy!  Let everybody know you love them!  Merry Christmas from me and Miss Karma!  :):)

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"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store."

Dr. Seuss