These are posted in the order they came in to us.
Carolyn went to high school with Deb and shares her favourite Chanukah photo:
Lyndsie sent her favourite (and most meaningful) tattoo:
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| Lyndsie's message: Support the troops. |
Madge shared happy memories from the year:
Mary shares old memories and new (the little darling is her granddaughter):
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| Mary's family in 1964. Mary, you look exactly the same! |
Lana and her family are having way too much fun here!:
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| Lana says this is her after decorating 12 (12!!!) full-size Christmas trees! |
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| Lana's eldest daughter took these photos of Lana and her 5 beautiful kids. Serious... |
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| ...and not so serious! |
Kelly from NJ shared these pix. That's her with her cousins and another in her new Batman hat. She took the gorgeous outdoor shots (photography is her hobby):
Mary-Jo sent some darling shots of her pets and home. Narrowing it down to these was so haaaaard!:
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| Rudy and Miles |
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| Red wearing his Christmas green saddle pad and polos. |
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| Otis chillin' on Christmas Eve. |
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| Jo's Christmas mantle. |
Rigel finally got that new tattoo!! She says this: "For way over a year, I've been saying that I'd get a tattoo for my 40th birthday (12/31/12). I did it! I got my first tattoo on 12/28. It's made up of my 3 favorite colors: green, purple, and teal. It says Bibliophilia Autrice-Artiste de la Mer. The first green word is the Greek for "Love of Books." The hyphenated, purple middle words are the feminine French for "Author-Artist." The teal portion at the end is French for "of the Sea." I finally decided on this based off a conversation here on this blog and during private emails afterward with Barbara. The colors make me happy, and the words are to be a reminder to be true to myself and bravely adventurous as I head into the not-young-anymore part of my life. I suspect this will not remain my only tattoo for long." The other two shots are Christmas with her Kiddo!:
Shalaka sent these in this morning. The first is of her hosting a show in college; the other two are gorgeous digital art pieces she created. Wow!:
Shalaka just added these from her past. Too cute:
Dawn sent us these today. Her tattoo, her and a Toronto-based friend and her beautiful daughter Sarah:
Jo sent these of her and her handsome and talented son Odin and the Christmas Buddha!:
Today is Saturday, and we have some more shots!
This is from Kasku who lives in Finland. A Finnish pancake, a coffee from the ubiquitous Tim Hortons when she visited here this last year, as well as a flight over Iceland and a sunset from the Elkhorn Resort in Manitoba:
And Samara sent these in (after many issues between our emails!). This is her first cutie-pie, her beautiful belly, pregnant with number 2, and one of her amazing paintings:
After trying so many times, with either her side not working or mine, Linda was finally able to send some pix through!! These are of her parents, both of whom are struggling with illness: her mother has bone marrow cancer and her father's stroke has left him with dementia (although not bedridden!). But they rally on as a close-knit family. Christmas tables and celebrations abound:
Hannah--who is travelling through Central America with her sister--managed to send us some glorious shots of their adventures. Thanks, Hannah, you brought back some great memories of our trip to Costa Rica!
Thank you, everyone!! If you send anymore photos over night or over the weekend, we'll try to get them up as soon as we have time. xo
LOL I guess you didnt get my email! anyway...check it when you can! :D
ReplyDeleteOkay...here I go...
Carolyn, LOVE the candles.
Lyndsie, LOVE THAT TATTOO!
Madge, YOU'RE SO CUTE! <3
Mary! I already told you Ella's cuteness killed me! :D
Lana, LOVE.THE.GLASS!! Awesome for some Iced Tea!
Laura, can I get one of those cookies?
Kelly from NJ, BATMAN HAT???? AWESOME!
Mary-Jo, the animals ARE ADORABLE!!
Eileen, beautiful family indeed! <3
RIGEL!! LOVE THE TATTOOO AND LOVE THE PICTURES!!
Phew!
No, Shalaka, I only got your email this morning! A few people have mentioned they couldn't get their emails through to me.
ReplyDeleteDear friends: if you don't see your photo here, I haven't received it! Maybe try again???
Yeah I think so. I thought it was my emails problem. But I got it right the second time. So guys maybe you can send it again. She'll get it that time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting my pics! Means a lot! <3 LOVE you both!
