We’re enjoying a quiet new year’s eve celebration at home this year. San Jose is experiencing heavy winds and below average temperatures, so it will be good to stay in. The winds pulled our Snowman inflatable out of the ground along with the air-pump, stakes and electrical cord. It all went tumbling into the neighbor’s yard. I haven’t heard the wind howl like this in years.
The pretend skating pond in the fairy garden could be the real thing as our temperatures drop to freezing. I can’t complain too loudly as our neighbors to the north have it worse.
Fairy Garden Ice Skating Rink
Fairy Garden Aerial View
Happy New Year
Christmas Selfie
We receive an amazing number of cards from around the globe this time of year. The novelty of turning the cards into an eclectic dress on my dressmaker’s selfie has been a lot of fun. I’ll definitely do it again next year. I promised to share another picture when the dress was ‘done.’ What do you think?
All dressed up with Christmas cards
I ran out of tiny clothespins so I had to improvise towards the end. Just an excuse to go back to the craft store for more.
How do you plan to see in the new year? Or perhaps you’re reading this an it’s already new year’s day.
Wishing you joyful tidings and wonderful connections in the year ahead. Thanks for being here.
Me, Myself and I
Gardening Nirvana 
Love the dress. Fabulous!
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Thank you, Lizzy. It’s the easiest dress I’ve never sewn. Happy new year.
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Both the fairy garden and the dress are so creative Alys -and you look so beautiful and warm and happy – it quite warms the heart! Now if only you had centred your head on the model and placed your arms just so – we might all have been in for some fun… what is she saying, where is she going, what is she doing ……. Hours of entertainment 🙂 Happy New Year to the entire family, hubby, boys, kitties and all! xoxo
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Pauline, you are full of wonderful ideas. I must go back now, fetch the camera (with the newly charged battery) and ask Mike to take a few shots.
Is it really 2015 over there? How’s it going so far.
Thanks for all your wonderful wishes.
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What a great idea, Pauline! Alys, please do have Mike take some shots and share them. Can’t wait to see them – but no pressure 🙂
Your selfie’s dress is wonderful with all of those cards, and you … you have such a fresh faced beauty, Alys.
Happy New Year! 2015 promises to be exciting for all of us!
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Hello from 2015. It’s all good, so far. Your Christmas card dress could take its place at our WOW festival http://worldofwearableart.com/news/
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What a fun festival! Thanks so much for sharing the link. I could get lost on that site looking at all the fab art.
I’m glad to hear 2015 is all good so far. It’s 11:30 pm here. Lots of loud fireworks going off. I’m ready for my glass of champagne and my pillow. 🙂
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Cheers! I didn’t get any champagne to sip but my pillow was wonderful once I got to it at 3am. Had to stay up a bit longer to talk to the family in Australia who are 3 hours behind us, time wise.
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You must be exhausted. The older I get, the more I love my pillow. 🙂
Sleep well tonight.
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I will!
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Happy New Year Alys! Love the fairy garden with its wintery pond. 🙂 We spent the evening at home too, and interrupted an old DVD episode of Downton Abbey to raise our glasses to the new year! We heard quite a few fireworks, although not as many as some years, but with doggies it’s best to be home together and safe!
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Happy New Year, Cathy! I’m glad you were home with your dogs. The fireworks seem to get worse every year. I’m not a fan. We have one deaf cat who sails through the evening, but the other two usually hide under a bed.
I love Downton Abbey. Season Five just premiered here in the States last night. I’m never disappointed, except that it ends and I have to wait another week for the next installment. 🙂
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Alys, your comment above has to be my new motto for the New Year: “The older I get, the more I love my pillow!” Love it, and how true that phrase really is. I absolutely love that Christmas card dress, it is so awesome! I bet everyone who saw it said that you are so creative! We always stay at home for New Years and keep the dogs company. For the past few years we fall asleep before the ball actually drops – – does that mean I’m getting old? And love my pillow too much? LOL
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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I’m glad you liked the dress. I’ve had a l lot of fun with it and will be sorry to take it down. We’re still receiving cards (I got two today) so she’ll stay put awhile longer.
Here’s to a year of good sleep!
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I love my pillow!
