On The Wall

I've been meaning to show you guys a couple of things I got for Christmas.  I just recently got around to hang them up on the walls and I love the way they look, so why not share?? First, on the fridge, is this calendar that Santa brought.

Sure, it doesn't look like much in that picture, but let me tell you - this is better than just a regular ol' calendar.  For starters, it's a 17 month calendar so you don't have to throw it away after just a year.  It comes with a magnetic strip and a hook for easy hangup wherever you want to put it.  It has a large grid so you have plenty of room to write in things and a little pocket at the bottom where you can stick notes or a pen or whatever.  And - my favorite part - it comes with 196 stickers.  Who doesn't love stickers??  It's called a Plan-It Calendar and there's a version designed specifically for moms, so if you like to stay organized, you should check it out!

New to my dining room is this church painting done by my sister-in-law, Beth.

I picked out the picture below and asked if I could commission her to paint something similar to it for me.

Didn't she do an awesome job?!  Of course I love the version that she painted much better (it looks so much neater!), and I LOVE the way it looks hanging in my dining room.  I have several blue pieces of pottery in our hutch and the colors in the painting seem to just tie everything together.  Thanks, Beth!

And last but not least, is a picture frame collage I received from my mom.  You may remember it from my Christmas Wish List.  This took me the longest to get hung because I needed Doc's help with the anchors, and because I had to pick out and order pictures.

It's hanging in the hallway that leads to our half bath downstairs, and I love the way it looks there.  I debated between full color pictures versus black and white, and so far I'm pleased with my black and white decision.

Sorry it took me so long to share these!  I'll be back soon with another wall that I need your help with...

Productive Free Day

The week before Thanksgiving, I received an email at work announcing that, as a gift, all employees were receiving one free vacation day that could be used any time before January 14.  Some business hand out holiday bonuses; we get a free day off.  I'm not complaining, though.  It's better than nothing. I claimed this past Friday, January 14th, as my free day off and now, after enjoying my day off, I think I have finally figured out the secret to beating the winter blues:  shorter work weeks.  Thanks to the Christmas and New Years holidays, our trip to Indiana, the stomach bug that knocked me out for two and half days, and this free day off, I haven't worked a full forty hours in weeks!  (I'd add last Monday's snow day to the list except, unlike everyone else in the city, I had to go to work.  No snow day, only a delayed start.)  And thanks to Mr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I'll enjoy sleeping in again tomorrow (Monday) morning followed by another short week.  I think all this time off has really improved my mood towards the cold weather.  It really isn't as bad if I can stay snuggled up by a fire and just read all day.  Now I just have to start thinking about how I'm going to get more days off in the weeks following this one.  As long as it doesn't involve a stomach bug or someone getting hurt or sick, I'm up for anything.  Anyone got any creative ideas?

So anyway, I had a whole day off with nothing to do, but it turns out I was able to find LOTS to do!  As soon as I finally got up, the first thing I did was move almost every piece of furniture in our bedroom and living room.  I had already scheduled an appointment with Service Master so they could come clean our carpets and a rug later that day.

The floors in our room looked nice and bare by the time I finished moving everything out of the way.  Our two nightstands are full of books that we've read, and I had to drag those into the bathroom.  I wish I'd had Doc around to help cause books are heavy, y'all!

I couldn't get this chair into the bathroom so the carpet cleaner guy just had to work around it.

Downstairs in the living room, I shoved all of our couches and other furniture to the sides so he could have complete access to our rug.

Since this isn't my first go round with getting our carpets cleaned, and I know it's recommended that you don't walk on them for several hours while they dry, I thought ahead and brought down everything from upstairs that I thought I might possibly want to play with during the day.

Lap top, camera, kindle, clean laundry to fold, pictures to hang, a couple of sewing projects...I had no clue what I wanted to get into on my free day!

But before it was time for the carpet cleaning appointment, I had to get out and take my sweet baby girl Minnie to the vet.  Seeing as how it was her issues that were the cause of us needing the carpets cleaned anyway, I figured it might be time to get things checked out.  Poor thing was not very excited about being at the vet.

I left her there so they could run some tests and headed back home.  The carpet cleaner guy arrived and while he was upstairs shampooing away, I decided to tackle our hall closet.  I was sick and tired of it looking like this:

All of our coats have been hanging on dinky wire hangers that couldn't handle their weight.  They were constantly falling on the ground.  So I switched all of our coats over to wooden hangers and cleaned out and organized everything else.  I feel much better about the closet now.

By the time I finished organizing the closet, the carpet cleaner guy was finished with the carpets and was looking at the rug.  I joined him in the living room just as he started rolling it up.  "Woah, woah, woah," I said.  "What are you doing? Can't you clean it here?"  Apparently the answer to that question is no.  I listened as he talked about the different sprays and rinses and fumes and hanging to dry and deodorizing and yadda, yadda, yadda, and finally I said ok and that he could take the rug.  Totally didn't see that happening when I made the appointment.

So now we're rug-less for a few days.  I really hope it comes back soon.

