Our Home At Christmas

Books To Review

As part of the get me in shape {Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual} quest I am embarking on for 2008 I ordered these wimsical yet insightful little potty chamber books. {I say potty chamber because thats where I do most of my reading ~ha ha}.
Reviews to follow...eventually


One Special Summer by Lee Bouvier and Jacqueline Bouvier


A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux


The Men in Your Life: Timeless Advice and Wisdom on Managing the Opposite Sex by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux

WWJD?

What would Jackie do?

I came across this book a last year or so at Anthropologie. And while I am a die hard for anything Jackie I put it down because it was too expensive for such a little book. "try amazon" I thought to myself, and sure enough I found it -cheaper.

Last night in my sickness panick while I lay listening for the wash to be done at 4:30 in the am, I told myself that I needed to get a grip. That not every stressor should be THE stressor that puts me over. And that is how I have been feeling lately {my whole life?} Maybe its just because I am sick, or maybe it is because I am cooped up inside with the dog, or maybe it is because it is just plain true.

Steve always tells me not to show the world my ass. He tells me that I don't need to tell everyone what I think, or what I feel or what is wrong. And thats not even the problem. Its that I can't take even the minimal stressor. I can't handle a simple problem without it becoming a mountain. And last night, I finally got what he has been saying to me for so long. And I need to get some help with it.

I am in search for the best stress help book there is. And for some reason, at the stroke of 5am I remembered this little treasure of a book sitting in my bedside table drawer. So I tried to read it in the dark, and the few words I absorbed were enough to still me for the rest of the night. This morning I opened it back up and began reading. While it is not a cure for my stress, it does cause me to think beyond the paramaters of my own brain, for now.

Any stress help books to recommend to me?

5pm.

One of the things I enjoy the most is coming home, walking Sofie and then turning on Dr. Phil. I wish I could watch it everyday, but sometimes I don't get that luxury.

Here's some Dr. Phil-isms...

Don't expect someone to give you what they don't have.

Life is managed, not cured.

We teach people how to treat us.

The most you get is what you ask for.
~Dr. Phil

Sewing Soon.

My parents got me a sewing machine for christmas!!! I am so excited about it. In conjunction my sister got me a sewing desk but it is in an aweful melamine "wood" finish. I would like to paint it black to match the other furniture in the room. I found this article about how to do it. I would also like to walpaper or decopage some pretty paper on the doors. It could be pretty once its all done.



I'd like it to resemble something like this.


And this article makes me want to convert the whole room into a sewing center and get peg boards and thread holders etc. I could just sew and sew!



Maybe one day my sewing center will look as cute as this one from HGTV.

Today

I was really stressed out today. My christmas shopping isn't finished. I have anxiety about whether or not my family will like the gifts I am giving them. Sofie is acting crazy, she won't cooperate and is very bored because she doesn't have enough time to play in the snow. Steve is putting alot of pressure on me and making me feel hurt and insecure. We have AT & T coming tommorow to instal new tv service, and I have to make sure i am up and ready to go, and then call steve's dad over when I leave for work. Wednesday, from 1-3 our coffee and side table are being deliverd and that makes it very hard to get to work. So after 2 trips outside around the block in the cold and snow with Sofie trying to get her to potty I dragged her inside. She ran like a crazy dog around the house untill I grabed her and put her in the box. I was at the end of my rope. I sat down and took the deepest breath I have ever taken. Inhaling and Inhaling, almost gasping for breath. And then I instantly felt better. I felt in control again. I felt like I could get up and handle the next thing. Deep breaths, sometimes I need deeper ones than I think I do. I feel better and I will keep going.

Elfed

Jen and Darren Elfed us. So funny. here

What I Would Say

If I had a big body guard behind me.

First up I would tell off some of my husbands friends. I wouldn't just tell them off, I would tell them everything I don't like about them, and then make fun of their clothes, their cars, their jobs and finally I would lay into them about everything they have ever said to or about me. Then, when they got in my face pointing their finger, screaming and all, I'd snap my fingers and my big body guard would appear.

Secondly, as I drove to and from work, to and from shopping etc. I would yell out the window at every single obnoxious person on the road. I mean I would yell and swear and then when they looked over at me, my big body guard would lean into view and they'd drive off.

