RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR...Christmas Eve 2012 at the Bellagio Atrium

Happy 2013!  We weathered the Mayan prediction and made it to the new year ~ some a little worse for the wear, with sinus infections and the sort, this holiday season...but we're here, and that's all that's important!  Wanted to share some of my favorite things from Christmas week, past.

FAMILY - my MOST favorite...Son Louie; Mom Barb; Dad Arvid; and Daughter Jaclyn...Christmas 2012 was one of the most wonderful in years.  Husband and I avoided the camera this year, due to the bags under the eyes, but the rest of 'em looked FABULOUS, and it was such a treat to have my parents with us to celebrate the holiday this year! 

Mom's recovering from rotator cuff surgery...Dad is doing her hair, and I must say, he's pretty darn GOOD!  Thank you for bringing yourselves to us for Christmas ~ it was the gift I loved most!

Christmas Eve evening, after a large pasta dinner, found my husband sleeping off his cold, my kids gone their separate ways, and me with a wild idea to drag my parents to the Bellagio Atrium..."Come on", I told them..."There'll be no one there!"  Yep, I actually THOUGHT that! 

As usual, the Atrium was absolutely stunning.  For those that don't live here, but may venture through, this is one of the most beautiful attractions in town, and is completely free to the public - breathtaking with each and every change of the interior.  The outside of the casino/hotel boasts the beautiful fountains that are choreographed to music, every 15 minutes during the evening.

This year's display included a massive tree, larger than life toy soldiers, beds of live poinsettias...

chocolate cottages around the base of a Trojan Horse sized rocking horse, glittering stars hung from the ceiling...

and the bears!  Beautiful white polar bears covered in thousands of fluffy white chrysanthemums.  All things floral on display in the Atrium are, indeed, real...from the massive tree, to the petals covering the bears.

Next change for the Atrium will be Chinese New Year at the beginning of February ~ The Year of the Snake.

My kids (I did a bit of cropping of fingers in this one); my pups, Joe and Voltron! - one loves the cool tile (and his new baby), the other is the epitome of "lap dog" (or "butt dog", however the circumstance presents itself for a chance to lay on someone), and that beautiful Christmas Cactus I purchased a few weeks back...I think my Grandma would be so proud, though it pales in comparison to the one she kept for years.

One parting shot of family...my Grandpa spent Christmas with us, perched in the tree.  I have one of his fishing creels, identical to the one he is wearing in the photo (which my Mom has), hanging in the guest room.  Mom was just recently gifted with this photo, and passed along a copy to me (it will hang next to the creel, now).

As we march on into this new year, no resolutions really - just a hope to be a better person, and a plan for more quality family time...I've never been one to wax poetic here on the blog (but keep it bottled deep), so that's about it.  A hope for a saner world, perhaps...DEFINITELY, in fact!

 

I've a few "sights" left over from last year that could possibly inspire one or two of you to travel in the year ahead - that's coming up. I hope to include a few more "teaching" posts here, in an effort to share the creativity - that's coming up, too.  Love to you and yours...and especially ALL of mine...in 2013!  XOXOXO

 

"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes; Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes; Silver white winters that melt into springs ~ These are a few of my favorite things"...