GREY SHOES

CEREAL IS EXPENSIVE IN NEW YORK

While watching Darling Daughter munch on some

generic brand of cereal while on iChat, I inquired why she

was munching cardboard.

"Mom, cereal is so expensive here."

So I have the brilliant idea to send her some cereal as a hOOt,

and buy her a couple boxes of Quaker Oat Squares her fave.

Running very late yesterday, I cram the cereal into a flat rate

box and grabbing shoes from the shoe basket on the stairs I head out.

I'm sure it has occurred to most of you that paying about

10.00 for 2 boxes of cereal and 10.00 for the flat rate box, this was

not an economical move, but more one of mother love.

I join the line at the post office just before they lock the doors,

out of breath and grasping a box that shakes with the sound of well, cereal.

The line is pretty jammed up, everyone standing uncomfortably

close to each other. You wish you could check your breath

in your palm or sneak a pit sniff, but no room. When trying to act nonchalant,

I tend to stare off into the distance or stare at the floor. I chose down.

Stared at my shoes. Notice anything? Look again.... sigh

I had been running errands for about 4 hours wearing two different shoes.

This awareness starts me to chuckling and nearly talking out loud to myself.

Perhaps I was, because the woman in front of me turned around

with a disapproving look, so I simply pointed down to my feet.

She looked, paused, looked again and then harumphed

and turned back around... which made me snort and hiccup burp as

I considered what she would think if she was aware

I was clutching a box of cereals that I was mailing to New York.

Of course this has nothing to do with White Wednesday

so here is some white : 0

If you missed my last two posts check them out, loads more white!

As my then 15 year old son used to say

"where Christmas goes to throw up..."

Please join Kathleen over at Faded Charm for another WW.

and double check your shoes during the holiday hustle.

Suzan

The Elves Are Busy

The family room is done, as is the porch.

I did not attempt to do the twinkly lights shot,

have not mastered those.

This little table is where we eat our breakfasts and lunches.

The white chest is full of candles, and tea lights purchased

during great sales and clearance so that I may use them daily.

FYI- nearly 95% of all furniture, chests, benches, tables, etc.

in all rooms I painted or is original vintage.

There was no painted furniture when I began doing my

home this way. Briwax and I are very old friends.

More Nicole Sayre

Favorite angel has topped this tree for

many many years. The tree is an old cheap

needle style one I wrapped many moons ago with

warm and natural batting.

What to do on long winter nights. : D

I always do the table displays in big box or bowl arrangements,

so that they can be easily and quickly removed, to make room

for more guests, or change out soiled linens. Notice the one back

on the breakfast table. Swoop! it is removed and now there is

room for four diners instead of two.

This shot has strange perspective.

Everything is not all piled atop everything else as it appears.

I just loved the morning light coming in.

If you notice, nothing is removed, just a few figures added

and lots and lots of greenery pics usually purchased for 90% off

end of season. They are carefully packed away each year in dust free tubs

and make it super simple to decorate the entire home in a flash.

Suzan

Back soon with more; including how this stuff is stored!

So It Continues

So it continues in the family room and kitchen.

I do not remove objects in order to replace with

holiday theme items, I nestle them right in and add lots

of greenery with lots of snow that I often regret come January.

Lights are not in yet, and I may just skip this year.

My kitchen tree, dripping with Nicole Sayre, whose beige and

cream ornaments are perfect for my decor. She has returned

to these colors in her new line but without any ornaments

only the larger figures. I hope to snag a few of those this year.

My new Vietri dishes that I mentioned a few posts back.

A client bartered these for work and I was thrilled.

The French doors lead to the sun porch.

Part of the family room.

This room has pale yellow walls. A mistake, and one

I was going to correct... about 5 years ago! It doesn't bother

me so much anymore, and it does brighten a naturally dark room.

I am very proud of the counter. I helped cut, install and grout that baby.

Hutches everywhere get a little something tucked in.

Onward to the porches and the bedrooms!

How is it coming at your house?

Suzan

Postscript:

Lots of questions coming in about my timing,

amount of work and amount of decorations.

Since I am usually quite busy right after Thanksgiving,

this is the only time I have. The large tree goes up Thanksgiving evening.

I used to do displays for stores during the holidays and often my

pay was store credit, or a large discount (as in wholesale price). That is why

the abundance of Nicole Sayre, otherwise I could never afford.

No one seemed to like these colors then, everyone wanted

traditional red and green. lucky me! When you

combine store credit with 50% post holiday...

Bartering is great.

I organize for a living, so I have developed a system of storage,

that makes it so simple to get what I need and do a tree

lickety split with no mess in the house. I may post about it soon.

The system works for any type of storage.

AS for the rest of the decor, I simply plug in a bunch of

winter greenery, three large bins full... all purchased after the

holidays about 15 years ago, for 75 - 90% off.

So this decor is pennies on the dollar collected over 30 years.

I don't do any other holiday decorating anymore.

This is the big show, so to speak.

Veteran's Day

I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask,

"Mother, what was war?" ~ Eve Merriam

So It Begins

White tree in family room going up.

I will be busy with a client right before and

after Thanksgiving so this is the week to

get some decorating completed.

The trees are usually in the same location each

year, but I switch the ornaments around easily

because they are all the same color wise, with

white or silver as the base colors.

This year the tree also has pale pink and celery colors,

with featured figures from House of Hatten

Nicole Sayre, and Sarah Lugg.

Please visit all the other White Wednesday posts

over at Faded Charm hosted by Kathleen.

post script:

Comments referring to "my tree " as if it is solitary....

This is the second one I've completed of nine.... : D

Holiday insanity reigns, because this is still

me " cutting back"..lol

Suzan

It's November?

I had not looked over into this corner of my garden

in several days and this morning I finally noticed this.

Roses

It's November

It is not rare to have roses here this time of year, except

I had cut them way back but the warm weather fooled them

and POP they're here!

This little guy gave me a good buzzin' round the head

and then dug way down into these folds and did not come

back out. I could see the large pollen mounds on his legs.

I'd like to believe he was so drunk, he went in and fell asleep.

The perfect pink

So I'm having a great Saturday, taking a coffee break before unloading

another carload of goodies for sale. Another client purging and moving.

You local gals, let me know if you are nearby and come scout it out.

Don't know if I can bear to have another sale, so this is casual,

stop in, and early bird catches the worm.

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend, no matter what your weather.

Suzan

Shadows and in the Shadows

The shadows in this shade

made my heart flutter.

She carries a very deep shadow on my heart.

Textures are tucked into the shadows of a cabinet.

Sitting in the shadows, at home for

awhile and not so far away.

The shadows are carved into this box.

My constant shadows.

Every time I type here, they sit there

in the shadows beneath my desk.

I can run my bare feet over their soft fur and

"fluff" their ears.

The snorts, the snores, and the dog biscuit

"odoriferous" results keep me company.

Please join Chania at Razmataz

for this week's photo challenge Shadow.

Suzan

Inspired

Pam gave me the link to THIS and now I am paying it forward to you!

Amy Powers Holiday Magazine.

Free!

On line

Please be sure and let her know how much we appreciate all her hard work.

Amy, thank you thank you!

Pam, thank you thank you!

( Make sure to click on all the dots below the pics or you'll miss pages,

yeah, yeah, you're smarter than me : D )

Also check out her earlier Inspired Ideas.

I am doing another snoopy dance, I think this is so terrific!

What are you going to make?

Just returned from the mailbox where this lovely was waiting for me.

A cup of coffee, and this will be my date this evening.

Get yours HERE and tell Carole I said hello.

Suzan