Sunday, December 28, 2008
Family time
Today Jenny is fixing a huge dinner. Her mom is coming over too. Ryan is off today and tomorrow so we can enjoy his company too.
Sean is so fun to be with and I'm having a ball with him.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Eve
cube a loaf of Pepperidge FArm raisen bread and put it in the cake pan, Add dried cranberries or raisens (1/4 cup). Mix 3 cups half and half with 6 beaten eggs and 2 t vanilla. Pour over. Let sit overnight. BAke in morning for 45 min at 3 50 degrees. Add cinnamon and butter. Serve with syrup.
Not only were all the above ingredients in the gift but also a spatula and two oven mitts. How thoughtful was that! What a clever girl!
We attended the Christmas eve service at Chris' church which was just wonderful and really gave the true meaning of Christmas. Then we came home and ate our Christmas dinner since the boys need to go to their mother's on Christmas day. NExt we watched Mamma Mia.
Dan played the new songs that he had learned on the piano for me. HE can play Scott Joplin's rags with a quick tempo and great enthusiasm. He also told me he received an award at the assembly for having high honors. He was the only senior boy to receive that award. I'm so proud of him.
Scott and I went shopping and picked out presents for his dad, mom and brother. He's a lot of fun to shop with.
Monday, December 22, 2008
have a merry Christmas
It's finally here...Christmas week. It's been a busy season full of shopping and baking and traveling. My wish for you and yours is to enjoy the holiday to its fullest and appreciate all the gifts you are given that you can't find under the tree....family, friends, love, generosity, warmth, contentment, happiness, fulfillment, and the knowledge that the relationships you have around you are a result of the kind of person that you are. To all my friends...merry Christmas!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Christmas Dinner with my friends
Last night my friends, Yrsa, Kay, and Tom came for dinner. There is nothing I love more in the world than setting a pretty table and entertaining. When I was at Fredericksburg we went into the Goodwill where I spotted a large bag of black and white checked fabric. There was no price on it, but since it seemed like a lot of fabric I knew I could make a tablecloth out of it for my cherry table. When I checked out and the clerk said "The fabric is a dollar a bag," I could have shouted for joy. I must have been meant to have it since it was the exact, I repeat, exact size to cover my large table. I had been looking for new dishes because when I have ten people over I have to mix and match. So at the Dollar Tree I spied these wonderful white plates with black flowered rims. Just the thing for my table. I added the charger beneath and my Fitz and Floyd Christmas plates on the top. It made a beautiful table with the candles, crystal, and presents. I surprised Kay with a flameless candle since she had a small incident with a real one. For Yrsa there was marzipan, her very favorite confection. Each of the girls got bath salts, Cd of Christmas music and a chocolate covered pretzel that I made. for Tom it was cologne and a flashlight. As we ate I surprised them with a paper under their plate which had a toast written on it. Throughout the night each one of us toasted to friendship and good times. We began and ended the night with cocktails in front of the fire and good conversation. I am lucky to have good lifelong friends.
ikk
Thursday, December 18, 2008
MORE HOUSE TOUR PICTURES
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
FREDERICKSBURG TOUR OF HOMES
This chair reflected the decor of the beautiful home which added an Italian villa addition to the rear of their home.
Monday, December 15, 2008
INSPIRED
Inspired...that's what I was after seeing all the beautiful decorations on the house tour on Saturday. After a trip to Michael's and Joann Fabric I was ready to completely redo my kitchen's Christmas decor. I bought a small tree and tons of ornatmentation...balls, pinecone garland, beaded garland, birds, berries, feathers and ribbon. Today I decorated it and put it in the corner by my phone. I also brought a small tree into the corner by the window and added decoration to it too. I hung three large balls from my chandelier. I put garland across the window curtain rods and above my sink. I love the way everything looks with my new paint color. (the walls really aren't that orangy. I can't get a good photo of the color)
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
JUST ONCE...THE WHOLE HOUSE CLEANED!
I know, I know...a tiny space and way too much *stuff* but I love it all. It is, what I like to call, my *controlled clutter* . It is my version of an American style English cottage. I have decided to just embrace my inner *clutterer* and *cozyupper* and enjoy it. I am what I am. And, as to my space being small, to paraphrase designer Kitty Bartholomew, "It isn't what you have, it's what you DO with what you have." I chose small, I chose cozy, I chose clutter. Now, how about we choose some lovely chocolate chip scones....can I get you a cuppa?
I loved this quote..it is so me. My new year's resolution is to not be organized...because it will never happen. Sure, I can get one place organized (say the kitchen). Every drawer and cupboard can have everything in its place. It just won't stay that way. I'm resigned to knowing that I don't always put everything right back in the exact way it is supposed to be. I dash around quickly and things get approximately where they are to be..it gets in the right drawer, just not in a neat way. I read once where my problem is follow through. I don't take the extra effort to complete putting things away. The laundry basket gets to the bedroom, the clothes get hung on hangers but not put into the closet, the magazines get put in piles..you get the picture. So instead my new year's resolution is to follow through. ( OR JUST ACCEPT THAT I'M A CLUTTERBUG!)
Sunday, December 07, 2008
BRRR....
y
Saturday, December 06, 2008
A TIME FOR FAMILY
Chris was absolutely excellent with the baby. Here he got the keyboard out which absolutely fascinated Sean.
Dan is at the age, 17, where he spends a lot of time on the computer and cell phone texting his friends.
This isn't a good shot of Sean...he was so tired when they left on Monday. He made the trip pretty well considering he was in the car seat for 12 hours.
All together....nothing made me happier than this past Thanksgiving! All of my family was together. My family ties are very strong thanks to my dear mother who always insisted on keeping the family together. She was the one who made the annual trip to her southern family in Georgia each year in July to visit with all her sisters and brothers. I remember going to all my different aunts and uncles to play with my cousins while my mom and dad visited. She was the one who kept in touch with all my father's family by always calling when she was in town and making it a point to see everyone. By example she taught me the importance of family. I missed her and my father at our gathering but they were in my thoughts.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Isn't it funny how the Christmas spirit just wells up and smacks you in the face? One day you are all bah-humbug, oh, here it comes again..blah, blah, blah. And then this overwhelming feeling of generosity and love sneaks right into your psyche and you find yourself making Christmas lists and shopping like there's no tomorrow. You search for just the right presents that will give someone a real surprise on Christmas morn and find yourself humming Christmas carols and smiling when you see the colored lights. The decorations come out from the attic and your old rooms take on a brand new look. And then you are smiling for no reason. Yep, the spirit has got me good! I'm off to Buffalo shopping.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
Whew! What a holiday!
Today I took a day off. We got up at five when the baby woke up and Ryan and Jenny started packing for home. They got on the road at seven and luckily the temperature was 36 and the roads were just wet instead of slippery. It was a long road home for them I'm sure...12 hours with a baby in the car seat.
I sure enjoyed entertaining ...besides the turkey dinner Thursday I had company on Saturday for coffee and lunch for the family on sunday. THe house sure seems quiet now. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. Too tired today.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL, BUT THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...only not until my kids all get home for Thanksgiving. Bradford had a lot of snow on the ground to begin with, but this latest snow really came down fast and deep. Just as Don was getting the snowblower out our former neighbor came by with his plow and did the driveway for us. It didn't deter me from going out first thing in the morning and having coffee with my friends.