My Rubber Therapy Blog

Merry Christmas everyone

Hi Festive friendsI wish you all a Merry Christmas. Stay well, don't eat too much, and if bored come and visit my blog who knows I may add a few photos during the Holidays. I hope this sends, more problems with my blog. But will fix it soon. Nikky (Hugs)

Giving you a sneak peek at my craft studio.

Hi Friends

Well, I will start with a great big thank you for all the lovely comments you have left on the last blog which was the first in almost a month's time.  My news today are that, my room is so close from being finished.  Well, it is hard for me to say finished since a craft studio is always work in progress.  But with what I have here it is close to being done.  It is the sorting and putting all of it together so it is easily found when needed that I really spend time doing.  Not that you will see that part of it but, I want to feel it is done when I say it is done.  I hope I am making sense LOL.  If not, sorry if I am confusing you LOL

So here is a picture of the hallway entrance of my play room before and after.

This is my craft studio before we bought the house.  Notice the dark walls making the room look so much smaller.  This took two coats of paint with primer to hide this red color.  They used it as a gym.  Me I use it as my Studio hee hee

My craft Studio entrance.  You see from the hallway leading to my fun room.  The curtain is temporary.  There are 5 steps and immediately to the left there is a BIG closet for storage.  Renovation of closet (soon, says hubby).  Then you see a small chest one of the purchases from China and a table behind it and a shelving unit.  Tons of stamps on the small table under the window.  It is snowing today so you may see snow if you click on this picture to view it full size.

 

That's all we got from our storm, it warmed up too much to give more snow so we had rain most of the day. 

This is a picture I took just now to show you the snow falling, but now it is falling in huge snowflakes and accumulating rather quickly.  Hey, tonight when I am supposed to take pictures of our decorations it will have snow around it so it will be sensational.  Thanks mother nature.

My other news is that we finally finished putting all the Christmas lights outside around the front of the house.  It took us the best part of the day but the good news is, we were just wearing sweaters and me with my slippers on all day and I never was cold.  We had a gas leak to start the day but, it was attended very quickly a few minutes after we called the Gas company they were here shutting down everything and checking all the lines making sure there was no other leak on the premises.  So that is fixed and I feel more secure now.  Thanks to hubby finding this leak so we don't end up paying more than we have to as well.

Have a fantastic week and for those who will not be back to see my blog until the Holidays are over.  May you all have a beautiful Christmas and a very healthy New Year 2012.  Don't forget to come back though hee hee.

Big warm hugs

Knock, knock who's there?

Hi Friends

Long time no blogging!  Just know I have missed all of you and some of you were anxious to see what was going on so you have written to me and I was happy to reply.  Thank you!  Waving at all of you, hello!

Well, I am back!  This journey has been to say the least a very busy one.  We moved back from China to the USA Yippee.  Mid-October we were here and I could not erase that smirk off my face for about a month. LOL

The mental list I had made of all the things I had to have in the first week was so unrealistic.  You miss the food you are used to, some favorite restaurants and so on.  I am sure you can imagine pulling yourself from having all the favorite things you are accustomed to, you would go for withdrawals like we have done while away.  It is of human nature to crave what we can't have and that we had our fair share until China started to open Import stores.  All of us Expats were so on top of the world because we could get our favorite cereals or yogourts, etc... Overall, everything I had been craving, turned out to not be favorites anymore.  Our taste buds had changed enough to not really care for cheeses or better yet, food without veggies in it was a real turn off to us.

So being back, we had to look for a new place to stay and we wanted a house.  To settle in LOL.  So we looked and looked in the first 2 weeks, dozens of homes.  But we found one that was calling our name even in our sleep.  So we had to bid and after the second offer they agreed to our price.  Then the clock began ticking into the next 3 weeks we would be confined to a small Kitchenette style Hotel which is driving anyone crazy after a week long stay.  Once you know you have a home you love dearly, all you think is to decorate it before you are even in it. LOL Women, we think practical, we want it all organized before the furniture is in.  At least I was feeling that way antsy to get things under way.