Love the art work, Shalaka...wow!
DeleteAwwww Thanks Eileen! I'm glad you liked 'em! :)
DeleteLovely pics! This will help pass for a short morning; our neighbors have roaches in their apartment building. Their 3 cats and rabbit are in our bedroom with Holly in there until this afternoon. We're taking turns. Wish I had my camera.
ReplyDelete:]
3 CATS???? AND A RABBIT!!!!?!?!?!! Can I come???? PLEASE!!! PLEASE PLEASE!!
DeleteThey're gone now :[ Have been since about 1. They had fun though :]
DeleteOhhh... but YAY for them! :D
DeleteLoved the photos everyone.
ReplyDeletei have to say barbara as you correctly pointed out it was not easy to get an e-mail through to you . i had to wait until this morning (Irish time , i would guess it was the middle of the night in canada) but i think it went through eventually ! i cut and paste the e-mail address from your post here into the relevant section of my message , then correcting it so it looked like a proper address . if you have done that try typing it in instead that is what seemed to work for me .
ReplyDeletejust want to mention if you want to see more of the picture i have taken over christmas check out my flickr page . i did'nt take as many as i did last year as the week before christmas Dad was moved from hospital into a care home .
here are a couple of sets to look at :
christmas in the grand hotel malahide: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishmanufantransportpics/sets/72157632212336925/
christmas 2012: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishmanufantransportpics/sets/72157632278752808/
any other i have sent in to get posted here so i will see what happens .
in my stupidity i forgot to add that the pictures posted here already are amazing . Carolyn not being of the Jewish faith i had never seen a menorah before . i loved the coloured candles . Mary Jo give Rudy, Miles and Otis a big pet form me and give red a peppermint ! they are so cute looking . Shalaka your artwork as always is beautiful and everyon else had added really excellent pictures .
DeleteLinda, I still haven't received them!
DeleteLinda I LOVED the pics!
DeleteLooking at these photos has put a huge grin on my face. Great idea, you gals! I'm not sure I even took a picture over Christmas other than what's on my blog, so may not be able to participate, but it has sure been a treat to peek into everyone else's lives.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are so good,thanks for posting them.
ReplyDeleteAnd if anyone wants to know,my tattoo took 2 and.half hours ,
Delete2 AND HALF HOURS??? Yikes.. It mustve been painful! But worth it!
DeleteI'm still debating on whether or not I want a tattoo. I know what I would get and where, but I'm a MAJOR wimp! lol. Are they really as bad as people say they are?
DeleteYours is beautiful, by the way. :)
Holly, to me, getting a tattoo feels like hitting your funny bone over and over. It's kind of a little shock. I laugh when I'm in pain, so I giggled a lot. I don't know if that part helps you or not. :)
DeleteLOL What Dawn said!
DeleteI absolutely love this, no better way getting to know everyone then having glimpses into their lives! Some of the photography is spectacular thank you for this Deb and Barb and everyone willing to share a piece of themselves!!
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictuures. Lana, yours made me laugh so hard.
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I still can't get the darned "reply" link to work! Anyway I just wanted to say - Well said Mary - I totally agree. Thanks Heidi - It occurred to me that I should add that the drinking in the pics were totally fake - not that I don't have a cocktail on occasion but......lol you get my point. And with 5 kids, I'm allowed right?!!! Thanks for letting us share Barbara and Deb. What a fun idea. Lots of great pics.
ReplyDeleteYou have a fantastic sense of humor! Sneaky! lol
DeleteWell, I sent 3 pictures today (finally got organized) from The Year That Was. So, I hope you get them, Barb. :)
ReplyDeleteI love all of this!
ReplyDeleteThe photos are all amazing. I keep going back and scrolling through them all again. The people, animals, decorations, families, art, and tattoos are just amazingly beautiful. I fell like I got to know you all just a bit more today :)<3
Love your hat!
DeleteThanks Dawn!! Me too. Well I love all things Batman.LOL
DeleteSo many beautiful photos! Family, friends, pets, and kids... Great pictures of everyone's lives! Thanks for sharing, everyone!
