Flip-flops in NY (Babytease)

Remember those dishes?

          

This is the Noritake Ranier pattern.  I tried my best to get you a photo of the pattern on the dish.  I am happy to have these after all these years.

I decided to paper the inside of my bookshelves to make some of my objects stand out.  I think it works well.  The other tea set was given to me by a friend for Christmas a few years ago.  It's from India and has the name Nirvana handwritten all over it in gold paint.

 

Here you can see where I decided to place the new Christmas ornaments for now.

Last week's ornament run through Manhattan

First we went to one of two K-marts in Manhattan.  Almost none of these ornaments were left.  Someone must have been dressing a tree and raided the store we were at on Astor Place.  I didn't feel like going to the 34th Street store.

 

We picked these off of one of the ready made trees because they were all gone.

 

These too.

   

 

After wards we went to ABC Carpet & Home.  The things they had there made us squeal.  I got the red bird and a pink bottlebrush tree, which I'll show you tomorrow.

 

I moved the clock, again.  I don't want to hang it because I'm afraid it will fall.  This is the clock I brought from FL, that my aunt was holding for me.  I still have not cleaned it properly because I don't want to damage it further.  I can take a brush to it, not that it's in a place where I can reach it to move it easier.

       

This bird is one of my new Christmas ornaments for 2008, from ABC Carpet & Home.  I thought he looked nice perched up here for now. 

A little country cooking

I was watching The Neely's yesterday and had a hankering for Chicken Fried Steak with gravy.  They also made a Smashed Potatoes with Broccoli.  Sounds strange, I know.  But I prepared them all and they were delicious.  I am not a big fan of the breaded steak, but this meal really hit the spot.  It was so good I had to take a photo.

 

I know, I know, fattening.  But there is a veggie in my starch for heaven's sake.  And we made more brocolli just in case we did't like the mash.  But it was really, really good.  I was happily surprised.  Just don't pour the gravy on too soon before eating because the coating won't stay crispy.

He is such a good sport

Although he just is not photogenic.  Poor Boha.  I've tried so hard to take good photos of him but now I'm trying to take funny photos of him and this is the best I could do.

   

Bella just wasn't having it!

Some time off from work (9 to 5)

I didn't go to the office for three bereavement days because both of my paternal grandparents died this year.  I wasn't able to go to FLA exactly when they died, so I decided to take off the weekend that they were supposed to reach their 70th wedding anniversary, which was Nov 9th of this year.  I took advantage of the time to see friends, do house work, start a painting project (pics to follow) and accomplish more than half of my Christmas shopping.

My son is in high school and I loved having the time to myself on the school days.  He is usually a great help when it comes to shopping, but sometimes I like to do things alone.  Also, if I find something for him, I like it to be a surprise.  I was fortunate to find so many presents for so many people in one day.  Of course, I found a couple of things for myself.  I put some birthday money to good use.

As for Christimas, I have a seven month old kitten, Bella, and am afraid to pull out my precious ornaments and other decorations because I don't want to have to hurt her if she starts tearing up my collections.  I plan on hanging garland I bought at Michael's and I will hand some ornaments on that.  I don't want to push the weight issue though.  I live in an apartment so I don't have a yard to decorate.  I really wish I did.  But I make up for that with entertaining, and taking food things to work.

It's movie season and Twilight is next on my list.  There are a few more that I really want to see.  I am willing to pay to see them if I have to.  I don't mind standing in lines to see them for free, but it's getting cold out here and it's just now fun that way.

So far, yet so close

All my blogging efforts have been used up posting pics of Bella.  I haven't had much crafting time lately.  Only lazy projects.  Nothing original.  I go to movie screenings after work, and the nights I don't go, I come home and cook and try and relax a little.  Life in NYC is such a hassle.  Our elevators have been acting up and on my birthday weekend I had to walk up the stairs, to the 16th floor, three times.  I turned 40 about a week ago, but it was a great celebration weekend.  Everyone was great.  So if I'm not posting here, just click on the link and check on Bella.  You can always email us, you know... 

I'm hoping to fit some crafting in with the holidays coming up.  I put together candy bags with some great selections for friends and decorated the office a little.  I pulled out some decorations here at home too.  I didn't take any photos, because they are the same decorations from years past.  I bought a Halloween tree this year from Michaels.  That worked out nice. 

A couple of years ago I found a recipe for a "Thanksgiving Blessing Mix" in a magazine which is like a trail mix, but it has a whole bunch of stuff in it.  Each ingredient has a meaning.  I bag it and attach a card with the ingredients' meaning on decorative paper.  It was a big hit at work last year.  I'll do the same thing again this year, just changing the paper tags and bags and basket I place them all in.  Since I'm not taking off the three days before Thanksgiving I will take food and/or snacks in the Wednesday before.  Can you tell I love the holidays?  It's my time of year.

I'm half way through my Christmas shopping!  I already have most of my baking ingredients.  Unfortunately, because of Bella, we won't be able to have a standing tree.  I refuse to sacrifice my ornaments to that nutzy cat of mine.  I love her to death and don't want to have to kill her for breaking my precious ornaments.  So I will bring out my collection of table top trees.  I need to make a count this year.  I think I have about 25, but I just bought 3 at Target this weekend, and one ceramic one on eBay that arrived today.  They will go somewhere she cannot get to yet.  I can place some of the glass ball ornaments in hurricane vases to display them in various rooms, and I have a mantle now, so I can hang stockings for the four of us (Scott, Boha, Bella and myself).    Where I would otherwise consider some decor overboard, I will now be doing because of the lack of a free standing tree.  It's going to be hard for me, but I will just have to handle it.  I can't afford to let her drive me crazy day after day, me coming home, finding my ornaments broken.  I had a cat years ago that used to that, and everyday I got home I would find two or three broken ornaments.  Not on your life!

xxx ooo Kim