Cherish the Awkward Christmas Love

If you're about to spend the next few days at Camp Disfunctional Family and you need to feel like it's not so bad, or if you just need a cheap laugh to destress from your trip to the mall, check out the pictures on Awkward Family Photos (linked over at the right).

Thriftacular Luck and a Shameless Plug

Some of my bad luck turned around when I received an email from Misty informing me that the package arrived. Woo-hoo! I'd like to do another contest in the new year.

I have a few blogs on the go. Sadly, I can't link my classroom teacher blog, due to privacy issues. I'd love to share what my "other family" is doing. It's such a huge part of my life.

I found some excellent crafty books that I've blogged about on my thrifty teacher blog The Foolscap Flyer. I've been trying to use the blog to connect with like-minded teachers and parents who want to share ideas, but I've had minimal feedback. I'm considering folding this blog and integrating it into Yardsale Snoop - possibly with a new name. I'll have to see. Here's the link http://erin-thefoolscapflyer.blogspot.com

I'm going to make this bird mobile over the holidays. Will it turn out this cute? I lack that dainty touch.

My blog formerly know as Toronto Landscape and Memory has been "relaunched." It's now called Five Ways to Disappear. As the name suggests, it's all about getting lost. My first real post of its new incarnation chronicles a frosty nature walk I took with the Toronto Field Naturalists yesterday. When I'm retired, I'll be that old lady with the binoculars and the bird identification book. Check out the blog at http://landscapeandmemorytoronto.blogspot.com

Song of the Week #25 The Pogues "Fairytail of New York"

Best Christmas song ever. RIP Kirsty MacColl: you had one of the best voices in pop. Once the video starts, click on the screen to see it on YouTube so you can click out the pesky ads at the bottom. The tune is a classic.

Thrifters and Crafters Unite!

I'm so excited to be on holiday. I can hop back in the saddle of thrifting and crafting. Woo-hoo! You must visit the blog The Constant Gatherer. It's linked in my Artist and Crafters section over to the right. The current post features a pot luck of many elegant and charming holiday craft ideas floating around the blogisphere. I've already linked Scissor Variations, which is very cool. I know Thrifted Treasure and Madge from Solid Cherry will swoon over some of these blogs. I'll try to link more as and when I'm free to do so.

Erin

The Bad Luck Dame

I'd like to welcome my latest follower, the Recycle-ista to this here blog. I still can't believe that 28 people like this blog enough to follow it. Thank you all! Stranger still is that fact that none of these 28 people are family members.

Alright. This is the time of year for happiness etc. Just to kick it down a notch, I thought I'd share my bad news. First off, I mailed Misty's goodies off to her three weeks ago. Misty was the winner of my Thriftacular Contest. Unfortunately enough, Misty never got the package and it was never returned to me. This means that it's either stuck in the middle of a runway soaking up airplane grease, someone else is enjoying her pillowcases and trinkets, or it's mouldering in some dead letter office in Canada or the U.S. I'll have to rethrift for Misty over the holidays. Bummer. But I still have my health and family.

Secondly, back in July my husband and I (after 17 years of marriage) finally took the plunge and ordered a beautiful Shaker dining room table and chair set at the Amish Furniture Outlet. The pieces were to be ready by October or November. We never heard back from them until we received an email from the liquidators who informed us that the company had gone bankrupt and that there was no guarantee we'd see the furniture. As for the $1,500 deposit? I can only hope that someone has the heart to realize that it's money that belongs to us. We put this not-so-small sum down trusting that we'd get something in return for it. We never saw the need to get insurance on our VISA. Yes I do have my health and family and things could be a lot worse.

Now we're thinking of looking for a more affordable repro of a fifties kitchen table and chairs. I hope to thrift tomorrow.

Here's a very cool sixties inspired video by Baby Spice. It's the perfect song and video to make you happy when you've just lost a big chunk of money. Chin chin!

Erin

A Surge of Love

One more day to the school year, and then it's all Christmas goodness and thrifting and blogging. Ahhh. Stay tuned. In the meanwhile, let's pretend we're in Paris doing nice things for people.