Karens Road

I am always interested in the traditions of the holidays. I asked about different things and found that a few of my blogging friends have definite ideas on Christmas trees.

My friends Drew and Allison have and new baby, Eva. It is tradition in their family that the new baby has a tree of his/her own. So, this year, little Eva has her own little artificial tree. Isn’t that sweet? I am just guessing that little Eva is the best Christmas present Drew and Allison could have ever wished for. Oh, and this link takes you to a picture Drew’s father holding little Eva. In the background is another beautiful Christmas tree. I have never seen a tree with such beautiful branches.

You just have to get over the A Cowboy’s Wife blog and see Lori’s tree. Yep, it is adorned with cowboy and western type decorations! A cowboy hat completes the topper. It is awesome! I wonder if Santa rides in on a horse when he brings presents to their house.

Tina’s tree brings back memories of trying to keep the babies out of the tree. This lovely tree is protected by childproof fencing! Smart idea Tina! Your tree is lovely.

Eve and her new hubby enjoyed their first big tree this year. It is absolutely beautiful! It is so much fun to decorate a new house especially during the holidays.

I love to see how everyone’s trees are different yet convey the holiday spirit. Thanks to everyone for sharing with me!

There are many wonderful things to see and experience in the US. With Dialaflight, flights to USA destinations are very affordable. One of the most interesting attractions that I recommend is to visit the Thomas Edison Home in Ft. Myers, Florida. I especially recommend this visit to those who, like me, love to learn about inventors. I am amazed at how things are made and who comes up with ideas for things that we often take for granted. Ft. Myers is also the location of the winter home of Henry Ford. Where would we be without his great inventions?

There are so many great things to see in Ft. Myers and other places in the US. Let Dialaflight make your search for flights and hotels easy.

One of these days, I am going to be at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel during Christmas. I love the way it is decorated for the holidays. If you can’t get in a festive mood when you stay there then there is no helping you. A Country Christmas is celebrated at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and convention center. This year’s presentation is featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss.

If you are interested in traveling to sporting events, check out a fantastic ticket broker I ran across. Front Row USA is the expert on getting tickets for all the major games. Fans are scrambling as they see their favorite teams getting closer to winning the big ones. You need to be thinking ahead if you plan to attend those popular events.

Front Row USA also has the much coveted Hannah Montana Tickets! I just saw a poster at the video store for Hannah. She is a cutie. No wonder everyone is having fun at her concerts. If they can get tickets. Let Front Row USA be your source for sports tickets, theater tickets, Hannah Montana tickets, Bruce Springsteen tickets, Celine Dion tickets, NBA tickets, NHL tickets, Wicked tickets, and Young Frankenstein tickets!

Our family had three members in the air yesterday. Our daughter was flying to Indiana from Florida. My sister was flying from Arizona to Tennessee. My brother in-law was flying from Budapest to Dallas. They all made it without any hassles that I know of. Considering the weather, that is remarkable.

I don’t know if you noticed but over on my side bar is a card from a new site called EntreCard. Joining EntreCard has introduced me to so many new friends! It is so much fun to go to each blog and click on their EntreCard. I have been leaving so many comments that I have been neglecting my chores! Many have clicked on mine so I know it is bringing me new readers.

By clicking on each of our cards, we earn points. When we accumulate enough points, we can spend them and advertise on someones blog. The more points you have, the more ads you can get on other’s blogs.

EntreCard works for me!

I love how everyone has their own way of doing things. When it comes to windows, some like blinds some like curtains. I think that our personalities show in how we decorate our homes. When we are driving, I like to look at the outside of homes and wonder about the people who live there.

Lynn was laying a floor in a house today that surprised me. It was so messy on the outside. There were bicycles and furniture on the porch. The paint was crackled and peeling. When I went inside I felt like I had entered a different world. It was beautiful. The dining room had an antique table and over the fireplace were two oval frames that held pictures of very astute looking characters. The kitchen, where Lynn was working, was painted a plum color. It was going to be a beautiful room when finished.

I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent but meant to say that I love diversity. That said, I wonder what each of my readers/friends Christmas trees look like. If you would like a shout out, please comment and leave a link to your blog where you have posted a picture of your Christmas tree. If you feel the notion, tell me if you prefer a live tree and why and also let me know in what part of the country you live ( you are not obligated to divulge that info).

Here is a picture of mine: (Thanks Stacy, for putting it up and decorating it).

I’ve been looking at the blogs from people attending PubCon and found this great picture of the CEO of PayPerPost. Ted Murphy is in Las Vegas again and he is checking out all the ideas floating around. He was a speaker during one of the sessions. I hope he is having a great time and getting the good word out about IZEA. You can check out the plug for the contest for your chance to win a trip to Austin, Texas.

Don’t waste your time registering. There will be one winner and that should be me! My sister just moved to Texas and I neeeed to get there! This will be a great way for me to have fun with other bloggers and get to see my sis! Pick me! Pick me!

We walked all over Chicago trying to find the American Girl store. We weren’t all that interested in buying a doll, we just wanted to see what all the hoopla was about.

I had to admit that the historical dolls were very interesting. I am glad that history is being taught in a fun way. The dolls are also very beautiful. There is an attachment to each doll that gives it’s owner a sense of belonging. Besides that, the whole place is full of fun! There is a style salon where you can get your dolls hair styled. That comes in handy when your little brother sticks your dolls head in the toilet. There is also a doll hospital where you can have repairs made to your doll. American Girl hopes their dolls are played with and not displayed on a shelf.

Reservations can be made for lunch but you had better call a year in advance. Many families have formed traditions that include a yearly visit to AG. They may go for lunch to celebrate special occasions or simply get together with friends.

American Girl is becoming a part of growing up.

Today was the beginning of winter as far as I am concerned. It is time to get a good book and curl up on the couch. We had an ice storm today!

Mom left for Arizona and not an hour too soon. I took Stacy to the airport so she could get to Florida and start her new job on Monday. The plane sat on the tarmac because of the weather. She finally made it to Florida this evening. I wish I could get out of here!

Mom and I decided that we would like to go to the quilt festival that I posted about. The Mountain Quilt fest starts in March and I am ready to sign up for classes. I have material cut out to make another rag quilt and I want to learn some new techniques to get me through next winter. I got this handy dandy vacation widget to let me know how many more days there are until I can hit the road!

In the meantime, I am going over to Mad Gringo’s website and get me a pair of cool flip flops, a canvas hat and a surf board sign. If I can’t get out of this ice mess until March, I can still pretend to be somewhere warm!

Where do you want to go? Get your countdown widget and keep track of how many days until you get to enjoy your vacation! Click that little go tab for a nice surprise you can use at the Mad Gringo Website! You will find the most festive shirts to get you in the mood for vacation. Do like me and wear it while it is snowing outside. Wearing a festive shirt makes me relax and remember that in, however many days that widget says, I will be in the south learning new quilting techniques.