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I love your card “dress”. Happy new year. I was in bed by 10. Hey…I celebrate Iowa time!
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That works! Happy New Year, Sharon.
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Happy New Year! I agree being home on New Year’s Eve is the thing to do. My kids have commented on how how I wouldn’t allow them go out when they were younger and now that they are older and have their own homes and families, they want to stay home too! Is there something in there about older but wiser? 😊
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Oh yes, older and wiser for sure. When I was younger, I had this sense that I was missing out on the fun. Now I make my own fun!
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Me too! It seems to only get better! !
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Look at your bright shining face in the gentle California sun. Great photo Alys! I think you look like a teenager, happiness exudes from you xo
This was a cute idea that I’m pinning to my Christmas board. If I should get lucky enough to find a vintage Sewing model, I hope you won’t mind that I use your idea too. I’m officially on the hunt for one!
Sorry to hear you’re ringing in the New Year with such chilly weather. I imagined you all enjoying breakfast on the garden patio. I can totally see how the weather is unexpected, I would never think of California with snow. Yet we saw it on the news last night.
I had a Cappuccino after dinner then was up till 4am. So I slept in and now feeling sleepy again. What a lazy day. in fact J’s sleeping and so are the cats. LOL not exactly a rip roaring start to the year but it’s quiet and comfortable, just the way I like it. Happy New Year Alys xoxoxo fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be a riot!
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My seat belt is fastened and I’m ready to go.
I love that you are having a lazy, PJs day at home. Good for you. I spent the morning completing the last of my *boring* tasks, so I could finish the day with a clean inbox and a smile on my face. Done! I made a run to Petco for the usual supplies, then took a walk with Mike to the post office and Starbucks for a hot beverage and a bit of sun on our faces.
I love the idea of you pinning any of my ideas. It’s a compliment. I think that if I had a craft room I might collect a few vintage dress forms myself, but in different sizes (like the ones for jewelry for instance). They must be a hot commodity, as I don’t see them anywhere or if I do they aren’t for sale. Do you see them in Canada?
Sending hugs for the start of your new year.
xox
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Awww you are so good to me. Thank you. I’m a girl at heart, but good lighting sure helps hide the lines, doesn’t it?. 😉
Thank you for pinning this idea. I haven’t used Pinterest for awhile, so when I went on there yesterday I was completely lost. It’s easy enough to pin from something already pinned, but I couldn’t find my connections or boards for my friends. I’m not sure why, but when I have more time, I’m going to check out a couple of YouTube tutorials.
We have a warming trend this week, though today’s temps didn’t pan out as suggested. That said, we are nowhere close to the frigid temperatures your are living through. You must have to completely cover your face and hands before you even take out your trash. Brutal!
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Lines? What lines? HA! Honestly, we’d be fooling ourselves to think we had none but all those Hollywood types get primo lighting and professional makeup before stepping in front of any camera too. I dare them to do an interview in a change room. That’s got to be *the* worst lighting there is. I won’t even open the three way mirror, it’s too much!
I’ve eased up some on Pinterest too and only surf there when I’m looking for something specific. It’s so easy
to spend 2 or more hours before you know it. What a good idea it was by who ever designed it.
Funny you mention bundling up to take out the trash. Yesterday, a fellow was out with some kids collecting empties for a school. I said I’d meet him in the lane and just ran out without gloves or a hat and jacket undone. Was that a mistake. My fingers darn near fell off in just 5 minutes. We really got spoilt before Christmas with some mild weather. I actually bought a pair of warm boots today for my shopping and errand days. Fashion boots are not warm enough. I’ve resisted, but I had to ‘get real’ as Dr Phil might suggest. LOL. xoxo
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You don’t see the vintage ones often and if you come across one, they’re onto you. They know they’re coveted and want a royal ransom for them. But I’m patient. One will pop up when I least expect it 😀 and I’ll swoop in, ha! The search is half the fun really, do you think? I got offered a shift at Urban tomorrow, so that’ll be fun. It’s to snow in a big way here tonight which seems odd because last night was super mild. But that’s how it goes here, so batten down the hatches. Your afternoon sounded perfect, a walk and Starbucks! Did you hold hands? I can just picture you smittened kittens, hehe. Ta ta xo k
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Well silly me, I’ve commented twice to your comment. My brain is in slow mo after the winter break. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) Ha!
