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You are here: Home / Archives for Claudia

A Blue Christmas

December 23, 2012 at 9:08 am by Claudia

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Yesterday was raw and windy and the cold seemed to penetrate my bones and heart. All day long, relentless wind, which always leaves me feeling edgy and restless. I watched old episodes of The Big Valley and The Rifleman, which I found strangely comforting.

I’m feeling blue. As the day draws nearer, the realization that Don and I are going to be apart on Christmas has finally hit me. Our Christmases are never elaborate, always simple. We are used to being away from our families on the holidays. My family is spread out all over the country. Don’s is out in California. And, though I missed them all terribly, I knew that I had our Christmas to look forward to. Our little nuclear family.

This year, everything is different. There is a place right in front of me where Riley should be resting. He isn’t here this Christmas. He should be. I miss him so very, very much.

We made this choice, Don and I, because the job opportunity was such a good and rewarding one. And I’ve stayed positive the whole time, becoming the cheerleader I never was in real life, saying ‘yes! you have to do this,’ downplaying the Christmas part of the whole thing. But it’s caught up with me. And I’m blue.

That’s where I am on a Sunday morning.

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Filed Under: Christmas, Don, Riley 108 Comments

A Favorite Thing #17 – Holiday Edition

December 21, 2012 at 8:00 pm by Claudia

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Ho! Ho! Ho! Welcome to A Favorite Thing – the Holiday Edition. I’m so glad you’re here and ready to share your favorite Holiday Thing with us. I know you are likely very busy at this time – just a few days before Christmas – so take some time over the next few days to visit everyone. And I do thank you for finding a bit of time to join in this week.

Let’s look at some highlights from last week.

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A Happy Gram shared her beautiful vintage church with us. Oh my. I remember these from my childhood and I must admit a wee bit of jealousy. It’s not becoming, I know, but look at this beauty! Gorgeous.

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Second Time Around Finds shared her Pink Pyrex with us. Sigh. I want to start a Pyrex collection and of course you know I would love some pink pyrex. These are beauties!

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Julie’s Little House shared the gorgeous decorations in her dining room. Lots of silver and purple, which I think is strikingly beautiful! Great job, Julie!

My favorite things for this Holiday edition have been mentioned before on this blog. Hint: Bottlebrush.

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Normally, these ornaments, and there about 10 of them, hang on our real tree. They are quite large and are always a striking addition to the smaller ornaments on the tree. This year, I have only a small white tree so I hung 3 of them on the chimney. These have to be my favorite Christmas ornaments. I just love them.

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I have to add these bottlebrush wreaths to the Favorites list. I got them at Big Lots a few years ago. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

Okay. Now it’s your turn! Share your favorites with us!

You can link up anytime from this evening through Sunday. Make sure you enter the URL of your post. If you’re unsure how to do that, just click on your post title after you’ve published it and copy the information in your browser address window. Come back here, paste the URL into your link entry and there you go! If you have any problems, drop me an email and I’ll help you out. Please link back to this blog on your post. That way, those that read your post and are interested in reading more can do so.

One of my concerns about link parties is that the very reason for them has somewhat gone by the wayside. They’ve become so big and there are so many of them that many bloggers don’t take the time to visit any of the other participants. Link parties are a way to meet new bloggers and share with each other and the only way to do that is to visit each other. So, please, take some time to visit everyone over the next few days. No rush. Stop by, introduce yourself, and leave a comment. It’s the neighborly thing to do. It’s also nice if you leave a comment here, as well.

We’re taking the week between Christmas and New Year’s off. A Favorite Thing will be back during the first week of January. I wish you all the Merriest and Most Joyful of Christmases.

Have fun!

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Filed Under: A favorite thing 28 Comments

Camera Love & Flannel Pajamas

December 21, 2012 at 8:00 am by Claudia

It’s amazing what a good camera can do. Let me stop and say that my other camera is very good indeed and has served me well. I plan to keep it around here because I’m rather fond of it. However, this new camera is…well, it is several steps up and, goodness, I am in love.

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Oh, that bokeh. I’m sure glad it’s Christmas time, if only for the Christmas tree lights! It’s a perfect time to experiment.

And here comes Scout, wondering why the heck I’m taking her picture yet again.

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If looks could kill.

Scout is always highly photogenic, but I’m loving the detail in these photos. And the bokeh. And the light shining through her pink ears.

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Pretty dried hydrangeas. Ah, camera, you make me very happy.

In other news, my squirrel flannel pajamas are showing signs of wear and tear. A tear in the back, worn fabric near the pockets and, ahem, a rip in the crotch…so I had to buy a new pair.

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I got these at Target. Nick and Nora – my favorite brand of PJs. I love the color and the little birds on wintry branches. After I came home with them and wore them a few days, Don said he missed my squirrel pajamas (probably because he gave them to me.) He sounded so forlorn that I wore them every night until he left for San Diego. Sort of sweet, don’t you think?

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Fellow flannel pajamas lovers, I plan on having some sort of bloggie get together in January or February. On a date I will set later, each of us will link up with a photo of ourselves wearing our flannel pajamas or with a photo of the pajamas themselves. They can be simple or funny or anything you like. We’ll call it Flannel Pajamas Day. What do you think of that idea? Hey, don’t worry. I’ll have a big old picture of me in my pajamas. I promise.

I’ll be back tonight at 8:00 est for A Favorite Thing – Holiday Edition.

A reminder about the great holiday deal going on at the Frédéric Fekkai Website – valid on all items. With a minimum $50 purchase, you will receive 10% off your order and a complimentary exclusive holiday headband. You can read more about the products in my post here. And be sure to visit the website to explore.

Happy Friday.

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Filed Under: camera, life, pajamas, Scout 68 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

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