Straight up GENIUS! Why didn't I ever think of this????????
Where do you keep YOUR keys and mail at home?
Are You TRYING to Kill Me?
I have many, many, many issues regarding household cleaning that I just have to deal with. I need cleanliness and order. Like...NEED. I can't help it. I don't like messy. I don't like things not being where they need to be. I normally only have one unorganized space in my home at any given time and it's usually where I sit and do my reading. I've attempted to coral it with reading baskets, trunks, etc. but yeah...no dice. I generally have newspapers, magazines, books, back of packages I've saved, some random pamphlet, cards, letters, etc. sitting right by me and well...there is no rhyme or reason how I read them or put them back.
Cuz my brain is always on fire.
That said...there are things about the household that drives me insane when other people do it. Some things I can control...some things I can't. The two things that can tip me over the edge at any given time however?
1. Not rinsing dishes and/or loading the dishwasher properly.
2. Not pushing in your chair or stool when you get up off the chair or stool.
The dishwasher thing just makes me stop talking. I will pull each dish out and rinse the food off the dish and then arrange it properly. Dishes shouldn't touch. Nothing should be on top of stuff. That's how you get chipped dishes and yall...I HATE chipped dishes! If food is on a dish on the bottom rack then it's going to be shot up into the dishes on the top rack which are usually glasses. Who wants dried minced garlic stuck to their glass? NOBODY!
Okay...okay...lemme calm the heck down cuz um...yeah. I'm twitching just writing about it.
Not pushing in your chair is just lazy as shit. That is the simplest thing you can do to recreate dress right dress order around the table or counter. Do you think a waiter is going to come behind you and push it in for you? Why in the hell aren't you pushing the chair back under the table? Do you know how long it takes to do this? Like...two seconds. I know because I just did it and counted off the seconds while doing it. TWO SECONDS!
Me no likey lazy.
I tend to break all the way down when there is chaos outside of my control. I like order. I like things organized. I can deal with it being unorganized for a bit but then...that tiny thin string keeping me together snaps and I become a whirl of activity.
But only if I'm alone.
Crazy huh?
What about you? What drives you CRAZY household related in YOUR home?
Decorating Your Mantle for Christmas!
I've started doing a bit of Christmas decorating. Since this is my first time doing Christmas someplace other than 13700, it took me a while to figure out how to do what to where. I still haven't figured out where I'll put a tree yet and, honestly, I'm considering doing a much smaller version of the tree we normally get so as to not overwhelm the living room. I'll probably have that figured out come Sunday.
I started doing the mantle the other day and ran into a major snaffoo. Once I'd removed everything that was on the mantle, I accidentally hit the mirror ripped out the hanger on one side.
JOY.
So I had to wait for Robby to help me redo that because I couldn't rehang the mirror solo.
Aiight. Now, I didn't want to add too much because again, the room is kinda small. I wanted to go simple and, I wanted to use stuff I already had. Well, yall know me, I was in Michael's and found a gold 'M' for $3 and then I was over at TJMaxx and ran up on a yet another tree that I had to have. Hey...I justified it by saying it matched the color scheme I wanted to go with this year. And it was different.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Other than that...that's all I really needed to get. Except for some ribbon. And these three cheap ornaments that I hung UNDER the mantle.
But I digress.
As always.
So...the first thing I had to do was hang the wreath on the mirror. After several tries using different things, I finally got the look I wanted using two 12 pound Command velcro strips on either side. I love Command strips because they can be removed easily and without damage. I tried using 4 pound ones initially but that ended the way you're thinking it ended. Yup...wreath all over the floor and glitter everywhere.
Prior to attaching the wreath to the mirror, I looped a piece of ribbon around the top and simply tucked it behind the mirror to make it seem like it was used to hang the mirror. I thought that would give it a nice look. I'm sitting here now looking at it and I think I'm going to flip the back ends of the ribbon over to the front and cut a 'V' in them to give it even more of a tailored look if that makes sense.
Once the wreath was hung, I placed two berry trees on opposite ends to balance it (and to hide that goodness awful antennae cord as much as possible). Then I added a faux pine garland.
Next, I wove a string of battery operated lights to the garland, our JOY stocking hangers, my 'M' and my new tree. Then...it looked like I wanted it to look so I didn't add another nuttin' above the mantle.
Under the mantle I simply hung three cheapo ornaments using Command mini hooks. They are so small that I might just leave them there. All together, it looks really simple and nice if you ask me. (TIP: You can pretty much buy Command hooks and strips anywhere but keep in mind that Michael's sells them too and you can ALWAYS find a 40% off coupon for Michael's full priced items. GO ME!)
Me likey.
What do you think? Do I need to add anything? Have you started decorating yet? Do you have a mantle in the room you spend the most time in? Do you decorate it for Christmas? Have you ever hung a wreath on a mirror? How'd you do it?
Team Martha or Team Gwyneth? Weekend Before THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!
Alright! It's here! The Super Bowl of FOOD prep time!
What are you doing this weekend to prep for Thanksgiving?
Cleaning out the fridge?
Cleaning the oven?
Dicing your trinity?
Making pie crusts?
Grocery shopping?
Completing your tablescape?
Searching for recipes?
Whatcha doing to get ready?
Who are you? Team Martha steeped in rich traditional ways of doing things or Team Gwyneth adding a new age whimsy to the holidays?
(I love watching them beef. LOL! Thanksgiving Recipe: Gwyneth Paltrow Slapping Martha Stewart In the Face)
Sofa Question
We're using our pillow back sofa now and I don't like it. The pillows take up too much seat cushion room. The pillows are never straight enough after using. Too many damn pillows to get comfy and half end up on the floor after only 10 minutes. UGH!
What kind of sofa do you have as your MAIN use sofa?
What do you like about it?
What do you dislike about it?