HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I had gotten this from Cracker Barrel some time ago. I got the greenery at a yard sale for $3. I had hubby clip it so I could put it around the base of the candle holder. I had put it on our table for Christmas.

Now I am going to use it on our island. Our island is HUGE and I will have to find some very big pieces in order for it to look right. I think this looks great and plan to change out the wreath part to go with the seasons.

Twin and I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and many, many blessing to you and your family.

Getting a Fresh Start

I'm always ready to take down and put away Christmas after the presents are opened. This year we did that on Christmas Eve so I wanted to take it all down Christmas day but I didn't.
I'm actually late getting it put away as I am doing it today. From reading other blogs I see Twin and I aren't alone in feeling that not only do we put it away but we want to DEEP CLEAN after Christmas. I clean cabinets and rearrange furniture. Maybe it's not so much Christmas but the new year. It's out with the old and in with the new. Maybe it's about getting a fresh start. Do you feel you have to have everything spic and span after the holidays or is it a form of OCD?

A short t.v. survey

Just wondering how many t.v.'s an average home has and if we are a family of t.v. aholics. Let's see ~

1. On the main floor we have a t.v. in the kitchen (my favorite as I'm in there the most)

2. One in the livingroom. Once we got the family room done in the basement we weren't going to put one there but that didn't last long. Hubby thinks couches and t.v's go together like bread and butter!

3. Let's go upstairs, there's one in my daughter's room.

4. Son's room

5. Office

6. Small bonus room above garage. This use to be my office so this t.v. we aren't using for now.

7. Master bedroom

8. Master bath. This one was a gift from hubby's work. It's a small under the counter. He works out and jogs a lot and likes to take jacuzzis~I don't watch this one very often.

9. Let's check the basement. One in the family room.

10. One above the treadmill~this one I SHOULD watch more and it's my goal in the new year.

11. One more in the basement but it's there only because we got a new flat screen for the bedroom. We aren't using this one.

So while we have 11 we really only watch 9. Whew I feel so much better. I thought we were all going to have to go to a 12 step program. How many t.v.'s do you think is normal?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

Kitchen Remodel

We usually always have Christmas Eve at our house. Last year there was no way that was going to be possible. We didn't have a kitchen, living room or dining room. So this year it is back on but we have a lot more work to go. You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

Here is a picture of the ceramic floors and our new wood floors are in. The kitchen and butler's pantry have ceramic (the foyer too) and they are heated!! What a difference. We are on a crawl and those of you that don't have a basement can relate to me. COLD! This radiant heat is the cat's meow I'm telling you.
Oh, speaking of cats here is our cat Matilda Louise (Fran named her!) We hung our island lights today. We still have more bar stools to put together before the party.

Here's a look at the living room. A work in progress. We still have all of our wood trim such as floor boards, crown molding, wainscoting and we are building columns.

The wainscoting will be in the dining room and the foyer. We still have to hang our dining room light. I know the living room and dining room don't look that great right now but I think when the wood work is done, some curtains and a few decorations will warm the area up nicely.

We are going to put up a tree tomorrow night. We worked all day but still couldn't get everything done. I did manage a few Christmas decorations.

We have to put trim under the cabinets so you can't see all of our switches. We are going to put up a ceramic back splash as soon as the holidays are over. All of our plugs are mounded under the cabinets in a strip so you don't have to put them in the tile. I saw that a few years ago and knew I wanted them so they are hidden.

It is really hard to take a picture of our ceiling. It is really cool. It is like an inset and then crown around it. It is in the living, dining area too. Fran painted the inside of it with the colors I used in the foyer, dining room and living room. She did what they call woolie. Looks marbleized.
Here's another picture. My husband has done all the work except the granite so it has been a longer process. The detail is amazing.

Here's a little bit of the dining room. I still have a lot of my stuff in storage. I have been shopping for a long time waiting for everything to get done. I have forgotten everything I have bought!! I had been looking for a wire cloche to buy and today while unpacking some of my purchases I found I had already bought one!! I have no idea what I am going to find in the storage. I would go shopping and every so often hubby would have to take a trip to the storage to drop off some packages because we would run out of room...so who knows what I might find!

