allthroughthehouse

Won't you be mine?

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Can someone help?

I’m Typepad challenged!  When it comes to adding anything to this site, it takes everything I’ve got to try to figure it all out.  Example above.  I signed up for Teresa MacFayden’s ‘Love Letters’ e-zine and haven’t got a clue how to add her banner to the side of my post.  Can someone help this poor little girl out? 

Oh, and btw, if you could tell me how to add a background I’ll send you something really, really scrumptious!

A Sign of the Times

My mailbox is getting lonelier by the minute.  First, Mary Englebreit’s Home Companion, then Cottage Living and Domino – now I’ve learned that Country Home is closing and will not be publishing anymore editions past March 2009.  What’s a cottage-loving-decorating-help-me-please kind of girl going to do? 

 

Saving past editions of my magazines earned me the label of ‘you are such a pack-rat’ by my sweet husband but now I’m so glad I saved all those months of inspiration packed pages of modern country decorating goodness.  I read on one of my favorite blogs this morning that Mary Englebreit is continuing to find a publisher for her Home Companion and I certainly hope she is successful.  You can read about it here.

 

Living true to my ‘pack-rat’ moniker, I have every issue of HC and am beyond sad that I won’t be getting another in the mail soon.  Each and every issue was jammed packed with inspired goodness.  And the best love of all was making the moves from house to house with Mary.  I began to feel like she was a part of my family and each move documented in her magazine provided me with hours and hours of thought provoking ideas – and many of those ideas have made our house the home we live in. 

 

My sad, little blog experienced a slight hiatus in January.  Not intentional, but self-imposed.  January presented me with a couple of obstacles to overcome, a life of much to do and not enough time in the day to make it all work.  I’m still plowing through my list but a big portion of the weight has been lifted off my shoulders and given me some much needed ME time.  One of the things I want to put back on my calendar is my monthly massage.  I can't think of any other way to spend an hour than to indulge myself in a little therapy for the body and soul.  The opportunity to relax and let my mind drift to nothingness – to fade away for only an hour and listen to that beautiful spa music sends my senses into nirvana. 

 

I hope you’ll come back and visit…

Wishing You the Best in 2009

   

2008 is winding down as a new year is waiting fresh on the horizon.  So many things are occupying my thoughts right now about what I hope for myself and my family in the new year.  First and foremost is a healthy new year.  With every new year comes another birthday (can't stop that, huh!) and for our household I want to focus on healthy food choices and better ways to prepare food (we enjoy love fried food).  I just picked up this book and this one. 

There are a few other things I'm mulling around to add to my list of resolutions and I'm also trying to be realistic about what I put down.  Not just resolutions but goals - some attainable and some that I'll really have to work for.  Accomplishment.  Satisfaction in knowing I'm giving it my all.

One goal I have for this year is to create faith journal.   I keep up with a daily Bible reading and now I want to take that a step further and journal my time.  It may be one little thought or something that happened during the day to make that day's reading take on a new meaning - listening with my heart and recording what it says.

I'm hoping for you that this new year brings all the happiness, love and laughter you can stand.  I wish you all the very best.  Happy New Year!

Special breakfast.

This ought to make more than a few people happy. 

Can you imagine sitting down to a hearty breakfast with coffee for only 20 cents??  I just wish this restaurant was located here in Virginia.  I might even be tempted to stop by almost every morning on my way to work, although getting up extra early to be there by 7 might be tough for someone that is constantly hitting the snooze button...

Photo is of the Casa Havana in New York.   

Pretty Little Christmas Party

And I am late for my first blog party!  I joined Heather's Pretty Little Christmas with so many wonderful bloggers sharing glimpses of their holiday homes.  I hope I get to meet as many of you as I can - I'm excited to share my holiday home with you!

I'm slowing getting things done around the house.  I do a little in one room and find something in a box in the attic that I think will look better in another room so off to that room with my treasure only to get caught up in a vicious circle that nothing gets completed.  My parents should have named me sidetracked - it fits me to a tee! 

Speaking of the tree - it's up and waiting patiently for its ornaments.  Enough of that - on to the Party!

Just a few things around my kitchen...

