Time out!!!!!

The elves are tired...

The bears are pooped...

And so am I...

so I'm going to take a little blogging vacation until the New Year. I'm just asking ya'll to please not post anything good while I'm gone. I won't have internet access, and I don't want to totally lose my mind while I'm away wondering what you guys are up to with your posts. I don't want to feel the urge to go to the library to catch up on the latest and greatest. And I just know it's going to be bad because I'm curious...some might say nosey! So, please just take yourselves a blog posting holiday. We can all get back to work in 2009! Besides, I know we all have stuff to clean up. See, I'm really looking out for you too! ;O)

Thanks & LOL! Have a safe & happy New Year!

XOXO!

Tardevil

TAG - YOU'RE IT!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas with your family, and enjoyed the holiday! December was a blur for me, so I'm going to try to catch up on a few awards and tags I've had to let slide in the last week or so....


I was tagged, recently, by Squawmama at Our Adventures with Tassie. Thanks, Donna!

So, here's THE RULES:

1) Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog with 16 random things, facts, habits or goals about you.

2) At the end choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them.

Don’t forget to leave them a comment (“you’re it”) and to read your blog.

3)You can’t tag the person who tagged you and since you can’t tag me, let me know when you have posted your blog, so I can see your weirdness.

So, here it goes - my 16 random things...

1) had blonde hair when I was young, now I have to pay for it - it's gotten more brown over the years! Plan to die a blonde, God willing! LOL!

2) when I worked 8-5, I was usually "fashionably late" to work...mostly because of traffic in the Raleigh area. I've always said, "I'll probably be late to my funeral, if someone doesn't make sure I'm pushed in there on time"....in fact, I think I'll request to be late. We're even usually late to church...not crazy about the hand-shaking/meet & greet part...but that's not why we're late!

:O) Do you think we'll get dinged for that in Heaven...assuming we make it? And while assuming, I DO make the cut, I sure hope there's internet service, because I still want to read your blogs! I've got it bad, don't I??? ;O)

3) would love to be thin...for once - without having any health problems

4) pray I never have to work in banking again!

5) glad to be living in NC, but don't especially like the area I'm in - more of a "city mouse", but chose this area for the schools

6) finally had a lovely sunroom in my house in SC, but had to give it up when we moved here - still wish I had one!

7) Live within a mile, maybe 2, of 2 very famous Nascar drivers, but I'm not into Nascar, so it's no big deal...I probably pass them on the road, and don't even know it.

8) I'm a beach bum (bet you would have guessed that one) - wouldn't mind living there permanently, provided there are no hurricanes ;O)

9) don't care for thunderstorms

10) don't like to go over bridges - one I was on a childhood trip to FL collapsed not long after we returned home, so I've never cared for them since.

11) need bi-focals...fighting it!

12) saw a banner plane crash at the beach & don't care to see it twice - the guy survived

13) don't care for January - crappy weather, all the good stuff in the stores is picked over, and don't care to hear about Monster Truck or Gun & Knife shows coming to my area...plus all the weight loss place commercials...maybe why I'm not thin?

14) would like to attend an auction or estate sale
15) have never been to Disneyworld (or land)...but it's on the "To Do" in the near future list
16) went to Bermuda on our honeymoon - thought it was cool because at the time, I taped The Young & the Restless every day, and they had just filmed at Elbow Beach, where we stayed. It rained every day of our honeymoon....Don't go to Bermuda in June!

Because many of you are still busy with your family, and are catching up with blogging like me, I'm not going to pass this along; however, if you want to play along, leave me a comment letting me know, and I'll be sure to come by & see your random facts too! Feel free to take the tag from me and play along! Thanks again, Donna! You're a sweetie! Now, if you're headed out shopping like me, I wish you loads of good deals! ;O)

F.Y.I.

Have you heard?

It appears Santa is running a little late this year!

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!!! It's been a pleasure meeting all of you!

This is it...

The rest of the tour....but I'm saving a few things for next year!

