Wet Paint

 

Here is my Hoosier cabinet with a frest coat of ivory/white paint. It looks so much better than before! It was just the original finish from the 3o's but it was aligatored and cracked all over. Very dull and blah looking. It had been this way since my aunt gave it to me 20 years ago.

My husband nearly threw a fit when he found out I was going to paint it. "I can't believe you are putting paint on that! It will decrease the re-sell value!' What re-sell value I ask? I'm not SELLING it, I'm living with it and I am TIRED of that old finish! We've looked at it that way for 20 years. Besides, it's MINE! What is it with men and paint I want to know? Natural wood colors seem to be the HOLY OF HOLIES to them. Some things just need a coat of paint I say. The corner where this is was drab, dark, and boring. Now it is bright, open, and cheerful. My husband says it is ugly. I say it is lovely. He enjoyed his way for 20 years. Now I will enjoy it my way for the next 20 (Lord willing). Don't the Christmas decorations bring it out? I just love this corner now.

At my house there is a standing question/joke. It goes like this: "Mom, can I have this when you die?" I sort of take it as a compliment in a macabre way. Up until now I had never heard that question in regard to this particular piece of furniture. So far today after seeing pics of my updated Hoosier, I heard it once. And no, girls, I won't say who it was.

First Christmas decoration of the year.

 

My granddaughter Hilary inspired this. She had given me the little box the house is sitting on. She painted it and filled it with little bits that seemed important to her-scraps of paper she had written and a tiny little drawstring bag. I liked the antique color she had chosen so I covered a little cardboard house from A.C. Moore with some papers that matched and glued it to the box. Then I covered the whole thing with Mica. The Mica was in big chunks, so I put it in an old coffee grinder and Voila! perfect. The little trees with the house were green, but I bleached them and dyed one of them red with Rit dye. The larger tree beside the box is from Martha Stewart's collection at K-Mart.

Here is the last of the Thanksgiving

 

 

 

pictures. I finally got all my chairs covered. I had sort of bogged down on this project, but having company got me going again. I love this fabric. It was el-cheapo from Wal-Mart. The colors are perfect with my china and the stencil I have in the room. Isn't this cornucopia beautiful? Found it at Lowes. It has a thingy for hanging, but I liked it better sitting on my buffet on a tall cake plate. The napkin rings turned out great. I am going to try and save the acorn parts. I will probably think up something to do with them next year. Plus, I'll forget all about them and when I open up my boxes of Autumn decorations next year, they will be a nice surprise!

Sophia

 

I haven't posted a picture of this little love bug in quite a while, and I got some good ones this past holiday weekend. Isn't she precious? She really competed with the turkey for "Butterball Status". She smiles all the time (unless you are trying to take her pic) and is so cuddly. She spits up-a lot. I can't imagine how fat she would be if she kept everything she takes in. Upstairs, waiting to be washed, is a pile of my clothes emitting the smell of formula and sweet potatoes. That's o.k. though. I'll get 'em all washed up in anticipation of her Christmas visit and she can do it all again.

Thanksgiving Day Was Great

 

This is a picture of the centerpiece I made for our table. Non-traditional in color, but it matched my china, which belonged to my mother. I also made gold-leaf acorn and leaf clusters to tuck into the napkins. The idea was in the Martha Stewart November issue. It was a little tedious, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Our oldest daughter, her husband, and duaghter Sophia were here. It was Sophia's first Thanksgiving. She mostly slept through it when she wasn't being passed from grandparent, to aunt, to uncle, and back again. She is so cute and cuddly and smiles all the time. She is looking like her mother more and more. Whenever I would give her a bottle, she would stare at me with those blue eyes and it was eerie how much it looked like her mother's eyes whenever I fed her.

Our middle daughter, husband and daughter Hilary were also here. At 5, Hil is really into the holiday business and loves being with everyone. She provided entertainment just being a 5 year old who is full of herself. Since she lives close by and didn't have to travel, Brittainy did a lot of the cooking, for which I am grateful. She's a huge help when there is a big meal to cook.

Our oldest daughter's in-laws were also guests. They enjoyed being with all of us, but I think the real drawing card for them was getting to see Sophia. Her grandmother Judy held her during the entire meal while everyone else ate.

Of course, we had our youngest and her family missing since they are in Hawaii, but they are on a great adventure and that is how I tried to think about it whenever sadness tried to sneak into my thoughts. Maybe they will be here next year.

The food was great! I bought a free-range turkey, brined it according to a Martha Stewart recipe and it was outstanding. Everyone was oohing and aahing over, saying it was the best turkey they had ever eaten. It was very flavorful and juicy. The brining was very easy and then you cook it just as usual. It also made a very delicious gravy.

