Snow Day!

I woke up to this.
I have a snow day, Max still had school. Can you believe that?!!
It took me 25 minutes to brush off the car because underneath the 6 inches of snow was ice and man was it heavy. Then it took 20 minutes to get him 10 blocks to school. The insanity of people trying to drive on unplowed city street was extra nutty around the school. I actually saw the poor school security guard pushing cars that were stuck.
You would think that people who live in Chicago where it is destined to snow at least twice a year, would know how to drive in this weather. You would be wrong.

Yesterday, before the big snowfall, I bought a snow brush and batteries. So today is a super heavy photo day!

First are my swap cards which happily made there way to California this week. It features a new stamp set, Taggers Dozen and new Loves Me double-sided papers. The pinwheel spins and the handy "track" was made with the Word Window Punch. Love that tool!!

The second card was made with the same stamps and papers, but also features the new Mini Tag punch. Love that you can now layer it with the larger Tag punch!


Last weekend I was so happy to get my tree up although I swear this is the earliest I have ever put the tree up. I bought this tree a couple years ago because I needed a pre-lit tree and this one is super skinny. My anorexic tree fits perfectly into my little apartment though and really, it is just a place to showcase my ornaments.
This is one of my favorite ornaments. I remember getting it sometime around 1980. It was attached to a beautifully wrapped present and I remember thinking that it was the coolest "tag" I had ever seen. I think my aunt gave it to my sister and I, she would be the type of person to add this special touch. What I love most about it is that not only does it show our address at the time, which I would have never remembered. But it instantly takes me back to being a kid everytime I see it. What is super funny, is that I now live about 6 blocks from this address. Talk about Full Circle.

I also had this idea a couple years ago that if I made an ornament every year featuring scrapbook papers from that year, I could have my very own little scrapbook tree. And each year I could look back at the years and papers past. I thought it would be super cool, but never got the tree. So the ornaments are collecting on my tree just waiting for their very own home. Here are a few of the ornaments:

This last picture is my mantel. It looks Ok now that all the Christmas crap is on it, but in general, I have no clue what to do with it. Seriously. I have no art really. I have no big picture, although I guess I could get one.
Ideas? Thoughts?? For Christmas I will probably add a wreath on the wall, but after Christmas it will go back to being all naked and awkward.
And what do I put on the mantel? And how?
I think I need help.