monday...monday...

...feels like Friday..or Tuesday but def not Monday. I have been working like a crazy person getting ready for our New Year's Eve dinner party. Polishing silver and the andirons, 'leafing' the table, making soup, cleaning and counting plates, making place cards, trying to find out if people are really coming or not before I rent chairs, ordering meat...figuring out final details and creating shopping list for the menu....damn I feel domestic.

Tip on polishing silver. Have someone else do it. No, I actually like polishing silver, immediate gratification and all, but my carpal tunnel vision is bad, real bad. My thumb hurts more than a Celine Dion karaoke song. I use 'Never Dull' after I soak it in warm sudsy water, then dry with an old t-shirt. Worked well on the brass andirons too. Love that stuff! You can find it at most hardware stores, if there are any left in your world.

ahhh..nice relaxing dinner for two by the fire....that won't happen for a week or so now. The rest of the year belongs to dinner parties. Random thoughts: I wonder how crowded the gym will be on January 2nd? Are leggings acceptable attire outside of the home? How much can your skin really stretch? Is it possible there is gravy running through my veins? How many popovers add up to 3,000 calories? Is mayo a "raw food"

B is for Balls, and Boal and Boats

Trying to stay away from facebook and the neverending reunion, so I  am now working on my menu for New Year's Eve Dinner. Not to be redundant but I am cooking Jeff's fave- the super savory cook for two days Balthazar short ribs along with some BLT gruyere popovers. Why mess with the perfect combo? 

What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

SPOTTED! SANTA'S ELF!

Spotted early this morning in North Stamford, CT...a vintage mint green Land Rover with Christmas lights framing it (like the existing electrical system doesn't have enough issues) was photographed creeping like a cat up the driveway to deliver a truck full of presents to Operation Santa. Officials liken this miracle on film to that of the fuzzy iconoclastic Loch Ness monster shot of Nellie. Oh yeah, Nellie! Coincidence? I think not.

More FL Woods

FL Woods and the Woods

Fred's House

fave new paper buildings

our friends store in Marblehead...not completely finished. Damn this camera!

here is my bro Fred's historic home in Silvermine. Looks exactly like it. Still need to bedazzle it with some glitter. These houses look so great on the tree at night when they are lit up. Hopefully Muff's camera will work.

"Putz" Paper House Ornaments

Here are a couple of the paper house village ornaments I finished. Cute huh?

From Our House to Yours...

One of the paper ornaments I am making for Christmas. Have almost finished this church (for my sister Winky) but need to run out and get more cardstock for the steeple and cotton for snow. Will post finished product shot later. The most important tools for this project are a self healing cutting mat (the green grid placemat looking thing) and an exacto knife with plenty of fresh blades.

From christmas village

craft-o-matic

Well my craftability is ready to ramp in to high gear. With so many family members (34 nieces and nephews, a step-daughter, step-son, five siblings, their sig others, four in-laws, the best mother-in-law and father-in-law, surrogate mother, etc.. I should have started making Christmas gifts in June. Although I am sure I bought quite a few pressies since last year to avoid this and they should magically re-appear around January 2nd in an "obvious" spot that will allude me till then. Anyhooo....here are a couple projects I am working on. The first is proving to be waaaaayyyyy too much work so think this might be it for that idea. Reminds me of my felt balls that I made a few years back, those little ditties took over 2 hours each to cut, sort and pin . The receiver would hold it in their hand and say....uh..what is it? You know what it is?

From Crafty

Time well spent. Not. But then again I was single and living in Vermont so what else was I going to do? Thank God I made it out of Vermont without becoming a full-blown alcoholic or chain smoker. Lots of time on your hand sup there!
Let's get crafty.
oops...need to recharge my camera battery. Will post photos of my Christmas crafts in the a.m. Hopefully something you might want to make too.
We are going to Fraiche for dinner tonight so I need to de-glitter the living room. Fraiche is my new favorite restaurant, it's in Fairfield. I love it. Perfection. Glitter, love it but can someone please tell me how to keep it from getting everywhere?

What a Tweetiepie!

Just back from a wonderful weekend in Marblehead and Maine with my beloved and his family. Came back inspired to make some birdhouses for our feather friends. Stay tuned! I have the materials just need Jeff to show me how to use tablesaw, safety first!