But boy oh boy-here's the best part! After Kelli's in-laws left, and everyone was sitting in a turkey-induced stupor, I slipped upstairs, got under the covers and took a nap. And when I came back down, guess what? My girls and my hubby had cleaned up the entire mess! Am I blessed or what?

At my house, it's gotta jiggle....

the cranberry sauce that is. I posted this on a bb I frequent and about half the resondants said the same-the cranberry sauce has to come out of a can, rings intact. My middle daughter B. calls these the cutting lines. Me, I have to have the homemade kind. So at our house on the Big T. Day, we have a dish of homemade cranberry sauce displayed proudly beside a burgandy cylander of jiggly stuff all sliced up evenly. In the interest of family peace, we pay homage to the tradition of the home-made and to that great American tradition the canned food. It works for us.

thanksgiving-less than 2 weeks!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is so close! I am looking forward to it and have most of my menu planned and have started filling the pantry. Today I ordered my turkey. I wanted a fresh one because I am going to try brining it this time. I hear that is very good when prepared that way. I also bought my fresh cranberries.

I needed a new tablecloth for my diningroom table and found one I really liked at Williams-Sonoma. For $170.00! Yikes! So today I made a trip to Jo-Annes and found some pretty home dec weight fabric and am making my own. I am using a non-traditional color scheme. I am using my Mom's old Franciscan Ware; it is a grape pattern with shades of green and bluish-purple on a creamy white background. I am emphasizing the green and the cream color. I bought a gorgeous blue-green pumpkin and lots of white ones and will make a centerpiece with those. My napkins are green and I bought some pretty grosgrain ribbon to tie them with and probably insert some little something under the ribbon along with a placecard.

The only thing that would make my Thanksgiving perfect is if my youngest daughter and family were going to be here. But that just got to Hawaii so that isn't happening. My oldest daughter and her family along with her in-laws and my middle daughter and her family will be here so I am thankful for that. I am sure we will have a wonderful time. And the next day? My kids are trying to talk me into going on the Day After Thanksgiving Sale. I'm not so sure.

the baby in the

picture in the previous post leaves tommorrow along with her parents for Hawaii. All day they have been packing and repacking their luggage and bringing it downstairs. Tonight the saddest sound in the world to me is the sound that suitcase wheels make as they are pulled across a floor.

Not really sure when we will see Isabella again. Maybe not until June. All day I have been breathing in the scent of her skin and hair and rubbing her little red head and trying to memorize the satiny feel of her skin. She is like a magnet to this grandmother's heart. Everytime I walk away from her I have to turn around and return to those little wide open mouth kisses she has just learned to give. Nothing is sweeter than her little hands going to my face patting and grabbing at my nose and hair. I want to remember those fat little legs and they way they are always circling in the air. If you could fasten her to a tricycle, she could go around the world I think. They only stop when she is asleep.

We gave her parents an early Christmas present-a digital camcorder. I want the everyday recorded and sent to me. Bathtime, lunchtime, it really doesn't matter. I'll watch it over and over until the next installment arrives. For now, it will have to do.

Stinkin' ol' Navy. Stinkin' ol' Hawaii

leavin' on a jet plane....

 

 

See this sweet little cupcake? She is my granddaughter Isabella and on Wednesday she will boarding a plane with her mother and her navy father for a 5 year stint in Hawaii. Up to now she has lived in Virginia and I could get in my car and see her after about a 8 hr. drive. I am so sad that she will be so far away. I don't think we will see her until June when we plan to fly out for her 1st birthday. I hope she doesn't forget our faces. She and her parents have been staying with us for the past two weeks and whenever she sees me or her grandfather, she gets all excited and starts smiling and kicking her little legs. Melts my heart. Over and over.

yummers!

 

These are my organic cinnamon rolls. Everything but the cinnamon is organic. The eggs are free-range from the farmer's market. I bought the cinnamon at the grocery store and I think it was old. I had to keep adding more and more to the filling and it still was not as cinnamony as they should be. But, other than that, they are dee-lish!

Interview with a big black dog

 

Hi! I'm Jasper, and Tipper, canine friend of Gannet Girl over at Search the Sea has offered to interview me! I am so excited! But then, I am always excited! Life's too short not to be! This should be fun!

1. What kind of dog are you?

From all looks and appearances, I am a Black Lab! At least that is what the vet said when my new mom took me in for
shots. I have webbed feet, a very nice tail, sleek black fur, a very playful nature, and love the water. I love water
so much that I try to splash it all out of my water bowl.

