Tuesday, January 3, 2012

GOODBYE CHRISTMAS

I'm feeling a lot better, not 100%, but better than last week. Thank you for all the get well wishes, they mean so much. The days start off slow with a lot of coughing but if I keep plugging along, I get my energy back. Today I treated my self to a nice breakfast of this and this:
I'm not too big on presentation when I am hungry. But nothing beats warm cinnamon rolls and coffee on a cold morning. It was 13 degrees when I woke up and reached a high of 17. We had a little snow on Sunday but nothing to make angels in. Winter has been a little wonky here in the Midwest.
Layla and Milo had the right idea this morning. I, in fact, took a long nap, too.
Saturday had me feeling a bit better and I desperately wanted some fresh air. We had no plans for New Years Eve, so we headed out in the early afternoon and ended up at one of our favorite restaurants, Mimi's, for a late lunch/early dinner. I love the decor here, sort of like a New Orleans jazz club and the food is outstanding.
I love the upper balcony, and the atmosphere is so fun.
I started with baked French onion soup and then moved on to...
chicken crepes with mushrooms and a wonderful sauce.
Before your meal, a bread basket comes with French rolls and their own freshly baked carrot cake. You can also buy it by the loaf, which we did and we had a great evening snack with coffee.

Our afternoon wasn't just spent noshing. We stopped at the store where Emily is a designer and she had a proposal all ready for me on the family room furniture. I have been wanting to redo this room for over a year now, but had to wait for son Jeff to move out and take the existing furniture. I decided on a white slip covered cotton canvas sofa, loveseat, and chair with an ottoman. It really is a pretty set and will look so good in this sun filled room that leads out into the backyard. Now we are working on some tables and accessories and I will include some downloads in my next post...this was a little overloaded with pictures. Lest you think I have no plans to add a stamp of my own in this room, I have a huge old mirror with a gold frame that I am going to paint and I found this at Wisteria:
Isn't it wonderful? It's made out of real branches and I got it for a steal. I'm not sure what I am going to do with it, decorate it for the seasons would be one idea. Anyway, this is a fun way to star the new year and I am enjoying the process of doing the room.

Have you De~Christmasized your home yet? Last night my sweet little girl went to town taking down all the decorations and packing away bin after bin. Then she and The Husband took the lights off the tree and put it at the curb where the big chipper truck had at it this morning. Goodbye Christmas. It feels different to have the house back to normal. It looks a lot less cluttered but I do miss those colored lights. On a good note though, my paperwhites bloomed! They look so pretty, I should have included a picture.

I hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and Day. The year is in full swing now and it sounds like we are all getting our projects and organizing in line. It's fun to read all the varied posts on what everyone is up to. What are you working on? :-)

I'm joining Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday!!

57 comments:

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Glad to hear you are felling better Jane. It is cold here too. We had snow flurries last night and it is about 23 degrees right now. I love your piece from Wisteria!

Unknown said...

Totally un-Christmas in decor, but living it daily. Very windy, snow flurries all day, 28 for a high!

Hope this doesn't linger for you as long as it is so many others.

Have a beautiful day ~
TTFN ~
Marydon

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

Glad you are feeling better. Can't wait to see your new room...lots of cinnamon rolls on the blogs today...hmmm, may have to make some!

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi Jane,
Glad that you are feeling better and getting out and about. I am so hungry for cinammon rolls right now! LOL!

The restaurant looks like a great place and that crepe looks yummy.

My house has been de-christmased and I'm thinking of new things.
I love the twiggy tree you found. I think it's cute just the way it is.

hugs
Sissie

Amy Kinser said...

Glad you are feeling better.

It looks like that meal was great comfort food.

Blessings to you, friend.

Lori said...

Glad to hear that you are feeling better ~ there were so many people sick over the holidays it was crazy! I was exhausted on New Years Day so I did not get Christmas all packed up ~ I figured there will be lots of time for that so I have not pushed myself. I can't wait to get my house back together though ~ our center island looked like a huge game of Jenga so I got that cleaned off tonight while I was cooking supper. Enjoy the rest of your week Janie. Hugs xo

Paula@SweetPea said...

