It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well, I think I'm done decorating.  I could probably keep going, but I'd have to buy more decorations and knick-knacks, especially seasonal ones, are so not my thing.  Plus I married someone who shows about as much excitement for Christmas as does one going to the dentist.

But lo and behold, Christmas meets House on Hubbard!

The full shot of the dining room. 

 What?  Another lantern?  I couldn't!  This green tablecloth was a gift last year and it pairs nicely with the shiny poinsettia runner.

Antique-looking gift box filled with the mini ornaments from our tree last year.

 Edible decorations that may or may not last through the month week and another poinsettia runner.  Hark!  I need an actual poinsettia!

All the Christmas knick-knacks I'll ever need (got that, Mom?). ;)

Fiber-optic Santa.  No offense to the dude, but I think he's my least favorite thing to decorate with.

 This I love!  My mom said this was an old ice bucket.  I love that it looks sort of like a drum.  I filled it with two 8-packs of $1 ornaments for a grand total of $2.14 for this lovely coffee table topper.

And now the tree.  We've decided not to get a real tree, or even a bigger fake tree because a tree=money pit.  $ for the tree, then the lights, the ornaments, etc.  Maybe we'll snag some of this stuff on after-Christmas sales and be ready to go in 2011!  So out came the baby tree that I picked up last year (at of all places, Walgreen's), and only after being sad come the first full week of December that we were tree-less.

I heart the Dr. Seuss-like polka-dot and striped ornaments, as well as a few of our start-up collection.

 My mom gave Louis an ornament this past weekend.  None other than a light up, Hallelujah-singing Griswold house.  I asked Louis to put it on the tree.  And now it's our tree-topper.  At least I got him to participate?

Okay, I really wanted to drape some garland on this staircase, but I'm stumped on how I would get it to stay.  Thank you to the previous owners for leaving the nails in place for our stocking hangers.

 I snatched that nice big snowman stocking this past weekend at The Cottage House holiday kick-off sale for a mere $8.  It was the only thing I bought as I could easily pass up all the other knick-knacks (am I getting my point across?).

 This cute little guy is my favorite decoration.  That smile.  Gets me every time!  I'll totally name him by season's end.

And the last little bit by the front door.  My grandma had bought me this snowman...his legs extend and bend as evidenced from his bow knees.

So that's all...minus a few towels and potholders in the kitchen and a Nativity set we received for our wedding...where to put it?  Of course, our decor will amass over the years, but when the holidays are over we have to store all of this stuff...

We did a bit of outside decorating yesterday, too, but as luck would have it, one of the light sets tested fine, but then didn't work once all was said and done.  Seeing how it rained allll day today and now will be coated with fresh snow, who knows when I'll get out there and fix it, but pictures will follow suit. 

For now, I need to think up adorable snowman names...

Thanksgiving Vacation!

Thanks to a predicted snow/ice storm set to hit late-morning this past Wednesday, Louis and I gave ourselves the entire day off to hit the road down south before the bad weather hit.  That's right, 5 glorious days of vacation!

We hit the road for Iowa and arrived by early afternoon.  We relaxed and caught up with my family, soaked up all the blue sky and green grass (aka:  no snow here...yet!), and many other activities...

We watched movies and our favorite show in their movie theater family room.

Claire is practically life-size!  Oh Modern Family, we love you (and apparently, so does Dad!  How many times did you watch the Halloween episode this weekend?) :)

Thanksgiving dinner took place at...12:30, slightly better than last year's 11am reservation.  We dined with the finest at the country club and I carbo-loaded on potatoes, rice, sage stuffing, and other whiteish colored foods.

We nixed the Black Friday madness and instead headed out to the Christmas tree farm!  My parents recalled we last bought a real tree when I was 7, going on 8.  I vaguely remember, which is probably good since they said we'd spend all day searching for the "perfect" tree.  No trees this year--the goal was wreaths.

Whoa!  Check out all these choices!  I narrowed it to four and Louis helped select "the one":  a traditional red plaid bow and a big red bell.  Photos to come once it's hanging.

Why yes, my little sister is almost as tall (taller?!) than me.  Only by those bears ears, though!

After lunch at the winery (yep, that's right) and a brief rest back at home, we headed out once more.  Our destination this time:  the annual Festival of Trees in downtown Davenport.  The FOT has been around for as long as I can remember (and since I went there on a preschool field trip, it's likely been around since my existence or before).  It's swelled to include many categories, but always includes decorated trees, homemade stockings, Gingerbread Village, high school artwork, etc.

