MIA

 MIA...or at least it feels like that! If I don't visit with you every few days I feel as if something is missing in my life but, this week, my life has been full and happy and I truly don't know where the days have gone!

When last we visited, I think I left you with the image of all of the supplies I had ready for making my Valentine goodies.

 I thought I had the rest of the week to make said goodies but then realized that I would see the gang on Tuesday and then the rest of the week was so full for everyone that that might be my only chance. And so, with that in mind, I used Monday to bake and make.

I will say that I got so busy that I forgot to take a lot of pictures but I do have some from previous years so you can at least see what I'm talking about. And, by the time I was actually on my way to their house on Tuesday, I completely forgot to take any pictures of everything wrapped and ready but, if I do say so myself, it was pretty and all tied up with a sparkly Valentine ribbon.

The first thing I made was the Rolo pretzels. I started by just getting everything lined up on the pan and at this point I was going to say that the hardest thing about this recipe is unwrapping the Rolos...

...that is until they were nice and gooey after a few minutes in the oven and it was time to add the M&Ms. Between my somewhat shaky hands, my long nails and the heat of the baking sheet, getting those M&Ms centered and pressed down without getting chocolate all over my fingers which then messed up the next one was not going well. Let's just say that it was a good thing that I bought the candy at Target when it was buy one/get one 50% off so I just happened to have a bag of peanut M&Ms at my fingertips. Those things are just enough larger that they were no trouble to press in and I got it done! Then, a quick sprinkle of sprinkles-lol-to gild the lily. LOL

Next I moved on to the "Red Hot Popcorn". I found this recipe many, many years ago and my grands and I used to make it as gifts and everyone loves it. The hardest part of it the last few years was finding the Red Hot candies-the only place I could find them for a few years was at Walgreens. But, as I was standing in the check-out line at Publix one day last autumn, I spied them back on an end cap and actually grabbed a few boxes then to be safe.

I had a hair appointment on Tuesday and my hairdresser loves this stuff too so I decided to make a double batch so I could gift her as well. Making the popcorn is easy. Once that is done you are on to the candy. This step requires a bit of constant baby sitting as you put together the candy, butter and white corn syrup-stirring constantly until it comes to a boil and then continuing to stir constantly as it boils for five minutes. This is tedious but, for whatever reason, I love this step. It is so satisfying to first see the butter melt and then the candies...and, always at one point, questioning whether it will really ever all melt from the big globs that it becomes and turn into exactly what you need...and it always does just at about that five minute point!

It bakes for an hour as you keep tossing it to get all of the popcorn covered. I had two large roasting pans going at once.

Once it is all done, it gets put out on wax paper on the counter as it cools and hardens and is ready for bagging.

And then the last one for this year is a Martha Stewart recipe for brownies. I'm not a chocolate fan so I am not really the one to judge but these things are "chocolate" decadent! They use only unsweetened chocolate-and lots of it-and are the perfect brownie consistency-IMO. I use a small heart shaped cookie cutter for the brownies and then the leftover pieces are moist enough to be "smushed" together and made into balls so no brownie goes to waste!

I got no pictures of this process but here are some from a few years ago where we apparently made the pretzels as well.

I always bag the popcorn up in cellophane bags and this year I grabbed these containers for the pretzels and brownies.

Once everything was packaged, it went into a pretty gift bag and was finished off with that pretty bow before being delivered. And, I included a treat for the dogs in hopes that they would then not eat the human goodies which they are so often apt to do!

As I also said previously, lacrosse started this week and with having three kids in the family all playing, between practices, travel and games, there is a LOT of lacrosse in this family. I went to Hud's first game which they won handily and he played so well. It was actually really cold by the time the game was over and since they always have a rather lengthy meting after the game, Jen and I gave him a quick wave and headed home before waiting to grab a picture-there will ne PLENTY more opportunities for that.

And, while we were "freezing" down here in Florida, grandson #1 was playing up in CT in this.

Most of the rest of the guys were dressed like this so not sure why he decided to wear the regular uniform but...???

I have to say, I'm glad I wasn't at that one! Lol

And then, the next night granddaughter #5 started her season down near Tampa and they also took a BIG win and she played SO well. This is only this team's second year and they graduated a lot of girls last year so it is almost like starting a new team-with a new coach-so they may not always do this well all season but it was a fun way to get the show on the road.