Your slow day at home sounds just wonderful. I can only imagine how good that cinnamon roll tasted with a good cup of coffee.

Christmas is all put away around here and I'm glad to have the house back to normal but I do miss the lights!

Have a great week!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Glad to hear you are feeling better, Jane! I know it takes a little while to get back to full strength. I still have my Christmas stuff up. I usually wait until Jan. 6th, although I think I'll be getting the boxes back down from the attic tomorrow and may start with the little things. There are always pieces I forget and have to open a box up again.

Susan EvelynAndRose said...

I hope you are feeling 100% sooner than later, Jane. Looks like you had a great meal at Mimi's (I was drooling) and nothing beats morning cinnamon rolls & coffee!
Rest up,
Susan

Sonny G said...

Love that lil tree.. thats a cutie for sure.. happy you are some better. I had it for 7 weeks and started to wonder if I'd ever get better.. that chicken you had sure looks yummy and the onion soup had healing qualities for sure:)
high of 29 here but tonight it'll be 16.. kinda chilly for the south.
stay warm- get 100% well and could ya pass me one of those buns..

xoxo
Sonny

Lynn said...

Glad you're feeling better Jane! Christmas has been safely packed away and it's nice to have the house back to "normal". Gosh that cold air blew into Philly with a vengeance-low of 17 tonight-burrr:@)

Sherri said...

No Christmas left here! I took it down the 27th. It's going to be 17 here in 'Gawga' tonight. BRRR ! Glad you are feeling on the mend. Hurry up and get back to full speed. I LOVE the twig tree. Precious! All of your Christmas photos were grand. Loved looking back through them on my visit.

Sonia said...

Happy New Year,
Glad you are on the mends! Sounds like lovely plans for your new furniture! Love your little white tree! Christmas stuff is coming down at my house but not completely done yet, but have been organizing too! Hope you are back to full speed soon! Back to work I go tomorrow:(
Miss Bloomers

Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads said...

So glad you're feeling better. It is so cold in SC tonight. It's supposed to go down to 18 degrees. Love that twig piece from Wisteria, and I can't wait to see your new furniture. Sounds lovely. Leo and I are working on organizing the office. We are going to put a desk together tomorrow. Too cold to do anything else.

Olive said...

It is wonderful you are better. It is awfully cold here too and I am close by a toasty fire. I have Christmas still up and Lord only knows when I will get it all down as we will be out of town until Monday but moving CC to college is the top priority at present. After that I with catch up. I am looking forward to seeing your new sofa and that tree is fun.

Lori E said...

So sorry to hear that you were under the weather. No champagne for you for New Years.
I would love to go to that restaurant. Looks sooo good.
I will attempt to "undecorate" this weekend. It is a huge job. Much harder to put it all away then to pull it all out.

Stacey said...

I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling great, but happy that you're on the mend. It's very cold here too. I still am not finished with putting away my Christmas decoration, but i'm getting there and should be done by Friday(hopefully). If it's too cold, nothing gets done around here:-). Happy New Year! XX

Elaine said...

My, it is cold out isn't it? I nearly got frostbite taking the trash out tonight! Cute pic of the dogs.

Glad you are feeling better. I am much better too, darn cold ruined my vacation.

I have not packed up the Christmas decorations yet. I love to see all the lights and greenery so I am keeping them up a little longer.

Linda said...

Glad you are feeling better!

MiMi's Cafe is the best! Mother and I go there for lunch sometimes on a Friday. The food is always delicious.

Good for you on getting your Christmas put away. I am still working on mine.

I have a little branch tree like yours. Mine is the natural twigs...not painted. So painting it may be an idea. I have never decorated it. I just move it from time to time.....from one place or room to another.

Loved 'visiting' with you this evening!

