This was Christmas.....



Xmas morning,running towards the tree






Playing w/ the first and LAST present he opened





.....And now it's done, and I couldn't be happier.  The holidays brought many things, a house tour, a busy store, baking parties,Santa and even a blizzard .  Now just need to get over the New Year's Eve hump and I can come back from my trip from the Brink of Insanity, along with everyone else....evidently Crazy Town is a very popluar destination for a lot of people this time of year.

Last Minute Gift Idea: The Anthropologie Necklace

Anthropologie , the store, the myth, the legend. Seeing how everyone wants what they are selling and with almost everything vintage inspired, but not everyone able to afford it sure makes it easier for me to make a living as most Etsy vintage dealers and  artisans are already selling what they have at a fraction of the cost.

This post I initially intended as a rant, demanding an "anthro-apology" for insulting my good sense by trying to hock THIS necklace onto people for a crazy amount of money, you clicked the link, you saw the price right? In case you forgot your glasses it's $168!!!  If it hasn't occured to you yet what the big deal is, it's because it's a paperclip necklace wrapped in electrical tape PEOPLE!  I'll quote what one poor fool wrote in the review,"Not sure if it was worth the price but it is an interesting necklace." Well duh.

But since Anthropologie is selling something like this it means you can totally get away with giving this as a Christmas gifts to all your Anthropologie loving friends. But since the original version is $168 we will just be making our own. All you need is:

1. common sense
2. electrical tape, any color, preferably scotch brand.
3. paperclips
4. a clasp of some sort, you can also use ribbon

One episode of Martha and 75 cents worth of materials later this is what ended up with:





And I'm not even crafty. Here is a side by side of the Anthropologie one and mine:







$168  left...75 cents right

Not too shabby, even though when it comes down to it, it is still a paperclip necklace. At least this version won't give you sticker shock and for the cost you could afford to give one to all your friends. And since you will have saved yourself a bundle for your savviness do not forget to reward yourselves by buying yourself something pretty from  here ;)







Before and Almost After

Just a little update since this post. The House Tour came and we, meaning the house and I survived.  I didn't manage to get everything on my list done, but that I guess would be expected...I mean who did I think I was Martha Stewart(okay maybe for a second).  I did get a lot of the eyesores remedied though, like painting over all the battleship grey paint that was on the floor and the woodwork.  After awhile it starts to make you feel like you're living in a submarine.


There had been a momentary lapse in judgement the day before the tour when I painted the hall the color of poop or "Sell this House" brown, I feel like it's an HGTV color if you know what I mean. And I really have no clue how it happened, all I recall is I had a different can of safe, pale, light friendly paint named 'Rice Paper' that I had used in the stairwell and 3rd floor hallway stirred and ready to go up , next thing I know I am being seduced by a can of mistint I bought on an impulse from Lowes the night before with no intention to even use in the house and before I know it THAT color is on my wall instead of the 'Rice paper'.  So for now I'm living with it, because the thought of painting it over is worse than the color itself at the moment, no  more home renovation until after Christmas.

before

after

                       
The hallway....we changed out the lighting, extensive plaster repair to wall and ceiling, painted EVERYTHING including floor, which is only a temorary solution until we can refinish them as we have in the rest of the house.  The wall with the wreath in the "landing" area is still a work in progress.

before





after

                                                                                                                    

The staiway aka big pain in my tush....refinished the banister, painted, caulked and puttied the spindles, risers, windows, moldings and wall. Sanded and stripped treads which use to be cobered in a brown thick paint, they still need to be sanded even and sealed.

How to Cook a Husband

Favorite or I should may say most kitschy find of the week.  Prints from the 1960s by Jacque Pati. Anyone who thrifts has probably come across his stuff. Usually framed culinary themed prints featuring a vegetable with a recipe.  However this is the first time I've come across one that had a recipe to cook people.

My favorite one of course is titled, "How to Cook a Husband", it also reminds me of this crazy Helen Mirren movie.  But my favorite line/s comes from, "How to Keep a Wife" which says, 'Woman are tender and bruise easily so do not pinch or whip too hard'...got that?? Do not leave marks when you whip your wife!  I also like the line, "Baste often."



Jack & Annabel presents



 Also yesterday we had our first significant snowfall, perfect for last minute shopping( note sarcasm), people drive like idiots as it is this time of year so why not make the roads icy and wet!  

Here are few shots of the babes in awe:                                         

"Look mommy, it's a white road of death"



Trying to catch a snowflake on her tongue, windows are irrelevant





Emily "Sojourner" Rodman

I've been so busy I haven't had an opportunity to post about my new baby. Her name is Emily Rodman.

She is originally from Philadelphia but journeyed to me all the way from England in order to get here which I find so intriguing.  It doesn't surprise me though as she is quite a fashionable miss in her lace and gold, so I would expect she would have the means to travel and according to the inscription on the back of the canvas has been since 1842.  

However by no means do I feel she is anywhere near the end of her travels, I am just playing hostess for her, she is a sojourner. As I am sure she will still be seeing the world way after my ashes are scattered over it.



I Like the Winter Weather

Well not really but it never fails, every year when it's time to pull the Christmas decor from the recesses of the basement this song makes it way out of the recesses of my subconscious. Programmed to replay endlessly in my mind until the day after Christmas to never be thought of again until the next year.