Taking Down Christmas

 I realize that my intentions and my actions don't always line up. It was my intention to post pictures of my home decorated for Christmas. With everything going on (both good and bad) I never did that post. Now my Christmas decor is down and winter decor has gone up, but I can still share a glimpse of what I did and what has changed since.

Let's start with the living room. Compared to years past, this year my living room had very little decor. I did manage to get a few pillows and I used some items I'd had from whenever I was selling Christmas Around The World and Kingdom Treasures. 

The pup is not mine; it's my grand-dog Kuzco who stayed with me during the Thanksgiving weekend and who followed me around like my shadow. I'm really loving the black and red buffalo check pattern for Christmas time so I added this throw I picked up last year from Ross to my sectional. Most of the pillows I had before; the Merry pillow is from Hobby Lobby and the stocking pillow is from Costco.

The next decor items that I can never get enough of in my house is nativities.

These are my larger nativities; I have small ornament sized ones as well. While I do enjoy the story of Santa Claus and all the pretty items that are unique to Christmas, I never want to forget why I'm celebrating: the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, my King. I want Him at the forefront of the celebration.

Now that Christmas and New Year's day have come and gone, I've simplified some of my decor and kept it very neutral for the winter months - though let's be honest, winter in South Florida is not as dark and cold as it is in most areas of the country. Still, our temps have gone down, the sun sets earlier, and my house is resting in wait of springtime decorations.

 The only color on my sectional now is the minty blue/green throw I tossed over the back of the longer side. The furry white pillows were another Costco find. I was in the store at the right time; whenever I saw someone had one in their buggy I went in search of them and found they were flying off the shelves. At $9.99 each it was no surprise. I had all the other pillows and together they give a soft, cozy vibe.

All my other decor stayed the same as before, but the living room looks bigger and roomier now that the tree is gone.

I tried two different looks for my dining room table this year.

The first used items from a more traditional Victorian style. I've had these for many years, from back whenever I sold Christmas Around The World. The Lloyd rabbit family in the back was from the same company. Christmas Around the World sold items by themes based on what country they represented, and this set, if I remember correctly, was from old world Britain. I really loved it for a long time, but whenever I put it on the table I realized how out of place it looked. My style is more rustic, with hints of farmhouse; far from this Victorian style with the frosted fruits and red velvet bows. I took it off and tried something else.

The two tiered dish was a gift from a sweet lady who passed away a few years ago. Rather than cakes or candies I filled it with shiny glass ornaments in red, green and gold. I then set these reindeer candleholders on either side. They are ceramic but are painted to look chippy. While not perfect, it looked much better than the previous look so I kept it instead. I've decided that the Victorian decor, while still beautiful, doesn't fit anywhere in my home, and I'm donating all the pieces (including the wreath and garland) to Goodwill. I know I could sell it, but I won't get much for it and I don't know that it's worth the hassle. 

Now that everything has been put away, this is what the dining room looks like:

There's a big change in this picture: the baker's rack that was in the kitchen is now in the dining room! Why, you may ask? Because of a lovely Christmas gift my daughter and son-in-law gave me that I'm super excited about! For now let me just say I'm loving how the dining room looks. The baker's rack is black, yet it's lighter than the media cabinet that was there before. It has all my fancy dishes and a few decor pieces as well. There's so much that has changed, but I want to save some for my next post. Right now I've gotta run to Goodwill to drop off some donations and maybe pick up some new-to-me goodies. In the meantime, have a blessed week!

Preparing The House For Christmas

While I don't go as overboard as I used to do whenever my kids were little, I still love and enjoy decorating my house for Christmas. It's a process that I've simplified over the years, especially now that my kids are grown. Funny enough, my youngest son tells me he misses the big production that was Christmas years ago. Still, I think he appreciates not only the amount of work that goes into decorating, but the beauty of a slightly more subtle Christmas. My hope is that, while making the home cozy and festive, we don't forget the true meaning of the season: Immanuel, God with us.

To start, I first had to take down all the fall decor that had been out since September.

It didn't seem like so much whenever I had it out around the house! I didn't even attempt to count the pumpkins - suffice it to say, there's a lot. Of course, there's more than just pumpkins here. This includes throw pillows, kitchen towels, outdoor decor and flower arrangements.

It's bittersweet to take the fall decor down (especially the pieces I picked up at Hobby Lobby just a week ago on clearance), but it was quickly replaced with the excitement of putting up the Christmas decor.

