Showing posts with label Laura. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laura. Show all posts

Dec 15, 2021

Vintage Ceramic Christmas 🎄

 

"You bought me that ugly little ceramic one."

"It's not ugly, it's tacky. That's entirely different."


Laura The MacGregor Brides



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skysail, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons



These Nostalgic Vintage Ceramic Christmas Trees Just Came Back In Stock

 

Here's where you can find ceramic Christmas trees in different colors, sizes, styles, and price points.



Better Homes & Gardens




Oct 12, 2019

How to find awe in everyday things




“Look, the sun’s coming up.”
Laura stirred and opened her eyes. Through the window she could see the
curve of the eastern sky. If she looked hard enough she could see the water of
the bay, like a mist in the distance. The sun seemed to vibrate as it rose. And the
echoes brought colors: pinks, mauves, golds. Softly at first, with the darker
night sky still dominating above, the colors spread, then deepened. Pinks
became reds, vibrant and glowing.
“Sometimes your paintings are like that,” she thought aloud. “Changing,
shifting angles, with the colors intensifying from the core to the edges.” She
nestled her head against his shoulder as they watched the new day dawn. “I
don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sunrise.”


Gabriel's Angel



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By Terry Lucas - Imported from 500px (archived version) by the 
Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73670160








You don't have to scale Everest to reap the benefits of wonder.





The word "awesome" is ubiquitous these days – used to describe almost anything agreeable from a slice of Margherita pizza to that new sweater you just bought. But can these things really inspire a life-altering sense of wonderment and reverence?









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She stroked the baby's cheek and
thought—hoped—Carrie smiled a little.
Grace was tempted to sing her to sleep, 
but knew the nursing staff rolled their
eyes and snickered whenever she tried a lullaby. 
Still, the babies were rarely
critical of her admittedly poor singing voice, 
so she half sang, half murmured,
until Carrie's baby owl's eyes grew heavy.
Even when she slept, Grace continued to rock. 
It was self-serving now, she knew.
Anyone who had ever rocked a baby 
understood that it soothed the adult, as well
as the child.


Secret Star





Dec 4, 2018

Why does snow make the world so quiet?





"I guess the quiet woke me. It's odd, don't you think, how quiet it is?"
"The snow always makes it quiet."



The Return of Rafe MacKade




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By Stulli - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3834213






Hush. It's snowing outside.
At least, doesn't it feel like that when snowflakes make their grand entrance, pirouetting from the sky like tiny, twirling ballerinas?
And we're pressed up against windows, eyes wide open. Or outside, all giddy smiles with tongues eagerly outstretched.
Snowflakes look good. They even taste good. But they sound like … nothing.



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On impulse, she bundled herself in her boots and coat and stepped out onto the porch.
Though Gabe had shoveled it off twice during the day, the snow came almost to her knees. Her boots sank in 
and disappeared. She had the sensation of being swallowed up by a soft, benign cloud. 
She wrapped her arms around her chest and breathed in the thin, cold air.


There were no stars. There was no moon. The porch light tossed its glow only a few feet. 
All she could see was white. 
All she could hear was silence.



Gabriel's Angel 





Feb 23, 2018

Host a Chocolate Tasting






"We've got hot chocolate. Chocolate mousse, chocolate drops and chocolate-covered  pretzels."
"Julia chose the menu," Laura put in.
"Butch did." Setting the box down, Julia opened it. "And he's going to really go for these. Have a seat, Naomi, and pull up some calories."



Ian @ MacGregor's Grooms




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Gather your closest girlfriends for a sweet weekend. Sip, swirl, and savor new takes on an age-old classic -- chocolate. 
Follow our no-fail tasting guide to kick-start your sweet escapade.  








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 Oh, she would treasure that, Naomi thought, closing her eyes. She would remember this single foolish afternoon all of her life.