2. How did you find your way to your family?

Boy, was that my lucky day! Started out bad though. My first few weeks are sorta' fuzzy, but whoever I lived with
didn't want me, so they carried me away and left me at a bubbling spring set in a forest. At first, I felt pretty
optimistic about things, I mean I had water! And the forest was beautiful but after a while my tummy started to
growl and my paws hurt from all the rocks at the foot of the spring. Then I looked up. There on a knoll right
across the lane, was a big white farmhouse. Sitting in a porch swing with a glass of wine was a blonde (I don't
think it's natural) lady and across from her in a rocker was a man with white hair (it IS natural). The best part
was a sign above the front door, invisible to humans that blinked "Sucker lives here; all four-legged creatures
welcome". Well, maybe I was only 6 weeks old but I wasn't stupid. I gave it my best shot and started in with my
cutest puppy yip. The blonde lady was on her feet immediately, coming to the driveway and calling to me. My heart
swelling with joy, I ran to her and her first words were, "Well, who are you? You little jasper!" I knew I had
her then and there. I've been Jasper ever since. She usually calls me Jasper the exicted dog.

3. What is your favorite thing to do on a fall afternoon?

Oh gee! That's a tough one! I find rolling in the leaves delightful, but probably my favorite thing to do on a fall
day is my favorite thing to do everyday. That is annoying Willard the big gray cat. I really just want him to play
with me, but you know cats! He gets all huffy and puffy and mutters under his breath something that sounds like
"tutoring" and how he can't wait til I make a little visit to Fix-A-Pet. I don't need fixing! I'm not broken!

4 I like cheese, I think all dogs like cheese. What about you?
Never had it. At least I don't think I have. Is that those delectable little things you find in cats' litter boxes?
If so, love, love it. Gives you killer breath though. Cracker are good too. The man with white hair sneaks me one
at night when he is having one.

5. I know your mom loves to read. Do you have a favorite book?

She's always reading. If she doesn't have a book, she just gets on her computer and reads stuff. My favorite book?
I guess it would be "At Home in Mitford" because in a way me and my new mom's lives sorta parallel Father Tim's and
his big black dog's lives. I mean, here was this person not wanting or looking for a dog and along comes this dog
who has chosen his new owner and he will not take "no" for an answer. Yeah, that's my favorite book.

Hey Tipper! This was fun! Any four-leggeds out there want to be interviewed by me, Jasper? If so, here are the rules

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave a comment here on my mom's blog saying interview me.

2. I will respond by posting five questions. I get to pick the questions. Yippe!

3. You will update your blog with a post with your answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

the abc's of me

I've been tagged by Vedrana over at Violet Metamorphosis!

Each player starts with some random facts/habits about himself/herself. As you are tagged, you need to post the rules and your responses on your own blog. At the end of your post, you need to choose some people to tag, list their names and leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged and they need to read your blog for more information.

A. Autumn is my favorite season. In fact, the only way I get through Summer is to remind myself that Autumn is next.

B. blogs. I love to read them and am having fun with my first one.

C. cinnamon rolls. I love them and am making some right now.

D. dogs. I was recently adopted by one. See "J".

E. Easter is my least favorite holiday. I don't know why. Maybe because I know Summer is getting closer.

F. falling leaves are one of God's most beautiful gifts.

G. glitter is one of my most favorite craft supplies

H.homebody. I love to be at home all day cooking, crafting and decorating

I. I think a lot about craft and decorating projects

J. Jasper is the name of the big black dog that adopted me.

K. knitting. I love to knit and always have a project on my needles

L. Lovey is the name my grandchildren call me

M. Mother. I am the mother of 3 girls. I am so lucky

N. nutty. Everyone tells me I am. In a good way. At least I think they mean it in a good way.

O. organic. I really like to buy organic anything. Almost everything in the cinnamon rolls I am baking is organic

P. packages Is there anything more exciting than getting a package in the mail?

Q. quilts. I am a quilter and I love to see people all snuggled up under one of my quilts.

R. Ram. I am an Aries

S. Scrabble. I love to play it but my husband doesn't so I play on my cellphone, or with my daughter and SIL when they are here.

T. tea I really like a cup of tea. Nothing fruity tho. Just straight up black tea

U. ugly. I think cactus plants are ugly

V. voyage. I love to travel. Especially road trips

W. wine. I really like wine. Someday I want to try a very expensive one.

X. xylophone. I like the sound of one.

Y. yellow is my least favorite color.

Z. zoos always make me sad. They smell bad and I feel sorry for the animals.

I am tagging Mary at Peaches and Posh and Amy at Inspire Co.

the abc's of me

the abc's of me