Merry Christmas to All!

I am taking time off over the holiday weekend.  My eBay store is closed, but will re-open on 12-26-16. 

Until then, I wish you all the happiest of holidays.  I am looking forward to a very happy and peaceful few days, doing things I enjoy, being with loved ones I enjoy, and celebrating the holiday free of drama -- what a blessing!

Photos of My Christmas Wreath

I completed my Christmas wreath just a while ago.  

All the materials I used came from one of my favorite stores, the glorious Dollar Tree, with the exception of the ribbon used to hang it.  I had some ribbon from the Dollar Tree, but it was too wide to look good, so I had to improvise on that, using items I had in my ribbon drawer.

I chose the colors of silver and red mostly because by the time I went to pick up the items (and I went in November), the Christmas decor items were pretty well picked over.  

The really fun part of making this was taking some of the items apart and fashioning them to work in ways I needed.  Also, rather than using a wreath form as the base, I just used a Dollar Tree 15-foot garland and left it rolled up, using floral wire in a couple of places to keep it from unrolling.  I don't like using forms, so this was a good alternative for me.

Anyway, here are a couple of photos.  I did not take photos of it hanging on my door because the lighting is so dim in our hallway where I live, and it is so hard to get a good photo.  So you all are seeing it when it was still on my art desk.

Store is Closed for Christmas and Tasty Tuesday Recipe

Christmas Week is Underway

Since it is too late now to reliably expect packages to arrive at their destinations in time for Christmas, and sales are winding down as people prepare for the holidays, I have closed my eBay store until December 27.  I have a lot to get done around my home, and I have been putting off making my Christmas wreath for my front door, so I want to get that done -- will share photos here when it is complete.  My goal is to handle that tomorrow.  Today is devoted to catching up on laundry.  Thursday I need to put together 2 IKEA carts to use for storage in my studio.  They will both have wheels, so they will offer lots of flexibility on placement as needs change.

For Tasty Tuesday, I have a recipe for an easy main dish meal using chicken:  

Chicken Paprika

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken parts

2 Tablespoons cooking oil or shortening

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (try to use juice from an actual lemon rather than bottled lemon juice)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

1)  In skillet, brown chicken in shortening or cooking oil.  Pour off fat.

2)  Stir in remaining ingredients.  

3)  Cover, and cook over low heat until done (roughly 45 minutes).  Make sure to stir occasionally.

4)  Serve over hot cooked noodles or rice.

Optional add-in items (add in when the soup is added):

* 1 cup frozen peas that have been thawed with hot water and drained.

* 1 small can of mushroom pieces and stems.

You can make this as a very basic recipe, or you can add the additional items suggested, or come up with some of your own add-ins.  It's a simple meal, cooked in one pan, and good protein when the family has a lot going on during the holiday preparations.

I hope to be back tomorrow with some photos of my wreath -- I am making it exclusively with items I found at Dollar Tree (one of my favorite places).