Ian @ MacGregor's Grooms





Feb 10, 2018

Local florists brace for Valentine’s Day





"Which reminds me…"
Understanding, she smiled. "It's only the tenth, Byron. You still have time to pick up that well-thought-out, loving gift. And no matter what Kate says, don't buy her computer software. Flowers always work for me."


And no one had sent her flowers, she thought, in too long to remember. When her mind drifted to a tiny yellow wildflower, she pulled it back, and called herself an idiot.


Finding the Dream





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Despite what Alfred Lord Tennyson may have thought, a young man’s fancy doesn’t wait until spring to turn to love, but a month sooner — on Valentine’s Day.









Jan 15, 2018

Go Ahead—Draw On The Walls





“She showed me the mural in the parlor. The one with all the mythical creatures.” 
“I was twenty, and romantic.” 
And he’d asked his mother a dozen times to have it painted over. 
“I like it.” 


Gabriel's Angel



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Mom and Dad always said not to draw on the walls. These two Minneapolis women politely disagree.











Imagine wallpaper, minus the paper. Just an imaginative pattern painted directly on the canvas that is your home. Sure, it’s unorthodox. But for Minneapolis artists Kate Worum and Jennifer Jorgensen, it’s an expression of bravery—in style, and in life.






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“What’s wrong with unicorns and centaurs and fairies?” 
“They have their place, I suppose.” 


Gabriel's Angel






Dec 21, 2017

It’s time to unwrap the Christmas image





She would go away, she decided, and forced herself to move. She would pack a bag, toss it in the car and drive until she felt like stopping. She’d take a couple of days. Hell, she’d take a week. She couldn’t bear to stay here alone through the holidays. For the next ten minutes, she tossed things into a suitcase without any plan or sense of order. Now that the decision was made, she only wanted to move quickly. She closed the lid on the suitcase, carried it into the living room and started for her coat.

The knock on her door had her clenching her teeth. If one more well-meaning neighbor stopped by to wish her Merry Christmas and invite her to dinner, she was going to scream.


All I Want for Christmas




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Y
ou may not notice it, but at this time of year there is a question that runs around like a headless turkey: “How many people are you having over for Christmas lunch?” Those of us who do not want to be judged for the lack of dinner plates around the festive table, usually answer: “Oh, we’re having a quiet one.”




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"I'm just on my way home to pick up my bags. I wish you'd change your mind and come with me. You know you're welcome." She lifted a brow. "And I know Grandpa has been nagging you for weeks to come up for the holidays."

"I appreciate it, but I can't. Besides, I'm not a family-gathering type. Christmas is for kids and families."

She shook her head. "You didn't even put up a tree."

"You bought me that ugly little ceramic one."

"It's not ugly, it's tacky. That's entirely different." She wanted so much to ask him again, to find the right words to persuade him to spend Christmas with her, to be part of her life. But she'd resolved to make do and accept what she had. "I'll miss you."

"You'll be surrounded by people." He smiled a little as he stood up. "Hordes of MacGregors, even the thought of which unnerves me. You won't have time to miss me."

"I'll miss you anyway." She kissed him lightly. She pulled a brightly wrapped box out of her pocket, handed it to him.

"What's this?"

"A present. It's traditional. I want you to open it Christmas morning."

"Look, I don't have—"

"Royce, say thank-you."

Though he was as miserable as he'd been in his life, he made his lips curve. "Thank you."

"Now say Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Slim."

"I'll see you in a few days." She hurried out, telling herself it was the sentiment of the season that misted her eyes.


Laura
@The MacGregor Brides




Dec 8, 2017

“It’s the story that matters.”













Dear husband isn't (fully) into Midnight Bayou... yet... he says I sent him from Laura (Templeton), whom he seems to have a crush on, to the middle of the jungle... no idea why he says this... I'll have to reread MB to learn what he's talking about.


