Happy Chilly Fri-YAY!

 Happy Fri-YAY! Again, I don't know why this end of the week day excites me more than the others now that I am free every day, but I guess "brain muscle memory" just reminds me that it is the end of another week and no matter how busy or the complete opposite of busy that week was, it is cause to relax and enjoy! And so I am. As soon as I woke up and knew what today was, the whole day took on a new "complexion". Somehow everything I am doing just seems like more fun. Lol

I still don't have the end of our tour ready for you but I do have a bit to share. Wednesday was Grandparents' Day at my grandchildren's high school and it is something I look forward to every year and this year was no exception. I left my house with the thermometer reading 30 degrees so I knew that some things might have to be handled differently than in past years-specifically all of the time we would spend out in the courtyard. Usually we were there before mass and then again after as the gym was set up for breakfast service. This was also the time that we would have our "formal" photos taken.

This year, as soon as I arrived, I was told to head straight into the gym-where it was nice and toasty. The grandparents arrive first and then the students are all released to join us. And, the mass usually speaks to how important all of the family is in forming a young person's life and how involved grandparents play such an important part in that. It always reminds me just how grateful I am to have had all of my grandchildren close enough that I didn't have to miss out on much of their lives-and, how quickly time has gone. 

My first grandchild went to pre-school 29 years ago and ever since then I have been a part of all of the special times not just for her but for her 6 cousins that followed. And, it is hard for me to fathom that after this one, I only have one more to go!

In any case, after the mass we were told to head to the "Trinity Cafe" where they had set up this year's breakfast. I'm not sure if this change was weather related or just the way it was planned but this year there was no "formal" breakfast. And, since the kids had an early dismissal and I can check them out, they asked if I wouldn't rather head out to one of their favorite restaurants for a "proper" breakfast. And, of course, I was onboard.

Normally they know I would want that photo but that was a bit different this year as well so the kids grabbed a friend and we got a picture on campus before heading off.

We had a wonderful, unrushed breakfast and it is always so nice to just have a chance to talk and really hear what is going on in their lives.

After breakfast, they took me back to my car and, since their school is so close to our mall-where I hardly ever go anymore-I decided to take a trip down memory lane and headed on. I used to be at our mall a lot!! I loved shopping there. But, traffic, the change in the stores, the fact that I don't really need that much any more and other things just don't draw me there much any longer. But, I was on the search for a "Fresh Cut Roses" Yankee Candle and since we have a store there, I decided to give it a try.

I will say, the mall is not the happening place it used to be. For someone like me who likes to see and touch something before I buy it, it is still one of my best choices. And, Macy's was FULL of beautiful spring colors so that was invigorating as I shopped with my heavy coat still on. Lol

And, lucky for me, I was able to get my candles so I didn't have to wait for delivery or pay for shipping and I even managed to find myself a cute new top. I have a couple of trips in my future and I'm already starting to think about what I will be wearing.

In any case. when I got home and printed up my pictures I was a little sad that we didn't have the ones they usually did so I got busy with my photo shopping. Now, anyone who knows me knows that this isn't my forte. I might be able to do a better job if I had a more complex program but that isn't something I need often so I resort to the "jerry-rigging" style that I am so used to. This time it amounted to making copies of past pictures, cutting them apart, trying to hide the past date, sizing this year's pictures correctly, etc. And, of course, by the time I was done, the generations definitely showed their "degeneration". Colors changed and I had to chuckle at a few that came before the one that I finally settled on but I am happy to just have one with the border and it will go on the large bulletin board on the side of my pantry amongst so many other photos that I don't think the inconsistencies will even show. 

I was surprised to see a Trinity Facebook post about Grandparents' Day with pictures from the past to see the one back from when grandson #1 was a senior and grandson #2 was just a freshman. Not sure why they used that picture but it was fun to see our faces pop up where they were least expected. Lol

I headed back out yesterday for a few more errands and managed to find a lot of little things I was looking for as well as some I wasn't. I found the prettiest green glass candle holder in Walmart as well as the matching round tray. I loved the feel of them but I don't use a lot of tapers so I almost went on by until I realized how pretty they would look put together. And so, with just a little Gorilla Clear Grip, this is what I have now.

