A Cottage by the Sea

A fellow blogger recently talked about cottages and it got me day dreaming about the weather-worn cottages I see on the Oregon coast. Oh how I miss the ocean! I've always wanted to go in the winter, when the storms hit. I want to hunker down under a cozy blanket, with a cup of coffee and watch the waves. Maybe someday I'll be able to own something like this:

I have always loved the grey and white homes I find by the sea...

 

And I'd love a view like this! The rolling waves, the roar of the water and wind. What a magical place this is!

And the woods still stay so green! I would love to stroll down this trail!

Time to Organize!

Oh my has my life been busy lately! Running around and leaving very little time for maintaining my home. It's time for me to slow down and go tend to my nest! I need to do some major organizing in the next few weeks.

Project 1: Jewelry collection! After all the events and parties of the holiday season, my jewelry collection is tangled into one ball. Necklaces are laced through earrings, rings are lost all together in the jumble. Time to separate them all, and put them back in their places so I can find exactly what I need when the mood strikes!

Project 2: Laundry room! Oh what a disaster this has become! Time to organize all the comforters (thank you Space Bags!) and clothes. It'll feel so good to go into the basement and have this place all cleaned up. Just gotta watch out for the spiders while I straighten!

Project 3: Holiday decor! There's an area of my basement specifically for holding all of my holiday stuff. Well, in the hurry of the last season, the boxes and bags have slowly crept further and further out of their designated area. I now have a Christmas tree mingling with the Easter bunnies, a Halloween ghost sharing space with the Pilgrims...time to organize, stack neatly, and breathe a sigh of relief at how easy it'll be to decorate for the next holiday in February.

Hopefully getting these items done will give me some mental relief! Nothing feels better than getting your ducks in a row. Wish me luck!

Happy 2013!

All the necessary equipment for skiing in the new year!

This year, the sister and I decided to ring in the new year in the mountains. Skiing has proven to be one of our favorite ways to celebrate New Years Eve--and most resorts have events that night too. We were treated to night skiing and then a fireworks show!

Before we even made it to the ski hill, we stopped off in Glacier to run an errand. We ended up wandering around the snow, sipping champagne and taking pictures. This park is gorgeous in the winter! Then we headed up to Whitefish.

After an evening of night skiing, we were treated to a torch light parade on the mountain and glorious fireworks. We headed back to the hotel late for more champagne and to watch the ball drop. What a simple celebration this year! Just me, my sister, and the mountains. Perfect!

Fireworks on the mountain! To the far right you can see part of the torch light parade.

Not sure if this guy was associated with the ski hill, but he was fun!

Frozen waterfalls by the highway that someone dyed

 

Sister at the Apgar dock on Lake McDonald

All the hill employees (and other skiers) liked our New Years flair on our helmets!

A Snowy Morn

Montana finally has snow. It was a long time coming! It started to drift down on Friday and I couldn't be more excited. Though I'm out on the highway today for work, and it'll slow me down, I'm still excited for all the beautiful vistas I'll get to see. Snow makes everything different and wonderful.

Waiting for my bus this morning under a lovely sky.

Lots of snow! But warm in  my red coat. :)

New Cat!

Yep, this weekend my sister and I welcomed a new fuzzy friend into our lives. Meet Petzl! After looking at many cats in the local shelters my sister fell in love with this little tortoise shell. She's 2 years old and spunky. So much fun already! We've begun the slow process of introducing her to my cat who already lives here. Hopefully they'll become fast friends!

Sister plays with Petzl before we fill out paperwork at the Humane Society

I'm hoping my little snow queen will be good friends with her new 'sister!'

Might ask why the name Petzl? Well our little fuzzball loves to climb and leap. Reminded me of this company: PETZL, who's motto is "for the vertical world." She's definitely our cat for the vertical world!

Felt really good leaving the Humane Society with everyone smiling and saying "congratulations!" I loved carrying that little cardboard box out the front door knowing that this sweet little kitty had found her forever home.

A Beloved Collection! Magic Attic

When I was a little girl I fell in love with Magic Attic Club dolls. My best friend and I would pour over the pages of that catalog and count up our change and allowance to see what we could buy. Truth is, they weren't cheap, and we didn't get very far. That's one reason that it was a really big deal when one year I unwrapped an Alison doll on Christmas morning. Oh the joy! My parents had actually bought one. I loved that doll and took care of her like the treasure she was.

The one in blue was Alison, my fave

And then I grew up. I put her in a box for safe-keeping. Stashed her in my parent's attic, moved out, and moved on.

Until recently.

I'm not sure why it got back in my head. Why those days of being a little girl suddenly were so interesting again. Maybe it's because that same old best friend is back in my life and these dolls were a big part of who we were and how we bonded. Either way, all I can think of now is Magic Attic.

Each outfit came from a new story.

These Christmas dresses were favorites from 1995. I just couldn't decide which one I wanted more

 Thank God for Ebay!

Though not as common as American Girl, Magic Attic items pop up often enough and I giggle every time something knew is posted. Every dress and accessory that gets listed reminds me of the pages of those catalogs and all the dreaming that went with them. And now that my "allowance" is a little bigger (sure nice to have a paycheck!) I can actually start buying the outfits I never got.

I recently went up to the parent's attic and searched through the boxes. There, dressed in her tight-rope walking circus outfit (an all time favorite) I found my doll. She now sits in the living room in my new place and makes me smile. Getting those little outfits in the mail make me grin and feel like a kid again. That same excitement and anticipation is there. I feel like I'm 10 again. And it's wonderful. :)

In her latest attire from Ebay. :)

Halloween 2012!

What an amazing holiday! A treat every year! My sister and I went up to a saloon outside of town for our first Halloween festivities on the 27th. We went as the brother duo Thor and Loki. The cowboy crowd that was the majority up there weren't sure who my costume was, but they liked it anyway. They just figured I was an elk with my gold horns and seemed OK with that. Oh well! Had a great time and met some very cool new friends. We drank fancy spirits, two-stepped to a live band and warmed up by a huge bonfire. We were clever enough to rent the last available cabin so we didn't have far to stumble that night before falling into a deep Midgardian slumber. :)

God of Mischief, Loki!

Thor harnessing the power of lightening!

My amazing glowing staff my Dad built me!

For the actual Wednesday of Halloween, I enjoyed surprising coworkers with cute packages of candy and made a lot of folks smile with my cat ears on my head. Employee kiddos were allowed to come through the building and trick or treat so I had a black cauldron of goodies waiting. Set up the house later to be warm and welcoming with orange lights and lots of candles and the costumed wee ones started knocking on the door around 7:30. It was an unusual year here because it was so warm! Temps in the 60s! Normally it snows! The kids were lucky this year! After the last tired goblins went home, my sister and I put on the make-up, did our hair, and donned our Godly-costumes once more. People watching downtown was a blast with so many creative costumes this year! I love seeing what folks come up with! It was a splendid night spent with splendid people! And now, it's time to take down the jack-o-lanterns and put up the Thanksgiving wreath. Already itching for the next holiday! :)

I loved capturing Thor doing normal human things :)

Pumpkins at my parents' house. We visit every year!