First up, checking out my sister Molly's artwork.  She is so talented, and it was nice of her to paint this lovely portrait of her favorite older sister. :)

Onto Gingerbread Village to check out the girl's creations.  Last year they both won ribbons.  This year they were clearly robbed.

Molly's "Hippopotamus Christmas".  Look at that cute blue hippo stuck in the chimney.  Louis says this is probably what happened to all those "real pandas" I put on my Christmas list for years.  :(

And Hannah's "Not my Gumdrop Button".  I love that he's on a faux baking sheet!

My favorite category this year were the fireplace mantels since I've made it my goal to get a fireplace mantel for our living room.  Fingers crossed I find one in time for holiday decorating this year.

Little House on the Prairie

 Modern

 I made a mental note that I could make my own version of what I found in the wreath category.

I loved the farmhouse scene of this decorated "room".

And new this year was decorated cakes!  These were professional quality and definitely something I could see on a Sunday Sweets edition of cake wrecks!



And finally, my favorite tree.  There were probably close to 100 trees, but this Dr. Seuss-themed was definitely my favorite.

We rounded out the weekend with other antics and photo ops.  I finally got my panda!  Except Hannah didn't really want her brother-in-law to steal her hat.

We hit the road back to the snowy north today and I've already set to work putting up some of our holiday decorations.  I guess all of this Christmas stuff over Thanksgiving break got to me!  Here's a sneak peek of what I've been up to:



One day left of vacation!  Tomorrow is supposed to be 40 degrees, so I'm thinking outside decorations?  We've also missed the first two of three days of the Cottage House's Christmas preview sale, so that's on slate for tomorrow, too.

Thanksgiving in photos...

(And a few words...it's me, after all).

I know what you're thinking:  Thanksgiving is still 5 days away.  However, yesterday was the annual Thanksgiving gathering with Louis' family.  They began celebrating the weekend before the holiday years ago so to make it hassle-free without competing other get-togethers and family celebrations.

We were assigned a vegetarian dish and a dessert.  Enter:  pies.  Pot pie and chocolate pie!  Warning:  this post may make you hungry.

Yum!  As the recipe mentioned, this pie wasn't too sweet.  Topped off with homemade whipped cream and some cocoa powder sprinkled on top.  Reminds me of the French Silk Pie I used to eat at near-weekly trips to Bishop's with the fam (anyone else know this place?  I hated it as a kid!  The cafeteria line, having to wait for an adult to carry my tray to the table...)

And pot pie!  Funny thing is, I sort of remember hating pot pie as a kid.  But guess what?  When you're an adult you can omit the things you don't like (peas!).  This is a Moosewood classic.  We don't have the cookbook, but found the recipe here.  It is very time-consuming, but there's something totally relaxing about chopping all those veggies on a slow Saturday afternoon.  I also love remembering wedding gifts (since we got sooo many kitchen gifts!) while I cook.  Thanks to E for the lovely bowls and Kim for this awesome red cooker that goes right from stove top to oven!

It was a delicious Thanksgiving #1.  T-day will be spent down in Iowa; that is, if the forecasted snow allows us to make it south.  And I'm pretty disappointed to see that their highs of 60s turn into 40s mid-week, but it's still double what we're looking at.

We've been hunkered down inside all day since the streets are topped with ice, but it might be melted enough to venture out...and this is only the beginning of winter.  Sigh.

Raking one day, shoveling the next.

Oh, Midwest.  You and your weather are so finicky.  It was 70 degrees in Minnesota on Wednesday.  This weekend, we're under a winter weather advisory or warning (or who even knows the difference between all of those?  Bottom line:  there will be snow.).

Louis was a total skeptic, but when I heard the forecast yesterday, I made sure to get as many of our remaining leaves on the ground raked up.  I'd rather deal with them now than in April, right?

I woke up this morning, remembering the outlook.  I sort of thought, "Yeah, right.  Nothing will have happened."

Then I drew back the curtains and saw this:

I let out a tiny scream.

I feel bad for the neighbor's tree.  Just when I was commenting how nice it was to still have some leaves on the trees and in this gorgeous golden color we see for so little of the year.

Our tree wasn't quite ready either.  Sigh.  Neither are we.  Yes, it's beautiful.  Yes, it's peaceful.  But could it wait at least another month?  I've already got Christmas being shoved in my face everywhere I look (someone please tell me WHY there is already a Christmas radio station BEFORE Thanksgiving?).

I guess I have to go...I need to find my mittens and hats and actually drag out my winter coat and not the in-between ones.  I'm pretty sure it's only supposed to rain in Iowa this weekend.  It's only a matter of time before my Dad calls...

