Another day – another GIVEAWAY! Today is Day 5 of Christmas Giveaway Week, and just look at the special prize package I’ve put together for you. It includes a set of QoR High Chroma tube watercolors plus a Kilimanjaro watercolor journal.
The Kilimanjaro Travel Watercolor Journal contains 25 sheets of cold-press 100% cotton rag paper in a spiral binding. The paper is a natural white color, and it handles watercolor beautifully. I’ve used this type of sketchbook for several of my travel journals, and I love having high-quality real watercolor paper for my sketches.
To enter the drawing today, simply leave a comment here on the Everyday Artist blog. Just for fun, in your comment…
Tell us about the most unusual place you ever spent Christmas.
Today’s prize includes :
- A QoR High-Chroma set of six watercolor tubes. (Donated by QoR Modern Watercolors, value: $38.49)
- A 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ Kilimanjaro Black Travel Watercolor Journal (Donated by Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, value: $18.99)
Giveaway rules:
- The Everyday Artist Christmas Giveaway week starts December 16 and ends December 22, 2020.
- To enter the drawing each day, leave a comment on that day’s giveaway post. It can be a simple “Please enter me in the giveaway” or (preferred) answer the question of the day with a personal comment.
- Please include your name in your comment, so I can be sure to identify the winning entrant. (First name and last initial is okay.)
- NOTE: All comments must be approved before they are published, so there may be a delay between the time you write/post a comment and it shows up here.
- One entry per person for each daily giveaway.
- US addresses only.
- Winning name will be drawn at the end of each day using a random number generator.
- All winners will be announced at the end of Giveaway Week.
- For more detailed rules, click here.
72 Comments
It may not sound very unusual to some people, but one year we spent the Holidays in Hawaii…..It was gorgeous of course, but it’s so strange to see the Hotels and shops decorated with trees and “snow”, and even some Hawaiian dancers with Santa hats and elf suits. We had a delicious special luau dinner and all was very lovely.
Here it is, very early Sunday morning, and I’m just getting to this weeks email to find the “gift” of your newsletter. I’m excited to read of the online classes coming soon!
Where was my most unusual Christmas spent? I was ten years old and my parents took our family to Southern California. We drove from Portland, Oregon to Anaheim, California. There were six of us in the car and that was a long drive! When we arrived at our motel it was Christmas Eve and the area was socked in with fog. Zero visibility. The only place to eat dinner was a bowling alley! On Christmas Day we visited Knott's Berry farm for their famous chicken dinner. When we entered the restaurant we recognized my aunt and uncle who were also from Portland. We had no idea they would be there! It was the best time! Julene T.
That's crazy! What are the chances???
No unusual places for me. My Christmases have always been spent at home.
~ Lisa Y
I went on a Road Scholar trip to Charleston South Carolina. It was a wonderful experience of southern food, music and and Christmas lights. It makes me smile to think I had the opportunity to go and specimen with such love people. Miss traveling so much
This was not unusual, but we spent Christmas in Hiroshima Japan. At that time, the Japanese did not observe Christmas as a holiday, so Dec 25 was just a usual work day. We managed to bring in a few American customs and decorations, but the Japanese were gearing up for end-of-year festivities, as their big event was the New Year.
One year we spent Christmas on a Caribbean cruise. The ship was beautifully decorated and each port we stopped at was also so festive. It was so magical. Going on a trip at Christmas was our present to us.
My actual 'place' isn't unusual but everything combined made it so – my family pulls out the silver and crystal, dresses up for Christmas dinner and serves top-notch cuisine. We decorate the house, put lights everywhere and light pine scented candles. When I was engaged to my ex-husband, we drove to his parents house for the holidays. I was dressed to the nine's with champagne, flowers and perfectly wrapped gifts to bring. When we arrived, I thought we were at the wrong house. Then when entering the non-decorated house I thought for sure something was amiss. Turns out, no, it's just how they do things. My future in-laws were in pj's with moose slippers, heated up frozen food, and handed each other unwrapped gifts that came in the store bag, so we received gifts with best buy bags, grocery bags and more. The walls were empty and the rooms dark. It's just how they lived. After Christmas dinner, they throw nuts at each other to celebrate boxing day. That Christmas, I ended up drinking almost an entire bottle of wine. Sigh.
How awkward for you! And disappointing. Imagine growing up in that household.