Midnight Bayou's a book in the maybe-some-day-when-I-grow-up-shelf for years. I couldn't go beyond the first pages. Too intense for me. So I put it aside;  besides at the time I still had dozens of Nora books to go through. One day I put my grown-up-and-face-the-life's pants and in two days I read it. And Loved it. 


I was a bit afraid to give it to my husband, bearing in mind my own reaction to the first read of it. But I'm running out of Portuguese versions of Nora Novels and it was  either Midnight Bayou or Homeport. 

I'm planning to give him books on Christmas. 

I'm thinking of Key trilogy which I still don't have in Portuguese. 

Win win situation:  a Christmas Gift that he'll really like and enjoy and my collection keeps growing.





Dec 4, 2017

Creative Christmas Tree Themes






There, before the wide windows that opened onto a view of the cliffs, the Christmas tree soared, fifteen feet of glossy pine, every bough and branch heavy with ornaments and twinkling with lights.
It would stay lit, day and night, until Epiphany.
Beneath it were mountains of gifts. At midnight, following family tradition, there would be a minor riot of ripping and laughing and love.
Most of all love, she thought. No matter how they fought, no matter how much noise and confusion there was, this house was always filled with love.
And how she hated to think of Royce alone on Christmas Eve.
"I don't know how they do it," Caine said from behind her. He stepped up, laying his hands on her shoulders to rub. "Every year they manage to find the perfect tree. Ever since I was a boy, there's been a tree right there at Christmas. And it's always been the perfect tree."




The MacGregor Brides - Laura 





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Whether coastal, snow-covered, or Charlie Brown-approved, 
these Christmas tree theme ideas are sure
to make your home all the more merry.







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As he crept downstairs, Seth saw they'd left the tree on. He'd never seen anything like it. Anna had wanted a real one, and in Seth's opinion, Anna ruled.

So they'd hauled in this big pine, and the guys had grumbled about stringing lights. But Seth knew they'd liked it. Now it was loaded with what seemed like a thousand ornaments, and presents with big bows and miles of ribbon were stacked under it.

Some of them had his name on them.

Probably dopey stuff like underwear and socks, he told himself, struggling against the sheer thrill of seeing those brightly wrapped boxes sparkle under the lights. Like they belonged there.

Like he belonged there.



The Quinn's Christmas





Oct 10, 2017

Happy Birthday Nora!






"It wouldn't be a Black Forest cake, would it? Double chocolate?"
"Just you wait and see. Scat!"
Laura waited until she was well down the hallway before she chuckled. It would be a Black Forest cake.
Mrs. Williamson might be a tad forgetful these days, and her hearing wasn't what it had been. But vital matters such as Laura's traditional birthday meal would be remembered in every detail.



Finding the Dream



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DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BLACK FOREST CAKE




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Happy Birthday Nora!




Sep 5, 2014

Beauty and Wisdom

"I can't believe how fast he's growing." 
Feeling very grandmotherly but sporting a sleek new hairstyle, Amanda sat in the bentwood rocker in Michael's new nursery and cuddled the baby.
...
"Does he?" Delighted Laura moved to stand over them. 
The baby smelled of talc -- Amanda of Paris.

Gabriel's Angel

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Culturally speaking, youth has a near-monopoly on our definition of beauty. But for photographer Robbie Kaye, the opposite is true. Her photo essay and book, Beauty and Wisdom, aims to combat ageism by documenting older women...

“Initially I was going to make these photos fun and frivolous, but in looking at the women, I realized how much dignity they had and how amazing they were,” 



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And she’d had enough, Eli judged, and looked a little pale again. “What’s for lunch?”
“We should go down and find out.”
He helped her up, but when he started to lift her, she brushed him back. “I don’t need to be carried. I manage well enough with the cane.”
“Maybe, but I like playing Rhett Butler.”
“He wasn’t carrying his grandmother downstairs to lunch,” she said when Eli scooped her into his arms.
“But he would have.”

Whiskey Beach