The grayest day ever....

It's raining again.  If this was snow we we'd have a blizzard. It has rained for two straight days and I am fighting my mood matching the weather.  

So what would one do on a rainy Saturday?  Today will be spent finishing up the decorating, watching football, baking and catching up with some reading.

I am off to find my wellies and my anorak jacket to stay dry as I venture out on this very gray day.  Look out Super Target here I come. 

Friday Finds - Ornaments

We have a narrow 6ft artificial tree that I decorate in red, white, green and silver ornaments.  I have everything from the traditional glass balls to the eclectic folk art.  Every year I add to the tree with what ever unique ornaments I can find.   This year I may add the ones I found on Etsy. 

ArtbyKristi has cute personalized ornaments. Imagine one of these for everyone in the family with their names or just initials.  These sell for $6.75 a piece.  At that price you could even use them to decorate gifts with a as tag.

Then there is sjbolman's shop.  They are making and selling Love Whales ornamanents.  They are just perfect for the preppy house that uses the whale motif.  These sell for $12.00. They will personalize the ornament on the back and will also make it in other colors.  How cute would a pink ball with green whales look? 

Hope you have fun decorating your tree this year.  Check back on Sunday for a photo collage of my home decked out for the holidays. 

The buzz and my take

First up Tiger Woods.  What is he thinking?  The statement released on his website really begs more questions.  He wasn't driving fast enough for the air bags to deploy, so how did he get lacerations on his face and mouth?  I think there is a lot more to the story.  Here's another question- if this other woman really isn't having an affair with him then for what purposes did she retain Gloria Allred? 

Ok now for my take on The Social Climbing couple of the century.  Would some one please get them a book on Etiquette?  White House State Dinners are formal events. Formal Events are planned months in advance. Invitations are printed, and mailed. They are not sent via an email blast. It just doesn't happen. It's beyond tacky.  I am quite certain evite does not have a template for State Dinners.  Please, since when do law firms with Pentagon ties have any authority to extend invites to people not formally on the list? 
It's really sad that this celebrity seeking couple can't even admit that they may actually be wrong. I think they are so he*& bent on fame that they will do anything and interprete what ever they need to to accomodate their desires.  Are their egos so fragile that they have to play make be believe to feel good about their lives while the world watches in amusement?  I really think they could be the inspiration behind a sequel to Beth's book. 

As someone who was brought up better then that all I can do is feel badly for them.
I have often joked about wanting to be the next Martha. So maybe there is a bit of a celebrity seeker in me, but I would never be distasteful or tacky about it.  I am willing to work hard to see what I can accomplish by playing fair. I am sure playing fair may not get me there, but I am sure I will have a clear conscience about it.

One Holiday down, two more to go......

How was your Thanksgiving?   Ours was quiet and lacked the usual drama. It was such a refreshing change from the norm. 

Thursday I made a non traditional dinner for the two of us. Cornish game hens, stuffing, acorn squash and roasted red potatoes.  It was yummy.  But Mr. M gets the blue ribbon. Saturday we worked together to make a traditional dinner complete with green bean cassarole and sweet potatos.  Delish!!!!!

I am slowly putting up the Christmas decor and am actually behind this year.  So tonight I will be putting up the tree and putting the finishing touches on the rest of the house.  It's starting to look a lot like Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

I noticed that some have taken this month to reflect on all the things they are thankful for by listing one item per post. That is a great idea. Since I discovered it late I thought I would just list the things I am thankful for in one post. ( they are in no particular order, nor is it a complete list)

I am thankful for :

•  all the wonderful people I have met in the blog world this past year
•  my husband's unconditional love
  
•  the neighborhood I am fortunate to live in
• the inspiring group of women in Biz-e-chics
• the dedicated group of women in my Junior League
• Dr. Hallowell and his books on ADD
• extended benefits
• loosing a job that was unhealthy for me
• the time I have had this year to explore my options
• my creative talents 
• encouraging words

Holiday Shopping

Have you started your holiday shopping yet?   This year I am trying to shop local and small online boutiqes. I figure the big box stores will do alright, but the smaller shops with the unique items deserve some love. 

A few of my favorite shops online are the Preppy Princess, and 2Preppy Girls.  I also plan to shop Etsy for a few wonderful items.   I find the ladies I need to buy for are simple with this approach. But how can I apply this to shopping for the men in my life?  Any thoughts or sites you particulary like?