So close to the end of October we were able to get our keys to the house and call the movers to get us started.  We had so many appointments that same day you wouldn't believe it.  We were supposed to spread out the movers as we had three separate loads to receive, a fridge and Cable to be installed.  But it turned out since the first load was not including any furniture, we had to call and get them to find one of the loads to deliver that day if possible. 

To make a long story short, they found the load and scheduled to have it delivered 2 hours later hoping that the first load was going to be off loaded so the other truck could park and unload too.  hee hee  A few minutes after we got the confirmation that the second load was coming right after lunchtime, we received another phone call, this one was to tell us that our China shipment had been released and they were waiting to deliver to us that day .....WHAT? we were both shocked that all of what we had been wanting was coming in on the same day, making me go crazy we had 1 load in, and 2 coming in at the same time.  So I was going crazy showing all the guys where to go with everything while hubby was checking off the list outside.  It was pure madness.  Best way to meet neighbors LOL all that attention and all on the same day hee hee

Well, I fed the group some lunch I made it easy and ordered some Pizza for everyone.  All were so thankful so they could get right back to work and the first movers stayed to help the other load coming in so it was going even faster, but there was still of little me running to catch all the boxes coming in and direct them to the right room.  In the end, a lot of boxes never made it to the right place.  :( 

Once all was done and that my living room was filled with leaves we also had a mini sand storm in the process of this whole day my house was filthy.  So I got on the unpacking mode immediately as soon as we said thank you and shut the door behind them.  We were on a roll.  We decided to start a few boxes out of the 200+ boxes we had in all corners of the house.  We still had some pizza left over so we sat and ate and we got going for 2 weeks every single day I was at it.  I was determined to see the last box as soon as possible so I could feel at home without the mess.

We were without the internet for about 5 days but I didn't miss it since I could not sit and write anyway.  Then I had to paint my studio it was really dark in here (red wine) for an inspiring room is not what gets me creative so now that this is also done (painting) I am still sorting my craft goodies.  I had a fit when I realized that all my punches had been thrown in a few boxes without a care in the world which is not recommended if you want your fancy punches to stay aligned and cut as it should.  So all of it is put back in the drawers where they once sat and I am happy.  So I am still sorting out on a smaller level now that all the other rooms are looking great for the time being until we pick another room to renovate and make it ours.

Well, my friends, this has been a very short version of the things we have been doing all this time.  In all the years I have had my blog almost 5 years wow.  This was the first time even while I am on the move that I had to stay away as I was too busy to post anything let alone answer all of my emails every day it was nearly impossible to do.

Last Monday we woke up to 6 inches of snow.  It was shocking but it was also very pretty.  It looked like cotton balls had landed on our property over night.  I hurried to take a few shots of it before it would look like old snow hee hee.  So here are some of the pictures for you to enjoy.

 

This is the front entrance through the heavy antique doors, entering the front garden area

This is the front garden fountain area

  This is the back yard view of the fountain where the birds are still enjoying a cold bath around noon every day.

This is the pool area which looks like a creek right now.  It was such a pleasant sight gettin up to all white.  It allowed us to continue working some more in the house since hubby could stay at home because the roads were not safe to drive on.

 

I will not write every day yet as I am still really trying hard to finish my studio this week.  So if I concentrate on one thing I will get it finished faster.  Being so close to Christmas like this, you will understand that this year also I will not be able to send Christmas cards yet.  But coming next Christmas I will have a list built up and a card section ready to send to all of my friends that have sent me cards in the passed 3 years including this year.  Just know that all the cards  have received so far are fabulous and are already being showcased in my home so each time I see them I smile and feel like somewhere out there I am making someone smile too.

Oh it is so good to be back.  Thank you for the wonderful comments left while I was away.  I hope you can pass the message around that Nikky is slowly resurfacing LOL.  I am so happy to come back and soon I will have a few cards to share with you.  I hope I haven't lost my mojo, I haven't even checked any of the blogs I follow in months, so I will have to be creative and come up with some fun stuff.  I am starting with Valentine's Day cards since I am way too late for Christmas cards.

Keep an eye open I will pop back in a few times this week.  I will start showing little teasers of my studio soon.  I hope you are all well and happy.  Please leave some comments, how you are and what's the weather like in your respective areas.

Talk to you soon, make it a fun day!