Legally Blonde's Proceedings

I heard a blurb on HGTV the other day... it was a commercial of the designers talking about holiday decorations.  One of them said "I mean you don't want your house to look like it's Santa's house!".  I thought to myself, "You don't?"  No seriously, that isn't my goal, but I do love Christmas decorations.  I'm starting my Holiday Tour of My Home today with the outside decorations and the entry of my house.  One reason is because that is the only part that doesn't look like a tornado has just blown through it, and partly because I'm finishing everything.  I'm going to do photos of the rest (maybe video too), but tonight, Part One is just a video tour.  Please excuse my scratchy throat and congested-can-hardly-breath voice...

I have been a busy bee since I got home from my parents on Thursday night...well with the exception of my allergies getting the better of me for most of Saturday.  I did get myself together and go to dinner with my bloggy friend Courtney on Saturday night.  It was great seeing her because we had let too much time pass since we last got together and we ate some yummy food at Patrizio's. I've decorated almost the whole house.  All of the big trees are now done.  I still have a little tree in my office to decorate.  I'm wavering on whether to do my the winter village set up in my bedroom.  I'll probably flake out on that again this year and tote that storage bin back out to the garage.  I have tried taking pictures of everything.  I need some photographic training because I cannot get my decorations to look as good in the picture as they do in real life.  Be very afraid... I may try video and see if that's any better.  Y'all better hope ...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  Lola and I went to Nocona yesterday afternoon.  I stopped by one set of grandparents on the way through their little town.  My grandma had started her holiday baking with some homemade fudge...yum.  Then we went to my other grandparents where my Dad and Uncle cooked up a fried-food-palooza....fish, quail, wild turkey, pheasant, and french fries.  It was so good and my Dad bought tarter sauce from a place across the river (that's Oklahoma to those of us living 15 miles south of the Red River...it's rarely referred to as Oklahoma, but almost always as "across the river") that makes the best you've ever had and I eat by the ton, which made it all even better! The big cold front came through during the night and kept me up with the howling winds on my north facing bedroom.  But it was so cold when we woke up this morning, which in my opinion, was wholly better than the 82' it was yesterday!  I even got to see my first snow...

I am living in seasonal limbo right now... Exhibit A~   The blog.  From this... to this... I got an itch to see my adorable  Holiday/Winter design and my sweet blog designer, Traci, put it back up on the blog for me today.  I know I'm jumping the gun by 5 days, and while "Baby it's Hot Outside" would better fit today, it's one thing I don't have to worry about "decorating" next weekend.  Exhibit B~ The front of my house.  Notice the pumpkins and wreath in the same shot On Saturday I put up out all my outdoor Christmas lights with the exception of my front porch garland and wreath and the wreath between my garage doors.  My neighbors were mocking me, but don't worry, when it is a high of 50 degrees with possible rain this weekend, I'll be mocking them when they are outside decorating!  I don't have them turned on yet, in case you were wondering.  Exhibit C~ My living room. Let me point your attention to both Pumpkin AN...

I haven't had much going on this week worthy of blogging about, so I'll just make a random list of things today... (1) School is winding down. I only have class next Monday and then I have the rest of the week without class. I am just beside myself with excitement. After T-giving, I only have one week of classes left and then one week of final exams. Then I have 5 weeks off before Spring starts up. (2) I think I have to get started on Christmas decorations this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to be on the cool side the weekend after T-giving, so I'm thinking outside lights this year and inside after T-giving. (3) Speaking of the outside lights... last year all my Clark Griswold-like decorations blew out my front porch electric plug.  Then sometime later I noticed that my back porch plug wasn't working either.  I figured that there was either a GFCI plug that had switched off or it was a fuse.  I looked and tested things all over the house.  I c...

Scene:  This weekend Mom and I were at Barnes and Noble.  After having trouble coming up with what I want for Christmas, I had decided to take the e-reader plunge and get a Nook (you know because they have cuter cases than a Kindle). B&N Guy: Do you want the extended warranty plan?  It's $50, but covers any problems for 2 years. Me:  Any problems? B&N Guy: Yes, even if you drop it and break it, it is covered. Me:  Really!?! Mom:  With her luck, I think we'll take it!

Set Your Alarm! There will need to be a 4 a.m. wake-up in Spring or Summer 2011 because Prince William & Kate Middleton are finally getting married!  Love, Love, Love a Royal Wedding!  I will wake up super early and watch every single second.  In fact, I've been streaming BBC on my computer all morning!  I don't want to miss a second of anything.