That will look pretty with a pillar candle or a half sphere and I can see me using it for St. Pat's, Easter and spring at the very least.

And, the other thing that used up way more of my life than it should have this week was the repair of the Valentine bracelet that I told you about. I should have taken a picture as I was about 3 hours into this repair and had enough tools out to build something let alone repair a little bracelet. I knew this was going to be difficult-and it was-but, I am nothing if not determined when I put my mind to something. I thought I was going to have to give up when even the drill bits on my Dremel wouldn't open up those holes but somehow I finally made it. I couldn't find the right replacement beads but I made do with what I had and I will be wearing this soon! If you look quickly, you don't even notice the different beads...very quickly! Lol

And, you can see where my mind is heading. Somehow the first of the St. Pat's decor magically appeared right next to me in my office for me to start going through it! Lol

So that's all I've got for today...although it sure took me a long time to say not much of anything. Lol I'll be back-probably after Sunday so I can show you how the decorating turned out and maybe we can finish out tour. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Almost Done

 Happy Monday! As usual on Mondays I am trying to get my week lined out. I was supposed to have my grand dog, Rory, here this week while daughter #2 and her family headed off to the mountains for a winter vacation. I was looking forward to it because Rory is a chocolate lab-and labs are near and dear to my heart after having our Mandy for so many years-but, the kids asked if Rory couldn't tag along. I guess they've seen and heard stories about how much labs love the snow and since they are staying in a house that allows pets, they decided to give it a try. And so, my week now seems to be pretty free.

It looks like daughter #3 and her family will be coming over on Sunday to help me get those VERY HEAVY things hung. I want my daughter's help in narrowing down where I think I want them and the guys' muscles to hold them up in all of the places we are considering so we can get a better idea. I have three places in mind for the "shelf" but my gut keeps taking me back to the end of the dining room so we shall see. I do think if it goes there it might need to be cut down a bit so that may come into play on its placement as well.

There's just something about that old chippy color that cries out wanting to be near this cutie-also "inherited" from the same daughter.

Don't they look like they were made for each other? Funny thing-hanging OVER this piece was not one of my options. I was considering it over the loveseat.

But, now that I'm thinking about it-hmmmmm. Good thing both my son-in-law and grandson are strong because it looks like they might be hauling that thing around a bit more than I initially thought. I'm getting very excited about FINALLY having these things-the shelf and the sconces (which can't be hung until I know where the shelf lands) up so I can begin planning on how I will decorate them.

So, that still leaves me lots of time this week to catch up on more of my "little things". And now that I actually have time to think about these things, I am realizing that some of the things I have done in the past I was never actually totally happy with. For me, the crafting part is more important than the finished product. But, that being said, I really don't like to make things if they are not something I want to use. Of course, you don't always know what you will get until you try. That was the case with this "shelf leaner" that I made a few years ago. Ever since, it has just been propped somewhere but really never to my liking.

Somehow this year it ended up propped against the fire place doors...until I wanted to have a fire and then I just moved them out of the way and decided that I liked it better without it here. It wasn't until a day or two later that it hit me...why not hang it and see how it looked.

Soooo much better and all I had to do was hot glue on a piece of wire so I could wrap it around the arch.

So, with ALL of that behind us, let's peek into the bathrooms.

These little soaps are still one of my favorite gifts that granddaughter #5 and I made for family and friends one year. The soaps just involved melting down the soap blocks from HL, coloring and scenting  them and pouring that into the sweetheart candy molds. Once they were solid, we unmolded them and arranged them onto a plate that she made by decoupaging a napkin onto a clear glass dish and wrapping it all up in cellophane for gifting.

And, again, just a nod to the holiday in the primary.

