Oprah, have you lost touch?

Don't get me wrong..I LOVE Oprah. I've been a fan since the beginning and I love her honesty and wisdom. The new issue of the Oprah magazine came in the mail yesterday. I always look forward to reading it cover to over. Her big thing in the December issue is always her favorite things. As I looked through them I realized something...I can't afford any of them. 

  Like this cake..

Beautiful but $79? Really, Oprah? 

Shower gel and body wash are always good go to presents...but shower gel at $75 and body milk at $95?  Am I the only one who thinks this is a little crazy?

And on and on it went...tshirts, only $136 for four......nail polish..8 for $85 ....$220 for a pair of earrings. As I turned page after page I realized that I must be poor. My pocketbook doesn't allow for these extravagances. Maybe I need to win them from Oprah because that's the only way I'll see any of this stuff in my house. Or if you whisper in Santa's ear. 

Company for tea

Our friends Aline and Jerry came for a visit on Sunday. We had good conversations and more than a few laughs. The table was set for tea and we enjoyed cranberry orange nut cake. 

A little tea by the fire

My little round table and iron chairs that I brought home from North Carolina spend all summer out on my breezeway but in the winter come in where it's warm and sit by the fire. It's a perfect spot to sit and read my magazines. I keep all my old issues of Victoria, Southern Lady, Tea Time, La Vie Claire, and special holiday editions and bring them out every Christmas to give me ideas. And I've been all over the Internet looking at the decorated Christmas rooms that are already starting to appear. I'm restraining myself until after Thanksgiving. 

Moss initial

I've seen moss covered initials all over used in decorating and have been eyeballing one in the Ballard catalog for quite a while. But I decided to make my own. It wasn't that hard..just buy a large thick initial at Joanne Fabric and cover it with sheet moss I love the way it turned out. 

They have been used many ways. Sometimes they are used for wedding decor. 

Normal days

Don't you love just normal days?  Every day doesn't have to be special. Sure we love the excitement of visitors and doing new things but a quiet, normal everyday day is so welcome too. It's a chance to maybe catch up on household chores or catch up on reading. It allows the freedom to have your own time. Enjoy a normal day.  This quote is borrowed from Kim Klassen's blog. She is going through really not normal days as she journeys with her husband through his cancer. Say a quick prayer for John. 

Something new, something blue

Getting ready for cold weather always involves bring out the winter coats, scarves, mittens, boots etc.  dressing for winter here is an affair. But this winter I will be happy to don my new winter coat. It's a cheery royal blue which will stand out against the white snowflakes. I also bought a multicolored infinity scarf to wear with it.  Now the search is on for a pink angora beret.  

A few more snow quotes and then I'm done

Snow thoughts

I have snow on my mind today. It has come, like it always does to cover the ground chasing everyone inside with colder temperatures. So today I leave you with some snow quotes. 

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?

“It's very ugly' I said generously. 'But it looks as though it would laugh at snow. And, if you hit a deer it would hiccup, and keep going.” 

― 

“I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas: It brings people together while time stands still. Cozy couples lazily meandered the streets and children trudged sleds and chased snowballs. No one seemed to be in a rush to experience anything other than the glory of the day, with each other, whenever and however it happened” 

― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” 

― Carl Reiner

“She went to the window. A fine sheen of sugary frost covered everything in sight, and white smoke rose from chimneys in the valley below the resort town. The window opened to a rush of sharp early November air that would have the town in a flurry of activity, anticipating the tourists the colder weather always brought to the high mountains of North Carolina. 

She stuck her head out and took a deep breath. If she could eat the cold air, she would. She thought cold snaps were like cookies, like gingersnaps. In her mind they were made with white chocolate chunks and had a cool, brittle vanilla frosting. They melted like snow in her mouth, turning creamy and warm.” 

― Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen

tags: cold, freezing, snow, weather, winter

78 likes

Ctags: car, deer, snow

99 likes

Let your little light shine

Are you a candle kind of gal?  As the days grow darker there is nothing better than the little glow of a candle to make your spirits rise. Maybe it harkens back to the cave women huddling over the fire but I really enjoy watching a flickering flame. There are so many candle scents to choose from but I dismiss the florals and seem to like the spicy or citrusy ones. 

    Are you a purist and only burn wax candles with real flames?  I used to be until I discovered luminara candles with the flicker of reality. And who doesn't like a candle that turns itself on and off?  

  So I have both in my house and love to see candles burning. They add such ambience to a room. Linda gave me this laurel candleholder for my birthday and it is my favorite. 

Write a blog

OJust some randomness for a Sunday. 

Just a little ole tool box

Don't you love patina?  When Don brought this old green tool box home I immediately absconded with it. After cleaning it up a bit I arranged an orchid and hurricane candle in it. It makes a nice addition to my kitchen. 

Snow pouring down

It's so nice cuddling inside while looking at the snow pouring down so fast. It's our,first snowfall of the season. The white covers all the gray of the hills and creates sculptures of the trees outside. There is something exciting about the first snowfall it's like when you were a kid and couldn't wait to get out the sleds. We would don our snow suits, mittens, hats, boots and scarves..so much on that we could hardly move. Our parents would send us outside where we would join all the neighboring kids and play and play until the snow filled our boots and our faces were practically frost bitten to force us back inside.  Mom would pull off our boots and fix us some warming hot chocolate. Then we would get out the board games and spend the rest of the day with Monopoly. Do today's kids do that? What fun we had. Enjoy this awesome day.