After sending the carpet cleaner guy out the door with all my money, I realized I was pretty hungry.  After several texts and phone calls, I found myself sitting in a cafe with my friends Allison and Mary Elizabeth.  I just love an impromptu lunch, especially when I don't have to rush back to work!  It was a total fluke that we were all able to meet up but I'm so glad that it worked out.  Good food + good company = good day off.

Since I was out of the house, I stopped by a local hair salon to get my bushy eyebrows cleaned up a little.  I'm pleased to say they now each have their very own unique shape.  Matching eyebrows are so overrated (or at least that's what I'm telling myself).

Back at home, I surveyed the dining table full of toys and decided to tackle the sewing project.  It's one that I had put off for a long time because there was nothing fun about it.  This is how our pillow shams normally look on our bed:

When we picked out the bedding, I loved the ties on the side of the sham.  I thought it was a cute detail.  Now, though, I hate them.  Half of them have fallen out so I can't tie them and the shams are always gaping open, exposing the white pillow inside.  Last weekend I finally remembered to grab some velcro while I was at JoAnn's.  Since I had all the supplies I needed, there were no more excuses to continue putting it off.

Before going to the sewing machine, I cut off all the ties on the side.  Lots of sewing guesswork and a broken needle later, my shams were all velcro-ed up!

Perfect!  (Well, as perfect as they were gonna get with me doing the sewing.)

Doc and I both went to pick up our sweet puppy at the vet.  I thought the carpet cleaner guy ran off with all my money, but it turns out it was the vet that really cleaned me out.  My free day off was pretty expensive!  Minnie got sent home with a bag full of medicine.  She's an official pill head now.  But since she was such a good girl for the vet, I rewarded her with a new collar.

Out with the dingy green and in with the new purple polka dots!

She wouldn't sit still long enough for me to take a picture of it on her, so you'll just have to take my word when I say she's looking pretty cute.  The next time you see Minnie, be sure to compliment her on her new outfit!

We let my dad treat us to dinner since my mom was out of town.  Then, back at his house, we gave him a few minutes of help with a project he's been working on (pictures coming soon!).

We ended the day on the couch watching the most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy.  It was such a great day off...I seriously have to figure out how to get more free vacation days!

Christmas Home Tour

It's official: our halls have been decked!  Wanna see? This year, instead of a typical wreath, I wanted something for our front door that would really pop.  I found this lawn ornament at Pier One and sweet-talked Doc into turning it into a door ornament.

Isn't it cute?  I love it.  It's worth every penny I didn't want to spend on it.

Beside our front door are two planters.  The mums they held during the fall died a quick death and I suggested we buy little Christmas tree looking plants to replace them.  Doc was a little skeptical but he obliged and bought me the teeniest tiniest little trees you've ever seen before.  And I jazzed them up with some red Christmas lights.

Another new purchase I made this year was this doormat from Garnet Hill (on sale!).

Put all three of those decorations together and you get...our front entrance.

If that doesn't make you feel welcome, maybe the Christmas tree that you can see through our front windows will make you want to come in.

(While we're still outside, I should mention that if you look up, you'll see the lights on our balcony railing.)

So, anyway, come on inside!  First, you'll be greeted by these cute jingle bell trees on our cocktail table.

And if you look past the couch, you'll see the Christmas mantle.  If it's cold outside, chances are there will be a fire burning.

To the left of the mantle is the tree you saw glowing in the window.  Now, there are times when I think I'm pretty crafty, but I've gotta say, decorating a Christmas tree is not really one of my strengths.  But at least it's up!

These silvery things were a new addition to the tree this year - you put them over a light bulb so they can really shine.

As you probably noticed above, under our tree is chock full of presents!

Anyone hungry?  The dining table is set with my favorite peppermint plates.

One of my new favorite Christmas traditions is when the box arrives each year with our live bay leaf wreath from Doc's parents.  I love using it as a centerpiece on the table - the smell is divine!  It fills the Christmas-smell void that using a fake tree leaves us with.

So the bay leaf wreath is on the dining room table and it holds this clear bowl of peppermint ornaments.  You know I like things that match!

A complete view of the table setup:

If you wander into the kitchen, you'll see these cute wooden trees I made a couple of years ago.

Also in the kitchen is this wreath that has changeable themes.  After the 25th I can switch the reindeer out for a snowman.

Can't forget the hot chocolate mugs!  These are courtesy of my friend Allison.

A few weeks ago my nephew hit me up with his school fundraiser.  I ordered some paperwhite bulbs because my mom suggested them.  I had no idea how easy they would be to grow or how Christmas-y they would make my kitchen table look.  I may have started a new tradition!

Heading upstairs, you'll find these candles in the hallway.

I kept the mantle in our bedroom nice and simple...it just has these five small package ornaments on it.

Oh, it has our stockings hanging from it too.  The kids have yet to notice that our stockings are much bigger than theirs.  Shh, don't tell 'em.

On the door to our bathroom hangs this ornament, cause bathrooms need decorations too, ya know.

And, last but not least, is the Miss Winfrey tree in our bedroom.  What the heck is a Miss Winfrey tree?  Glad you asked.