As snowbirds we are far from our family in Montana at Christmas. Our new tradition has been to prepare a one dish meal of tamale pie (tamales are traditional holiday fare in the southwest), and transport it to a special destination. Last year we dined on a picnic table on the Buenos Aires Nature Preserve overlooking Baboquivari, the sacred mountain of the Tohono O'odham Nation. It was lovely
Sounds wonderful! New traditions are good – we have to change with the times, like this year.
One winter holiday, many, many years ago, my husband and I went hiking in Arches National Park near Moab, UT. We were the only guests staying in our motel. On Christmas day we looked for a restaurant, but alas, they were all closed. Such disappointment, and hunger, until we found a Chinese restaurant that was open. We always laugh when we see the same scenario in the movie "A Christmas Story".
Oh what a normal life I have led. Christmas has always been the same…noisy laughter, good food, family and friends. This year will be a lonely one, as I am sure it will be for many, but let's toast to a happier 2021. Thanks for these giveaways and the questions you have posed. It has been fun to reminisce about all that is wonderful about Christmas.
I've enjoyed it, too. It speaks to me of the universality of our experiences, our love of family, and our longing to be together. We're not so different after all, are we?
One Christmas, after we became “empty nesters”, we celebrated early with the family and took off for Hawaii, just the two of us. It was a special, and very different holiday.
I don't have an unusual story to tell…so the question got me thinking about what I might like to do, for a unique Christmas, in the future? Here's the answer: to watch the Aurora Borealis from one of those glass domed hotel room, in a country where real reindeer roam…a girl can dream!
Keep on dreamin', Karen! It's all we have right now. 🙂 Man, are we going to have fun when this is over, though!
The most unusual spot I spent Christmas was in West Africa. Totally different life style.
St. Petersburg, South Africa!
We’ve always spent Christmas with my husband’s parents and I would say this year is unusual in that we are spending Christmas home alone. But we are thankful they are safe and healthy and will gather with them online.
Barbara Lowe – Spent Christmas 1967 skiing in the Austrian alps and church on Christmas eve everyone's skis on the side of the church, it was just such a beautiful place to spend the holiday.
That sounds magical!
I've always been home for Christmas, but we often had to celebrate on a different day because of my husband's travel/work schedule. The celebration day was always fun, even if we were out of sync with everyone else.
Unfortunately, no unusual places for Christmas but the warmth and comfort of home. Donna M
We didn't spend the entire day at the beach; just a few hours before dinner at my father's house. I took my kids and their new tonka trucks to play in the sand. We had made it on time for dinner, sand and all.
I’ve been blessed that I’ve always been at home!
Have always spent Xmas at home in Ohio. Jeanne B
One Christmas Day was spent on a 10 hour trip, driving home from Missouri, where we had gathered with family for an early before-Christmas celebration. Our Christmas Dinner that year was slices of pizza from a gas station, as there were very few places open on Christmas!
But even at the time you were probably thinking, "Man, we're never going to forget this Christmas!" We'll do just about anything to be with family for the holidays. We drove through blizzards to get to my parents' farm some years. They lived at the top of a mountain in West Virginia, and their driveway was treacherous – 6/10ths of a mile almost straight up the mountain. Made us really appreciate it when we finally arrived!
I'll add my two cents: When I was in elementary school, we spent three Christmases in Germany, far from family, because my father was stationed there with the Air Force. As an adult, we've always either been at my parents' farm in WV or at home in PA.
Yosemite! Snowed in. Magical.
Oddly enough, the most unusual place I’ve ever spend Christmas, as an adult, is at home. My husband and I have been married 39 years, and this will be the very first Christmas we’ll be home. We’ve always been the ones to do the traveling. It feels both weird and joyously peaceful. Thank you for this giveaway opportunity, Leslie. I’ve been wanting to try the QoR paints.
I’ve never spent Christmas anyplace except home.
Chuck G here…I am fortunate to have spent every Christmas at my home. Even when I was in the Navy I was able to go home.
We spent one Christmas Eve with my then husband's family in Bakersfield Ca. We must have left for home Christmas Day, as I remembered we wanted to stop along the way back home to Marin County to dine or when we could not find any dining open then perhaps a grocery store. Of course not, how silly of us to think anything would be open. With 4 small children hungry I do remember frozen food but since that was years ago not sure where we found it, p
robably at a mini mart.
doing it again .there was an error? Joan LeBel you probably got ht first one.Thanks Leslie
Sorry you're still having trouble, but this one came through, and you're in!
