Snow Day 2012!

We received about 12 inches of snow overnight, and still snowing and blowing this morning, so I took a snow day and now am off work until just after Christmas! There are trees and lines down all over town (all over central Iowa, I'm sure) so we are lucky - we still have power and internet as of this writing (although our cable line is drooping precariously from the house to the pole, so TV and internet may be gone before the day is out!)... and our tree damage is confined to the yard.  Here are a few photos from this morning's beautiful mess... 

I'm sharing these photos over at How Sweet the Sound - Beverly's lovely blog where this week, "Pink Saturday" is showcasing snow and snowmen :) 

Free, fresh greenery for my table

I'm sure many of you share my sentiment when I say that my heart is heavy for the innocent children and teachers killed in Newtown, CT this week. I feel I am doing my part by ignoring the news, remembering the victims, and NOT giving the psychopath even a moment of my time in thinking about him or considering his motives. Perhaps I am just burying my head in the sand, but quite honestly, it's the only way I can cope with such horror.
Amidst all my preparations for Christmas so far this weekend, here's one of many bright spots: I've been thinking about what to do for a centerpiece at lunch on Christmas day, which is our small family's main Christmas meal. I find that I'm drawn to natural elements with a bit of sparkle, and in thinking this through I had two specific elements in mind: real greenery (not faux, and preferably white pine), and something in mercury glass. Oh - and did I mention I didn't want to spend any money? 
I was only semi-joking when I told my family I planned to drive to a nearby park with my garden clippers in hand, and clip me some branches. ("I am a taxpayer! I am only taking my share as a taxpayer!" I would cry as the forestry police hauled me away in handcuffs...) 
In the end, I got just what I wanted and did not spend a dime - I simply stopped at a Christmas tree lot and asked if I could have some branches out of their scrap pile. They were happy to give me an armload, so here is my haul: 

It is a nice mixture of balsam and white pine. I brought it all indoors and clipped all the stems, then plunked it into a bucket of water to try to keep them from dropping too many needles in this final week before Christmas. Meantime, it sure smells good in the house! 
And, I've been experimenting with (and loving) this faux mercury glass tutorial using Krylon Looking Glass paint, so I'm almost there! (Here's a preview:)

I am not quite finished with my gift shopping, but today I think I am going to do a "dry run" set-up of the table to make sure I'm not missing any elements. 
How are your Christmas preparations coming along?
More soon,