Dec 1, 2013 | Holidays, In a People House |
While some people are recovering from the insanity that is Black Friday shopping (what unnecessary electronic on God’s green earth is worth leaving your warm bed at 1am?), I’m wondering how many more meals of turkey and sweet potato casserole we have in our future. Probably six. I believe this is filed under First World Problems.
I may not have fancy china dishes, but I do have silverware that falls into the Very Fancy catergory and I love breaking it out for all big occasions. I keep it in a very secure location in the garage- between a digital picture frame and a pile of Christopher’s uniform jackets. Obviously Martha Stewart keeps her holiday silverware in a similar location.
I thought I’d be smart and do Thanksgiving dinner shopping on Tuesday. Avoid the rush and all that. I normally don’t shop at the commissary, but I had to return a book at the post library and the commissary is right across the way. I’ve scientifically calculated the best time to shop at the commissary and unfortunately I missed the golden window this week. Either that or everyone else has also discovered the golden window. Whatever the situation, I was shopping with about 252 other people. If you’ve ever shopped at the commissary, can you agree that its name is a compound word made up of communal and misery?
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| Some flowers to keep you from hyperventilating as you think of your own traumatic shopping experiences. |
Christopher met me there and we had a slight conundrum when it came to selecting a turkey. We were the only ones eating it so we didn’t want a 26 pounder, but we also wanted more than a turkey breast. We thought we solved the problem when we discovered the perfect sized little turkey. Except we couldn’t tell if it was a turkey or a chicken. All the wrapper said was roaster. It was in the turkey section, but I put my money on it being a chicken. PROBLEM IN THE MEAT DEPARTMENT. We didn’t want to purchase mystery meat so we put a 10lb hunk of frozen meat that clearly said turkey on the label into the carriage/cart/buggy/whatever and called it a day.
I don’t mean to boast, but I was proud of the first turkey I cooked on my own. Even if it did look like a chicken.
Jun 27, 2013 | In a People House, Keep It or Kick It |
Just like we did twice last year and twice the year before that, we’re packing up all our belongings and moving. Thank the Lord we’re only switching houses and not states because I really can’t be put through the stress of adjusting myself to the layout of yet another new Walmart.
We began the house hunt on Monday and while we were looking at the second house, I decided that we should be the stars of a new HgTV (or TLC, I’m really not picky) show. I’ve already made an advertising picture so all the producers need to do is send over a few cameras. Christopher I came up with a name.
I had never been house hunting before and I decided that as a whole the process is enjoyable. (Until you’ve looked at 82 houses online and you start to think that living under a bridge might be the easiest option. I can say from experience that all bonus rooms in this town look alike.) My favorite thing about house hunting? Being nosy is accepted, even encouraged. Normally people wouldn’t appreciate if I open all their doors or look in all their closets, but Erica the realtor says to look around and I take full advantage of the opportunity.
I’m sure Christopher would agree that the biggest decision in our lives right now is not where we’ll live for the next four years, but what we’ll be wearing when our show debuts.
Dec 14, 2012 | Holidays, In a People House |
This is a big year for me. For the first time ever, I have my own house to decorate for Christmas! Last year we were in between homes (we were basically homeless) so I wasn’t able to decorate. I did insist we get a little Christmas tree anyway because it was our first married Christmas and it was
so cute. This year I had big plans for DECORATIONS GALORE. When we finalized our Christmas plans and realized we’d be away for Christmas, we decided to keep things to a minimum. I wasn’t able to bring to life many of my Pinterest ideas, but there’s always next year to make a snowman out of wreaths!
Welcome to our living room, the place where Christmas exploded. (I just wrote “Christopher exploded” by accident. I’m happy to say that has not happened. Although, had I made all those Pinterest crafts he just might have ended up in a million pieces. MOVING ON.)
I made this Christmas sign one week when Christopher was working late. I hope it lasts for at least 12 years because that’s how long it will take me to recover from all that cutting.
We set up the Nativity #1 on the bookcase in the kitchen. Two of the wise men didn’t fit with the other pieces (there’s a lot going on in this nativity what with the sheep, people getting water from wells, unknown characters with huge bags on their backs, etc.etc.etc), so we put them one shelf up to make it seem like they’re traveling to see Jesus. I think it’s very biblical. Either that or they were just late to the party because they stopped to read The Story of Wine, the book they’re sitting on. Somehow that seems slightly less biblical.
Grandma gave me this nativity last year. She couldn’t find the correct baby Jesus so she gave me a Jesus from a different nativity set. Look how huge this baby is. He’s practically bigger than Mary and Joseph.
A few more decorations we have around the living room. I made the little people decorations after the first Army ball we went to together. (The clothes are accurate, but the extreme roundness is not.) Nativity #2 came from Christopher’s parents. Jesus is the correct size .
We have no mantle or staircase to hang them on, so the stocking were hung on the windowsill with care. The pumpkinman stands besides them, keeping an eye over the proceedings.
If I was impressed with how well the people decorations turned out, than I was BLOWN AWAY with our gingerbread house. Never in my life has a gingerbread house looked anything like a house when it was finished. I might keep it forever because like the Christmas sign, it will probably never happen again.
This is our non-themed fake tree. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included a picture of the tree at night and during the day. Or possibly I couldn’t decide which to put so I put both.
We decided to do a red and gold theme for our real tree. I didn’t have an extra tree skirt so I used burlap. (It looks greenish but it’s the regular color.)
We found some gaping holes on two sides after we set up the tree. (Obviously we didn’t do a thorough tree investigation before we bought it.) I attached little birds among the branches so it would look like we got a tree with holes for a reason.
I love love love how our living room looks at night!
Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself…
~Norman Wesley Brooks~