Next, furniture needed to be relocated.

One of my bookcases moved over to the wall separating the kitchen and the laundry area. This would make way for the Christmas tree. I like having the Christmas tree in front of the sliding glass door but not blocking our way out to the patio. I also like decorating the bookshelves, but if this is covered by the tree none of the decor can be appreciated.

In the master bedroom, I took out the armless chair that is part of the sectional and replaced it with the leather chair and ottoman. Again, this is to make way for the Christmas tree. I could potentially leave the chair in the living room, but it would make the room look crowded which I don't like. I draped a minty blue throw over the chair and added the lumbar pillow to soften the look.

My bed went from this:

To this:

Much as I love the pumpkin pillow I picked up from Costco this year, I do love this little pillow for Christmas/winter.

I got this from the Target dollar spot last year, I believe for $5. It's super cute, but honestly I picked it up because the colors were perfect with my bedroom decor. The other side is plaid and can be used throughout the winter.

The poinsettias I found at Hobby Lobby look beautiful in this vase. I put them before I did anything else because I was dying to see how they looked, and I am thoroughly loving them.

I decided to put up whatever decor I had recently bought before bringing up the tubs with all my stuff. I found these plates at TJ Maxx and I love them so much I may never put anything else up here.

They have a winter scene, which means I can leave them up until the spring - which I fully intend to do.

I also put my new Costco and Hobby Lobby pillows on the sofa with my big green pillow that I got years ago from Target. It's exactly how I pictured it would look.

The next day began the intense decorating, along with some changes that eventually happen whenever I'm decorating my home. Come back, there's plenty more to come!

The Week In Review

I'm sitting in my living room listening to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack, while outside my window the wind howls and pouring rain continues to fall. I'll get into that in a bit.

This week I found out that my neighbor has been calling the police on me, accusing me of doing construction in the early morning hours and throwing things on the floor so he can't sleep. I found this out because on Tuesday a police officer came to my door to ask if there was any construction going on in my house, and when I said no he explained why. I had to tell him what's been going on and that in fact it's my neighbor making all the noise. Thankfully the officer told me they'd already determined that the complaints were unfounded. Still, I had to call the police twice that day. The second time he was apparently playing some kind of racing game on his Play Station. It sounded like the Indy 500 in my dining room. The officer who came the second time was a woman. She told him she could hear the noise outside it was so loud. He called her a liar and began yelling at her, and ultimately slammed the door in her face. He's never done this to the male cops, which says a lot about him. What the officer told me was that the HOA needs to get involved. The police can keep coming but it's a temporary fix. The HOA needs to come up with a long term solution. I emailed the management the very next day. Their response? The HOA contacted their attorney, who told them this is a civil matter and they couldn't get involved. So now I've contacted my attorney. I'm hoping and praying we can come up with a solution to this situation. In a strange twist, his next door neighbors on the other side are remodeling their master bathroom, which is connected to his master bathroom, and they've made lots of noise this week with their demo and tile cutting. Poetic justice? Perhaps.

I've started on Christmas shopping and wrapping presents. Most of the items I've purchased through Amazon. On Thursday I had to go to Walmart and Costco for groceries, and while I was at it I figured I'd stop by Ross to see what they had. I went to Ross whenever the stores began opening again but it was bare. I hoped it would be a little better this time round.

I bought my normal fill-in groceries at Walmart plus a few fresh herbs to have on hand for Thanksgiving. Then I headed to Costco to get some allergy medicine. They have the Zyrtec knock-off for a good price. I also wanted to see if they had any cooking utensils. Mine had seen better days. They were not only old and dull, since they were plastic they'd melted in a few spots. I didn't find any cooking utensils, but something else did catch my eye.

Y'all, I got so excited whenever I found this pillow! Last year I got a new tree skirt, throw blanket and table runner, all in the black and red buffalo check pattern. My eyes went straight to the stocking on this pillow, but the plaid and the green check are also gorgeous and perfect for my very traditional decor! The sherpa fabric is cozy and soft. The best part is the price. $9.99 y'all! Now I want to hurry up and decorate for Christmas!

As happy as I was to find this sweet pillow, I still had the dilemma of not finding cooking utensils. I really hoped Ross would be my answer. They did not disappoint.

I got a set of cooking utensils, a set of tongs, and a set of rubber spatulas, and each was $6.99 and under. I needed the rubber spatulas because the one I had for years finally broke in half. 

