It really was the bad panettone!

When the ILS were here for Thanksgiving, much panettone was consumed.  I had picked one up at the commissary only to discover that MIL brought two!  After eating one that she brought & then starting on ours, she proclaimed that ours was better & what brand was it?  When they left, they left us the other "bad" one.

So this evening I decided that a slice was in order as the Virginia Tech Hokies were losing (badly) to Clemson.  As I was slicing my slice, I managed to slice my pinkie.  Maybe it was the fates not appreciating my calling VT the "chokies", maybe it was my conscience sending subliminal messages about how I didn't really NEED that slice but ow!! Owie, ow, ow!

Holy cow, that cut bled.  A lot.  Luckily I live with a retired combat medic who can handle things like this.  Because I'm not really good at pouring peroxide over my bleeding (profusely!) finger.  At all.  And I can't wrap my own pinkie when it's bleeding (profusely!).  I'm still not convinced that I don't need stitches but let's just hope that I don't.

Today was a really great day too.  I met up with super bookatarian & knitter, Kristine.  We went to lunch (Jason's Deli---so yummy!), drove to Opelika to Yarnhouse Studio where we ran into Lacey then onto World Market where I found some awesome red frames for Sunshine's annual pic with Santa as well as some other goodies.  I splurged & bought some Lantern Moon needles which I'd been lusting over for a while as well as some yarn for a Secret Santa giftee.

I scored a major score on Ebay---a discontinued American Girl doll that shares Sunshine's name.  Super amazing mint condition (the seller emailed me to let me know she'd never been played with, only displayed!) & will be a Santa gift for Sunshine on Christmas morning.  Santa doesn't wrap our gifts so we know what comes from Santa & what comes from family.  I had already bought an AG gift card & wrote a letter from Santa letting Sunshine know she could choose her own doll but now she can use the card to buy clothes/goodies for her new doll.  Did I mention what a great deal I got on her??

We put our trees up a week ago after Hunter's family left to go back to VA.  Sunshine's tree is decorated with my Barbie ornaments, her Princess ornaments & other ornaments that we've made (glitter balls).

Ours has about 80% of our ornaments on it---I usually buy one ornament a year but went a little um, crazy at the end of last year & bought several Waterford glass ball ornaments on clearance.  Then I bought a covered bridge one in Stowe, VT when we were home.  And then 3 more when Tuesday Morning brought in some pretty German glass ones.  I do want to add another string of lights as the two we have on it just aren't enough.

We have our stockings hung on the mantel & our mouse tail on her "counting down" mouse from PreK.  I'll get those pics loaded as soon as my pinkie stops throbbing!

Loss

I still read my hometown newspaper as part of my morning routine---take the dogs out, wake Sunshine, fix our breakfasts, pour my Diet Coke & sit down to check email/news.


This morning I was greeted by very sad news when checking the obituary section of hometown paper.  My US History teacher from high school died.  The news spread fast on Facebook where friends shared the link.  My hometown's "You Know You're From . . ." page was flooded with posts about his passing.  People shared stories of how he impacted their lives.  He was a teacher & coach to many of them in high school.  As adults, he was a friend, someone who frequented their businesses, a neighbor.  


My father knew him growing up & they both shared a love of baseball.  My father played varsity ball while Mr. B was in junior high & he looked up to my Daddy.  When I was in high school they'd rib each other about the old days.  


When I was in his class I was a good student---honor roll, gifted program, varsity athlete, activities queen.  If I liked your class, you had my undivided attention.  And I loved Mr. B's class.  I wasn't terribly interested in History but in his class I was.  My love of History, which I still have today, was born in that class.  My interest in politics would come a year later when he taught our "Government" class.  


Teachers, be they good, bad or mediocre, leave such an impression on their students.  They inspire.  They instruct.  They change lives.


So tonight, as I sit here crying (as I have done off & on throughout the day), I'm grateful for a man who not only touched my life, but the lives of hundreds, probably thousands of kids from my hometown.   There's a line in "It's A Wonderful Life" that goes  Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?    


I'm grateful that Mr. B was in my life for a brief period of time.

Where is Baby Jesus?

Every Christmas my Mom puts out her Creche (Nativity Set/Scene for you non-French Canadians).  The big names are there:  Mary, Joseph, 3 wise men, as well as the supporting cast---the angel, the shepherds, various stable animals, etc.  But Baby Jesus is NEVER there.  

Why you ask?  Because he hasn't been born yet, silly.  

