HERE'S WHAT WENT DOWN...

So before it becomes the fourth of July, which incidentally is right around the corner, I thought I better regale you with a quick run down with a Holiday Photo Frenzy, so we can be all caught up and move on with 2015.

Very low key holidays for the Schneiders…literally four of us for dinner..what!?  I know, not the usual fifteen or twenty…although we did get up to fifteen for the ending celebration that came the weekend after NYEve…the annual Schneider family gathering…sadly however,  the main focus of this party is to see dad, who unfortunately spent that weekend in the hospital…but he's here with us this week and doing better.  The party wasn't the same without him.

And neither was my birthday…I mean, it wasn't the same, no kids, except our youngest, no friends, no chair dancing!!  It was a bit weird…but what can you say, things happen.  And that's the price you pay for being born on Xmas!  Thank god we kept to our tradition of visiting my best friend Sue on Xmas Eve…her home is warm, welcoming and super Xmasy…so that felt good.

So that's pretty much all I'm going to say about all of that….I'll let the photos do the rest…because as usual, and I don't mean to toot my own horn…but toot toot….the trees were lovely!

Sue and Jim, Xmas Eve

Sue has the best collection of bottle brush trees…
my latest obsession, this is the smallest of showings

Literally one of the nicest trees I've ever seen…
all blush and soft…old fashion in perfect Xmas splendor..you need to see it in person…it's breathtaking

A new addition to my snowman obsession...

Little snowmen and santas hanging on banister

Little lit up tree on table on stair landing…
it's so sweet, and this just reminded me, I haven't
taken the pine branches out of the chandelier…geez!

the pink/orange/gold vintage tree,
looked particularly stunning this year…
hard to capture on film

                                

this years topper was the best…drippy pinks, some golds
and the bright limeish green..just beautiful!

the blue, turquoise, purple/claret /bronze tree
NEVER can get a good photo of the depth of tones
going on in this one.  the addition of Teal ornaments and teal lights took this to another level for me...added to
 the dark blue, (which I really want to change out) and then the wine and purple which play perfectly off the bronze …just need more aqua/turquoise and claret to bring in to the place I'm looking for…but getting there.

   

this topper is turquoise, purple and
glitter beyond belief

Xmas day...

Me, standing, alone, on my chair with the iPhone
playing the Beatles Birthday Song..
how sad am I?

Taylor showed up and jumped in at the last minute
and insisted we stand up together…yay for Talyor!

Some randoms from the Schneider party…
this was Girls night celebration!
Thx to Bonnie who brought all the girls little splits
 of champagne with straws and
beautiful cards written to each one of us..yay Bonnie!

Happy 2015 to all my besties…hope you are all healthy, safe, dry, and peaceful…and surrounded by the ones you love the most…mucho love, xox juners

What Are You Doing New Years Eve? by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-L...

I've been playing this one for years….VERY old favorite…love love love…happy New year everyone!!!

Bing Crosby & David Bowie - The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth

More Xmas Magic!!  Seriously!!  Enjoy!  And when you're done with this one…go down below to the next post and have yourself the happiest of joys!  Fallen and Mariah!

XMAS ENCORE!!

Just wanted to keep things Xmasy around here, so brought back one of my favorite Xmas songs for a special encore performance…keep happy!!  CHEERS!!

ROCK ON GOLD DUST WOMAN!

Just finished a new piece…took a while, since I started it the summer before our wedding last year…!!  Laid everything down once the wedding took over and literally just got back to it this past month…hope you enjoy!  Rock On!  juner

A GREAT XMAS GATHERING!

So Saturday was our little Xmas Soiree.  We had last minute cancellations and loads of people could not attend, however, the few that did are the ones that counted and made it a big huge blast of fun!  We ate and sang and had carolers…plus celebrated our good friend Byron's 60th birthday…so of course that meant a flurry of dancing on chairs to the Beatles, Birthday Song…our family tradition.  After that we danced to our favorite party songs…starting with Tom Jones, "It's Not Unusual"…BEST way to start a party in my book!
The house looks festive and smelled like everything Xmas, from trees to food and treats.  The table was set with risers covered in white, with pale blue and green tulle and little white lights that gave a super winter wonderland effect…with tiny snowmen and candles, white roses…it was really pretty.   