Since I was already there, I looked at the bathroom decor. I've been looking for some bathroom rugs that aren't too pricey. 

This pretty set of two rugs were $9.99. I would've spent more than that on one rug at Target so I was super pleased. But it was the last item I was most excited about.

I've been eyeing some shelves at Hobby Lobby for the guest bathroom, but they were so much money. Even when they're on sale, the ones I liked were $30.00 and over. I'm glad I waited, because I found this at Ross for $19.99. That's more along the lines I was hoping to spend! I haven't put it up yet but when I do I'll be sure to post about it.

Saturday was a special day. Some of the ladies in our women's bible study group met for breakfast at Panera. This group is from my old church, which is a 40-45 minute drive, but my sweet friend who organized the breakfast chose a city that's more central, so it took about 30 minutes to get there. We had the sweetest time of fellowship and catching up. You don't realize how much you need that time together till you've been isolated for months thanks to a pandemic. I'm so hoping we can do it again soon.

Of course, soon won't be this weekend. If you've watched the news, then you know Tropical Storm Eta is heading towards Florida. As of right now, it has gone over Cuba and is in the Florida Straits, where they're predicting it will head west towards the Florida Keys, but most of South and Central Florida are gonna feel the effects. The system is massive! I think of the people in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, who took this on as a category 4 hurricane earlier this week, and my heart breaks for them. It's a real rainmaker, and we're looking at local flooding all over South Florida. We've had so much rain the past month that the ground is saturated. An additional 3-5 inches can be dangerous. Schools have been ordered closed for tomorrow and so have a lot of businesses. We are praying for safety and that this storm doesn't intensify nor slow down.

And that's what my week was like. The coming week will be a wet one: we're expecting the rain to continue into Tuesday, and after that we'll get a better idea where this storm is headed. Weather channel says it's supposed to swing back around to Florida whenever it gets into the Gulf. Pray for Florida y'all. It's been a rough year all around. God bless.

The Week In Review

And just like that, it's November. I know we always say that the year has gone by quickly, but somehow this year seems like it's not only flown by, I haven't accomplished near as much as I thought I would have by now. That's what pandemics do.

I meant to post yesterday, then I just forgot. I have no other excuse. I wasn't too busy, I was home all day, I just plain forgot. I'll try to make up for it today.

Monday started off on the wrong foot. I was awaken at 5:57 am to the news. No, I didn't turn on the tv in my bedroom. I don't have a tv in my bedroom. My neighbor does, however, and it was so loud I could hear it like it was in my house. He'd been punching walls and playing music off and on all weekend, and I tried to ignore it, but now I'd had enough. I called the police again. He didn't turn the tv off till he left for work, but he's been more cautious now. If he turns on the tv he keeps it low so I don't hear it. We'll see how long that lasts.

I've begun doing my Christmas shopping. This is actually late for me; I used to start Christmas shopping in September. My kids are grown now, and I don't buy them a lot of little toys and games anymore.  I try to get them things they need, or things they really want and will use. So rather than having a bunch of stuff in my closet, I have a few large items that I know they will appreciate, and I don't have to start shopping near as early. I was also waiting to see if my income tax return would get approved. And finally, it did. On October 30. When they told me they'd get my tax return approved in October, it didn't occur to me it wouldn't be till the very end of the month. I should receive my refund this week. Yay.

My youngest son E needs to have his wisdom teeth taken out. I'd taken him to the dentist two years ago, and was doing everything possible to get this taken care of, but his father's dental insurance was giving me a hard time. I went back and forth repeatedly with the oral surgeon's office and the insurance and couldn't get them to agree on what was covered and what wasn't. Ultimately J cancelled his dental insurance and nothing got done. Now the wisdom teeth are bothering him again, but thankfully he has some insurance now. He tried to schedule an appointment with the dentist that was assigned to him. They no longer take his insurance. I went online and found another dentist close by, made an appointment, and when we got there we found out they wouldn't take the insurance if he was over 18. They referred us to another dentist, who also said they no longer take that insurance. So he called the insurance company and explained the situation. They gave us three more dental offices to call. I tried the first one, and was happy to hear they actually do accept his insurance. There's just one catch: it expires on his 21st birthday, which is less than two months away. We knew we needed to move fast. He's scheduled for his first appointment on November 9. They will do the initial exam, then refer us to an oral surgeon. Hopefully this can all get done in time. 