This is a tradition I've followed as long as I've put out any sort of Creche/Nativity as an adult.  Today, it irked the holy hand grenades out of Sunshine.  "Mommy, where is Baby Jesus?  Where did you hide him?  WHERE IS HE??? WHY do you hide him???"   So when I spoke with my mom this evening, I told her she needed to explain to Sunshine that SHE is the one who taught me that Baby Jesus doesn't arrive on the scene (so to speak) until Christmas morning.  It's the first thing I do on Christmas morning, after I check the clock to see what time Sunshine's woken up.

So, what does my Mom do tonight?  Does she tell Sunshine that Jesus' birthday is December 25th & that's when we put him in the Creche?  No, the woman dimes out my father!  "Oh Laurie, your father was the one who would argue that Jesus wasn't born yet & it wasn't right to put him out yet"

So, as you can see, Sunshine was allowed to put Baby Jesus into her Creche & into Hunter's.  Mine?  No way.  Baby Jesus is hiding in a tea cup in the hutch until Christmas morning.  

Just the way my Daddy would want it.

Thanksgiving 2011

Our first Thanksgiving  hosted in our house and in our newly renovated dining room.  

My compliments to my super wonderful husband who stuffed the bird.

Our table---the place mats & napkins are were Hunter's grandmothers, as was the china.  It made for a very special table.  

Hope you & yours had a safe & happy holiday.  We're putting our tree up tomorrow & Sunshine just can't wait!  

And if you go shopping this weekend---be kind to those poor souls working in the stores.  They deserve nothing but kindness from you.  While you were sleeping last night, they were at work because people HAVE to have that deeply discounted tv!

Dining Room Redux

When we bought our house we knew that there were many "original" features---the original vinyl floor in the kitchen, the 1991 wallpaper in the kitchen, dining room (pictured above), Sunshine's bathroom & our bathroom.  We took care of various rooms before the dining room as we used the breakfast nook for meals.  The dining room was what Sunshine referred to as the "game room"  If you look in the far right of this first pic, you can see the scary kitchen wallpaper.  It was a pain to peel.  

I knew that eventually I wanted to do something with it----I didn't like it as a game/play room & when Hunter's grandparent's hutch arrived & suddenly I felt that I really had to get the dining room finished.  And since we're hosting Thanksgiving this year, why not get it done now.

The first thing we did was peel the wallpaper below the chair rail & above.  Our original plan was to put in wainscoting below the chair rail.  Hunter ripped out the chair rail & base boards so I could have at it while painting.  Until I decided (after painting the kitchen AND dining rooms) that I didn't want to paint the wainscoting.  But the chair rail & base boards were gone.  UGH!  He didn't bat an eye, returned the wainscoting & bought more chair rails & base boards.  I finished painting on Thursday of last week & he installed them over the weekend.  BTW, that table?  SO heavy!!! I am not meant for furniture moving!  Pardon the scruffy looking dog in the picture---she needs a bath & grooming desperately!

Remember my post about art work?  These bird prints hung in his grandparents house in VA.  They're not really my style but they work well in the dining room.  And they provide memories for Hunter.

This is our new/old maple dresser that we found at one of my favorite antique stores Gina's Junk here in Columbus.   Gina owns her building/property so her prices are better than any shop I've ever been in.  We have several pieces from her (a Thomasville writing desk, Bassett sideboard, a wicker chair, wicker table & a beautiful painted basket.  Oh, and some vintage bud vases to replace mine that were accidentally broken when they met granite counter tops!).  Gina's got a great eye, knows her stuff & like I said, the price is right!  This piece needed very little work---a good cleaning & a quick fix on one of the drawer pulls.   The painting above it was done by Hunter's great aunt.  The lamp & candy dish are vintage.

We're ready for the ILs to invade later today & are doing some last minute tidying up.  I've made my Memere's meat stuffing & am hoping to make MIL's cranberry relish tonight so there's less work for tomorrow.

Things that should be personal

no, nothing like *that*.  I'm talking about art.  Art that you hang in your home & look at everyday.

Many years ago, when Hunter & I were engaged, I was tasked with redecorating our apartment.  He was in Kuwait for 6 months & felt the apartment needed a woman's touch.  My touch.  I poured over magazines, HGTV, DIY, you name it.  A friend told me to look in the Penney's catalog, find a page I liked & order everything down to the art on the walls.

Excuse me?  The art on the walls?  Some random pictures?  Just thrown up there, because?  Ugh, no.

