Friday, December 6, 2013

HOLIDAYS: GETTING EVERYWHERE BUT THERE




There are all sorts of ways to jazz them up.  I put mine is a vase with a twiny tie.  You can tie up bundles of them with ribbon or even store a few in mini stockings.  Display them on trays or in a mason jar.  It's endless.  And believe me, they are fun to make!




If you can't tell, I'm using my new IPhone for these pictures.  I really have a hard time getting night or dimly lit pictures with my big fancy camera (but then again I've never read the manual or the "Dummy" book I received last Christmas, probably from the same idiot that didn't like my sign).   And by the way, this is our den. Say hello to Milo, my constant companion!  Rarely photographed or shared because it is a mismatch of books, dishes, baskets of out of season shoes, Nina the parrot and her humongously big cage for a little parrot (and a lot of seed on the floor), and a very bad choice of The Husband and I of buying really fancy, formal white furniture that we won't let anyone sit on.  ANYWAY...the red basket holds my stash of wrapping paper, bows and bags.  Tonight I picked up more gift wrapping paper at CVS...I'm obsessed with it.  Every year I say I am going to go with a certain color and make it look like a  menagerie of gifts under the tree for a magazine.  So I started with red plaid and then saw some silver and blue paper, and then tonight saw sweet white snowflakes on red.  Happens every year.  The old 27 personalities thing.  And some ribbon and tinsel and blah, blah, blah.   SO...I was at the checkout.and  "Andre" nonchalantly asked, "Getting ready to do a little decorating tonight?"  I laughed, "No.  I don't even have a tree yet."  Silence.  "So" Andre said, "You gonna do a little wrapping tonight?"  "Nope, no gifts yet."  We stared at each other for a second and then burst out laughing!  "What the hell" he said, "You ARE ready for everything!!"



See the gift wrap above and the empty roll?  Pretend the rolls are unwrapped and you've used some.  The edge is flying away and you use a sticky piece of tape to hold it closed and then it rips your paper the next time you want to use it.





So...we had the cute plumbers on Monday.  Sigh.  The cost was not sighable.  I went to my doctor appointments.  I have a lump on one of my lymph nodes that was also there last summer.  I am a super positive person health wise and  I am taking antibiotics for 10 days to see if it is an infection.  I'll keep you informed.  I'm sure everything is fine.  Pauly and his personality showed up Thursday.  It took him 20 minutes to do an excellent job on popping that double closet door in, but he stuck his head around the corner every five minutes to participate in Abby and my conversation.  It really came to a head when Abby and I were in the living room watching a performance of Flo Rida on  The View and Pauly bounced out and started rapping and dancing to the song.  Oh, Heaven.  How do I get people like this?  Why is my life so insane?  Need I add that I can't even watch one more Hallmark Christmas movie because they are all about orphans or widowers who have children and can't marry the perfect girl because of these children (even though they very oviously love said girl to the point of licking her feet?)

Okay.  Tomorrow...off to get tree/or cut it down.  Hopefully the former.  And hopefully Abby will do the lights with The Husband as he alwats gets super irritable doing the lights.  Abby has promised to help me carry up the decorating bins and then hopefully I can spend tomorrow night in my very own mental winter wonderland, hanging ornaments and making House Tour worthy vignettes (and hey, how do you get your house on one of those tours?  Besides of course having a stag head over your fireplace?)

Happy  December 6th!!  :)

XO,
Jane

50 comments:

Barbara F. said...

Hi Jane, I barely survived Thanksgiving and do believe I will barely get through Christmas. Bloglandia is making me crazy with tours, etc, and I must admit I am scrolling right by those. I feel inadequate as it is! Resting up from a bad fall, broke 3 toes and still so swollen. Oh well. Guess I need to be more reflective this year. xo

Pondside said...

Good Heavens, Jane - you must be exhausted! I think it's best to go slowly. What's not done on the 25 won't matter@

Desire Empire said...

Firstly I like your sign and if you made it from your stash well even better. I also think its funny about the white furniture. I am kind of like that too.

I hope you have a great Christmas season.
Carolyn

Sarah said...

Jane, I just put our tree up this evening. It's a lot of work, but so nice once its up and decorated. I'll get the rest of the house decorated tomorrow, but don't plan to do a lot.
Hope the antibiotics do the trick. Thinking about you…….Sarah

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

I am so chuckling here Jane, you are so cute!
Hey those pretzels are beautiful!
And your little sign is cute and don't worry about the naysayers!
Dan and I are going to venture out tomorrow for our tree too. Why oh why does it have to be so bitter cold already.
I like the snow but not this frigid ice bowl stuff.
Your daughter is so cute and resembles her Mom a whole lot.
Big Hugs friend,
Cindy
I am up at 3 a.m. and my mind is racing...so I read blogs. hugs.

