THE CHAIR ARRIVED!!!

Obviously, the Customer Service lady that I spoke to about needing my replacement chair has a Bunco/Dinner Club group. As I mentioned before, she seemed to really understand that I needed that chair. It arrived Saturday.

Here is my sweet husband putting the chair together instead of working on his boat trailer like he had planned to do. He obviously understands about Bunco/Dinner Club also.

My conclusion - the decorator sources are right. It is better, cheaper, easier and faster to buy furniture on the Internet.

NEW CHAIRS

The new chairs are here! After patiently shopping on the internet, waiting for coupons and the offer of free shipping, I finally purchased chairs to match the new table. While they are not Pottery Barn chairs, they are a close match, solid wood, and a quarter of the cost! So we were really pleased.

I think that they match the table really well and it is a nice change to have sleek, more modern chairs instead of the huge high back chairs that we have had for so long. However, it was hard to say goodbye as alot of memories went out the door with them.

Now, here is the problem. The chairs to the right are a little dark and hard to see with the lighting in this picture, but you can definitely see the shining spot where there is no chair. One of them had a damaged seat. It has now been two weeks and the replacement chair is suppose to be "in the mail". Hopefully it will arrive soon. I did let a lady in customer service know that it was essential that I have that chair before my Bunco party. I'm sure that really hurried things up! According to all of my decorator sources, buying furniture over the internet is now the best and cheapest way to go. I'll let you know!

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. I love hearts, chocolate, the colors pink and red, and those are in abundance on Valentine's Day. I just love everything that goes with it. Decorating the house is really fun for me. Pink and hearts - you can't get any better than that!

Another thing, Valentine's Day is a holiday where there is no pressure. There are no large meals to plan, no endless shopping lists or presents to wrap. It is a holiday that provides you with an opportunity to send a card or buy a chocolate treat for the ones that you love. Now Sonny has been known to buy jewelry for this occasion and that is OK too! I am so thankful to have a sweet and wonderful husband that makes Valentine's Day special for me because he knows how very much I love this holiday.

As far back as I can remember, my Dad always bought me something for Valentine's Day. As a child, he would usually buy me a heart shaped box of chocolates. I thought that was so glamorous! When I was older, it was usually something that would catch his eye while he was out shopping with Mom. One year it might be a red sweater with hearts and then the next year a heart necklace. He continued this even after I married and had children. Every year, I always knew that I would get at least one valentine - maybe something small and cute or maybe something extravagant. It was always a wonderful surprise. Dad continued this tradition for my sister and I even when he was ill during those last years he was with us, with a little help from Mom. What a wonderful Daddy. I sure miss him and will forever think of him, especially on Valentine's Day. He was my first love.

CHRISTMAS DAY TABLESCAPE

I always make many different kinds of Christmas candies for the holidays. This year was no exception. However, by Christmas Day, everyone wanted pies. Chocolate is everyone's favorite so I had several chocolate pies.
















We could not leave out Michael and Grandpa Goode so Matt and Jenny made pumpkin pies.

Here is the Christmas Day tablescape. Yes, it is traditional and I know I have gotten away from that. However, Sonny loves traditional Christmas decorations and he really liked this tablescape.

I love these plates. The dinner plate is edged in snowflakes but it is hard to see in this picture.

I decided to let the sled do double duty and used it to hold silverware.

While the tablescape is always fun for me, it is great having all of the family together. Love you guys!

PUPPY LOVE

When Jenny was a toddler, my Mom made her a puppy quilt. Jenny is a huge animal lover and fell in love with that quilt at first sight. She slept with it and wrapped up in it when she was sick. Puppy blanket was really important to her. Puppy blanket went to A & M with her when she left for college. It also went with her when she and Matt got married. However, sadly, puppy blanket was really getting tattered. Mom found the original pattern and asked me if I thought Jenny would like another one. Of course, I knew she would and I asked her to try to make it in an adult size. Mom finished it in time for Christmas and Jenny was totally surprised. I think this was one of her favorite presents!! See that happy smile. Puppy blanket is back!!!!

CHRISTMAS EVE FUN

As soon as family members arrive at our house, they start looking at the Christmas tree for the pickle! They all know if they find it, they get the pickle prize! To tempt them, we have the pickle prize wrapped in a beautiful box. The pickle is a small green ornament that is hand blown glass and looks exactly like a pickle. Hiding it on a Christmas tree and rewarding the finder with an extra Christmas gift is an old German Christmas tradition. As you can see, it can be quite competitive. Many have come up with inventive ways to find the pickle. There is the standing technique when everyone first arrives. That is soon followed by the squatting technique and finally the laying on the floor gazing up through the tree technique. We've had to get really inventive but so far, it takes awhile for someone to find it.

CHRISTMAS EVE TABLESCAPES

BEFORE

AFTER