This past week was my big grocery shopping week. November is a tricky month; it's shorter than October or December, but it's got Thanksgiving, meaning a lot of food for just one day. I'm super excited because my oldest son and my new daughter-in-law will be coming down to spend the holiday with us. I did get a few things that I'll be needing, though most of the items on the menu will be purchased later in the month so it doesn't sit around the pantry or fridge for a month. 

I buy the Kirkland brand chicken stock from Costco because 1 - it's a great price considering it's organic (the box brings 6 - 1 quart containers for $9.99, or $1.67 per container), and 2 - it's the best tasting and best quality on the market in my opinion. I use it to brine my turkey and also for soups. Crescent rolls are a must have on the Thanksgiving table, and Costco had the box of 5 on sale for $4.49 so I couldn't pass that up.

I'm gonna do a separate post on the monthly grocery shopping trip. Right now, laundry is calling me. Be back with more soon!

The Week In Review

 I had planned on posting more this week, but it seemed like the time got away from me. A lot of my time was spent on the phone - not my favorite pastime but sometimes it's got to be done.

The first call this week was to my internet provider, AT&T. We were having issues with the WiFi - internet worked but nothing was connecting. Thankfully they came out the same day. My son E is doing college online so having reliable internet is crucial. The guy found the problem right away. The first technician had put the WiFi extender in the wrong room and had done the connection incorrectly. I was annoyed at the guy, because he insisted none of their technicians would have done the connection this way and it must have been us. I tried to find the paperwork from the first technician but of course you can't ever find anything when you need it. Ultimately he accepted what I said, though I don't think he believed me. Anyway, he fixed the problem. That was my Monday in a nutshell.

As I mentioned in my previous post, fall decorating is an ongoing thing in my house. I add, subtract, move things around and generally change things till I feel like they look right. I added a few more things here and there, such as in the office/guest room.

I didn't make any changes to my desk other than the storage box. I don't want to have too many things on my desk cluttering the surface space.

I did, however, add a few little touches to my bookshelf (sorry about the glare, this room gets a lot of sunlight). Again, not too much, just enough to remind me that, according to the calendar, it's almost fall.

The little box of assorted pumpkins that I picked up from Hobby Lobby came in handy. I've scattered them all around the house. This one found its way here, next to the ceramic bowl my son R made for me whenever he was in middle school. He's getting married next month; I can't believe how the time has flown.

I got these gold and white pumpkins several years ago from Target. They used to be on my kitchen shelves, but this year they're making their appearance in the office. I don't like switching everything out yearly; instead, I like to buy pieces that I really like and use them year after year.

I added these pillows to my futon. I got these off of Walmart.com about three years ago I believe. They were two for $10, and they are so pretty!

I had two sets, this one and a more traditional set that would have worked for Thanksgiving as well, but I decluttered those whenever we moved. I now wish I hadn't, because they are so sweet and because Walmart doesn't carry them anymore. But I am thankful I kept these. The colors work really well with the rest of the decor in this room.

I did make a small adjustment in my master bedroom. I put this throw blanket instead of the textured one I had initially put down because the color on the first one was off. This throw is pretty much the same color as the bedspread. I want another throw but I haven't found one yet that I like enough to purchase. I've also been considering possibly upgrading to a comforter instead of a bedspread, but again I haven't seen anything I'm attracted to. I'm not in a rush; it's not a need, it's just a want. There's plenty of other things I could be purchasing instead.

Speaking of other things to purchase, I did my weekly grocery shopping for the fill in items I'd need for the coming week. It wasn't a lot of food, just a lot of money (ugh).

Walmart was my first stop:

Y'all, it wasn't even that much food. How did I end up spending $53?! I will say this, the Marketside pepperoni pizza was pretty good, and for $7 I guess I can't complain. It's not as good as the pizza from Costco but it's still good.

Next I went to Costco to pick up some kielbasa sausage and allergy medicine. That's it. Sausage and Allegra. This is what happened:

I got the sausage. I got the allergy medicine. Then I remembered my son told me his socks needed replacing so I got him a pack of Puma socks for $12.99. As I walked by I noticed they were carrying Pocky again, one of his favorite snacks, and they were on sale, so I picked up a box of those. Oh, but it didn't end there...

I love Costco sales! These Fila sneakers were just $17.99! I'd been thinking of getting some nice sneakers because my current ones are looking a bit worse for wear, but I don't like spending a lot of money on sneakers. This price is right up my alley! Of course that meant my total at Costco was $84, but I know I got good deals. The allergy medicine alone is $33 but my son has to have it. 