Lantern love.

I have a fetish.  I love lanterns and I'm not afraid to admit it.  Case in point:  the two new lanterns I've picked up in the last two weeks.

Two weeks ago Louis and I took the day off together.  Among trekking around a state park on a fabulous fall day I also convinced him to make a stop that was not at all on the way home:  Hastings Gift, Garden, and Floral (website does not do this place justice).  Completely random, I know.  I think I've gushed about this place before.  It is part farm/garden rusty junk, part antiques, part new-but-looks antique (pure love, in my mind).

In my "I have to save my money for the next Cottage House sale" I almost walked outta there empty-handed, which pretty much looks like a kid being told they can't have anything at the toy store.  But then we went back because there was the lamp I really liked, but no price tag.  I set a price in my head and said I wouldn't go over.  And then I did, but only by $7 after tax.  I am such a sucker.

But, c'mon, how cool is this?!  (Or maybe it's just a lantern-lovers thing?)

The photo of that cute couple next to it sure doesn't hurt. :)  I also love that it is a three-way lamp.  I am such a freak about good lighting and since we live in Minnesota and DST is now really setting in, I need as much (fake) light as I can get.  I'm not sure about the lampshade.  Even though it was brand new it seems too big for the lamp and drowning out some of the light.  And I just can't have that.

Today is a day I have been counting down for a month.  A return trip to The Cottage House (my first store love, behind Hastings GG&F).  I went with my work bestie and we had a lovely time!

After seeing a multitude of lanterns while antiquing in Hopkins, MN, last week I had to snag this reasonably-priced one today!  $6, in case you were wondering.

I don't know much about lanterns, actually.  This one was made in the Czech Republic (as stated three separate times on the lantern).  See?  Okay, maybe you can't really see.  I need a new camera (hint, hint, Louis). :)

Not sure what I'll do with this little guy, probably dress it up a bit for the holidays.  I'm thinking some garland or a big red ribbon.

Lantern love!

I'm more than excited for my weekend, especially after having a one-day weekend last week due to a work event.  I'll be working from home in the morning on things that just couldn't fit into this week's hours, then tomorrow night we're off to the Third Annual St. Joseph Worker Program Taste of Thanksgiving.  Yummy fall foods to taste, wines to drink, live and silent auction goodies, and the fabulous SJW women and staff! 

I'm thinking a return trip to the Cottage House (unlike last time, I didn't feel the need to turn over my entire paycheck to them today, but after leaving I'm thinking of a few things I spied that I could put to use/turn into gifts).  And on Sunday, oh boy, three other neighbor couples have invited us to take part in a progressive brunch.  What say you?  We'll move from house to house eating one course after another.  I'm pretty psyched to get to know these people better, check out their houses (hello, I need to see what HoHub's siblings look like), and eat and drink!  We're in charge of second course:  fruit and mimosas.  Bring on the weekend!

Hello, cupcake!

Normally I'd lament the end of the weekend, especially one that also ushers in the end of Daylight Saving Time, but not this one.  Tonight wrapped up a big work event that has been lots of work in the making.  Whew!

So before I eat my celebratory cupcake, I thought I'd share one of my latest projects:  fabric flowers!  Now, this isn't the first time I've created loads of fabric flowers.  I made these green beauties as boutonnieres for our readers and all the dudes in our families for our wedding.  And they took forever.

Yet I wanted to make fabric flowers again.  I've been loving the big poofy flowers and bib necklaces that are all over etsy...and I'm thinking ahead to Christmas gifts.  I had an idea in my head of what these would look like.  And just to prove that not all of my crafts succeed at first...

There's version one...a lot of twisted, fraying going on.
Version two...sort of, not quite what I want.
Version three...getting there, sort of.

Then enter blogger tutorial.  Whew!  It still took a bit of effort, but I followed along with this straightforward fabric rosette tutorial.  And Louis bought me a glue gun so I could make 'em.  Yeah!

It took a bit of practice, each one getting better than the last.  And then I made a whole fleet of them!  Or 9 or 10.  How many is a fleet anyway? 

And so much for Christmas presents since I've used them to make things for myself.  Meh?

A little grey/cream combo.

And a shade of yellow I'd like to call goldenrod.  Pictured here with my fab colleague Amy at said work event.  (Thanks to my father-in-law for taking pictures at the event!).

I'm looking forward to what I hope will be a less hectic week...and some commitment-free evenings for crafting. :)  But now, I do believe I have deserved a cupcake!