Lynne said...

Jane,
Glad to hear that you are up and about!
Your new furniture sounds wonderful!
Your home appears to be as pet friendly as ours. I love the concept of slip covered furniture.
Take it easy as you recover from your cold.
Happy New Year!
~Lynne
[w/L]

Pondside said...

I like the sound of that New Years Eve! Your new family room decor will be gorgeous - can't wait to see the pictures.

shabbyfufu said...

Hope that each day brings you up to snuff and over feeling poorly Jane. Happy New Year! ♡♡

Theresa said...

First of all, I am happy to hear you are feeling better:) I am still packing Christmas stragglers away, you know the littles that seem to get skipped!

Can't wait to see the newly decorated room, I know it will be awesome!

Have a blessed day dear Jane! BIG HUGS!

An Oasis in the Desert said...

So glad you are feeling better, Jane. The sweet rolls and coffee sound like excellent medicine....lol!

We got all our Christmas stuff packed away just before New Years, and it felt so good. It's like having a blank slate to start off the new year with. It's also a cleaning out & re-organizing time for me. I'm in that mode right now. How about you?
CAS

Mary said...

Glad the "good health" part of the new year greetings are kicking in and that you are doing much better dear.

As for lack of snow angels, looks like Milo and Layla have decided to model for the parts - they look adorable in that white throw!

Looking forward to seeing your makeover - sounds perfect to me - go for the whites and neutrals and add accessories for color. Love that Wisteria find.

Stay warm and get really well again.
Mary X

High Street Cottage said...

Jane, glad you're feeling better. And I love Mimi's, I love the onion soup, and the corn chowder as well. I've not tried the chicken crepes, not seen it on the menu here in California but I'm sure gonna look next time.
Finally...your little dogs...Cute!!!

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

I am so glad you are feeling better and moving into the New Year! Can't wait to see what the new room looks like...with a designer for a daughter and your touches, I know it will be fabulous!!

Stay Warm!

Lou Cinda

Monica said...

Dear Jane,
I wish you all the best for the upcoming year! May your dreams come true.
The tree made of real branches is fantastic. My Grandfather made one... not as beautiful as yours, but I'd love anyway to have it (now my Dad has it somewhere... maybe abandoned in the garage?).
Hugs,
Monica xo
P.S The chicken crepes look delicious. What an idea! :)

Anonymous said...

So good to hear you are feeling better. Nothing is worse than a stinking cold during the hoildays. Well, I guess there are worse things but glad you are feeling better. That resturant looks so neat. Almost looks like it's from here lol. Hope you get your strength back real soon to enjoy the New Year right. Big hugs, Susie

stefanie said...

well that is not a fun way to start the year off...sick...hope you feel better!!!

Tammy @BeatriceBanks said...

Glad you are on the mend. I had the same stuff right before Christmas! Not fun. The cinnamon rolls look delish. Bound to make anybody feel a little better!

Sarah @ Modern Country Style said...

Hi lovely,

Who needs good presentation when they're hungry - not me, that's for sure!! But somehow your food still looked completely heavenly.

I hope you feel completely well soon.

Sarahx

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Jane. Happy to hear you are feeling better.

J and I had lunch at Mimi's after our doctor appts...just before Christmas. Oh my goodness. Good thing Mimi's is an hour away!

Debby said...

So glad you are feeling better.
We don't have a Mimi's around here but I love going to them when I am in Colorado.
Happy New Year.

Nancy's Notes said...

Good to hear you are feeling better! That restaurant looks awesome, wonderful decor! Take care!

xinex said...

I am glad you are feeling better, Janie, and hopefully will be completely well soon. I can't wait to see your new living room set, it sounds wonderful and even nicer that You have Emily's input in it. That restaurant looks so cozy, what a lovely atmosphere and the food looks mouth watering. It is cold even here in FL.We had the coldest last night at 32 in 2 years but was better today and even better tomorrow at 70. I will put the orchid in a plastic bag and stick it in my hand carry. I think it will be ok. It's really small....Christine

KTW said...