So here are a few shots of our big fun…hopefully the little video of the Soquel High Xmas Choir works…it would be a pity not to add this bit of Holiday Magic to your day…Best to all..Mucho Xmas Kisses!!  xox juner

I hung spiral shiny ribbons of stars in aqua, green and blue in among the mirror garland.   And of course our strands of party lights hung over a year ago for Taylor's birthday that are still hanging, bounced color off of everything.

Everyone preparing for "They Say it's Your Birthday" to blast…Ray's in the cupboard ready to pump up the volume!

Sorry, the video won't upload…damn!!

THE LIFE I DREAMED OF

I'm staring out my kitchen window, looking out over the garden and chicken yard.  It's a pouring rainy and Xmasy grey day and I  love it.  I'm baking tons of cookies and cupcakes, my youngest son ran off to the market to replace something I already made a huge mistake on.  My one and only love is lying on the sofa reading and indulging me by blasting corny Xmas carols.  The trees are lit, and the table is set for our small gathering tomorrow.  
Our life has been extremely challenging in the past four months…we seriously don't have a pot to piss in and it's been very stressful, however, we made this little Xmas Cheer happen with the help of our friends and family.  My oldest son and his awesome girlfriend are coming in from San Fran tonight to help out and be here for the party, although our daughter couldn't be here, which is the only black mark on an otherwise perfect moment….and I couldn't be happier right now. 

When I lived in LA all those years ago I would drive home down the hill in Encino and dusk would be coming on, or it was already night…I would see beautiful homes surrounded by big trees and lights on in the kitchen windows where people were cleaning up and I would drive slow, or even stop sometimes, just to wonder at their lives…truly wondering if it would ever be the same for me someday.

Dreams  can totally come true….hope you are finding the magic in your day!

Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey & The Roots: "All I Want For Christmas Is You...

Time to spread some Xmas cheer….one of my favorite Xmas Songs….and it couldn't be performed better than this….enjoy!  Happy Holiday Seasons to you all! xox juner

SOMETHING NEW FROM PRESSED LEAF PUBLISHING

Thornton Berry Shire Press, Home of the Benjamin McTish Series: Welcome, from Thornton Berry Shire!: Welcome to Thornton Berry Shire Press, a division of Pressed Leaf Publishing. We are super excited to open this new division in YA publish…(click on first line for rest of post..enjoy!)

ANOTHER CANDLE IN THE WIND...

My perfect little all white Bantam Cochin, aptly named Marilyn, died on Sunday morning.  It was the saddest thing ever.  I cried all day.  I know she was just a chicken, however, she was my favorite and I adored her completely.   
Not certain what happened, only to say she wasn't herself for a while….blaming that on the testosterone addition to the pen.

Unbeknownst to me, when I picked out my three Bantam Cochins this past Spring, they all ended up becoming Roosters…not what I was hoping for.  One I was able to spot fairly quickly and thought, no worries, he's cool after all, and I really enjoy the idea of cockadoodledoo…even though most of our neighbors did not.  Anyway, I kept him and changed his name from Pear, aptly named because she was a Partridge Bantam…well, she became a he and I named him Elvis and called him E a lot of the time.  Then a month later I realized the other gal whom I called Miss. M…after the Divine herself, was actually a Mr. Kotter, and found a new home for him quickly, he was gorgeous, a Gold laced.  Little did I know that the little Red gal I had, named Gilda, both for the Red headed bombshell played by Rita Hayworth and SNL favorite, Gilda Radner…alas, another Rooster whom I called Red for the time being.  He was removed immediately as the sparring had begun.  This is when I believe my little girl had too much going on.  After all, even though none of us knew they were roosters, she did.

So giving him away I now had one cock of the walk as it were, E…and poor little Marilyn got all his attention as they were the same size.  As a Bantam he looks like a little dwarf compared to the big standard gals.  That's the only thing I can think happened.  She stared going off into little corners by herself and not running out to eat with the others…so so sad.

She was super super fluffy and white and I miss her terribly!!  The pen is not the same without her.  It's really taken the joy out of greeting them every morning the past two days.  All the other gals are darker and big, and she was like a poof ball of white that just lit up the yard.  She and I talked back and forth to each other all the time and she let me schnuggie her. (that would be snuggle).

So now I believe we are going to find a home for Elvis as a Bantam and the others are Standards, it can get pretty aggressive and hens get hurt badly…so enough of that experiment…no more Roosters!