Daughter #2 surprised me by calling and asking if she could come spend Friday night with me and take me out to dinner. Since we still haven't had a chance to celebrate her birthday together, I think we will combine a bit of Valentine's Day with birthday and, if daughter #3 gets done on time with a previous commitment, she will join in on the fun.

As I was out shopping for Friday I happened upon these tiny little hyacinth plants. Usually they are larger but these were meant for garden planting so they were all tiny. I don't want them outside because they just don't do well here but I love to always have one next to my chair in the family room through spring so, because these were inexpensive, I grabbed one to see how it might work out. As soon as I got home, I gave it a bit of water and placed it on the sill in the sunroom. I wish I had taken a picture because it was truly not more than about four inches tall. The next day I decided to get it into a pot so I did that and put it back on the sill. AND, just now I walked past it and I couldn't believe my eyes. It is truly twice as tall and I am feeling confident now that it will go on to bloom and fragrance my house beautifully. In case you didn't know, I LOVE spring flowers. That is one of the things that makes me sad about living where I do-but I love living here so I can cope. I do wish we could grow bulb flowers. There are occasional gardens of tulips and daffodils around town but I am pretty sure that they were just all recently planted because it just doesn't get as cold as long here as bulbs usually like. In any case, this cutie will bring me much joy and I will be grabbing more as they start to arrive in all the stores.

As much as I am excited to begin my St. Pat's decor, I will be sad to see this view go away. I love it when I'm in "my chair" in the family room around dusk when all of the candles start to pop on. Still not a fan of "red" but I do love this view. 

Not sure when I'll be back but I hope it won't be long. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Trouble is Lurking!

 It is an absolutely beautiful day here...just the kind of "still winter" day that gets me in trouble every year. Because I don't have any large indoor projects in the the process, this is the kind of day where I want to be outside. The only problem is that it IS still winter and we are probably not done hitting freezing temperatures overnight and, if I go out there, I will NOT be able to stop myself from cutting back everything that had already frozen this year and just looks terrible.

This is when I have to remind myself that almost everything will come back if left alone but, if I trim them too soon and we get another freeze, that will be the end of them...ask me how I know. Lol I have done that more than once with pentas-that are almost impossible to kill-and yet I DID! Lol

And so, heading into the yard today wasn't in the books. And that meant I would be roaming the house looking for something to do. Now, don't let me imply that there is nothing needing doing in my house. That is definitely far from the truth. But, as you know, I have to want to do something to really get into a chore and all of the things needing doing aren't on my "want to" list at the moment. And so, I decided to start thinking more about St. Patrick's Day.

Having all of this next to me in my office only fueled the fire.

That is the stuff from the one Rubbermaid in the family room closet. Last year when daughter #3 gave me that large cabinet that I put in one of the guest rooms, I moved out a smaller cabinet that had been there and it ended up in the sunroom. For a bit it actually remained empty until I realized that I could empty another container and put all of that stuff in there. And so I did...and today I brought all of it into the office as well.

As I was doing it I wondered if it was an extra move but, in the end, I'm so glad I did because apparently I have been buying things for St. Pat's over the last year and because this cabinet was so accessible, that is where I shoved put it all...and, I had forgotten about most of it so now maybe I won't find myself buying the same things again.

There are two more Rubbermaids stored on the garage shelves but they house all of the stuff that doesn't need climate control like dishes, glasses, serving things, etc. so most of what is there will go to the kitchen and I can just carry them in closer to where they are needed. The rest of the stuff pretty much covers all of the rest of the house so maybe now having my office as "storage central" I can save a few steps. I got excited when I realized that I will probably be making this swap in just 8 days!

I did get out for some errands the other day and while out I picked up a small lamp. I'm not sure what I have going on with lamps these days as I have very many in my house already but I think it is that cabin fever again and me just needing to change some things up. So, I have always had a lamp here but it just suddenly got very dated looking to me so I grabbed this one at Target.

I like this smaller one better but it was a bit too short for my liking so I put it on the stone riser. I'm not sure it will stay here but it is here for now.

And yes, note to self, straighten that shade. Lol

I also grabbed some more of the inexpensive rose bundles at the grocery store. Usually the roses of this size are one head per stem but these are more like the "bush" roses. Each stem has three to four blooms and they are beautiful. This is only two bundles and there are many more buds than usual! So pretty but a bit harder to arrange because with so many blooms on each stem, they seem to have a mind of their own.