What else happened this week? Hmm...I dyed my hair because my roots were out of control. My son and I went to my daughter's house for dinner yesterday. We played Disney's Jungle Cruise board game and had a lot of fun. Was there anything else? Oh, that's right. I mentioned spending a lot of time on the phone. That's a whole other post in itself. Let's just say I'm not happy with the IRS. Yep, I've got a story to tell. Stay tuned.

A Typical Breakfast

We've all heard the saying, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I know I look forward to my morning meal everyday, even though it hardly ever varies. I might do something fancy over the weekend, like pancakes and sausage, or waffles and bacon with a side of hash browns (yum), but during the week I like to keep it simple. This is my typical breakfast most days.

I like having a hot breakfast. Yes, I sometimes will have Special K cereal if I'm in the mood. My favorites are the vanilla almond and the cinnamon pecan flavors. But 9 times out of 10 I will have a bowl of maple and brown sugar oatmeal for breakfast. I make mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of water, and I add dried cherries to it.  

I put it in the microwave for two minutes, then sprinkle some cinnamon over it. It is so delicious! It might come off as the perfect fall breakfast, but honestly I eat it all year round.

We never had oatmeal when I was growing up. Whenever my mom mentioned oatmeal it was to tell us how sick of it she was. Growing up during WWII, she told us that there was rationing and shortage of food. There were many mouths to feed in her house, and the one thing they could count on finding in abundance was oatmeal. So everyday my grandma would prepare oatmeal with powdered milk until my mom got so tired of it she preferred skipping breakfast altogether. I got to try oatmeal in Puerto Rico at a cousin's house. She made some for breakfast, and I absolutely loved it. There was no convincing my mom, though. She couldn't even stand the smell of it. Maybe that's why I like it so much, because I missed out on it as a kid.

Along with my oatmeal I have my one and only cup of coffee of the day. Once again, I like my coffee hot. I realize that iced coffee is the rage now, just like overnight oats (also known as muesli). But I do not like iced coffee. At. All. I like my coffee hot and my iced tea sweet. My coffee preference is Kirkland's Pacific Bold from Costco. This is an extra bold coffee, dark and rich. I don't like the medium blends, and I hate the lighter breakfast blends. They don't taste like much of anything to me. This is a delicious, strong coffee, and the price (especially when it's on sale) is cheaper than most places. Aldi's has good priced coffee but I find the taste of this brand to be superior.

I then prepare my vitamin cocktail:

My vitamins are also from Costco because again, price and quality. Every morning I take fish oil pills for my eyes. I suffer from dry eyes, and my eye doctor explained that it's caused by a lack of oils in the eyes. Taking fish oil has definitely helped me in that department. I take a multi-vitamin with iron, along with extra vitamin C. After having worked several years at a tutoring center, I learned the importance of taking vitamin C everyday if I didn't want to be sick all the time. Y'all, kids are germ magnets! School would start in mid August, and by mid September every single one of them had some sort of virus. I don't believe in taking vitamin C when I start to feel sick; I take it everyday as a preventative measure. The last thing I take isn't a vitamin; it's a Zyrtec knockoff that I need for my allergies, especially now in the fall.

I like having a piece of fruit with my breakfast as well. Most of the time it's a banana, but I do enjoy having half a mango whenever I can get my hands on one. I add some sugar and powdered creamer to my coffee. I don't like flavored creamers, and since I'm the only one that drinks coffee (and only one cup a day) it doesn't get used up fast enough and ends up spoiling. So powdered creamer it is.

And that's it, my breakfast of champions! It's filling and healthy, and for me it's the best way to start my day. Have a blessed and restful Labor Day y'all!

 

The Week In Review

I know, I know, the week isn't quite over. At least not if you count Monday as the first day of the week. I'm gonna be busy helping my daughter and son-in-law tomorrow and I don't know if I'll have a chance to post. 

This week began the transformation of my home from spring/summer to fall/winter with the rearranging of my living room furniture. I posted all about it in my previous post. Once I'd settled the furniture where I wanted it, I decided to buy a few more items for fall decorating. I had found a few pieces at Dollar Tree in traditional fall colors but I wanted to add a few more things, and I heard Walmart had some nice items. I've bought fall decor from Walmart before so I knew what to look for. Before heading to Walmart I decided to stop at Costco, which is on the way, to pick up some facial tissue and compressed air for my son. Y'all, look what else I found!