ReplyDeleteBarb, just emailed mine. I hope they go through. :)
I am so blown away at all of the beautiful photos. Love them all, love you all!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! Families, friends, pets, art, decorations, and love.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! It is really wonderful to get a snapshot look at your bloggees. How diverse we are. And how b-e-a-yoootiful! I look forward to seeing more. Just one question...when is Lana hosting a cocktail party for us?
ReplyDeleteOh, I JUST LOVE THE CHRISTMAS BUDDHA!!!
ReplyDeleteThat was taken at my inlaws. They have this lovely Buddha sitting in their living room, and they decided to toss on a Santa hat. :)
Deletebarbara could you do me a favour if you have a second . could you send a blank e-mail to irishmanufan at yahoo dot co dot uk so i can send the pictures by reply . it would be great if you could . thanks a million .
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures, everyone. Just lovely. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, for all ye that sent in tat pictures...I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I want one. I know what I would get and where. For the simple fact I'm low on $$$, my other beef is that I'm a MAJOR wimp (i.e. I have basically no pain tolerance). Are they as bad as people say they are? Just curious. :)
I have a real good tolerance for pain so my tattoos didn't hurt me at all. But since you asked here are the guidelines my tattoo artist told me before my first tattoo.
Delete- Get it somewhere with some muscle. Wrists and ankles and ribs tend to cause the most pain, with upper arms and legs hurting less.
- It wont be as bad as you think. Most people come away feeling relieved that they expected worse.
- Color hurts more than shading which in turn hurts more than just a black outline or words. So think hard about what you think you can handle.
- Start small. Obviously don't start with a huge tattoo :)
Also I've found that a good tattoo artist is sort of like a hairdresser. They make you feel comfortable and talk to you the whole time, which helps keep your mind off any pain.
Oh and do NOT take pain meds before you go, ie: asprin. These naturally thin your blood and will just make the experience worse and blody.
Leaving you with a happy note, I think it is all worth it and you will love your tattoo when its all healed up. :) Good luck
I have always wanted to get a tatoo to honor my husband. Just a little heart with Sam's name and I always chicken out. I'm a wimp when it comes to pain haha. I went to a parlor with a bunch of my friends and chickened out along with another of the girls. I have to just do it!
DeleteHolly, to me, getting a tattoo feels like hitting your funny bone over and over. It's kind of a little shock. I laugh when I'm in pain, so I giggled a lot. I don't know if that part helps you or not. :)
DeleteI guess mine were in the less painful category, as all 4 are lines. (The other two are on my other ankle, but are another autograph, and a Styx Logo that's still lines.)
Do NOT get it close to the nerve running down your leg. My Styx tattoo was fine on the S T Y, but the X got more of my attention.
Looking at a book of possibilities doesn't really tell you anything about the artist. Ask to see the tattoo artist's book of tattoos they've actually done.
If you go into a shop that has several artists, I'd feel more comfortable if they suggested a specific artist who may focus more on the style you want. Colors, black/white, newer/older, pictures/writing... Some artists have their specialties. (I watch Inkmaster on Spike. It's a competition, but I learned a lot about the artists and styles themselves.)
Oh good point Dawn. Pick an artist who they recommed based on what you are getting done. I've got both of mine in the same shop but by two different guys because of what they each do best.
DeleteOh you guys! I have just now had a chance to look at these wonderful photos you shared. Barb told me I would be awed and I am. So special that you came through. don't worry if you did not have photos to send or the time to send them. It was so great to share all your Christmas traditions and photos and stories or whatever you sent during this holiday season. ALL of you are in all of this. We thank you so much. xo
ReplyDeleteok I STILL can't get the reply button to work!!! Just wanted to say to Eileen - great idea!!!!!! haha
ReplyDeleteAnd as for diversity - LOVE IT!!! One of my fav things about living in Kitchener Ontario was the fact that there were 40 different languages represented at the kids school. THAT'S how I want my kids to grow up!