And while I was gathering, I started to put out what I need to make the goodies for the kids this year-as well as a little treat for the dogs. I have a hair appointment and lacrosse starts this week so I need to get going.

I also spent a lot of my day going down "memory lane". Daughter #3 is trying to get their yearbook page put together for grandson #2 and, of course, "who ya' gonna call?". Nana. Lol It seems that being the dinosaur that I am, I am the one everyone comes to when old pictures are needed. I know they have them also but I guess the tried and true way makes them easier to access and I love any excuse I get to go back and look at those sweet kiddos. And it always leaves me with a full heart as I am reminded just how much of our lives we have been blessed to spend together and oh the fun things we have done and the fun places we have gone and always together. I wouldn't have missed a minute of it! Stay safe and stay tuned.

 

Snips and Snails

 I ended up staying home today and trying to get every last little thing done from our Sunday installs. It is amazing how many little things-like hiding cords, filling holes, repainting, adjusting heights, etc. there can be with even just the few things we did. I originally had a list of thirteen things I needed to do but as the day progressed, I noticed more. And now the day is almost over and I think I have accomplished them all and can finally move on. Most of the things were simple tasks so it's not quite as impressive as it sounds but it does feel good to get them done. The sad part is that even if I didn't do all of them, most people probably wouldn't have noticed but I would have and that would be enough to bother me. Lol

I did do one more lamp switch and hopefully I am now done. The tall, thin lamp that ended up in the family room just wasn't right. It was so tall it hit the bottom of the valance and I actually was going to raise the curtain rod when I realized the answer might be right in front of my eyes...this is the lamp on the end of the dresser in the primary bedroom. It is just there for some balance and I never actually use it so I guess that's why I never even "see" it but today I did and decided to swap it out.

So, it went from here...

...to here.

It is so much better here and now I don't have to mess with the valance rod because this one is nowhere near as tall. The other one that I had here for just a hot minute...

...is now here. I think with the crystals it reads as a bit "boudoir-y" so even if it is not perfect here it is better. And, since I don't use that lamp, I will probably soon forget all about it and I will be good. Lol

After another session behind my fence-which is now pretty much done-I needed something to do sitting to give my back a break and, since the St. Pat's things are so close at hand, I really did start to think about that decor and how I would be changing it up this year. I've been simplifying all of my decor but the changes that we made on Sunday are also forcing a few other changes so my mind got going.

I wasn't really happy with the things I put in the shelf cubbies last year...

Horrible picture but a slightly better idea of what I mean. I am wondering how in the world I let that slip by me but, not this year. Lol

 I decided I wanted something of more presence in the two outside cubbies and thought I would see what I could find when I ran my errands tomorrow. I thought I might like simple pots of shamrocks and then remembered that I bought some shamrock sprigs as soon as they hit Walmart this year. I was thinking of painting a small terra cotta pot and was out looking on my potter's bench when I spied a beautiful green pot that I bought ages ago and loved. It was made in Portugal so it just has the prettiest finish..."oh, if I only had another!". But wait!! Once again my hoarding saving tendency took me to the bottom shelf and there she was!

I brought them in, scrubbed them up and just got busy. I simply filled the pots with floral foam, put green moss over the top and stuck in the sprigs that I cut off of the bush. I was thinking about how I could embellish-thought about adding some gold coins, maybe a leprechaun, etc. when I remembered that I was keeping it simple this year. I made two of these and I think they will work perfectly. If not, I have two pretty pots of shamrocks I can scatter elsewhere.

And with that, I have pretty much shot today. It's time to think about what tomorrow will bring, figure out what is for dinner and call it a day. I am going to try to hit a number of spots tomorrow so if I find any treasures, I will be back to share. I just wanted to let you know that I think you can stop worrying about where all of the lamps will end up in my house...I think the decisions have been made. Finally! Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

 

Finally!

I was starting to wonder of I would EVER finish up this year's Valentine tour but, here I am...finally. Actually, I just realized that the rooms that I usually post have all been done and all that I have left to show you is the primary bedroom which often goes unposted unless we are dealing with a holiday that has an overflow of photos and, apparently, Valentine's Day does.

Again, the sun and mirrors make these spots hard to photograph...at least for me as I am really not a photographer. If it can't be caught with point and click, it probably isn't going to be caught. Lol In any case, here is my overload of pictures as well as some of the little pots and holders that we made as gifts so many years ago-I just noticed that the spool says 2003!!

