Santa can you hear me?

Dear Santa,

With Christmas just days away, and me in utter and complete panic mode, I really could use some elves' help. You see, awhile ago I opened my big fat mouth and offered to host Christmas at my house. Oh baby Jesus, WHATWASITHINKING?!?

Now I am just wishing, and hoping, and thinking, and praying that it will hurry up and go away. I know, bad Christmas spirit.

But if you would be so kind as to send some help, I am sure we can whip my house into holiday shape in no time. Even though you are the master of all things Christmas, I took the liberty of pulling a few ideas out of my hat.









Please, dear Santa, for the love of Mrs. Claus, HELP!

p.s. If it's not too much to ask, could you throw in some snow as well...

No? What about sleet?

Come on Santa, Bring.it.on!

All pics found here.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

This will be our third Christmas as a married couple and I am sad to say that this line from the classic Christmas story has never been fulfilled in our house. Alas, I was determined that this would be the year. It's not that I had never looked for stockings; it's just that I could never find any that suited my taste or my insanely cheap habits.

Tis the season to be merry...and thrifty, I say.

Below you will find my supply list:


I used what I had, except for the glitter and wooden letters which came from Hobby Lobby.

I started by lightly staining the sides of each letter, then modge-podged them, followed by a healthy shot of glitter.



Here they are all ready for their close-up:


Next, I took extra burlap that had been hanging around left over from this project and cut it following the line of an old stocking.



I had grand intentions of gluing them with a glue gun then hand-stitching them, but I got lazy and I also couldn't find my glue sticks.

Soooooooo....

I modge-podged them too.....and it worked!

Here they are all finished and oh-so-pretty.







To be honest, I could have skipped the staining step because you really couldn't see it after it was all together.

Are they perfect? No.

Will it stop Santa from stuffing them full of goodies? Absolutely not!

Thanks for looking and I am adding them to DIY Show Off Holiday Highlights and Kimba's DIY Day. Please check them out!

The Art of Christmas Cookies: 101

I have been on the hunt for the perfect Christmas cookie for well over half my life. Every year, my mom would make Christmas cookies and frost them with that 7 minute frosting. They always looked good, but the taste...well, it left much to be desired. I always felt bad for Santa having to eat those cookies and I vividly remember one year he FORGOT (gasp!) to eat them.

Yeah, that should have told me something.

Anyway this year, I decided to conquer the Christmas cookie world. I found a recipe that looked exactly like the cookies from my favorite local bakery and decided to give it a whirl.

Here is my inspiration:


And here is a brief pictorial of my steps:


As with all cooking in my house, start with a glass of your finest, cheapest wine.



Roll out your dough.


No cookie cutter? No problem. I found that an upside down wine glass worked splendidly.

I tell ya, wine+me = genius!




The recipe says that 8 minutes worked perfectly for their cookies. This was also true for mine. Absolutely perfect to be exact, not too hard or too soft.


Next up, Decorating! However, I would advise to wait until they are completely cool or at least move them off of the hot stove top.


Also, you have to let the bottom layer set, BEFORE applying your piping or else it will end up looking like this:


Be still my beating heart...


I don't know about you, but I think mine are a dead ringer for the original!
In all honesty, these are WAY better the next day and they really are the best cookie that I have ever made.

Try them, you'll like them...I promise!

Based on real life events

Every morning when I pull up to work, I am greeted by a certain valet guy.

Yes, we have valet parking.
Don't be jealous.

Anyway, this certain guy is (hmmm, how should I put this) has a very distinct feminine side. He always manages to make me smile in the mornings, which in itself is nothing short of miraculous before coffee, and he affectionately calls me Snow White, most often in a sing-songy kind of voice.

Well, this particular morning was no different.

I pulled up,

He sang...


And sang....



And sang some more.


(Snow whiiiite, Snow whhhhiiiitttttte, birds chirping in the air......)


Oh, please, make it stop!!

2.3 minutes later, he complimented me on my boots.

Thanks, I said.

Then he starts talking about how his favorite boots' soles came off, and whenever he wears boots he walks with a little more swagger in his step, and something about how he likes heels, do I know where he can find heels in a man's size 13, yada...yada...yada.......