A Nester Christmas

WELCOME

Outside the two small trees are decorated very simple. I got the baskets at Walmart and hot glued burlap around them with a ribbon.

We're joining the Nester's Christmas. (Well I am as Twin isn't quite done with the remodel just yet.) Because we posted previously with Rhoda, I'll just show my tree and my J O Y in the bedroom.

I saw this done on framed mirrors above the bed and LOVED it. I don't have mirrors so I just made vinyl letters and framed them.

I usually have the our monogram in the frames.

I just put the lettering on white paper and it was done in minutes. I'll put the monogram back in after the holidays. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and blessed New year. Thanks for stopping by.

Having A GIVE AWAY!

Go to nanathena She asked us to be in her 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway so get scooting on over and enter to win! Hurry now.

Christmas with Rhoda

Come join the party at Rhoda's.

I'm keeping the pictures brief as I know there are a lot of homes to visit. This is my "Tree of Days Gone By." I decorated how one may have years ago before they could afford fancy decorations. This tree is quite large, I think the base spans about 5 feet. It's a Martha Stewart tree. I just love the way it looks but it is a job putting it together each year. Some times by the time I am done I wait until the next day to decorate it.

This year I chose white lights, berries, pine cones, burlap ribbons and garland. I usually try to decorate my tree a little different each year.

Outside the two small trees are decorated very simple. I got the baskets at Walmart and hot glued burlap around them with a ribbon.

Simplicity was my theme this year I think.

Two snowmen on top of the kitchen cabinets. Snowmen are my favorite. I like that I can keep them out for a while after Christmas.

Twin's boss gave me these plates and I put them up to make a snowman.

I got my black shelves up a few weeks ago but haven't found all the plates I want to put up yet.

Now, take a cookie, you may need it. There are so many Christmas blogs to visit, you may not have time for lunch! Twin and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Smother~ another word for Mother

My kids LOVINGLY call me "Smother" sometimes. I'm the kind of mother that always has to make sure their world is just right. They hear me say "Wear a coat, it's cold." "Call me when you get there." "Be careful." "Let me do it for you so you don't get hurt." Those kinds of things. They love my smothering. Like getting up with them every morning to make sure they are up, getting them breakfast, making sure they have lunch money (their in High School). I know I sometimes over mother but I can't help it.

Take this morning for example. We had our first snowfall of the year and our first fender bender. We got about 2 inches of snow and I noticed when I started my son's car and to wiped the snow off (you can insert SMOTHER here) that is was light snow not heavy. I didn't realize the roads were slick. I still said "Be careful." Not two minutes later my daughter calls to tell me they were in a ditch. They made it to the end of the street and then turned to go down the hill and slid. Once my husband and I went to pull the car out I saw that they barely missed a telephone pole. That is when I started to say a prayer of thanks. It could have been so much worse. The bumper needs just a little repair. Okay, I realize smothering won't prevent accidents from happening~ that you have to Let go and Let God. I just see myself as one of his helpers. Are you a Smother too?

The Giving Tree

When you go to Walmart, don't forget to throw a little change in the red bucket~you know, the one next to the guy ringing the bell. Say hello to the greeter and grab a name of a child off the Christmas tree. That is if you haven't been hit by hard times as well.

Today Twin and I picked a 4 year old little girl. We were able to purchase a toy, outfit, tennis shoes, underwear, socks and some candy all for just $40.00. You don't have to spend that much but after the toy we knew we wanted her to have a warm pair of shoes, then came the outfit and of course you want clean underwear and socks...We are both so thankful that our children have never had to have their names on a tree and we have never had to experience the pain of not being able to provide for our familes. It must be heartbreaking for parents who don't know how they are going to explain to a child why Santa didn't bring them much~ if anything. We had so much fun! So if you can, please don't pass up your opportunity to help.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

Thena from nanathena.blogspot.com is having 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways. She has some great stuff so go check her out. You may be a lucky winner :o)