The UN-decorating dilemma...

I couldn't decide when to take down the Christmas decorations since we normally do it on New Year's Day. But that is a Sunday and I refuse to work like that on a Sunday. So we decided to take them down last night. Everything is restored back to order. I love waking up to a clean house.

I did make some changes in the kitchen. When we moved in a couple of months ago, I put away a lot of my French Country style decor and moved into light greens and blues. I haven't liked it at all. So I brought the burgundy and cream tablecloth back out.

I had some lace curtains I wasn't using so I put one of the valances in the kitchen window and got rid of the blue and green valance.

I put my vintage Pyrex, my roosters and sunflowers back on my wine rack and hung a couple aprons on the ends. I'm loving the new look.

I still need to do some work on the bottom shelf, but I'm loving the little red wagon to hold the spare aprons.

I'm keeping my wicker baskets and old pottery pitchers on the top of the cabinets to add to the French Country charm.

Here's a close up on wine rack. I hung some vines of grapes under the top shelf. Grapes just say "French countryside" to me.

Now I just need a huge braided rug to go under the kitchen table.

Well, I'm off to get things ready for tonight. Hubby and I will have finger foods, assorted cheese and crackers, and fruits while we play our annual game of Monopoly for New Year's eve. No parties or travels for us. We enjoy just spending it together the same way for the last 30 years. Everybody stay safe tonight as you ring in the New Year.

The year in review....

It's been a great year overall.

Our family added two new babies this year when two of my nieces each gave birth to boys.

We had several hail storms come through the area. One of them totaled both my car and my hubby's truck. He bought his truck back, but my Cadillac was so far gone that we let them total it. I started car shopping and it took almost three months for me to settle on a new (used) car.

We moved from our home of the past 12 years to a new bigger place. I am thrilled with the move. I have so much more room and don't feel cramped up all the time.

The grandbabies have went through changes. Garret turned 12. His last year before becoming a teenager. Caleb turned 8 and Alexis turned 7. Shelby hit three and was finally completely potty trained. Little Colby turned one and learned to walk and now he goes as fast as his little legs will carry him.

We did a new church directory for the first time in about 4 years and I was able to assist in the project and had a blast getting to know our members better through the process.

Our church also put on the first annual Kodak Community Christmas Parade and it was a huge success.

I had one nephew graduate from the United States Marine Corp and one graduate from the US Army.

We got a new Donna Sharp outlet at our local mall.

Our TV of 19 years went kaput and we are starting the shopping hunt for the best buy on a new one. 

All in all, it has been an interesting and exciting year. Can't wait to see what 2012 brings.

Motorola Electrify Review

One of my gifts to myself this year was a new cell phone. My old one was just a year old, but it had so many issues. It called people out of the blue. I don't mean it hit a button bouncing around in my purse. I mean it would be laying on the table all alone and I would hear somebody talking and when I would pick it up, my sister or mom would say I had called them. It was wierd. It dropped calls all the time and it did not keep a charge well, even if I barely used it.

We had over 6,000 belief points to use so we headed to US Cellular to take a gander at what was new. They had the new Motorola Electrify at a good price with a Visa Gift card rebate. I tried it out and loved the sleek feel and light weight.

I have had it for a week and could not be happier with it. It has multiple home screens you can build to your own personal preferences. It has a built in Amazon Kindle app that you can sync with your Kindle. It has the regular Android widgets as well as Motorola widgets to choose from.

As with all Androids, you can customize each screen, access Facebook, Google, E-mail and browse the web.

I have not found anything about it that I do not like. If you are in the market for a new phone, I highly recommend the Motorola Electrify. 

I am contemplating...

New Year's is just around the corner. It's that time of year when I start thinking of changes, getting organized and looking forward. I don't make resolutions because I never seem to keep them. I used to make goals and I was always successful when I did that. But I am a "hands on" visual person. Just having a goal hasn't been working. I need to get me some charts and forms to keep my goals in perspective and to document my successes. Oh lands! I sound like a boss. But hey, it does work.

I want to do an overhaul on my filing system and attempt at staying organized. One draw back to having a home office and owning your own company is the fact that there is no one to prod you into getting organized. I get a little discombobulated sometimes and it shows. I am going to figure out a new system before the first. One that makes sense and one I can stick to. I see a trip to Staples in my near future.

I also need to get my crafts organized. I keep heading off in different areas as to what I want to work on. I wanted to do a scrapbook of grandchildren, but kept buying stuff and for some reason I never started the project. Now I know it is because we didn't have all our grandchildren yet. Now that Colby is one, I want to get started on the scrapbook of my grandbabies. I have a lot of the pages and the embellishments. I even have the scrapbook "Camp Grandma". I just need to upload pics and get them developed.

I've got several projects I have purchased supplies for and never pursued. I need to find me a good deal on a sewing machine. I also need to get several plastic canvas projects completed. I would love to have a snowy January so I would stay home more on the weekends and get some of this accomplished.

I am tossing around the idea of becoming a Thirty One consultant. (I know, just one more thing I have to stay organized about). Not sure if I want to venture into it or not. I'm going to talk to my consultant to get her thoughts. We are friends and we go to the same church so I don't want to step on her toes, but I think I would really enjoy becoming a consultant. It would be fun as well as provide an extra avenue of income. I talked it over with hubby and he was very encouraging. I might venture into it to see how it does. This would be a good time to try it out since the new spring products will be launching soon.

