New Day, New Year

Here we are, already 9 days into the new year! Can we believe it? Will January go fast??? Yes! I must admit, it's always kind of a letdown after Christmas, following all of the hustle and bustle, and after the final NEW YEAR'S EVE excitement. Although I really don't do anything 'exciting' for New Year's Eve, it's the anticipation leading up to midnight that gets me every time. And then, New Year's Day, I kind of crash land! Is it like that with you?

So....... the first few days of 2026 have been a little "down" for me. I don't seem to have much motivation for anything. I think I used up ALL of my motivation the last couple of months of 2025!

Looking forward to Valentine's Day crafting.

My decorations are still up. I put them up so late (December 24th), I'm going to keep them out awhile, as I so enjoy the pops of red, plaids, and lights at night. I wait until dusk to turn on my tree lights... it's always something to look forward to. 

My Maddie kitty has a new friend - she loves sleeping with him!

My Daphne is blooming!

A surprise for me is that my Daphne shrub, that I planted the summer of 2024, is blooming again! I thought they only bloomed in the early Spring! But no... it's been full of flowers since early December! Before my son and Terra came over on Christmas Day, I picked a bunch and put two flowers in little glasses, all over the house!  Such sweet fragrance.

One day right after the 1st of January, I decided to start making my Christmas cards for next year! I got about 12 cut out and ready to paste and decorate, but that's about as far as I got. They still sit in a pile on my dining table. They're from some gorgeous new Christmas papers (Christmas, from Carta Bella Designs) I received as a gift from my sister. I just HAD to work with them now, and not wait another year. I'm happy to say I DID get my dining table all cleaned off and most of my Christmas papers and epehemera, ribbons, cutouts, etc. put away to free up my space for more seasonal crafting.

Made a special card for my nephew's 40th birthday.

Of course, had my cup of tea - tried out the new honey sticks I received from my sister for Christmas.

I'm enjoying walks around the mobile home park where I live. There is a stand of very very old giant Cedars that greet me every time I walk down the path. They are so stately. I can imagine when someone planted them as seedlings, so many years ago. So far (knock on wood) the high winds  haven't knocked any down!

It's time to get back to "work" on my two part-time jobs! One.... photographing and listing jewelry in my daughter-in-law's Etsy shop, Terra Stones Astoria. 

Her jewelry is exquisite! Her Etsy shop is having a 10% off sale this month, on total purchases of $100.00 or more. I think her brick and mortar store in Astoria is having an even bigger sale! 

And I need to be entering new digital items in my own Etsy shop, Rocking Horse PrintsUS. Time for making new Valentine's Cards and St. Patrick's Day cards and all the fun stuff! Here are a couple of cards I already have in my shop, ready to cut and print.

 

The work never ends it seems.................

Hope everyone is recovering from the holidays, and safe and well and healthy.

Marilyn

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