These could be a great statement piece for the well dressed man in your life.  Found on Etsy .

vintage scrabble tile cuff links

 

2012?????

I just heard that job recovery won't happen until 2012. That is not good news for this house. Hopefully that number is wrong.  I can't imagine being out of work that long, as it is unemployment benefits may come to a screeching halt the first of the year.  Scary times my friends, scary times.

I am thankful that I am at least resourceful and when push comes to shove I may be able to scramble with temp work, and part time jobs.  Crossing my fingers there will be a market for temp work. That landscape has changed a lot over the years too. 

I have a few leads that I hope pay off too.  Keeping my chin up, a smile on my face and having faith that all will be ok.   Only wishing we could catch a break...... in the end I will just have to make my own break. 

A fun Tag...

Our dear friend Queen Bee Swain was tagged with a great new inspiring tag and has graciously tossed it out to the blogosphere for the rest of us. The requirement is to list things you'd like to be remembered for.

So here goes:

charming hostess
thoughtful wife and friend
volunteering
willing to going the extra mile
helpful
caring
willingness to share ideas
great cook and baker
tolerant of others
accepting of those with different ideas
appreciative of the arts, and a wide range of music


If you'd like to play along feel free to.

Sugar Doll award

Thank you to Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Wife for my latest Blog award. She is a fellow blogger from the Bay area. I stumbled across her site a few weeks back and I just love her posts.  It was so sweet of her to pass a long the award to me.

  The rules are simple I need to post 10 random things about me and pass the award along to 10 other deserving bloggers. 

1. I have an astrological twin brother. (we shared a birthday 4 yrs apart, sadly he passed away when we were kids)

2.  I have an affection for novelty songs and actually own a collection of songs featured on Dr. Demento's show.

3. I am a news and current issues junkie.

4. I was diaganosed with ADD my senior year of college.

5. I wanted to be the Kool-aid mom when I grew up.

6. My favorite fragrance is Lauren.

7. I am rarely seen without my pearl studs.

8. I love to bake.

9. I majored in Communications when I should have majored in Interior Design.

10. I have an unhealthy obession with shoes, bags, and belts.

Now the 10 Bloggers I'd like to pass this along too are:

The Luckiest Mrs. 

Sweet Tea Diaries

Southern Living Preppy Style

Headbands and Handbags

The Prep-E Girl 

The Preppy Islander

A Sense of Humor is Essential

New England Girl

2 Preppy Girls

Black Labs and Lilly

Week ahead

A relaxing weekend was had at our house, with nothing on the schedule other then resting, some housework and of course football. I took advantage of the down time to regroup and find my mojo again.  I have been slacking in more areas then one, completely unsure if it was a mild depression or just sinus issues I can't shake. I am leaning toward blaming the sinuses. To start the week off right  I actually planned my menu for the week, shopped and decided what projects I wish to tackle too. 

Monday:
Dinner is Yankee Pot Roast. It is already cooking away and smells so good. It will be ready when Mr. M walks in the door later today.   I am also going to make an apple tart for dessert.
The project for the day is to clean house, reorganize my bath room closet and get a good work out in. I really need to drop some weight as part of the long term plan.

Tuesday:
Dinner is  Unfried Chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. 
The project for the day is to finish up a class, take the exam and write three articles for Examiner. ( I was able to change my topic to interior decorating)

Wednesday:
Dinner is Navy Bean and Artichoke Casserole.
The project for the day is the office.  I have been procrastinating about finishing it and would really like to complete that space. I just need to paint my furniture, touch up the walls and sew the curtains.

Thursday:
Dinner will be pork chops with sauteed apples and steamed rice.
The project on tap is to complete Wednesday's project, and spend some time job searching. I have a new plan for that process too.  I am still stuck on how to combine my interests but with Mr. M's help I think I may have a trick or two up my sleeve.  More to come on that when it's closer to reality.

Friday:
Dinner may be Falafel if Mr. M skips happy hour. If he does go out I will decide on something else then, it might be French onion soup and a sandwich.
The project on tap is to start gathering items for the Community Garage sale. I am actually quite happy that the community is hosting it.  If they do the advertising I won't have that expense.

Saturday:
Dinner will be fish tacos with home made fries. 
The project for the day is to give Madras 'n Pearls a face lift, and fine tune Manor Lane as well. I may actually venture into the world of Twitter too.