Lynn said...

Thanks for that great wrapping paper trick Jane-I'm gonna use it! Have fun decorating the tree, it's one of my favorite things about Christmas:@)

farmhouse-story said...

love your little sign, jane:) you should do more! i'm planning on some sign making today:) emily's pic with that sweet pup--adorable!

healthy wishes to you, sweetie--and have fun with the tree!

Primitive Stars said...

Morning Jane, yummy, those Pretzels look so good and festive.....Adore the sign, very nice......What a sweet picture, both are adorable, Blessings Francine.

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

ha ha ha when you got to the part about the books coming from the same idiot that didn't like your sign I lost it laughing.

I don't look at all of the house tours because there are too many and I get bored but I did read one lady saying how much work they were to do. Cleaning and staging and hundreds of pictures.

CLEANING ? HA ! I say next year some of us could do a "I took my pics on a cloudy day to hide the dirt" tour ...? :)

Rita C at Panoply said...

First of all, sending the best of wishes to you for your health, and I love how you oh-so-casually mention it....I am a worrier, and wish I could be more like you in that regard, all positive.

I have been decorating for a week, and my tree JUST got finished last night - a little bit each day/night (I told my daughters the trick to easy tree decorating is to buy BIG ornaments, not the tiny ones like I have!) I swear I'll bet I have more than 200 ornaments, and my OCD self will hardly let any of them not be loved and hung on the tree.

Enjoy your weekend!
Rita C.

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

I think your sign is sweet with the snowflakes - happy decorating :-)

Unknown said...

Good morning, Sunshine!! Loved this post, especially about getting in on a tour! That's hilarious! I'd kinda been wondering if some of us could have a tour called, "Bloggers, NOT on tour". Whatcha think? Not gonna buy a stag! :) Can't wait to see your tree. Your pretzels look yummy! The sign is cute as can be! Most of all, hoping the antibiotic works. Take care, friend!

Theresa said...

You are busy up there! Love those pretzel rods, perfectly delicious and festive:) Great way to keep the wrapping paper together! Can't wait to see your tree, I know it will be gorgeous! Enjoy your day dear friend! BIG HUGS!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh I love your pretzels. They look fabulous. I am so far behind I can't even tell you, so just do what you can and ignore the rest, it really won't matter in the long run. HUgs, Marty

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

LOL, you are so funny, Jane! I can't watch a lot of those Hallmark Christmas movies. They can be so sad and who wants to see that at Christmas. I went simple in my decorating this year, so yesterday I was able to start wrapping some presents. It was the perfect day, too, since it was snowing like crazy ~ all day! I just need to put some things outside and, now that my back is feeling better, it means a trip up to the attic again.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I am on saccharine overload from Hallmark which I normally enjoy, but how many formula romance novels can you watch in a row?

I like your den! It looks English. I like the wallpaper, too, and I like the pic of Emily and her pup... She does look twelve!

Hope all goes well with the node. I know it will!

Sending you a big hug!

xo

Sheila

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

I love your wrapping paper tip. That would totally work, thanks! I think your sign looks fabulous! The snowflakes are a cute addition too. I haven't made those almond bark pretzels in years, but oh they're so good! I had a dream last night that I needed to share my spicy pretzel recipe on the blog. Weird, huh? So, I'm going to the store today to buy the ingredients so I can make them, photograph the steps, and do a post on it. :) They're the easiest thing in the world to make and very tasty. I have so many dreams at night that sometimes I wake up exhausted. LOL! Have fun getting your tree and decorating. And take lots of pics! Don't you love how easy it is to take pics and publish them with your iPhone? It opened up a whole new world for me. :)

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Those pretzels look so YUMMY & festive Jane...can't wait to see your tree I know it will look beautiful!! LOVE that last shot:)

RURAL said...

Oh, having the plumber on speed dial, I can relate, and sympathize, believe me.

Love those prezzies...can't wait to make some.

Jen

Lulu said...

The iPhone does a pretty good job , huhn? The best thing about it is you most always have it with you, and that's better than having no camera. I'm going to start today trying to get my act together for Christmas...better run!

20 North Ora said...

I love the comment about the "house tour" - how do people live in those homes? Oh well, not for me. Your house sounds like a zoo - a happy and loved zoo! Enjoy!

Judy

Stacey said...

Hi Jane. :)

Totally iced in here in North Texas and freezing! This is more like your Chicago weather. Yuck!!

We do have our tree up but my decorating is going very slowly. You cracked me up.

Art and Sand said...

