Artful Journeys - Week #50 "Let it Snow"

I love winter, and I love cold weather. Unfortunately, here in north Texas this is not something we get an over-abundance of to enjoy.  In fact, it was 76 degrees here on Friday, the sun was shining brightly in a beautiful, clear sky. It was more like a lovely spring day than the early onset of winter.  Weather in Texas is fickle.  Hot one day, raining the next, or we could have surprise hail, high winds, tornadoes, and yes...occasionally the rare snow fall -- but not usually until late January or early February, if at all. 

What we usually get in winter here is ICE. It rains. Temperatures plummet to below freezing overnight, sometimes as much as a 50 degree swing from the daytime.  The next morning -- disaster, but usually a holiday for everyone.  We build all our roadways here for heat -- not winter's kind of nasty precipitation.  So if it's white, hard or not, we get out in it. We play in it. We walk in it, we rejoice in the gift of winter in it's rarest and most magical form.  Roads close, schools close.  A free day is enjoyed by most everyone, because we cannot drive in it, seriously.  I'm not taking that risk.  All the Yanks that moved down here think we're crazy. They drive in it. They wreck. They go home. And play in it. 

Now I know you friends who live wayyyyy up there in the northern reaches surely have a more realistic and pragmatic approach to winter.  You can. You have the equipment to remove it, stack it, plow it, shovel it, dig out from under it. You know how to drive in it.  Nobody I know owns a snow shovel.  Who needs it?  Because by noon, any fun white stuff is usually gone and the temperatures have changed drastically.  We have mowed our lawn the week of Christmas and after that as well. 

So, if you get too much snow this winter, send us some.  But in the meantime, I'll be giggling while I'm still wearing short pants and flip flops as we open our Christmas gifts and think of you having a beautiful, white Christmas.  Keep all the hard white stuff.  Just send the fluffy, fun stuff, please.

Hopefully, you find some level of fun or inspiration with my spread this week.  I liked doing something different this year for you, and with a fun color palette.  I created the background with acrylics and vintage papers and then did an overlay with PicMonkey to finish off the spread.

Best wishes, and here's hoping all your holiday preparations are going well!

ARTY AUNTIE
~Betty