We made this idea many times and with many different grands-we even made them in G.S. one year as gifts for their parents.

I made this with my three youngest grands back when I was doing lots of their handprint crafts and when their prints would actually still fit in a frame. Now they're way too large and the kids are mostly all grown up. Sigh!!

So that is it for Valentine's this year. I am still doing a bit of tweaking from the moves we made on Sunday but not a lot. I did go back and add another candle holder to the blanket chest because we were ignoring the "rule of odd numbers" and it was driving me crazy. Soooo much better now. I'm not sure why the eye is more pleased with odd numbers, but it is...at least mine!

And now here I am doubting myself. Whenever I do the odd number thing, for whatever reason, I only think of the "extras". Now I'm wondering if the lamp counts-then I'm all wrong but I still like it this way better. Lol

I'm loving how cozy the kitchen makes me feel when I wake up on these cold days and it is still dark outside. I'm so glad I added all of those different lighting effects.

I'm off to fill in the holes left in the walls from moving the two sets of sconces and then give them a quick swipe of paint. Lucky for me, I'm a bit of a hoarder saver so I still have the leftover paint from the repainting of those rooms many years ago. Lol Then, I am grabbing some lunch and heading back out to the field behind my house. I'm getting close to having everything back there well away from my fence and it looks so good...until the spring rains come and everything starts growing like "weeds" again. Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

I Guess You Can...

 I'm back after having such a wonderful day yesterday! Daughter #3, her family and her dogs all arrived ready to work...and feed us all afterwards! The number 1 thing on my list was getting the pediment hung and, as I have posted previously, my gut was telling me exactly where it should go although I had a few other spots I was considering as well. Would it surprise you to know that it ended up in NONE of those places? After holding it up in many places and my designer daughter telling me why I probably wouldn't like it there-meaning she didn't...LOL-we decided on taking down the sign that has hung in the kitchen for quite some time ever since I made it...

...and hanging it there instead.

And, I have to admit, I LOVE it there. It is a pediment after all and, after seeing it in the places where I thought I would use it as a shelf, it just makes more sense to be hung higher. And, dare I say, it gives the room a little bit of "class" as opposed to my sign. LOL And, it takes away one more of the "country" features I clung to for so long. I am one to say that a decorator should always listen to their client because the client is the one living in the home but, I can see where there are times that you really need to let go and trust the process. I guess they can see the finished result and I always get stuck on the steps along the way. I guess that's why they get the "big bucks". Lol

Once it was clear that this wouldn't be over the love seat we tried using the sconces there but that just didn't work so they went into the living room where I really wanted them to begin with. I have always loved those lights in daughter #1's house and I love them even more here! For whatever reason, they speak to me.

Of course, putting them here meant 1. moving the table lamp that was here because the lamp next to the sconce looked silly and 2. taking down the candle holders that were here forever. And that kind of started a game of musical lamps. Our goal was to not have lamps close to sconces or wall hung candle holders or just too many lighting things of the same kind in the same room.

Also, moving the lamp meant we needed something else with a bit of size so we stole the arrangement from the blanket chest-and I like the way it looks-and then did this on the chest.

 Here's where we are now. Most of these things are for certain and will remain but there are two I'm still struggling with.

So this is where the LR candle holders ended up and then the lamp from the LR as well except it moved to the other end of the console because it was too close to the wall candles...makes sense and I'm good with that.

But, since there is already one set of wall sconces my daughter thought I should take down the ones that hung on either side of the "window" in the dining room. This is what is currently here and I'm not so sure I'm liking that very long wall so blank...yet to be decided.

And because we switched up the lamps, this thinner lamp ended up in the family room and moved to the opposite side of where I usually kept a lamp. From this...

...to this. Again, the reasoning is that if the lamp is on the left, it is too close to the lantern on the end of the mantle. I guess it makes sense-I might just need a second. Lol

I think that's it for now. We measured for the new rug in the living room but haven't quite settled on the design. We also got the cameras going to be installed once we decide on placement, fixed the back gate and checked the oil in my car. And all before having our really delicious dinner the leftovers of which remain here to feed me for a few more days. LOL

I did forget to show you the cute cordless lamp I picked up the other day and put in the family room on the shelves. I love the glow it gives this little angel.

So, I think that catches you up. I am off to the field behind my house to do a bit of clearing before it gets too cold again but, I did finish taking photos of the rest of the Valentine decor so I will finish up our tour soon. Stay safe and stay tuned.