I tried to dip pretzel sticks in chocolate and totally failed. I had made the cutest container to hold them, but I didn't dare show anyone.

Kathleen Grace said...

Good queston on the house tours, I was thinking maybe next year those of us with real homes could have our own tour, you know, no pressure to live up to looking like a magazine, just a visit to each other's homes:>)what do you think? Praying that you just have an infection that can be cleared up. I'm pretty positive about health stuff too, no need to go all crazy until you know what's going on. I love your den! The wallpaper is gorgeous and so is the white furniture, and I hadn't seen the wrapping paper trick before so thanks for sharing it! As for the sign, I think it's adorable, handmade items aren't perfect and have personality, that's why we love them. I'm really looking forward to seeing your decorations, house tour or not!

Kathleen Grace said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Melanie said...

Your pretzels look so yummy and festive...and I love your sign! I think it's really cute. Thanks for the tip with using the empty cardboard roll to secure the wrapping paper - yes, I was still using tape and hating it! If you love wrapping paper (I'm a horrible wrapper, so I like bags), you should go shopping the day after Christmas and get rolls for 50% off! I hear ya on the plumbers...our plumber has been here 5 times since August fixing something. In fact, he just left our house now. Clogged pipe down in the kitchen sink 20 ft down into the basement. *sigh*

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

The cool wrapping paper idea is new to me. Thanks.

Jane, hope the antibiotics do the trick. Do, please, let us know.

Fondly,
Glenda

Kelly said...

Hopefully, you were able to get your tree today. Those pretzel sticks look good! I've never made those before but they look easy. I've read about that tip for wrapping paper and it's a handy one. I may need to try that myself this year. You are too funny about the home tour thing too. I have another one for you.......you must have a hot coco station too. LOL!

Wanda said...

After I completed a long comment...poof, my computer froze and it didn't publish. So here we go again..HaHa
I'm Wanda, and visiting from Linda's Life Journal Blog. I was excited to see your Rosemary salt and oil recipes as my neighbor has a huge hedge in from of their house of rosemary.
What cute gifts they make.
I so enjoyed your blog, and happy that Linda had a link to you.
I'm retired and it seems we do have some things in common. I could pitch my tent in the Kitchen as I love to cook and bake. Also love to watercolor.
I've saved you as a favorite and will be back to enjoy more of your ideas and pictures.
Hope you'll stop by and say Hello.

Doreen@foxdenrd said...

If I see one more blog tour, I will hang myself. :/

Keeping my fingers and toes crossed the antibiotics work, but I'm confident they will. You have the right attitude Jane. Worrying never helps anything. Just makes things worse.

(Your daughter and her four legged buddy are adorable!!)

Lori said...

OK ~ I just snort laughed! I do not have a stag head over my fireplace either so maybe we can do each other's tour?? My house is all decorated up and we got our tree today so I will hopefully get it into the house on Thursday so I can start the lights on Friday night. Love that picture of Emily & Rusty and thank you for that tip ~ I have never seen it before and I love it! I have a mismatch of wrapping paper too ~ it's whatever I like and am drawn to different patterns and colours. Will keep positive thoughts about your lump. Hugs Lori xoxo

Debbie said...

Yes, I think a Stag head is a requirement on the house tour. I don't have a mantel or a stag head so I guess I'll never be on the tour.

Your sign is adorable. I have a few critics in my house that never hold back their comments on my crafts.

Lynne said...

Oh "deer"!

I am not "decked" either, nor will I be until after the carpet is installed on Wednesday.

Jason is coming over tomorrow to help Mr D remove the couch.

We're in organized chaos here!

Ben's first birthday party was today. Chrislyn cooked dinner for 30 people.

Tomorrow we have a bridal shower... (Who plans a big wedding for Dec 27th)?

Jay will be in an out of Seattle Monday and Tuesday to cover Coach Petersen's move from Boise State to the University of WA.

Then there is the Nutcracker on Friday. Needless to say, I am crashing and sleeping well.

I am keeping positive regarding your lymph node too! I have scheduled surgery for excisions only to find that the lumps disappear. Keep me posted, please!

Keep the sign!
w/L

Julie Marie said...

Hi Jane... your pretzels look so festive and fun... seems like I remember you posting how to make them once before?... going to give them a try this year... how sweet of you to do all of that for Emily and her friends... the photo of her and Rusty is adorable... and Hello Milo!... I am sure your home will look just gorgeous all decorated... and you could not pay me to put a stag head up in my home... not even a faux one and certainly not a real one!... I won't make a home tour ever... my home is more lived in than for show... just the way we like it!... why don't you do your own home tour?... always love seeing your place!... good luck with your antibiotics... xoxo Julie Marie

Geneva said...