All this deep thinking has given me a headache. I'll have to think about it more later.

Just some stuff

I love that moment when you get up on Christmas morning and you see Santa has stopped by. I love being the only one up and turning on the tree lights and just basking in the moment, letting memories of Christmas past wash over me. The kids are grown and gone. I'm no longer that little girl of Christmas past. But for those few moments in time, I pull out my memories and treasure each one. Each Christmas brings new memories.

Check out my new slipper socks from the kids. They are so warm and comfy. Blends right in with the decor.

We had two new desserts this year. My daughter made an Oreo pie that was absolutely delicious. I think next year she may have to bring 2 of them. One for Garret and one for everybody else. He loved it. My daughter-in-law made a Butterfinger cake that was a big hit as well. I'm going to have to try to make it. I had to keep a piece of each one to savor again on Christmas day.

Since the move, I have been looking for something as a centerpiece for my coffee table that didn't set too high. I got this lovely basket from my son's family for Christmas.

I replaced an old centerpiece I have been using at Christmas for many years and it had seen better days. I love this new look. The basket goes very well on the runner my mom made me. 

After Christmas, Mom is going to make me a new runner to compliment the liner of the basket and I'm going to store the snowmen lid until each Christmas, but leave the basket out year round. I think I'll get a couple of candles to go on either side of it. I'm heading to Joanne's this weekend to look at material for the new runner. 


My daughter knows I love anything that has to do with faith. Her family got me these two unique items to put in my home office. I love them.

Hubby did very well in the gift giving process this year. Actually, he always does a good job. My two favorites this year were a bracelet and a purse that I loved. The bracelet is gorgeous. I can't wait to wear it.

I was shocked since he never gets me purses because he doesn't have a clue what I would like. My moods vary. I think my daughter had a hand in helping pick it out. I am on this Fair Isle pattern kick. She must have pointed him in this direction because the purse is absolutely perfect for me.

What were some of your favorite gifts this Christmas?

Picture Perfect Christmas

What makes a picture perfect Christmas? Getting pictures of your grandchildren. Doesn't matter if they are professional. Doesn't matter if they are perfectly posed. All that matters is that you capture their joy and happiness on film to keep the moments forever. Here are my babies.

The gang

(top l-r Caleb, Colby, Garret)

(bottom l-r Alexis, Shelby)

Mamaw's girls

Colby had gotten in trouble and apparently this is how he pouts. He is so adorable.

Shelby loving on her big brother....whether he wants it or not.

Garret, my oldest grandchild. I can't believe he is nearing teenage years. He is gettng so handsome.

These two were inseparable Saturday. They built a tent in the play room and played house...trying to hide from Colby.

Not sure what was going through her mind. She was so over the waiting and just wanted to open presents.

My son with his sons and my daughter with her daughter. I think Caleb must have grabbed the camera for this one. Looks like Diana is having to restrain Garret to keep him from escaping.



We had a wonderful evening.

Merry Christmas



It's still the greatest story ever told

As you prepare for Christmas Eve and your Christmas celebration, take time to remember the real reason for the season.




More of my ramblings...

I am like a little kid hyped up on sugar on Christmas eve. I love the excitement of this time of year. I have so much to do today. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Country music stars are singing Christmas carols on my CD player and I have lots of baking to do today and presents to finish wrapping. It will be a festive day around here. I'm taking a four day weekend to enjoy the holiday. I love time off.

 

I don't ask for "big stuff" for Christmas. You know, nothing high end. We don't do credit cards for Christmas shopping. We believe in pay as we go. That way we have no big surprises come January.

Come January this year, we are making a couple of purchases though. We hope to take advantage of some good January clearance sales. We are going to get a new TV since the old one died. I'm really excited about having a flat screen. I was so over the huge floor model big screen after having it 19 years. I've been looking and am overwhelmed with the choices. Next week will be research week, but I know I'd like one that looks similar to this design if possible. I like the actual screen being close to the little stand instead of being a taller stand.

I love shopping and looking at all the options out there. Since the last TV was self-contained, we are going to need to buy a nice bookcase, stand or entertainment piece for the new TV to set in or on. I've done a little bit of looking for this. Not sure what I want. I like the looks of this one. It matches my coffee table and end table.

I've been saving my birthday money and a Visa gift card I got so I can get me an e-reader. I've been doing the research and am still torn. I know I am going with Kindle. It's just a toss up between the Kindle Touch or the Kindle Fire. I just haven't had time to explore it really good so I'll be doing that next week. I love the thought of the Fire if I understand properly what all it does. I'll have to ask my daughter-in-law's opinion. She's my electronics expert. But I think I'm leaning toward the Fire. I actually held one in my hand yesterday and it was love at first site.

We were at the mall the other day and I noticed a Vera Bradley purse in a display case. I had not seen this pattern before. I'm normally a Donna Sharp person, but I love all quilted purses. But this Vera Bradley really caught my eye. I fell in love with it. May have to check into it later on. They even have it in an e-reader case.

Well, if I'm going to accomplish all this baking and gift wrapping today, I guess I'd better quit "window" shopping on the Internet and get busy.

Hope you get everything done today that you need to accomplish. Have a Merry Christmas!