I will probably get the rest of the tour posted this week and that still gives me over two weeks until Valentine's Day finally gets here. I am SO getting itching to be rid of the RED! Red is not a favorite color for me although I am such a traditionalist that I have to have it here for this holiday. As much as I wish I could go neutral, I just can't. But, that being said, I don't have to like it. LOL I think my habit of stacking new treasures in my office right next to where I am typing this for you somehow always pushes me to see the next decor and when the colors of the next decor are my favorites, I get all the more antsy. This is what I am currently looking at. It does strike me as interesting that there is NOT one new craft here. I am really having trouble finding new things to make that I have either not made before or that I actually like. That makes me sad because I love crafting but I will just have to come up with some other new projects to keep me busy until craft motivation strikes again. Sigh!

I swear those colors and "feels" bring my blood pressure down 20 points just by being there. My next swap out will be to St. Patrick's Day so, of course, LOTS of green-which...no secret...is my favorite color! I actually have at least three new framed pictures ready for this year and they are all more of the muted colors and images of quiet spots that "might" be nestled somewhere in Ireland-but probably not. Lol I don't care-it is the color and mood I am going for.

My next "little" fix that has been on the back burner for two years...yes, you saw that right...is restringing a Valentine bracelet. I got the bracelet a number of years ago from Chicos and I love it...and it was not inexpensive. It broke two years ago and I saved all of the parts except that after all of this time, I am now missing two small red beads and one crystal cut bead. I think I probably have reasonable facsimiles in my stash but I know I am going to have some trouble with this because of the way it was constructed-hence the reason I put it off so long. But, I am delighting in getting these kinds of things off of my list so I will let you know how it goes. I also need to get back outside and cover-once again-everything that needs some babying and haul in the poinsettias again also. Yesterday it was 83 degrees and tonight we are plunging into the freezing numbers and it looks like we'll be there for awhile. Mother Nature definitely has a warped sense of humor this year!

Stay safe and stay tuned.

It's the Little Things!

 Apparently I will do almost anything to avoid having to vacuum. I will admit that it is one of my least favorite chores mostly because, when I have to use the "big machine", it hurts my back. I only pull out the plug-in Dyson when I am doing carpeting and that is what was on the docket for today. The rest of the time I use my cordless stick vacuum and it is so much lighter and can get so many other places but that doesn't mean I enjoy that either. But, I digress. Lol

In any case, instead of getting to work I decided today was the day for even more tweaks. If I keep this up my decor will be nowhere near where it was when I started. I will have "tweaked" everything to a new home. Lol

I did have to run back out yesterday...I REALLY did...and I had to go back to Target again. And so, I grabbed another one of these "throws" so both places could have one. For whatever reason I liked it here as well as in the bedroom which is where I wanted it to go.

And, since I had to go to HL, I grabbed some more of the pink "real feel" tulips and swapped out the flowers in this vase.

And I know you're saying "what did you do with the other pink flowers?" but, don't worry. I have a pretty vessel hanging on the wall right as you walk into the family room and all I had for it was some pussy willow branches...until now.

While I was at Target I took a quick look at Magnolia/Hearth & Hand again to make sure they hadn't put anything new out or that I hadn't missed anything the other day and this cutie caught my eye. Something about that little rustic looking vase spoke to me and I'm pretty sure it will stay out throughout the whole year in one place or another.

Since everything is already decorated, I just put it here because I like that it kind of goes with some of the other things already here but, now that I'm looking at this, I'm wondering if I should swap the places for the vase and the frame? Somehow the balance looks off???!

Yep, I like it better now. Somehow my eye now goes from one side to the other more easily. It's the little things. Lol

And then, since I had to run back to the grocery store, I grabbed these.

Usually this time of the year I grab tulips but they weren't looking too good and these roses not only look beautiful but they smell like roses. That doesn't happen often with the new roses so I am loving them. And, since I gave the stems a nice clip. they are opening up so much and just make a beautiful focal point here on the bar.