In the 1990's, my main tree had ornaments of golds, burgundys, and teals. I've tried to transition it to golds, burgundys, greens, browns and creams.

The main foyer tree....

The ornaments....

I'm still using ting-ting (Chinese for curly tooth-picks)...is ting-ting OUT? If so, I didn't get the memo! I'm thinking it might be getting tired. Hmmmm........

These gold Santas (from Walmart last year) are some of my favorites!

Everything gets a tassel in the south, right ladies?! LOL!

The stocking ornament was a souvenier from some friends after they back-packed across Europe one year...I could NEV-A fit all of my stuff in a backpack! JUST NEVER!!!

For you bird lovers...

And a few of the Ho's...

The mistletoe ball...I wish you could see, in person, how pretty the angels are...

This is new this year...Kohl's had it, and I resisted the urge, so I was in Tuesday Morning, and they had it, and let's just say, "the pull" got the best of me! (Bad Tar!) This is the living room...use to have angels on the dining room table, but I tried something different this year (thanks to the new dining room color) & added a few vintage ornaments and non-vintage snowflakes...again, the white walls WILL BE CHANGED! ;o)

These angels use to be on the mantel. We don't have an ornate mantel anymore (thanks to those tv caves!), so they're here.
Now, not all, but a few more Santas (I know...hard to believe!)

The foyer...

The bedroom...picked up this one for $4 at a thrift store...

Thanks for stopping by today! Fa la la la la & Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Tablescape 2008

Thanks to Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting another fabulous Tablescape Tuesday! Be sure to stop by and see all the beautiful tablescapes!

Well, remember back on my fall tablescape post where I said if I still had breath in fall of 2009, my dining room WOULD NOT be that hideous white, well I don't lie...unless it's regarding my weight :O) I'm a tad alot impatient, so this is my "new" dining room. It kind of tickled me because the paint color is called "Foxy" by Sherwin Williams...that might be a sign, don't ya' think?

We had a few of hubby's co-workers over for lunch...

I had bought these green ostrich feathers (clearance - Z Gallerie) for the top of the big Christmas tree...suffice it to say, they looked yucky! Not sure they look much better here, but I decided to take a walk on the wild side...going for a woodsy theme this year.

Now, I know this was tacky (a confession), but you do see plastic forks and spoons in the photos...I'm really short on time right now! I know that's not a good excuse, but it will have to do! Please forgive me, Miss Janice!
I don't have a good chandy for decorating in this house, so it has these beaded green garlands...In the background you'll see the drapes that are waiting to be hung...as you can see, even with blinds, we need them. Still looking for the perfect rug...

The sleigh is new from Pier 1 this year, and the Mark Robert's fairy (I think he's the bookworm fairy) is new from a consignment store at the beach (same place the Brinn's Santa came from in the earlier post). The owner didn't know he was collectible, so I got him for $7.50 compared to around $36. Happy Dance! He is missing the string used to hang him & the registration card, but I'm ok with that. ;O)

You will see various birds and acorns scattered throughout the middle.

This was the party favor....little brown Santas in little baggies!

Now, (another confession), I had my dining room painted just before Thanksgiving. When we looked for our SC house, 2 years ago, I saw window treatments (similar to the ones waiting to be hung in the background - right side), and I wanted a dining room like that one - I guess you could say it was my inspiration. Plus, it coordinates with other rooms in my house. But, I have to admit, that since the holidays, I have had 2nd thoughts about whether or not I like 'foxy'. It doesn't coordinate with all of my red and green Christmas decor, so I had to change up my dining room tablescape this year to brown and green. I'm thinking I might should have had the dining room painted the color of red seen in the powder room in a previous post, but don't tell my D.H. - I want to have a MERRY Christmas! ;O)

So, here's wishing you lots of tablescaping, bloggy love for the holidays!

Mooresville, we have a problem....

one of our newest of residents has gone stark raving nuts about Christmas. How do we control her? It looks like the Christmas train slammed into her house! I believe she needs an intervention! Quick, let's get over there!!!

There's Christmas EveRyWheRe! And I do mean EVERYWHERE!