Wait, back up?!? Did he just ask me where to find heels in a man's size 13? As in.....women's heels?

Oh yes. He did. He said that he has been looking for some because he likes to practice his walk, and the taller they were, the better. I just told him to look on the internet, because if you can't find it on the internet, then it probably doesn't exist.

So if you ever pull up for valet parking and a big, tall man in uniform walks up to the car wearing heels, just smile.

And tell him you like his shoes.

Boots found here

Sneaks and peaks

Deck the Halls

Our halls have been decked, the tree is trimmed, and stockings are hung.
We're anxiously waiting for St. Nicholas to come!

Are you?

Pics to soon follow...

"I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow"

Anybody that is close to me knows that I.am.a.snow.FREAK! Every year my letter to Santa would always end like this:

p.s. Could you please bring me some SNOW? Please...Pretty Please?!?

Of course growing up in the deep south, we never got any. I think the closest it came to Christmas was a week or two before or after the blessed birthday, but never on it. Last year, we had a snow day two weeks before Christmas; the first time it had snowed in 8 years!

Well, Saturday morning Santa brought me an early Christmas present. I can't believe it has happened two years in a row. Aren't we supposed to be experiencing global warming? Anyway, this is what I woke up @ 5:00 a.m. to see:





What is it about snow that makes everything look better? So pure, clean, and crisp...







I know it's not much and doesn't compare to those that are used to seeing snow on a weekly basis, but for me, it.was.magical. THE END.

10 things I have learned about blogging

Print found here.

Well, it's been over a month since I started this silly blog, or I should say a month since I have kept with it. It has been an eye-opening experience, and something that I have found I really enjoy doing, even if I have been MIA for a few weeks. So here's to what I'ver learned so far:

1. I never met a comma I didn't like. It is becoming quite evident that I LOVE to overpunctuate everything, especially commas. I used to think that English was my best subject, but every time I read and re-read posts, I realize how many grammatical errors I make. I apologize to any English teachers out there, especially if you were mine. Mrs. Lyle, hello? Are you out there? Anyone????
2. Blogging is time consuming. When I first discovered blogs, I would spend hours pouring over old posts of blogs that interested me. Then when, (see what I mean about commas) I had my list of daily reads, I would get so disappointed if someone hadn't updated their blog that day. Now, I have a newfound respect for bloggers, especially those that post multiple times a day and those that do it for a living.
3. My life is not that interesting. Honestly, some days I have zero things to talk about, much less something that it entertaining, thought-provoking, inspirational, or even noteworthy. I mean, really, no one, not even the woman that birthed me for over 21 hours, wants to know how many thousands of calories I consumed that day, or how I discovered this really big...uhmm, nevermind.
4. It has made me pay more attention to daily life. I never really thought much about any positives that might come out of this, but it really has made me start living more in the moment than waiting for tomorrow or next week. I now look forward to the mundane in hopes that something blogworthy will come out it. Not that this has happened yet, but somewhere over the rainbow...
5. I am camera-shy. I have always known this about myself. I most always have a camera with me, but rarely take pictures. Now, I am starting to take more pictures, and might even one day take one with me in it. Baby steps.
6. I am not a member of the Geek Squad. Not only is blogging time-consuming, but it really is hard work, especially for someone who only knows enough about computers to get by. I cannot tell you how many questions I have googled about how to do this or that on blogger. A post that would take a normal blogger 30 minutes, sometimes takes upwards of an hour (who am I kidding, more like two). But it's all in the fun, and I am learning.
7. It is nice to have a creative outlet. I was never much of a journalist growing up. My mother was an avid writer and always gave me a diary for Christmas. Like most things I take on, it all started with good intentions, but come March, it would become more and more sporadic until there was nothing but blank pages. Now, I am more determined than ever to keep at it because it is so nice to see my "pages" finally filling up.
8. There are still nice people in the world. Not that I didn't already know this, but we tend to sometimes forget it when we turn on the news. It is amazing to me how a simple, sweet comment can brighten my day!
9. HTML codes are your Frenemies. I really love how the other-language-speaking codes can change the look and feel of a blog, but they really are a foreign language. It can become so exhausting trying to figure out how a really great blogger did that to their post. However, I have begun teaching myself the basics and hopefully, will learn many more along the way.
10. Whether you want it to or not Life Happens. There are so many days when I have good intentions of putting up a little post, but before I know it, it's time for bed. I just have one question for all bloggers...How do you do it?... ALL? And still put dinner on the table?