My grandmother had a friend named Miss Winfrey.   She was a shorter lady, not big but not skin and bones either, and every time I saw Miss Winfrey, it looked like she might be wearing every piece of jewelry she owned.  She wasn't, of course, because Miss Winfrey had LOTS of jewelry.

In high school, I asked my mom if I could have a tree in my bedroom.  She got me a tiny tree from Wal-Mart and we bought lots of blue and silver beaded garland and ornaments and I put every last piece of shiny decoration on my tree.  I called my mom upstairs to see it and together, we stood back and took a look.  "It looks like Miss Winfrey," I told her.  And that's how the tree got her name.

Miss Winfrey followed me to college for a couple of years, and then she decorated my apartment when I lived by myself.  Now, since I couldn't bear the thought of getting rid of her, she lives in our bedroom.  This year her ornaments are red and lime green, and I love her just as much as the first time I put her up.

Well, those are our Christmas decorations this year.  All the traditional elements are there but you know what really makes the house feel Christmas-y?  Having it full of friends and family.  Come visit us - I'll serve hot chocolate and we'll sit by the fire and watch Christmas movies all night long!

Mantle Makeover

For eleven months of the year, our living room mantle looks like this:

Plain, simple, and symmetrical - just the way I like it.

But obviously, in December it can't look like that.  It needs stockings! And, in the past, I've also hung large ornaments from stocking hangers, but this year, they had to go.  I was tired of them and they really didn't hold up well in the attic.  So, after a quick lunch break at Pier One, I had two new gold Christmas trees cones to go with the stockings.

I put everything in its place and our December mantle transformed into this:

And after standing back to take a look, all I could think was, well that's boring.

I did some brainstorming and decided that maybe I needed some angel hair and ornaments.  The mantle is right next to the Christmas tree which is full of silver ornaments.  I figured a good handful of gold and silver ornaments on the mantle would help tie the Christmas tree and the Christmas cones together.

The only problem was that I was running short on time to get my house decorated, so I sent Doc to Hobby Lobby with strict instructions to get real angel hair.  I even pointed some out to him at my mom's house so he'd know what he was looking for.  When he called and said he was able to get six bags of it, I was thrilled! (I had already been to Michael's and Target and couldn't find it.)

Doc got home later in the evening and presented me with the angel hair.

Sigh...that's a bag of shredded plastic, but in his defense, it does say angel hair on the package.  So what do you do when you're less than 24 hours out from your house guests arriving? You say that's perfect! and you make it work.

I ripped into those packages and went to town spreading it out on the mantle.

Then came the fun part: adding the gold and silver ornaments.

I stood back to take another look and definitely thought it looked better, but still wasn't sure that I was satisfied.

But what else does it need?!?

Around this same time, we were facing another problem that happens every December: Christmas cards were filling up our mailbox but we had nowhere to put them.  It's the only time of the year when I don't love our non-magnetic stainless steel refrigerator.

That's when the light bulb went off and I thought, Wouldn't it be great if I could solve both of these problems at the same time?

And that's how this Christmas card clothesline idea was born.  I strung some gold ribbon on the mantle, had Doc spray paint some clothespins silver for me, and started hanging up the Christmas cards.

What do you think? Is it weird?

Tell me the truth - I can handle it.  Are the cards too much?  Should I take them down?

For now, I'm off to hang up four more that we just received.  Where do you display yours?

May 9, 2010

So what did we do on our actual anniversary?

We hopped on a plane in New York, ran to Home Depot as soon as we landed, and came home to three boxes full of Euonymous Manhattans. We ordered these for our front yard a couple of weeks ago and of course they were scheduled to arrive the day we left for New York. That's just the way our luck's been going lately.

I was eager to get them planted before the rain came the next day so I sweet talked my yard boy into doing a little work that afternoon.

First he had to dig up the existing shrubs so he could have a clean slate.

After fertilizing the soil, he grabbed the new plants and placed them where he wanted them.

Our neighbor, Will, came out to do a little yardwork too. He borrowed our clippers to cut some things behind the trees that grow beside his house and found what might be the largest weed ever. He's lived in the house for 8 years and said that's probably how long it's been growing!

I'm just glad it wasn't in our yard!

While I watched my handsome yard boy hard at work, out of the corner of my eye I saw something very small move very quickly across our front porch. From all the gasps that came out of me, I think Doc thought I was having a heart attack or something. My eyes finally caught up to what was moving so quickly and I realized it was not a snake. Thank goodness! Instead, it was this little guy.

Still not really what I want hanging out on my front porch, but lizards are better than snakes, right? (That photo above shows how good the zoom on my lens is because you know I wasn't actually that close to it!)

About four hours after landing from New York, Doc had our new shrubs all planted and mulched.  We hope that they'll double in size soon. Ready, set, grow!

I rewarded my yard boy with cupcakes. I had ordered a batch from the caterer that did our wedding as a surprise for him. When I found out we were going to New York I had to ask my dad if he could pick them up for us. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind helping eat them since we were out of town.

And then later that night we finally had a piece of the top layer of our wedding cake.

My mom must have done a great job wrapping it up after the wedding because a year later, it was still pretty tasty!