Oh, and look! She even has a Santa tree! Who would have thought?
Let's look at some of the Mark Robert's fairies....

Oh, I think the pink ones benefit breast cancer research!

I've got a great idea....next year when she decorates the tree, maybe she can try finding the Santas and fairies BEFORE the ornaments go on the tree!

I think that's a GREAT IDEA!

and there's a Make-a-Wish fairy! We'd even sacrifice our color scheme to help sick children, wouldn't we?

and some Santas....

Hey, I remember that Santa head with the white dreadlocks...perhaps he should just shave! Wonder what Santa would look like with no beard?

and the ornaments...

Oh, I bet her husband is a golfer!

and I bet she's a beach bum!

my words....is there a free branch on that poor tree???

sure doesn't look like it!

Don't ya' think someone ought to tell her less is more???

Do you REALLY think she'd listen???

Hard to believe all of this is just in the keeping room.

I'll say...then it's no surprise that a nut like her would be nuts for NUTCRACKERS too!

What's with all those stockings? I thought there were only 3 of them.

And the elves! I've heard she catches grief from her family because that "BELIEVE" sign interferes with the remote signal when changing channels!


Poor Tar! I don't think that there's help for her kind of problem!

Can you believe we still haven't even seen her big tree or her daughter's pink and purple trees!?

How many trees does this crazy chick have?

Hmmmmm.....stay tuned to find out!

I see why she hasn't been in Blogland much lately. But, I do think Melissa over at Melissa's Heart and Home was right....she does qualify for the Christmas Spirit AWARD!

Thanks, Melissa! In order to qualify, I'm suppose to:

1) Be a true Christmas lover.

2) The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.

3) Link back to the person who gave you the award.

4) List 5 things that you love about Christmas. If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going until you run out of space!

5) Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 50, it's up to you! But, you must pass it on to at least one person in order to keep the Christmas cheer going! Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.

Some Things I Love about Christmas:

1) My daughter's face on Christmas morning when she sees her presents, and her excitement/anticipation on Christmas Eve.

2) This year, it's the fact that in addition to a few (100) :O) other things, my daughter put on her Christmas list, a nearby house she and I been watching and are in love with! She gave Santa directions to it and asked him to give her a loan to buy it! Hope he figures out a way to grant that wish, in this economy! Of course, we told her she could have asked for a grant!!!

3) Shopping for a "few" new decorations each year.

4) I love wrapping paper, bags & ribbon...if I live to be 100, I'd never use my supply up - and that's before going to more Christmas sales! (still trying to stimulate the economy :O)

5) Christmas music (although after 2 months, I am beginning to tire of it!)

6) The lights (white) - especially outside!

7) The fact that we GET TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS, and the reason for the season!

and this is extra (again, I'm not one that stays "in the box"), but I'm going to list a few things I DON'T LOVE QUITE SO MUCH ABOUT CHRISTMAS (do I lose the Christmas Spirit AWARD if I do that?) I'll take the risk...

1) people that steal "my" parking space when my signal is ON! Can I get a "Hello!?"

2) children that change their list to Santa 1 week before Christmas!

3) being awakened at 3 a.m. after going to bed at 1:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve! Unless Santa brings that house up at #2 - pleeeeeeez keep your happy self in bed until 7-ish!)

4) shopping in crowds - my ugly side comes out

5) alot to do - and not alot of days to do it in!

6) cleaning up & putting away gifts after opening all of the presents (Probably why I'm not a big fan of January!)

7) un-decorating (new word?) Maybe that will be something to look forward to in January!

Now, Melissa did a great job of spreading the love with this award, so...if there is anyone who feels they are qualified to receive it (and I know ALOT OF YOU ARE, then please feel free to copy the award & the rules from my blog over to yours!)

Thanks for sticking with me through this VERY LONG POST!

I'm headed out of town for a few days, but I hope to post a few things while I'm gone! If I don't get to come by to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, I hope you and your families will all be safe and have a wonderful celebration!

Much bloggyland love,
Tar