And then I did this. Since I have the candle lamp on the other side of the counter, this side looked a little dark so I grabbed the cordless lamp I found at Walmart awhile ago and brought it out here. It is still a bit too bright for me even though I have it on the lowest setting for warm light but I can live with it.

I definitely think it helps balance the light in this room and makes it cozy on these chilly days and nights.

I will say that by the time I had finished all of that I pretty much wasted  used the whole morning so, before I let myself come in here to visit with you, I did get the monster machine out and got the heavy vacuuming done-yay me! Lol

It's kind of dreary outside although it is NOT cold right now. It feels weird to think that so much of the country is under snow, sleet or ice while we are uncovering plants and turning the thermometer from heat back to A/C. We are predicted to get up into the 80s before dropping back to the 20s and 30s again. Mother Nature definitely has a warped sense of humor this year.

In any case, the next time I come back I promise to head forward with our tour. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

On To The Family Room

I'm spending the day catching up on all sorts of little things and keeping busy to distract me from the thought of heading back out to check out new arrivals in stores I missed yesterday. Lol Let's head into the family room-that is now minus the Christmas tree-and take a look around. This room is so much prettier once all of the timered candles come on but, since there are thirteen of them in this room, I just couldn't face turning them on for the pictures as that would mess up their timing and I would have all thirteen to reset this evening. I did light the candles that can be lit for you. Sorry.

I love this new cupid print. I really wish it could be in two places at once because I think it would also look pretty in the living room but, since I'm using a bit more of the classic and gold tones in here as well, I'm leaving it on the shelves for now.

And, I'm liking the "LOVE" much better now that it is gold.

It is probably no secret that I am not a huge Walmart fan and I truly only go when there is something there that I know I can't find anywhere else. And, since social media has gone so crazy and I watch so many reels of what all of the stores are putting out each serason, Walmart has definitely kicked their decor up a notch!

I love Pottery Barn but the closest one to me would be in Tampa or Jacksonville and not a trip that I make on my own any more. Still, there are some things from there that speak to me and I will order them and not look for knock-offs. That being said, if something is a simple piece of seasonal decor and comes close to the PB look, I am OK with it. And so, I do find myself in Walmart-mostly for the things they carry from Texas House but these metal entwined hearts are just a simple Walmart thing and I love them. HL has some similar but theirs are wood and only two hearts...and they just don't pop like these do. They are heavy and shiny and fill in all of the "feels". It's kind of silly how something so small can make me so happy but they do.

This is the garland I made out of the many hearts my mom crocheted for me many, many years ago. I saw a picture in Country Living where these hearts were hung all over the edges of shelves on a country style hutch which is what I had back then and asked her if she could duplicate them for me-I think the magazine had the patterns included. I know those things took her forever to do and I loved them and used them every year until, I was no longer so country and I got rid of that hutch. I didn't want to not use them any more but I really didn't have anywhere else for them to hang so I decided to glitter them up in red, silver and crystal and string them together for a garland. I still love them and they pull in the glitter of the X and O on the mantle.

Extra pictures on these shelves...

...and a few in the corner. I also added the vase I bought testerday and some flowers I had. The flowers aren't necessarily what I would have chosen if I had gone out looking for them but they do add a bit of pink to play off of the frames so I am OK with it. I think it also helps to soften up this corner full of very straight lines.

I honestly thought I wouldn't use this this year in my attempt to simplify but we made that rag heart in Girl Scouts and I just couldn't not. Lol

And, of course, the things that are on the table next to my chair.

The bouquet of "poses" that my grands and I made so many years ago to give as gifts to family. This is still one of the most viewed images on my sight and I still love it so much...and those sweet faces!

And a quick shot of what it looks like at night so you can see some of the candles. I just realized that I took this before I moved some things but you can still get an idea. Lol

So that is it for the family room this year. I still have a bit more to share so I will be back but until then, stay safe and stay tuned.