I grew up in a home where the art that graced my parents walls had meaning.  Whether it was the portrait of my sister that my aunt (a very talented artist) painted after my sister died or whether it was a sketch of my grandparents homestead that my brother did in a college art class.  When you looked at it, it evoked a feeling.  It brought back memories.  It wasn't just *there*.  It meant something.

Our living room is our "Paris" room.  We have an oil painting that Hunter inherited from his grandmother when she died 4 years ago.  I remember it being in her home & always commenting on what a beautiful piece it was.   She'd smile & say that Hunter did too & that she wanted us to have it, eventually.  When Hunter went to Paris years ago, he came home with a sketch of the backside of Notre Dame that graces our mantel.  When we went in '08, we came home with two watercolors that represent 2 of our favorite places in Paris:  Monmartre & the Left Bank.  The Monmartre print has been framed but the price of custom framing has left our Left Bank print rolled up & stored away.  I really need to find a Michael's coupon & get it done as the wall behind our sideboard is bare!

This past week we've (I've) painted the kitchen & dining room.  This means new art--or updating the artwork we have.  Over the summer, I bought a beautiful Katharine Montstream print of Burlington & Mount Mansfield as seen from the waterfront.  It's hanging in our kitchen.  Several years ago when I was home I discovered a watercolor of the Chateau Frontenac that I bought in Quebec City many, many years ago (1985!!) during a weekend visit in high school.  I was able to find a frame to fit & had a matte cut.  Now it's hanging in our kitchen as well.  We have a beautiful P. Buckley Moss print that MIL/FIL bought us for Christmas 2 years ago that I'm embarrassed to admit isn't framed yet.   What is it with me & custom framing? Again, Michael's coupon.  Eventually the Moss print will hang in the kitchen.

Which leads us to the dining room.  Our china cabinet takes up one wall in the room.  We bought a beautiful low maple dresser to use as a buffet/sideboard but what would hang above it???  Don't even suggest random art from catalogs here!  I was putting away some yarn in the guest room closet & remembered we have 4 bird  prints that once hung in Hunter's grandparents house.  Not anything I would buy, but they mean something to him.  They bring back happy memories of time spent with his grandfather & grandmother at their home.  Would he want to hang them in the dining room?  The frames match the finish on the china cabinet as well as our table/chairs so it's really a no brainer.

Today is Hunter's day to replace the chair rail & baseboards.  I could kick myself for the whole wainscoting thing, but eh.  Live & learn.

Hope you have a great weekend!!

It's finally over!

Three long days wearing paint splattered clothes, paint gunking up my fingernails, my hair pulled back & no makeup.

But the kitchen & dining room are finally finished!  Say it with me---PHEW!

I had painted the kitchen when we bought our house after stripping the wallpaper off.  Which was oddly cathartic.  The wallpaper peeling, not the painting.

We (I) chose a pretty blue that brightened up the room with a darker blue to go under the chair rail in the breakfast nook.  It looked great until we pulled up the floor & counters & put in hardwood & a darker granite counter.  Both of which are dark brown (dark brown/black for the counter) & threw the blue off kilter.  It just didn't look right but I couldn't decide on a color.  Just like I STILL cannot commit to a back splash.  More on that in another post.

I finally decided that going one shade lighter than the living room would allow the colors to flow without being all one tan room, one yellow, one red, etc.  I decided to go two shades darker under the chair rail in the breakfast nook as we were taking the kitchen table out of there & putting it into the dining room.  The nook will be a little home office area.

On Sunday I painted the entry area by the back door & decided the color looked really nice.  On Tuesday I went full force with the painting---the drop cloth, edging tool, skinny brush for corners, the roller, wet cloth for smudges & the 80's station on the tv.  I had planned on stopping around 1230 to get cleaned up but it was more like 130.  Same with Wednesday.  Yesterday I started at 830 & finished the dining room at 11.  Last night I finished below the chair rail as I realized that putting in wainscoting was a great idea but more work than I really wanted to put in.  Hunter would be putting in the wainscoting (as well as replacing the chair rail & baseboards).  I'm done with painting---I don't want to wait for him to finish his end so I can finish mine.  So we (I) decided to keep the same color throughout & it looks great.  Very warm & cozy.  Well, neutral warm. Now on to the furniture flipping & decorating!

Sunshine's school is having their Military Appreciation Day today so we are off to get ready to go.  They're also catering lunch for the military families which is really nice.   I hope it's something yummy!

Have a great weekend!!