Edgar needs a pal

Many of you will recall last year when Edgar the Elf came to visit for the holidays. 

He was always into something and his shenanigans landed him in a lot of trouble at times. 

I could occasionally calm him down by sharing my hot cup of peppermint cocoa with him. 

And he did help me type on my blog when I got to busy to do it myself. 

He was a great little helper when I started my baking and even helped me find all my favorite recipes. 

Of course, when we went to bake he had to try out my new Pyrex bowl before I could begin mixing ingredients. 

I made the mistake of letting him see where I was storing the cookies we made and the next morning I woke up to find him almost comatose on a sugar high.

I thought he learned his lesson but apparently not because a few days after the cookie incident he was helping wrap presents and I caught him with my Junior Mints and Orange Crush.

I was thinking that if he had a friend, he might not get in too much trouble. I was going to let Ginger hang out with him this year. But then I remember how much he liked to bother her last year so I may have to rethink it. Of course, if he hangs out with her and gets too much out of hand she can always whack him up side of the head with her Welcome Winter sign. We will just have to see. 

Running behind

Thanksgiving day is almost upon us. Just two weeks and two days away. I am so far behind on what I need to be doing.

By now, I usually have my menu made in an Excel form with a column for ingredients of every dish we have. Then I mark off the ingredients we have and use the remainder to create a grocery list of what we need.

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By this time, I also have a list with what needs to be done around the house such as getting out the good china and washing them up, selecting the table linens and getting them washed and pressed.

By this time, I have signed up for Black Friday Ads and have started a list of things to look for on that day. So what have I done about it so far? I finally signed up two days ago and haven't even had a chance to go look at any of the ads.

I guess my plans for this evening needs to be to get busy and get organized for Thanksgiving and the weekend that follows. 

Some neat finds...

It's been awhile since I posted any new finds. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up these two vinyl bags at AC Moore for about a buck each. I'm use them when I cart anything anywhere at Christmas time. 

Picked up a couple of red/blue items for my kitchen for Christmas. Just love the little penguin. 

I came home last week and had these on my door as a thank you for something I did for a friend. I just did her a tiny little favor and she made me these to thank me. I love them. 

Picked up a new Christmas tablecloth for the kitchen table. I love it. 

I have been needing a new notebook. Since I am into plaids and dots this year, this was perfect for me.

At our last Bible Study, I won one of the games we played and it was this Thanksgiving set. I just adore it. 

I finally got the Halloween put away and the Thanksgiving decor out. This is my coffee table.

And I placed my Thanksgiving angel and blessing rock beside the pictures of my biggest blessings. My family.

It was time for my little pilgrim squirrels to come out of storage. I got these at a yard sale last year. I think they are so precious. 

Have you decorated for Thanksgiving yet?

The Wonder's of Technology

I was on Facebook Saturday morning around 5:30 a.m. As I was scrolling through the updates, my chat box popped open. It was my nephew who is currently in the USMC. He is stationed in Afghanistan and I haven't heard from him in months. 

I was beyond thrilled to have that quiet time in the early hours to just sit and chat with him. He was able to be on and off with me for close to an hour and a half. He was such an adorable little boy. 

Why do they grow up so fast? He has grown into a fine young man that the whole family is very proud of. 

At one point, I was able to get my Mom on the phone and she was able to tell me what to say to him from her. He would give me answers back to let her know. 

(Jake at Mom's house one Christmas. He's on the left)

It is beyond my comprehension that through the marvels of modern technology we are able to hear from our loved ones who are continents away as if they are just in the next room.

It was an awesome experience and just totally made my day. Mom was over the moon to get to "hear" from him. I asked if he needed anything and in true family tradition he wants some Doritos and Funyuns. Guess I'll be putting together a care package this week. 

How Pinteresting

I can't remember the last time I was on Pinterest. I am looking for some new ideas to do for decorations. I found this and thought it would be cute for my pink and blue bathroom. It is a Christmas tree made from a bottle brush and put in a teacup.

I wish I had a steady enough hand to do this myself. How cute would this be for Christmas parties. 

I am doing my kitchen in aqua and red this year. I have a lot of aqua but need to find a good tablecloth to try to incorporate some red. I really love this one I saw on Pinterest. It is from Kohl's which is where I buy all my tablecloths.



I am on the hunt for some vintage reindeer for some decor ideas this year. I have seen them at yard sales all year and now that yard sales are over I decide I should have bought them.



This one may be a little tacky looking but I absolutely love it, especially with the aqua and red in it.



I wish I had decided on this vintage Christmas earlier in the year. One yard sale had the Christmas carol book like I had when I was little. I should have bought it.



I need to find me a blackboard so I can do something like this for Thanksgiving.



Talk about easy decor for your Thanksgiving table. I love the bowl with the pinecones.



This would be easy to do and it would smell awesome.



The problem with Pinterest is one thing leads to another and you can't seem to stop yourself. I'm going to quit for now. Lots to do today. The major item on my list is to go to Kohls to look for a new Christmas tablecloth. And to stop by a little antique store that might have some of the vintage deer. Hope everyone has a great day.

Running late today...

I normally write my posts first thing in the mornings. I have been so busy today that I'm just now getting a chance to post. I've been on here looking at some of the deals at Kohl's and Target. Going to head that way tomorrow. One thing on my list is a new candy thermometer. Mine broke and I use it when I make my fudge at Christmas. This is a must to replace. 

I need to buy a new 9 x 13 cake pan. Mine is just about worn out. I don't want a Teflon one anymore. They wear out too fast and get too many gouges from knife marks of cutting cakes while they are in the pan. I'd love to have one like this. 

I need to start stocking up on cookie tins to give as gifts to the ones who appreciate my home baked goods.

I need to make a list for my Thanksgiving menu and find out what desserts everybody wants for Thanksgiving.

Of course, hubby and I are in the middle of our annual "which brand ham do we want to get" debate. I always let him pick the turkey (usually Butterball) because I don't eat turkey. But I am very opinionated when it comes to my ham. My favorite is Virginia Tavern Ham if we can find one.

Lots of planning for the holidays coming up. I just love this time of year.

Shedding a little light...

These past couple of years, I have become obsessed with lamps. I like them in all sizes and place them all over the house. Right now I have 9 lamps I use and one that is a vintage milk glass lamp that needs a shade so I'm not using it anywhere yet. For the past several weeks, I've been working at hubby's desk in the living room during the evening. For some reason, I just do not like sitting at that desk.

Last night, I wondered if a lamp would help out any. So I moved some things around and got a basket for all our coupons and mail instead of the wire tray. I also dug out a little basket to hold our keys instead of just tossing them on the desk like we do now. I am very pleased with the results and ended up sitting at that desk till well after midnight last night.

What a difference a lamp and a couple of baskets makes.