holidays

here come the holidays.  i've survived thanksgiving, what alot of work, and, i wish with more enthusasim, am planning christmas.  one of these days i'll plan the finances for all this better.  this weekend we are going to cut the christmas tree and drag out all the decorations.  last year i pulled out all the christmas stuff i own and weeded through all of it.  i cleaned out everything that i didn't want or like and took it to the paradise senior center thrift store.  it turned into a whole car load.  i found stuff with price tags on it and i'd look at it and think 'that's cute but why on earth did i buy it'.  they were thrilled when i pulled up with a bunch of great stuff.  at that point i realized that i wasn't just cleaning stuff out but helping other people be able to have wonderful decorations for cheap.  so out come the christmas mess.  my significant other, the wonderful steve, loves all the christmas stuff so i ride his coattails and get with the process.  so get out all your christmas stuff, pick out your favorites, and pass the rest of it on. 

window coverings

i love window coverings.  i had a friend some years ago who considered my interest in what was on my windows as a fear that someone was going to be looking in.  my response was that windows are an opportunity to add color, texture and interest to a room.  she still didn't see my point, but since she has passed on, i'll just say that she rarely saw anyone's point but her own.  though i loved her dearly.  we are what we are.  this weekend my family and i went to the psychic faire in chico.  i've only been one other time and it was several years ago.  it's always interesting.  in our meandorings afterward we went into world market and bed, bath and beyond.  eventually i will wind up looking at drapery, and forget that both  stores have wonderul options when looking for window coverings.  and the penneys catalog is most dangerous, inspiring, and loaded with beautiful options.  you can beautifully do a large window for about $100.  and for less than that if you chcek some of the larger discount stores which have a very nice choice.  it, unfortuanately, always makes me want to redo my windows even though i have seasonal drapery for all my windows, i am always inspired with new ideas.  new drapery/curtains can remake a room into a wonderful sancutary.  the darker, more closed drapery of winter makes a room into a protected nest.  light airy curtains in the summer allows light and air to flow into the room.  your surroundings truly can alter your mood.  next time you're wandering a store check out the window coverings and see what inspires you.  and i am always available for advice. 

trying to do a wedding on the cheap

as we make decisions on the little details of the wedding, we've agreed that once we both are on board, the info goes in a wedding folder and that's the end of that decision.  online shopping has made so much easier and accessible.  and then you think you need gobs of stuff, the lists are crazy.  i realized quickly that i was not going to be able to do an economical wedding and have all the cute stuff too.  but we picked invitations and will be getting those with envelopes and little note cards and all that stuff for about $120.  that's a deal.  and the reception venue on had white tablecloths available.  i don't want white.  the color is purple, i want purple.  so i found throw away purple round tablecloths for a better price than renting them.  and i found really nice paper napkins, cute intertwined hearts with our names and the date, with little desserts plates for the cake, all for about $50.  i've given up the beautiful wedding dress and am going to wear a purple ball gown and carry white flowers.  it'll be beautiful.  the floral centerpieces are being put together by moi and some friends.  ok, i did promise liquor for the volunteers.  should be fun.  i'm planning on ordering 10 dozen purple carnations from a wholesale floral place and am having safeway do the bouquets.  it's all saving a tidy sum of money.  i'm selling all the stuff i don't need any more to help pay for the wedding and find it most therapeutic to clean lots of old stuff out.  kinda making room for a new life.  i like that idea.

winter interiors

i pretty much hate winter.  it's cold, wet and the days are too damned short.  i thrive on long summer days and lots of sunshine.  at some point i break down and try to come to terms with the seasonal changes.  the cooler temperatures, did i mention i hate being cold, force me to put heavier curtains which block the light but soon enough that won't make any difference because there won't anything but short days and it'll be dark when i leave for work and dark when i get home.  but i digress.  so if i have to be trapped inside more during the winter months, my surroundings need to be comforting.  my living room drapery is a beautiful cranberry with emboirdered dragonflies.  what light there is, when it filters throught the drapery it cast a warm beautiful color into the room.  when the drapery is completely closed, it covers one whole wall and makes the room feel like a cocoon.  my bedroom is basically the same.  the heavier winter curtains are a much heavy color, brown with steel blue accents, and when closed create the wonderful cocoon feel.  i find this to be settling on cold, wet mornings like this one.  i am left alone on sunday mornings, my fiance works a second job at this time.  i lived alone a long time and i've come to utitize this alone time in different ways.  with lots more ideas.  my goal is generally to be domestic.  it's when i do the laundry, at my whole pace, in my jammies, with the little dogs following me around.  i like to think it's because i'm a wonderfull doggie mom but i'm pretty sure it's because there might be some kind of doggie snack coming.  ok, that may be true.  they've trained me well.  but today, since i'm doing so well at coming to terms with today's weather, oh stop laughing, i'm going to change more of the decorative accents in the house.  i have a bag of beautiful fall color silk leaves and some pinecones to scatter along bookshelves, etc to add more color to the rooms.  i can walk out in my front yard to get cute acorn clusters.  it looks very nice and brightens my day.  christmas decor is coming soon enough, there is no reason not to add some extra color now as the daylight wans and moods become gloomy.  i've met alot of people who think it's kinda crazy to have multiple set of drapery, different pillows, and a collection of decorative accents, and generally they're not happy with their surroundings, or, i find hard to believe, they just aren't interested at all.  but i do and i highly suggest to anyone that stands still long enough for me to share that information.  i'd love to hear your comments and always have info i'll share. 

getting married

it appears i'm actually gonna get married.  this is something i never dreamed i would ever say again, much less would want to.  my past is not pretty when it comes to picking men and i chose to be alone for a long time.  little dogs, it's the only way to go.  they think i'm beautiful and wonderful all the time and they always vote my way.  and i can send them outside when i don't want them to bother me and they can't tell their friends that their mother locks them outside when she's tired.  but i met steve, online, and he has added so much to my life.  maybe maturity has improved my decision making...........ok, not always.  but we paid for the wedding venue yesterday so i'm thinking there's gonna be a wedding.  i'm not sure if i'm excited or freaked out.  but, ya know, i look at steve standing there in his jammies, slippers, and 'mr rogers' sweater and i just see myself getting old with this person.  a friend tells me 'that's love, honey'.