Isn't it the cutest thing?! And it has all the colors I'm looking for! Traditional orange, cool toned teal, and the golden wheat color that is so popular this year. And when you turn it around...

...this perfectly stunning plaid! And if that isn't enough, this pillow was only $9.99! They had a couple other designs but this one was by far my favorite. I'm thinking it might go in my bedroom. Or the living room. Maybe even the office. I don't know but I just love it!

After Costco I headed to Walmart but was so disappointed. They were only just taking down all the back to school stuff and had one aisle of fall decor out. None of it impressed me. It was okay, but nothing I wanted to spend money on. I'd gone for two things: pumpkins and florals. The pumpkins were overpriced in my opinion, and there were no florals out yet. It was especially upsetting because all I got was groceries. I could have bought those at the Neighborhood Walmart that is just blocks away from my house instead of heading across town to the Super Walmart. I didn't even find everything I needed! This was my Walmart grocery haul:

At least I was able to get a box of Cinnamon & Pecan Special K cereal. They don't carry that flavor at my local Walmart. I also picked up some frozen/refrigerator items.

Finally found frozen corn! I got my son more of his flavored waters and some salads.

Anyone else take advantage of the produce or meats when the prices get reduced? There's nothing wrong with either one of them. They are close to the expiration date, so the stores would rather sell them cheap than throw them out. I have no problem taking it off their hands.

When I saw that there was no fall decor to speak of, I decided to head on over to Hobby Lobby. I just felt so bummed because I had my heart set on getting fall decor and Walmart was a total letdown. Hobby Lobby certainly wasn't.

I wasn't out to get a huge amount of stuff. All I wanted was some pumpkins and some florals, and even though the temptation was great I stuck to my guns and only purchased what I'd set out for. There are some beautiful fall decorations at Hobby Lobby, and all of it 40% off, so it was hard to limit myself, but God gave me the strength I needed! I got the little cube-full of pumpkins for $7.19 (that's the price I paid after the 40% discount. Original price is $11.99). It has all the colors that I was looking for. The two larger pumpkins in sage green and ivory were $4.19 each. The smaller pumpkin in the shiny bright orange was $2.99. As for the florals, I picked up a bouquet that was originally $14.99 but I paid $8.99. 

I'd looked at some florals that I could make a bouquet out of myself, but this one was nicer quality and ended up costing less that $1.00 more. I also got the larger picks for $4.19 each after discount, so they totaled $12.57. I'd planned on using the floral picks in my bedroom in some large vases I have, adding them to the existing florals. I tried to arrange them with the greenery and the eucalyptus I already had, but it just wasn't working, and again I was discouraged. I was ready to return them, but I tried to work with them a little more. This is what I came up with, and I love the simplicity of the arrangement and the color it adds to the room.

I'm so glad this jug is a neutral color, because it works with any color and every season. I took the greenery out and used only the three picks. Anything else looked like too much. I liked the way this looked, but it clashed with the flowers I had on my nightstand.

The new florals are in oranges and greens, while the flowers on my nightstand are peaches and pinks. While I wasn't ready to go all out fall decorating, I knew if I wanted to keep the fall arrangement (and I did) I'd have to change out this springtime one.

Much better! The fall colors in my sage green bedroom are so warm and inviting!

The pitcher I had here on my nightstand was too small for this floral bouquet, so I grabbed another pitcher from my dining room and swapped them out. I love how the colors of this bouquet play off the gold trim on the lamp. It's getting me even more excited for fall and the holidays!

Today I went to a local tile store with my daughter and her husband to help them pick out tiles for their master bathroom remodel. They live in an older villa, and the previous owner had done very little in the way of upgrading the home. It still had the original 1980's kitchen! Last November they remodeled the kitchen, taking down half a wall, reconfiguring the layout, and putting in new cabinets and appliances. The kitchen looks gorgeous now. Last month they remodeled the guest bathroom, which was in pretty bad shape. The vanity was falling apart. Now it has a coastal farmhouse look with all new tiles, paint, toilet and vanity. This month is the master bathroom remodel. I'm so thankful they look to me for advise on the design and decor. I'll be painting their existing master bathroom vanity, since it's one of the only things the previous owner changed out and it's fairly new. It's also a very solid, well made piece, but the color won't work with the new design they're going for so they asked me to paint it for them. I love design projects so I'm definitely up for the challenge!

And that's been my week. I hope everyone has a blessed Sunday and a calm, relaxing weekend. God bless.