Thirdly, I would take him shopping with me. He could carry my bags, and push other shoppers aside saying "coming through" "make room" "move away folks", "nothing to see here" and "give us some room". And then I could yell at the other people, and they couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Fourthly, my big body guard could come with me when I walk my dog. He could block the wind and the rain. He could use the pooper~scooper or better yet, as neighbors stared out the window while my little Sofie squats out a big poopie, he could just give them a smile and a nod, letting them know what's up.

I have wanted a big body guard for sometime now, how nice it would be if Santa brought me one for Christmas. ~he he he.

The Jolliest Bunch of Assholes

Where do you think you're going?
Nobody's leaving.
Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas.
No, no. We're all in this together.
This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here.
We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye.
And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight,
he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.

~Clark in Christmas Vacation

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas?

Still on the search for a clip of the Sister's Song from White Christmas. My Grama made Tee and I watch it one year, and it was a joke ever since. Now I kinda like it. It's funny how time changes things. What was once a song that would make us laugh till we cried now makes me cry, thinking about how we used to laugh...

Sisters, Sisters
There were never such devoted sisters,
Never had to have a chaperone, no sir,
Im there to keep my eye on her.

Caring, sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing.
When a certain gentleman arrived from rome
She wore the dress, and I stayed home.

All kinds of weather, we stick together
The same in the rain and sun
Two different faces, but in tight places
We think and we act as one.

Those whove seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us.
Many men have tried to split us up, but no one can.
Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister
And lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man.

Sisters, Sisters

Dominic The Italian Christmas Donkey

By Lou Monte. LOVE IT

Marriage?

The December Issue of Glamour Magazine has an article about 15 Things No One Ever Tells You About Being Married. I tried to find it on their website, but its not up. Its a really funny article and I especially like these 2 things:

#6: Your husband will never take care of you like your mom and visa versa.
"No matter what the vows say about sickness and health, you husband will never dote on you during illness like your mom. That's not to say he will not bring you soup and medicine -he will. He will also most likely cloak himself in a painter's mask, bring along some antibacterial hand sanitizer and hightail it out of there the minute he feels it is reasonably acceptable to do so. But when he is sick, he will expect that you drop everything and attempt to rise to the level of care, devotion and perfection that defines his mother. You will inevitably fail at this mission, so it's bets just to let it go."

Which leads to this great wisdom about in-laws...

#10: Everything you hear about the in laws is true.
They can be meddling, rude, weird, opinionated, unwelcome, pushy, insensitive and they will mess up your kitchen.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
I'm so sick of reading blogs, and hearing people say how wonderful their husbands are. I love mine too, but some of that "love" gets pissed off when you clean the kitchen, vacuum the house, and put away all the junk on the counters -leave for an hour -and when you come home it looks like never cleaned at all. Maybe it's just my husband, but the next time he opens up his mouth and says "the house is a disaster" I'm gonna punch him. I swear it.

Do you sometimes feel it's bait and switch? Like "oh I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you blah blah blah" and as soon as you said I do it became, "I have no clean clothes, the house is a mess, and are we having pasta again?" As much as I have to learn, he has to learn alot about getting along with me. Up to this point we have been battling each other when we fight. His friends are assholes, they come over all the time, trash the house, break shit, eat/drink everything in the frig like teenagers and I get mad, he defends them and we argue in an unresolved circle. This last time has been different, so we'll see. I can't be married to 4 other people and him. I just can't. It's gotta be me. There is only one side to be on and that's mine. The people who have a great 1st year of marriage must not have a husband with friends or family.

But this is what I signed up for, even if the print was small.

GrandinRoad.com

This personalized address embosser is something I'd like for Christmas.

How Cute is this note pad for prego moms?

I have been wanting a new mail box. We currently have a stupid green rubbermaid mail box and it doesn't bode well for curb appeal. We live on a cute little cul-de-sac and that type of mail box is best for a busy rural road {with lots of bad drivers}. I think this mail box is perfect. :)

My mom made us an advent wreat VERY simmilar to this one. I'd like one for my home some day too.

GarnetHill.Com

I love this dog coat from Garnethill.com. I just found this site and really think it has some fun stuff on it, stocking stuffers, home decor, clothing and gourmet foods.