Darn-Blogger.com keeps refusing to connect, but trying again…
The only unusual place I can remember ever spending Christmas was the year when I was right out of high school that I went with a school friend to visit his parents, who lived quite a distance away, for Christmas. It was a lovely day and his family, which I had not previously met, treated me as if I was family!
I entered but somehow it’s not here. We have just traditional Christmases. We have been fortunate to be with our family at our house and now at my sons.
I’ve always been home for Christmas.
I've worked in retail my entire life so Christmas Day has always been short and sweet. The days leading up to Christmas in the stores have been such fun though as we don Ugly Sweaters, wear silly hats, and generally create Christmas for our work family. I'm also lucky enough to have a family that does the cooking–I just show up with dessert and funny stories.
When I was young, my parents didn’t celebrate Christmas. So I have a vivid memory of them painting the house one Christmas Day and feeling so sad. Now I am a Christmas lover and my tree goes up the day after Halloween if possible.
The only Christmas I can remember not being at home was my junior year of college. I was teaching skiing at Beech mountain and they needed staff over the holidays and were paying extra. I shared an apartment with 3 other ski instructors, all guys that I knew from ski team. They were slobs to live with for two weeks! They found a little Charlie Brown tree and decorated it with beer cans to surprise me! I laughed and laughed. It was the craziest Christmas ever! I was glad to get home for a short break and the normalcy and love of my family soon after. ⛷
Crazy college days! You really should have a beer can ornament on your tree every year, just for old time's sake. 🙂
Please enter me in the giveaway
Miriam M
We're kinda boring in the wild holiday adventure category. One year was at the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, another at the Smoky Mountains. Nothing to unusual… yet. 😎
My strangest Christmas was spent was camping in Key West Florida. It didn’t feel like winter at all!
We soent the Christmas of 1972 in Guayaquil Ecuador where we were Peace Corps volunteers. We were so far from home and I was a bit homesick and suffering from the oppressive heat and humidity, but we managed a little tree made from dome branches that we cut from a tropical tree and decorated we decorated it with straw ornaments from an Ecuadorean village. It was a simple but memorable Christmas. Linda C.
We were stationed in Iceland for two Christmas seasons. Seeing the Northern lights was fantastic. We also learned of the wonderful Icelandic traditions.
One Christmas we thought the kids were not coming home so we scheduled a trip to Cozemel, flying out Christmas night. Of course, they both changed their minds and came home but had to drive us to the airport!
Home! Always.
Mary D.
Denise L
After getting married, my husband and I spent our first Christmas together in Alabama. That my not be very unusual, but after growing up in Rhode Island, it was a very unusual feeling to be celebrating in 70 degree weather, with no snow!
Ghandia Spain … My husband did contract work for a lovely Spanish lady on Mercer island, Washington. Over the years we got to know her and she kept insisting that we should go to Spain and enjoy her empty condominium. Had dinner one evening she put the keys on our dining room table and insisted we go. It was off season there so we pretty much enjoyed being with the locals. Her condo had views of the Mediterranean and a block to be able to walk the beach. It was exciting even more so when a large number of men appeared on the beach on New year's Day stripped off their clothes and ran into the icy water.🤭
Some sort of tradition. A shocking but exciting start to a new year.
I too, have led a normal life, but one Christmas stands out to me. When I was a little girl, one unusual Christmas, my parents didn't have a lot of money and they didn't want to spend it on a Christmas tree. Instead, my mother found a large tumbleweed, brought it home, spray painted it white, added some glitter and proceeded to hang it from the ceiling with a pretty ribbon, placing our gifts underneath. Certainly a Christmas to remember!
Hi. My name is Liz S. I live in Dallas and love watercolor and Christmas. Before I discovered my love for painting I experienced a Christmas anticipating a major life event. In 2016 I had a large aneurysm on my aorta that needed repair and the surgery was 2 days after Christmas. I wasn’t nervous but that particular Christmas will always remind me how thankful I was for great doctors and nurses, successful healing and for holidays that don’t involve preparing for major operations. 😊
One Christmas when our kids were very young we headed out for Grandma's house. As we were traveling the weather continued to get worse. It got so bad that we decided we had better turn around and head home, we were slipping off the roads. We were kind of in the middle of nowhere but we happened to see a sign for a restaurant so we got off of interstate. WE ended up at a Waffle House and it was a very friendly place and we all got some good food and good cheer and headed back home and safe. We were so grateful for the wonderful workers that day who made our time with them seem special and it helped us calm down to make the traffic nightmare home again. ~Ginny K.~
It wasn't unusual for my husband and I, since we are both RNs, but a majority of our Christmases were spent working at the hospital in the last 40 years. We would try to alternate our call schedules so at least one of us would be home with our children. We would celebrate on a day when we could all be together as well as Christmas. It was a challenge, but we reminded ourselves that our patients didn't choose to be ill or injured. Caring for others was the career that we had chosen, no matter what the calendar or clock said.
