As of yesterday morning, our refrigerator is loaded, our pantry is stuffed to the gills and our freezer is uncharacteristically full. All of these facts can only mean one thing: Thanksgiving is around the corner. I am pumped. For all of my fellow planner-aheaders and list-makers out there, Thanksgiving is like the ultimate holiday, right?…
Poor little reindeer: An adventure in glue
Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you have all your little ducks in a row and everything is in crackerjack order and then all of a sudden the universe jumps in and reminds you that perfect order and lined-up ducks are just a bit too boring? That’s my optimistic…
DIY calendar? I’ll pencil that in.
When I was in middle school, my daily planner was a pretty big deal. It’s where I wrote down my assignments, after school practices and all of the important things that 12-year-olds deem worthy of tracking. But more than just being a holding station for all of the important dates and to-dos of my hopping…
House, you look like a cold mess
Jared and I both consider ourselves to be pretty clean people (you’re relieved to hear that, I’m sure). But after three and a half years of marriage, I’ve learned that clean is one of those to-each-his/her-own kind of things. For all the things that drive me bonkers (clutter, dirty dishes, things not being in their…
The making of a wrap star
As per my usual, I’m running on list-y mode via a checklist I started a few days ago with all of my pre-holiday to-dos: addressing Christmas cards, mailing Christmas cards, buying stamps for Christmas cards (as Clarice, Rudolph’s lady love, sang, “There’s always tomorrow…”). But last night, it was all about the wrapping. Wrapping has…
Cabinet makeover: a porcelain-induced cleaning frenzy
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Those are plain old (well, not literally old) Cheerios in the above photo. And no, I did not make them myself. I did, however, eat them for breakfast this morning. And while we’re talking breakfast, here’s a shot of Jared’s morning nourishment. Mmm, mmm, sourdough. Now…
Dear Martha
A few nights ago, I watched Martha Stewart’s Holiday Open House on Hallmark Channel (yep, that’s top-notch primetime viewing, pals), which perfectly topped my nearly month-long love affair with all things Martha. Between new episodes of The Martha Stewart Show and daily holiday reruns of Martha Stewart Living, I’m on serious Martha overload (I realize…
Oh, Christmas card. Oh, Christmas card.
December is the month when I make more lists than any other time of year; it’s also the month when I fall behind more than I care to admit. Perhaps my goals are way too ambitious (OK, I don’t really need to try four new cookie recipes in one evening or hand-paint every piece of…
Waxy build-up
We burn a lot of candles in our house. They’re always white (to match any room), always unscented (smelly candles, though wonderful in theory, tend to make my nose go crazy) and always burned at nighttime (because it’s pretty, pals). But inevitably with each candle, long before all the wax melts away, the flame goes…
So, I can’t sew. So what?
Does anyone remember the scene from Father of the Bride (the remake with Steve Martin) when Annie temporarily calls off the wedding because Brian gives her a blender for their eight-month anniversary? I can so relate. Not because Jared ever gifted me a blender (we’ve talked about it before; he’s not going there), but because…