Patience is definitely in order, and agreed, the hunt for the perfect thing is half the fun.
As for Starbucks, we did hold hands. You’re so cute to ask.
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Your dress form looks even prettier with all those cards on it. Gives it a grand artistic look like fancy fabric. I must say I like the long hair and that fresh faced smile. That is a stunning photo of you. It was what I noticed first. Oh, to be young again. 🙂 Yes, the cold snap was a real drag but it does happen. Maybe it saves lives by keeping so many more people at home on NYE. I figured it was 2015 somewhere and nodded off. My heat pump is coming on every 10 minutes, running 15 and then it gets a 10 min break. I’m ready for warm rain. Happy New Year Alys.
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Thank you Marlene. You always make me feel like a million bucks. I’m delighted with the way the Christmas card dress turned out. I’ll be a little sad to undo it, but plan a repeat next year. This is my new tradition, and a decidedly feminine one in a household with three men.
I wore my hair short for years, fearing I would be looked on as one of those women that thinks she’s still young be wearing her hair long. A number of friends encouraged me to grow it longer and I noticed how many friends I have in their fifties and sixties that look terrific with longer hair, so I went for it. I’m 55 going on 16. Ha!
I agree with your New Year’s Eve assessment: fewer drivers on the road is not a bad thing.
We had a last minute invitation to attend a party a few blocks away, but I stuck to my guns and stayed home in comfy clothes and got a few things done. It really suited me this year.
Warm rain sounds perfect to me too. It’s so dry here right now, cold with very little humidity.
It’s such a pleasure to read your words, Marlene. I’m delighted to be connected.
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Thank you Alys. There are more and more women going long. You have the face and structure for it. It’s perfect. Each year the dress will look different with different cards. 🙂 How fun is that! My daughter wouldn’t stay the night so I insisted she stay home. It’s dry here too. Bring on the rain.
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You are kind to say. Thank you, MH!
Yes, a different dress each year. It will be something fun to look forward to.
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Marlene, you are ever charming and gracious. Thanks for that lovely compliment. I like the variety that comes with longer hair, but had forgotten over the summer how hot it could be on your neck. It was pulled up and back most of the time. Now I’m enjoying the warmer neck during these cooler days. At 55 I don’t feel so young, but I guess everything is relative. I remember my mom telling me about a younger man at the bus stop. When I asked how old he was she said, ‘probably mid-sixties’. She was approaching 80 herself at that point, so yes, a younger man.
Happy New Year!
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It’s been way too long since I’ve had the chance to visit your gorgeous fairy garden and beautiful creative ways. Just look at it all – so lovely! The card dress is inspired and the skating rink a welcome sight on this boiling hot day of camping! We are just about to head to the beach for some relief. I am slowly working my way back through everyone’s recent posts as I have missed catching up so much. Huge hugs to your kitties and a Happy New Year to your gorgeous family. xoxoxoxox
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Dani, aren’t you the sweetest. It is so nice to see your crocheted bloom avatar and to know you’ve stopped by. (Isn’t it fun how we can now identify so many of our friends with just a little circle or square?) That tickles me to no end.
I’m not a fan of boiling hot days myself, so I fully empathize. It’s always easier to bundle up. It’s much harder escaping the heat. I hope you’re having a nice time away from the day to day bustle. Thanks for your well wishes. All the same to you. xoxoxoxox
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Oh MY look at you! This is the most clever use of a dress form and Christmas cards I have ever seen. Fabulous. I really need to get me a form for sewing my own clothes since my form ain’t the norm. haha
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LOL! We can all say that our “form ain’t the norm”. I’ve wanted one of these for years, and finally took the plunge last year. I found it online for just over $100 with no tax and free shipping. You dial in our measurements and away you go. I used it to drape my Halloween costume last fall. Love it!
I’m glad you like the Christmas card idea.
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We had a very quiet New Year’s Eve too. Never really got caught up in the hype.
I love what you did with your Christmas cards! Will you do that every year?
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Thank you, Janet.
It was great fun dressing up my mannequin with cards this year. I expect this to be a new tradition. I really enjoyed it.
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