ReplyDeleteHolly -
ReplyDeleteMine is around my left ankle. I've had lots of folks tell me that an anklet is one of the most painful locations. Most of it was just a really, really annoying stinging sensation. I could handle it fine but was definitely ready for it to be over. It was just an ugh stop that sensation but not outright pain. Right over the front at the base of my shin hurt but nothing too dreadful. I've definitely hurt far worse. But, it hurt bad enough that I growled at the artist that he's sadistic. The very center back over the Achilles tendon hurt the worst! Yowch! It was a totally time to dig fingernails in and breathe through it, but, again, manageable. It hurt. Make no mistake. But, I've been hurt far worse. If he had been gonna stay in that spot for an extended period of time, I'd've had to ask for a break to drink some fluids and get my breathing under control. But, I was OK with the 10 minutes or so that he was there. Quite manageable. But, I was also quite relieved when he moved past that area. lol
Oh, there's one thing NO ONE warned me about when it came to getting my first tattoo (and, I really wish they would have!). It was the only slightly frightening part just because I was not expecting it at all, was completely unprepared. When it was finished and cleaned up and N told me to sit up and take a look before he bandaged it, I sat up and everything went dizzy and dark and I froze. N had me lay back down and told me to breathe and just kept talking to me calmly while futzing about cleaning up. All I wanted to do was go to sleep, but he kept talking so I wouldn't. I felt very irritable about that because all of me was craving falling into the darkness! lol He said the lightheadedness happens sometimes. He was totally calm about it so I was calm about it. Had he acted worried, I would've gotten scared. Nobody told me this could happen, but he said it isn't uncommon. It was very similar to the passing out sensation that can come from getting up too fast after giving blood. But, the weird part is that I didn't bleed at all during the tattoo! Just a little bit of plasma ooze.
While he was doing the tattoo, I asked him several times, "Am I bleeding?" And, he'd always said no. And, that was the truth -- no blood at all on the paper, gauze, etc. I finally told him, "But, I feel like I'm bleeding. I keep having waves of heat swirl through my body." So, I know that I was having a systemic response.
Nothing horrible. Nothing unmanageable. Just unnerving because I hadn't been warned. So, there, now you've been warned.
The biggest thing is to be ready for 3 weeks or more of aftercare so you don't ruin the new tattoo. It definitely takes some TLC and can be inconvenient at times, but it's well worth it! At least, so far! :)
I didn't warn you about it because I never got that light-headed feeling. I guess everyone reacts differently.
DeleteIMPORTANT AFTERCARE NOTE!: DO NOT USE an antibiotic cream at ALL unless it gets infected! Those creams are meant to draw the infection out, and will draw the ink out of the tattoo the exact same way. Use Vaseline or whatever they suggested.
Hey Dawn how about we get a Whose Line Tatoo together? : D
DeleteOhhh can I get one with y'all too??
DeleteI haven't decided exactly what to get. Words? That original Brit outline? Other?
DeleteOh, don't even tempt me! :)
DeleteSHALAKA -
ReplyDeleteSeriously! That pic of the woman w/the mandolin? It is as good as any of the computer generated art that's ever appeared in Hi Fructose or Juxtapose! That painting is incredible!
Have you ever seen the artwork of Ray Caesar?
Awwwwww Rigel thats a BIG COMPLIMENT! Thanks sooo much it means a lot.
DeleteRay Caeser? Nope. Lemme check him out.
Wow! He's amazing!! :D
Wonderful pictures from everyone! Really liked the art from Shalaka. You really got talent, and never forget that!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who posts a picture of food gets several thumbs up in my book! And I love the scenery pics, too!
DeleteAwww Kasku, thanks! <3
DeleteThank you Dawn! :)) You are welcome Shalaka!
DeleteJust loved everyone's pictures!! Now when I read the comments I can picture everyone, that is incredible. What a great blog! I am so glad I found it and all of you!!!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I check back there are more and more beautiful photos!!! <3
ReplyDeletegot your mail barbara , i dispatched my pictures this morning . thanks for taking the time to send your address . it is appreciated . i hope i am not too late .
ReplyDeleteeveryone else pictures are really cool . i hate singling out any one person as all the pictures are brilliant
DAWN!!! I want that GAF tshirt!!
ReplyDeleteSamara!!! Love the belly <3 :D Great pics everyone!
Great pictures, everyone! I am late to the party as usual, not having had internet the last few days. I sent some pics to Barb just now - hope you get them!
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures Hannah! :D
Delete