Hi Jane! Thank you so much for stopping by my place. :) I'm easing my way back into blogging because the last few months of practically ZERO blogging has shown me just how much I miss it!

I'm glad you are feeling better. I spent Christmas Eve morning in the doc's office getting antibiotics. I've had a bear of a sinus infection and all the misery that goes with it. I finished off the meds yesterday and I'm not convinced I won't be doing another round. :( This thing doesn't seem to want to go away completely.

My house was de-Christmasized on the 27th and 28th. I was just ready for it to be stowed away and with every ornament I wrapped and every knickknack I packed away, I said a little prayer that I would feel more like enjoying them all next year!

Can't wait to see your new room. :) We've been looking at furniture for our family room, but we tend to be quite slow in finding just what we want. I'm in no rush and I guess that's a good thing! :) I want to paint, get new carpet, new furniture, new window treatments, new decor...the whole nine yards. It could take quite some time for all those choices to be made. ;)

Debbie said...

It's been really cold up here!
I'm still not finished putting away the Christmas decorations yet. I need a couple of days off from work to finish.
Sounds like you will be busy with more re-doing, Jane.
Glad you are feeling better.
xxxooo

Bunny Jean said...

Hi Jane!

I just came by to read back and see what you've been up to. Sorry to hears that you have been sick but I'm glad you're feeling better.

I love Mimi's carrot cake. We just get seconds in the bread basket and then take it home! No... we do not take all the sugar packets, lol.

xoxo Bunny Jean

Heaven's Walk said...

I'm so glad that you're back on your feet, Jane! I took down all the Christmas decor on Monday and floofed all day long. It was nice to get things back to normal and declutter. We had about 4" of snow the other day, but it'll be melting this week with our 40 degree temps. Yay! Loving this winter so far!

xoxo laurie

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

So glad you are feeling better. Those cinnamon rolls and the food photos made me hungry! Started back on the low carb diet today. The last 3 weeks of December were filled with too many sweets for me and I was beginning to feel a bit sluggish. Our house is de-Christmasfied and is now back in order and clean. Now on to organize the closets!

Linda (Nina's Nest) said...

Wow - that meal at Mimi's looked fabulous. Great white tree - so versatile! So glad you are feeling better. We've had a real cold snap here, but today I think the high might be 60 - but it's freezing right now! Linda

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

So sorry you were under the weather Jane. I am still shaky from my ordeal from Addison but I am so grateful for friends like you!
Your family room is going to look so pretty, can't wait to see the pics!
And that restaurant you two went to is so neat, love the decor!
Big Hugs my friend,
Cindy

Barb said...

Hi Janie,

So glad you are feeling better. The doggies look just adorable and you are bad for showing that French Onion Soup.....one of my all time favorites!

Take good care of yourself and stay warm. It is cold in Florida, too. Brrrrr.

xoBarb

Anonymous said...

That is an adorable picture of your dogs. You are right, I do think they have the right idea. I also think they are giving Mommy a hint that she needs to rest to get better. Hope you're completely well soon.

Your meal looked delicious. We have a Mimi's here too, but that seems to be one restaurant we never seem to get around to going to. After seeing your meal, I think we need to take another stop.

Thanks for visiting my blog yesterday, and see you on Monday!

Sue said...

I haven't read backwards yet about you getting sick, but it sounds like what I caught in Florida. A cough/cold won't kill you but it sure beats you up-doesn't it? I went to bed Christmas Eve at 7:00 pm on vacation and sent my daughter home so that I might feel better on Christmas Day (I did).

I can't wait to see your "new" room. It is such fun to have a project to be excited about. We do have all the Christmas stuff gone. I took it down the day after we got home from Florida. I like the sparse look for a while. As for projects...mine have been laundry, ironing and paperwork so far. I'm trying to get back into the swing of the blog (read my post today-you would probably love the stuff I wrote about) and then there are taxes to start getting ready for!