My Mom came to town on Friday for our annual Christmas shopping weekend. She lives where there are basically no stores, so we shop like there is no tomorrow when she is here.  She got here about 10:30 Friday morning, and we have shopped non-stop until today at 1:30.  I shopped until I dropped on Friday, but then we kept going and going and going.  It was my personal version of a marathon. Friday we hit up Target and Toys-R-Us and got all the toy gifts for the Angel Tree kids that we buy for every year (We know who the kids are because Mom's in charge of the Angel Tree at church.  We buy for the exact same kids every single year.  We know what we have bought them in the past and what they like.  Mom also lets the browse through the Toys-R-Us catalog and make their wish lists).  Then we did the outlet mall and Dillards. Saturday we went to a real mall for Nordstrom, Sephora, Williams-Sonoma, Bath & Body Works, JC Penny, etc.  Then we le...

I could not resist purchasing this ornament today It is SO Lola! I just KNOW that this dog is working as a model on the side and has a secret bank account that she's not telling me about!

...Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.  Brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things! Okay, not so much the whiskers on kittens since I'm allergic, but below I am listing a few of my favorite things.  I figured it Queen O can do it, so can I (and btw, I'm on pins and needles awaiting her favorite things episode this year because I know it's going to be a blowout!) I have my fav's categorized for you.  And a little disclosure...for the most part, I tried to only select things that I actually have, use and love!  There are a few books that I don't have yet, but have heard great things about and drooled over in the store! Food: Many people like to send food gifts to friends and family and I've included some of my favs.  If you aren't sending them as gifts, they would be great for gatherings. Cheesecake Factory's Red Velvet Cheesecake is now at Sam's Club (it's not 4 small layers as shown, but...

Look at these cute note cards that I just ordered from Shutterfly! Classic Without Edge 5x7 folded card Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly. View the entire collection of cards. Dazzling Lime Print 5x7 folded card Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly. View the entire collection of cards.

While I'd like to get started decking the halls for Christmas right after Halloween as I've been known to do in year's past, I'm trying to not skip over Thanksgiving.  The problem is that I don't have a ton of Thanksgiving decorations because when it is time to think Thanksgiving, the stores are thinking Christmas!  Next year I will try to be better...I'm on the lookout for a couple of turkeys (of course I have specific ones in mind).  Here are the Thanksgiving decorations in my house... The mantle tweaked from Halloween With the addition of pilgrims and Indians and a cornucopia The dining table is the same as it was for Halloween but the Kitchen table has a different center piece a new purchase of turkey parts has enabled me to turn this pumpkin into a turkey The front door flag a very pumpkin welcome... I also wanted to share a couple of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving.  They will both change your life.  Make them.  Make them now.  Ma...

The Early Bird Gets the Worm...and the discount on Holiday cards!  I started shopping for Christmas cards several weeks ago.  I like to do things early in case you haven't figured that out yet!  Anyway, one reason that I started early was because many card sites offered discounts to us early birds.  I looked at several sites and came to the conclusion that Shutterfly has, without a doubt, the cutest card templates. Shutterfly's selection is really endless... They have folding cards , they have flat cards on stationery , and they have the classic photo cards I placed my order and got them really quickly.  I couldn't be more pleased with them!  I'm not going to show you the ones that I got selected right now, but I will show you the runners up... While on shutterfly's website, I started looking at all the other great products that they offer and quickly discovered that this could become an addiction!  Will y'all think I'm crazy if you get a photo c...

I'm making a list, and checking it twice... Really, I'm doing pretty good on the Christmas purchases.  I have already checked a few people off my list, and then I purchased two more Christmas presents today.  I have a coupon for another store tomorrow, so that will be another person done.  How is your Christmas/Hanukkah shopping going? If you need anything from Overstock, and surely you need something for someone from Overstock since they sell just about everything, then I'm providing you a little extra... A non-expiring code for 10% off!  One of the things that I love about Overstock is that they only charge $3 for shipping (because I'm cheap like that and hate to pay for shipping)!  Also (I guess depending on where you live), no tax!  Check out Overstock, they've got something for everyone on your list, even my Mom's Christmas list which consists of gutting her bathroom down to the studs and remodeling... see I can get her faucets ther...

Here's my random list of thoughts for today: (1) I'm wondering how many days it is going to take me to catch up on sleep?  (2) Halloween Wrap-Up:  I had more trick-or-treaters than last year.  I decided that there is no need for scary decorations when you have Lola.   She hates Halloween and hates the kids.  When I open the door enough to try and slide outside (usually with kids trying to come inside...why?), Lola turns into Cujo.  She caused every single kid to jump.  I mean literally jump.  I'm not sure, but a couple may have peed their pants.  I finally had to put her in my room for the duration of the night. Since Lola hates Halloween so bad, I'm thankful I don't live where my parents do...they had enough candy for 450 kids and ran out!  (3) Otterbox came out with cute colors!  And the best part is that they have a 90 day return policy and I am about a week out from that deadline, so I can get a new one and send the...