Thanksgiving Tablescape

Happy Thanksgiving!  I've been busy getting the house clean, the table set, the food prepared - now I just need the ice on the driveway to melt so my 18 guests can arrive safely!  I must say, it's been nice to be snowed-in, more gets done that way.  Schools have been cancelled, so the kids have been busy sledding, drinking cocoa and baking sugar cookies.

OK, so the frosting didn't quite turn out like I had hoped.  I was going for Autumn colors - orange, brown and green, but they turned out more of a poopy-brown and pea green.  Funny, none of the kids wanted to eat any or take any home with them.  I'm just not the baker that my sister is.

Moving on...

The tables are all set and look very festive!

The grown-ups are in the formal dining room.

I found some cute little sparkly pinecones at the dollar store and use them to hold the placecards.

The kids table in the kitchen

And the appetizer buffet.  I think we look forward to the appetizers more than the dinner!

I love the Johnson Brother's Friendly Village place settings.  My sister and I got married in the same year and both registered for them for our holiday sets.  We live just a couple of miles from each other so now at the holidays, we merge sets and have enough for our entire brood!

We have since done the same with our everyday settings.  It's so nice to not only have the same taste, but to own the same sets.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gobble Gobble...

Dream Garage Organization

Ok all you organizers, I stumbled upon a garage that will make your heart skip a beat.  I went to a home to buy something off Craigslist, and was invited to enter the home through the garage. I do believe I heard angels singing as I walked through this mans garage.  It was beautiful. 

 Labels and bins galore!!  It seemed endless.  Big bins, small bins, wine holders, cabinets - it was a sight to behold.  I didn't want to leave.  I found myself standing there while he was sayin "buh bye now..."  I stood there taking pictures and admiring his handiwork. 

He was a cabinet maker by trade, so he took his skills to the next level.  Oh how I dream of a garage like this!

I came home to my garage with somewhat organized piles. 

 "This is my gardening heap.  Over here is my painting cluster.  All the car stuff is stacked here...  "

I guess a girl can dream.

The Heather House is all grown up,

 It started as an abandoned home, waiting to be torn down so a daycare could take it's place.  As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, this home became my first home - the only condition was that I had to move it!

And so I did!

I painted the door and trim pink...

And then blue with white heart shutters.

Unfortunately the people who rented it for 10 years, and then later purchased it from me

ended up completely trashing the home, and lost it in foreclosure.

The ads when it was listed read "Potential Tear Down..."

That broke my heart.  I had so much love invested in this home, the thought of someone buying it to simply tear it down was devastating.

We put a bid in on the home when it was for sale, but were outbid and did not get the opportunity to give it the makeover it desparately needed.

Today I drove past the home, fearing I would see an empty lot where the home once stood.

Much to my surprise, I found my baby - all grown up!!

The investors who purchased it fixed it up beautifully!  I was so pleased to see  my "Heather House" looking so polished and clean.  The yard was nicely landscaped, everything looked so fresh and new. 

It's like a child who got mixed up with the wrong crowd, involved in drugs and you lost for a while comes walking through the front door all grown up, clean and healthy.  You can see it's still them,

but they look so happy now!

That's the way I feel about my little house.

It went from a family home, to abandoned and near demolition, to a move across town, fixed up, then run down, close to demolition again, and now...BEAUTIFUL!

Welcome Back, Heather House.

Our Fall Home

Autumn has blown in and trees are looking bare.  Soon yards and homes will be lit up and decorated for Christmas.  I love this time of year.  The colors are so beautiful and sunny cold days are invigorating!

Farewell Summer.  I look forward to seeing you again in about 7 months!

Hello Fall!  Glad you could join us for a few weeks~

In a perfect world...

My home would be clean and organized.

My kids would hang up their coats and put away their shoes when they walked in the door.

I would take the time on Sunday afternoon to scour recipie books, inventory my pantry, meal plan for the week, grocery/Costco shop, and divide and freeze bulk foods.

I would take a day and prepare meatloaf and vats of spaghetti sauce to seperate and freeze for instant dinners.

I would build my meals around a crock pot to save myself from the 4 O'Clock frenzy.

I would put enough time into my side business to earn enough money to hire a weekly housecleaner to do the floors and bathrooms.

My garage would have cabinets and a shiny floor, with a place for everything and everything in it's place.

I would take the time each month to organize 1 scrapbook online and catch up on 12 years of photos.

I would take up painting.

I would have warm cookies waiting for my kids after school.

I would find the time to get in a daily workout.

And during the weekday, I would be organized in my business - spend my day more productively rather than cooking and cleaning, and I would have structure in my life.

What does your perfect world look like?

Hello November!

On your mark, get set... GO!  Let the November/December Holiday craziness begin!!  From now until January 10th or so, things are going to get wildly out of control.  First put away all the spooky Halloween decorations and costumes, then pull out all the turkeys and cornucopias.  Plan the Thanksgiving menu, start Christmas shopping, figure out who's on the naughty and nice list for Christmas cards this year.  Did anyone get bumped?  Maybe I sent a card last year and didn't get one in return... I guess we've "lost touch." 

Make a list and check it twice.  I must be sure the kids are even-steven with their gifts.  Then there are the cookie exchange parties, the white elephant gifts, the little gifts for mail carriers, garbage men, piano teachers, school teachers, bus drivers, the friends of kids, those hostess gifts, giving tree gifts - it seems the gift list goes on and on!

Decorating the house is a whole other chapter in the holiday prep process.  Ladders and lights, big trees, little trees, garland and bows, there is so much to do in these next 2 months.  Just don't forget to enjoy the journey.  Play a little Christmas music, enjoy a glass of wine or cocoa, just sit and look at the pretty tree with it's lights and decorations.  Have some family time.  Don't get lost in the hustle and bustle.

Happy November everyone!  Hang on and enjoy the ride~

Heather