Wow! You're one busy lady! I think it's time for another "Hallmark" Movie don't you :) As always, I loved reading about your world, your positive attitude and the fun tips.
You're a Doll!

Debbie said...

Oh gosh...this is a funny post! Especially the men who love the women so much, they could lick their feet!!! lol. euww.
Your closet fixing man sounds hilarious! Do you know him quite well?
I think your home made sign is cute, Jane! Good job!!
Sounds like you are enjoying getting things ready for the holidays..I'm glad to hear it.
xo

Brenda Pruitt said...

That's such a sweet pic of her and her pup!
Brenda

April said...

Hi Jane! I'll be praying for you as far as that lump on your lymph node goes. Keep the faith! I happen to love your sign..and I'd definitely keep making some more! You just might have inspired me to give it a whirl myself! Hey, be sure to stop by my blog! I'm having a giveaway for a Christams banner! Would love to have you join in! :)

Maria Elena said...

Hi, Jane! I just loved reading this post. It has been crazy around here also. This year,I am so behind on my Christmas preparations. The days are not long enough for everything that needs to get done and lets not talk about gift shopping! LOL Yesterday was so crazy that at three in the afternoon I sat on the couch for a minute to catch my breath and next thing I know it was five in the evening when my daughter woke me up to tell me to at least take my shoes off and lay down. LOL Anyway, we will get through this somehow. I loved your pretzels! And I think your little sign is very pretty and cute. Love your wrapping paper tip, super idea! Hope you get to feel better soon. Take care of yourself. Enjoy your week!

Beth said...

Hi Jane, Your holiday pretzels are so festive and easy is good too! I like your den - the wallpaper is lovely and the big basket with gift wrap is festive and a decorative item all its own. Hope all is well with the lymph node. Take care and enjoy your making of holiday tour-worthy vignettes! (Can't wait to see them.)

Leslie Harris said...

That is the cutest photo of Emily and your fur baby. She's so pretty.
Can you believe I've never made those pretzels before? Although I love to eat them so maybe I shouldn't. Get healthy and go slow... sending you positive thoughts....

bj said...

Awwww, Blondie....don't get all stressed over decorating. A tree is REALLY all one needs to be festive and merry and bright. As a young child, we didn't even have stockings...just a little decorated tree and a few presents and we loved it. I have my living room looking like a STORE...waaay too much but I always get carried away. I am already getting ancy about too much stuff in there, tho. :)

Balisha said...

How did I miss this post?? I laughed till I cried at your antics....especially the idiot who didn't like your sign.Homemade is never perfect...it's a part of you in your Christmas decorating.....not some machine made thing.
I'm going to make your pretzels to take to a party this weekend. Thanks for the idea.
Have a wonderful time decorating the tree. Can't wait to see it.
Balisha

Olive said...

Hi Jane, the image of your girl and the dog is adorable. My girl is keeping me busy and she is on the other side of the world. Really iPhone images are very good and I ask myself why I bought that huge heavy camera. I do not wrap presents but that is a very good tip. It has been raining her forever and I may not even got dressed today. Merry Christmas, Olive

must love junk said...

Jane, you are hilarious! Your pretzels looks so yummy, I think your sign is charming, and I sure hope your health is ok!
(And I loved the comment about the stag head over the fireplace-cracked me up :)
Susan

Lori E said...

The nameless ones don't know what they are talking about. Cute sign.
I am sooooo going to do the pretzel thing. What an easy and pretty treat.

Teresa@1800 Farmhouse Rd said...

Oh I thought that was an old pic of Emily when she was a child!! You keep that positive attitude that you have because it will go a really long way, and I will keep you in my prayers!

Traci said...

I think your sign is super cute! I, too, haven't read the manual for my awesome DSL camera. I hate reading directions. My friend made us some of those pretzel things last year & I really liked them! I CANNOT get over your handyman guy. OMG!! I'm picturing the Flo Rida thing. So funny!! So funny!! I wrap all my gifts in either the same paper or coordinating paper. I wanted to do that when I was a kid & my mom never did so now it's an every year thing & I spend more time & money on paper than I do on some gifts!!

Marigene said...

Cute pretzels! Did you find the perfect tree and get it all decorated? I can't seem to find a spot for one, so guess it will be a table tree again this year...

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Hi Jane! Your sign is great love the snowflakes you added. I have a board that's been sitting here for months waiting for me to put the letters on, just don't feel like it.:)
I'll say a prayer for the node...love your attitude about it. I tend to get crazy with stuff like that.
Love the tip also for the wrapping paper, I'm the same way always have great intentions about it but never works out, I do like Target paper the best though.
It's really something this year with the home tours...a lot of them that's for sure!