Every year for the 50 years that I’ve been with my husband, we travel to Southern California to spend Xmas with his family. The only year we missed was when my whole family was sick with the flu. A day after Xmas, his sister passed away after a long bout of cancer. This will be only the second time in all those years that we won’t be traveling to spend Xmas with his family. Fortunately, no one is sick but we do want to keep it that way so we can hopefully see our new grand baby who is due in January.
In Japan during father’s deployment…
Perhaps not so unusual but certainly a first for my family was our trip to a mountain top visit in Arkansas. Coming from South Louisiana were snow is rare, we had a ball in the cold snowy conditions. Many snowball fights, sledging rides and finally enjoying hot chocolate in front of a large roaring fireplace. This memory is still talked about at every family gathering.
Last year, my family and I were in Cambodia on Christmas day. It was a sunny, hot day…not at all weather we are used to for Christmas. There were no Christmas tress, decorations, music, etc. as you can imagine. Our group decided to take a ride on an ox cart through the villages on Christmas morning. We will never forget that Christmas day!
I'm looking at these comments and so many people have been in unusual places on Christmas. My Christmas has always been my home, Rick's or one of the kids — and none of those spots are unusual. Perhaps the most unusual Christmas was the one where most of our neighborhood was out of power for 10 days due to an ice storm and Oldest Kid checked himself into the psych hospital and could receive no calls. I was the only one of our circle with power so there was a stream of people in and out to warm up and charge phones and devices. It's the one I won't forget.
no strange place have always been w/my family; my husbands family now our daughters family. Do enter me in the drawing janice fleetwood-bean
I've lived all over the country while I worked as a travel anesthesia provider, and usually was on call on Christmas. My favorite place was when I lived in Hawaii for several years. How odd to go surfing on Christmas Day – but so very fun! I'd love to win one of the wonderful prizes you're offering! Mele Kalikimaka!!
Gloria, Gloria makes my heart sing❤️❤️
The most unusual place I have ever spent Christmas was Florida. My entire life I have always spent Christmas in NY or NJ but in 1987 I was in Florida.
As a child we lived for one year in Athens Georgia as my father was finishing a masters degree. Our family was invited by a couple we knew who were the grounds keepers of a large plantation. The owners had a large party for all the workers, servants and staff who ran everything and for their children. As we were guest of the head grounds keeper we were allow to attend as well. The Lady of the house had made and gave each of us children a sock monkey (remember those?) and a bag of goodies. It was held in a large beautiful room lavishly decorated.. The grounds keepers home though not as large and grand was also beautiful! Thank you for the give away!
Thank you so much for sharing all your stories! I've so enjoyed reading them.
Perhaps not so unusual but certainly a first for my family was our trip to a mountain top visit in Arkansas. Coming from South Louisiana were snow is rare, we had a ball in the cold snowy conditions. Many snowball fights, sledging rides and finally enjoying hot chocolate in front of a large roaring fireplace. This memory is still talked about at every family gathering.
oooh, I had the blessing of getting a smidgen sample of several QOR watercolors a few years ago and they are beautiful! cheers from Sandy 🙂 xox
Probably sitting on the stairs, amidst a pile of winter coats and hats and scarves and gloves, at a potluck dinner get-together at a friends' house. Perhaps the place wasn't unusual, but the conversation was. None of those present could be with their families, and I was talking with 3 girls, newly sober and unable to be with their kids, who wondered at this generous and kind bunch of 'strangers', all willing to show them kindness and love. Glad to be able to share the time with them. We were going thru a basket of painted beach stones, each with a message of hope. Barely got home, thanks to the blizzard raging outside; but felt warm and at peace.
I spent a Christmas in Las Vegas. Nothing unusual about that, but I always like to spend Christmas with my family at home.