The weather is odd, but I'm not complaining! I hate snow and I have to go outside with a puppy now every couple of hours!

Kathleen said...

Glad you are feeling better, today is the first day I felt ok too. I swear the meds the doc prescribes make me sick!
After tomorrow I take down the decorations, it is what we always did, take them down after the Feast of the Epiphany.
Love your little tree! I can see it with shamrocks all over it! :)

Natasha in Oz said...

Jane, I'm so sorry to hear you have been unwell. It sounds like you had a lovely evening for New Years though so good on you!

There is nothing worse than a cold but I bet you will agree that there is nothing worse than a cold in summer...especially a man cold! Can you believe my hubby had a cold when we were at the beach. It was awful for him to be sick while we were away and he was such a terrible patient! Thank goodness he is better now!

Thanks so much for stopping by today-it was so wonderful to hear from you!

Please take care and look after yourself.

Sending you my best wishes and some warm summer Aussie sunshine!
Natasha.

podso said...

Jane I hope you are all well by now. Everyone where I work and at our house seems to have "something" and it's not going away very quickly. I'll be interested to hear what your nook problem was since I've been looking into one. Also, I love that little white tree. It will look so good with your new furniture and lightened room. I could see little eggs on it, or miniature green apples or christmas ornaments--what a stage it will be for all kinds of creative ideas! Have a good weekend -- hopefully you will be well enough to enjoy it!

dotsie

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

Your day out sounds perfect. Jane, I hope you are fully on the mend.

Fondly,
Glenda

Unknown said...

Oh it's just the pits to be sick over the holidays! :( I'm so sorry. Glad you are feeling better though.
Sounds like you had a good New Years in spite of it. I love Mimi's. They are pretty much the same here. DE-Lish! :)
We aren't even started on taking everything down. We'll do it this weekend. Then I'll feel the same as you. :) Whew!
Have a great weekend!
~Liz

Linda@Coastal Charm said...

Happy to hear that you are feeling better and that cup of onion soup looks sooooo yummy...it's one of my favorites.

Blessings,
Linda

Tricia said...

Your dogs look so cute, all snuggled up on that blanket. I've been feeling that way too...like I just want to take a nap. I looked at your last post, gosh, it sounds like you were feeling awfully sick. I'm glad you're on the mend now.

Wow, that restaurant has some great atmosphere and that carrot cake sounds wonderful right about now :)

Rebecca Nelson said...

Oh girl...so happy to know you are feeling better! Prayers for you today!

Can't wait to see your new room!

Love the pics of your cozy looking doggies, Milo and Layla. Wish I was snuggled up with them.

Christmas is DOWN! YES!

Love you~

Rebecca

The Summer Kitchen Girls said...

Your post is making us hungry Jane! First those cinnamon rolls, then that soup & the crepes...ohhhh my! If it only was an hour drive ~ lol....we'd so be there! No, no Christmas decor down in our houses yet....this weekend I think! De-decorating means cleaning, and that we haven't had the time for :)

Lynne said...

Good news about your Nook!

I LOVE Homegoods. Would you believe that we do not have a store in the state of Washington? We have to drive to Oregon. Thank goodness that they don't have sales tax there. It makes up for the gas expenditure! I go with the girls and we take the Expedition HA!

Your new room is going to be breathtaking! The fresh new look will be so nice with the wedding on the horizon.

I was peeking very closely. Your cart had some very lovely architectural pieces inside!

The apothecary jars will be so much fun at the wedding. They will look nice in Emily's home after the wedding.I may have missed the date. When is it?

Have a wonderful day, Jane!
I'm still cleaning up the remnants of Christmas! I see glitter as i write!
~Lynne
[w/L]

THE FARMHOUSE PORCH said...

Hey Jane! I love Mimi's too! Thanks for stopping by the Farmhouse Porch.
I'm following...

♥Linsey