Merry Christmas from Napa.

Christmas Day fun!

Makin' cookies

With Grandma Sue.

Donuts and dreams.

I think I might suffer from some kind of identity crisis. Everyone else’s lives always seem far more interesting than my own.

I was at a breakfast at Boon Fly Café the other day with a colleague. This is not an everyday outing for me. I’m lucky to eat a hot breakfast any day of the week, and a restaurant meal is always a treat. Plus, it is a known fact in Momland that food made and served by someone else always tastes better. Anyway, as we were about to bite into the Boon Fly’s famous cinnamon sugar donuts, served hot from the fryer, a youngish couple without children came into the restaurant.

For more Surrendering... click here.

Grandma and Ava

At the Boon Fly Cafe. Yes, we had the donuts!

Best damn lasagna ever!

From Genova deli.

Sweet treats

My Spanish class with the senior citizens rocks! Check out the treats
one of our students brought today!

I Spy quilt

A quilting friend of mine made the most amazing quilt for her grandson. It's an I Spy quilt -- each piece has a different image inside it. No two are alike. I think it took her over a year to complete. What a treasure.

Christmas birthday greetings

Happy December birthday Marsha!

Face the facts Missy!

Reporters at our newspaper have had the distinction of being the target of scathing and frequently bigoted postcards from an infamous local letter writer.
Collections of her plain white postcards, scrawled by hand, and without return address, have been taped to computer monitors throughout the newsroom as a dubious badge of... honor.
I had not had the pleasure of receiving such a missive, but secretly always wished I would. Today, my wish came true. I will treasure this forever.
(Letter below. Original story link here.)

Jennifer Huffman:
“If you want to humor a mentally deranged woman having a love affair with her dog, that’s between you & them but, please don’t hold up crazies as a “cute” human interest story. Napa has already gone to the dogs with most of its population fixated on four-legged animals who now have the distinction of being passionate lovers of their owners & vice-versa. It’s craziness parading around in the owners’ own fantasies. These fantasies have materialized into brazen public displays of passion & adoration between mentally confused owners & their bewildered, overfed dogs, majestically pooping in our front yards & in the messy homes where they are adored by sick people. Face the facts, missy!”

Pam Reid

A Fairy Tale.

We have a fairy in the house. You know, fairies — those tiny woodland creatures that traditionally wear cute little fairy clothes, have iridescent wings and usually travel with some kind of sparkling wand.

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Think about it!

Say Cheese!

Ava gets her school photo taken.

Sweet 15.

Hope invited Annabelle and several of her elementary school friends to be part of her Honor Court at her Quinceanera. For more than three months the girls practiced a traditional waltz and a traditional hip hop dance (ha ha) to present at the party.

The day started with a Mass followed by a dinner for more than 150 friends and family. Congratulations Hope!

Cool girl

A Tall Tale

The other day as I hugged my teenager something didn’t seem quite right.

Hmm. I stood back and looked her over. Same eyes, same hair, same girl smell. So what was it?

Then it dawned on me. She’s almost as tall as I am. As I hugged her, I felt like I could be wrapping my arms around another grownup, not my first-born child.

When did we start seeing eye to eye — literally?
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The Hot Zone.

It started last week. One Huffman daughter wasn’t doing so great. She was hot. She was cranky. Her back hurt.

I don’t feel good, she said as she flopped on the couch.
I figured with an early dismissal the next day, it was best she just stay home from school. Take it easy, I told her.

At the same time, a bad feeling started to come over me.

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I have the funnest job!

I spent 2 hours today taking pictures of local kids for our Halloween feature. Fun!

Happy Halloween 2009!

Treats for work.

Glitter edged cupcake toppers punched from Spellbound paper. A little
glitter may have fallen on the frosting--don't tell anyone.

Three fingered cupcake

Found at the paper.

iPhone app test

This is a test of a new iPhone app I just got.

Two lovers, one accident, and a NY Post story.

Last week I wrote a story about high school sweethearts reunited after 50 years apart. After the story ran in the Register, the New York Post picked it up and ran their own story, using us as the source (image below). They also used our photos from the wedding.

Here's my original story:
(Napa Valley Register, Oct. 18, 2009)

Two lovers, one accident
By JENNIFER HUFFMAN
Register Business Writer

It took 50 years for Diane Harris and Rodney Day to get their happy ending.

Teenagers in the late 50s, Harris and Day were in love. Steady beaus for more than a year, Harris wore Day’s Napa High School class ring on a chain around her neck. At the end of Day’s senior year, he left to join the Navy.
For more click here...

All dressed up.

October means one thing at our house: The Huffman Halloween Costume Factory is open for business.

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Skull pin

A skull pin I made with a vintage flower pin, feathers, tulle, ribbon and mini spider.

Halloween and long lost love

Here's the front counter at the paper. Check out the glowing pumpkin. The rack card promotes a Sunday package I wrote about a couple that were reunited after 50 years and recently married. Here is the link.

Kathy's veil.

Kathy's bridal veil. Love it.

Kathy and Jose.

Kathy and Jose, Oct 3, 2009.
During Kathy and Jose's reception we had a mini class reunion. There were no drunken phone calls made, but we did spill at least four glasses of champagne. Cheers to us all!

Cherie, Derik and Miles.

Cherie, Derik and Miles.

Joelle, Chad and Amy.

Joelle, Chad and Amy.

Stephanie and her husband...

Stephanie and her husband...

Mickey in Fall.

Aren't these the perfect Fall Halloween/Disney colors?

Barbie view-master

How cool is this? A friend gave me this view-master pack from 1973. My
generation of Barbie, for sure. It even comes with a mini storybook
inside.

Pirates!

Here's a pirate skull I made for a friend at work. Argghhhhh!!!!

Do a little dance.

The first time I chaperoned a middle school dance, I’m not sure who was more nervous, me or the 11-year-olds.

These kids were barely out of single digits but I was suspicious of them, particularly the boys. These strange boys want to dance. With our daughters. Oh, the nerve.

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Barbie in Prague!

Big thanks to my friend Pierce, who brought me back these postcards from a Barbie exhibition in Prague. The museum that hosted the show is located in the Count's Chambers of the Prague Castle and the toys are part of the family collection of Ivan Steiger, film maker and cartoonist. Thank you LPC!!!

Cute card.

A friend bought this at Halloween and Vine. Pin or hairclip?

Coffin art

Finally finished this coffin for my Halloween display. Annabelle cut a
skull in half so I could hot glue it on. I used a Jolies first
communion crosse on the top. Rubbed silver ink on edges for aged effect.

More modge podge

Side view of cigar box project. A local cigar store sells boxes for $5.

Modge podge project

Covered this old cigar box with modge podge and trinkets. It's a
wedding gift for two friends.

More Halloween at work.

Only 32 days till Halloween! Time to decorate!