 

The print of Santa Claus is by Nancy Thomas.  Her gallery is filled with the most awesome artwork and every once in a while she will be there milling around.  Her journey as an artist is fascinating.

 

This little family has so much fun on my tabletop.

   

 

My not so little gingerbread man!  And no, he's not edible.  I found him at a wonderful home show in the western part of the state.  He tells us over and over he loves his new home - he just wishes he had a view out the window!   At least that's what he would say if he had a mouth... 

Please come back for a visit.  More to come.

Beth 

all is well, all is calm.

So sorry for ranting the other day about the trials and tribulations of being me.  I'm just getting into the swing of the blogging and I don't know the rules yet. Is it okay to have a little meltdown every now and then?  Not sure about that one.

All is good.  The Christmas decorations have been released from the attic and my living room is quite the mess right now.  Lots of garland to hang, wreaths to decorate with new ribbon bows, lights to put up, little vignettes to put around the house and put a smile on my face.

So many things making me happy today...

1. This ezine, 12 Days of Comfort and Joy, by the wonderfully talented creative soul Teresa MacFayden.  She is sharing an overflowing of inspiration for the Christmas season.  If that doesn't put a smile on your face, nothing will and, if you haven't signed up - do it right now.  Go now.  Wait! Only after you've finished reading.  First things first.

2. This garland by another wonderfully talented creative soul, Pam Garrison.  I love this garland.  So simple yet so elegant.  Just the right mix. 

3. Put on your twinkle and shine with this.

4. And this little piece of goodness from Julie Collings' Etsy shop.

5. This is just the cutest...

6. And, this made my heart go pitter patter.

7. I'm adding this little wreath to my 'must do' list. 

What about you - what's making you happy?

murphy's law.

The tree's not up, none of the decorations are out of the attic, the lights aren't in the windows, no wreath on the front door and it's only 15 days til Christmas.  You would think our house is by-passing Christmas altogether this year.  If I could only twitch my nose and make it all come together easy-peasy.

The spirit of Christmas hasn't sprinkley it's joyful/happy dust on our house this year.  We just can't seem to get anything done.  Time is on a roll and we have gotten caught up in a whirlwind of stuff - tons and tons of stuff - and work.

And, on top of all that, I have to study for an exam - the same exam I took last July and passed.  You'll love this - and it's a story only the government could make up.

I went throught a five-month course with the Navy ONLY because the Army (whom I work for) didn't have enough students signed up to justify having a class.  Those of us who needed the course were farmed over (and paid for by the Army) to the Navy for instruction.  We went through the entire five months of instruction, took the college accredited course exam, passed and got our certification.  Hurray!

Well, the elation had a short life.  Now - the Army won't certify those of us from the Army who took the Navy course (remember - because they didn't have enough people to hold their own classes) and we didn't take the Army's version of the course and haven't taken the Army's version of the exam.  Still following?  Is your head spinning off your shoulders by now?  So, in addition to the Christmas decorations coming out of the attic, so are the books. 

Okay - enough of the bah humbug attitude. 

The girls from the offices downstairs are putting our cookies and apple cider and the cider smells heavenly.  Oh my gosh - I've still got to make Christmas cookies!  One more thing to add to the list.  Do you think Santa will be good to me this year? 

welcome december.

I have looked forward to the Christmas season all year long yet for the life of me, I'm having a hard time finding the much needed time to get into the attic and retrieve the boxes of decorations just waiting to come out of hibernation.  This past week has gone by so fast, the days have all but become a blur.  I was able to schedule some much needed time on Monday to spend with friends crafting holly wreaths from the moving boxes that were sitting around in the garage.  It was time to find another home (or three) for all that cardboard.   

Friends sitting together chatting and laughing, spending precious time together surrounded by cardboard, paper, paste, hot glue, and glitter.  Total fun.  While we were waiting for the glue to dry, we took a break and went out for lunch.  Came home to dry holly leaves but unfortunately the girls had to pack up and get home before the school buses arrived. 

The house is patiently waiting to get dressed for the holidays.  At least one door is looking festive. 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Gobble, gobble, gobble....the day is finally here!  Time to celebrate with family and friends, grateful for each other.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving filled with love and laughter.