Please, show me the way, master.

What's my style?

I love taking quizzes in hopes of learning something about myself, whether it be about personality, compatibility, or as is this case, design style. I think that a person can never know too much about themselves and what makes them tick. Anyhoo, I found this quiz from Homegoods via Young House Love and went for it. I had taken the Ethan Allen quiz a while back and while it was totally off, this one hit the nail on the head.

Drumroll please....













Although I am not so sure if I would classify myself as "country," I wasn't really surprised about the "eclectic." My house is definitely hodge podge, with all types of elements, including a few country bits thrown in. So, maybe I am little bit country...who knew?


I would definitely say that one of my biggest problems is unifying a space. For some reason or another, I seem to get everyone's hand-me-downs. While I love getting something that has a story (i.e. free), I don't always have a place in my home for it, and most often, I spend my time moving it from one room to another, instead of getting rid of it altogether. That is how I think my back bedroom got in its current state of loveliness.


Our house sometimes feels like a revolving door, not how I intended for it to be, but none-the-less, we often have dropper-byers. While sometimes it can be daunting, I try not to stress about it because most often the unexpected can end up being the most fun. While reading these tips, I realized that I already have most of them in place.

I CANNOT stand harsh over-head lighting. It really makes every line, zit, cowlick, or unplucked eyebrow stand out, not to mention making my lovely, ivory hued skin look like I died three deaths. So, I have always been a huge fan of mood-lighting, much to my husband's dismay.

I also always try to have a candle burning in our home, usually in our kitchen. It just evokes a warm, happy home to me, and I hope that others feel the same way. One of the best compliments I ever received was a few weeks ago, when a friend came over and said that our house still smelled the same. I asked her what she meant and she said that it smelled like a home, our home. Lovely, I thought!

As for the next two tips, I only recently started keeping items on hand, and it really has helped out when people unexpectedly stop by.

All in all, I thought it was interesting and felt like it really described me and my home's aesthetic, which is summed up in this print that I ordered a while ago from etsy. Check it out here:

The Desk Chronicles

WHY is it that anytime you are looking for something you can never seem to find it?

Last year, I went on a mission looking for a desk for our spare room. I searched high and low and could never find anything on Craigslist, at antique or consignment stores, or even online retailers. I finally found one that I liked at Pier 1 marked down to $200 from $270. I still thought that was a little high for what I wanted to spend, but I broke down and bought it anyway, mainly because I was so sick of looking. Fast forward to now, and I realize that the desk is entirely too big for the room and specifically for the space that I want to put it in. Lesson learned: I should have trusted my gut instinct and waited for what I really wanted, which was a small writing desk that I could refinish myself.

So now, it's back to the drawing board, and this time I do not want to spend over $100. I went back to my #1 source, Craigslist, and of course, they did not have anything in my area. However, I did find some in other cities and states. Too bad, I don't live close enough to any of them to make the drive worth it.

In Birmingham for $50, including chair (which I think is a steal!):


This one in Chattanooga for $60 (I would not use the corner piece):



I really like this one in Atlanta for $79:



Then there's this one in Nashville for $70:



And finally this one in Savannah for $60:



Oh well, guess I will just have to keep on keepin' on!

A Letter

Dear fellow office building peeps,

Now I know that I look like crap 94.7% of the time, but this in no way entitles you to snicker, sneer, close the elevator door when I am inches away from it, or stare at me disapprovingly when I am in the elevator surrounded by 360 degrees of potentially cracking mirrors. Believe me, it is at times like these when I wish that I could be a wallflower, so
Please!DON'TdrawanymoreattentiontomethatIhavenotalreadydrawntomyself.
Our office is a casual environment, one that doesn't care if we just rolled out of bed and came with mattress-tousled locks, furry-sweater-wearing teeth, wrinkled clothes, and dressed in our finest slippers (not that I have ever done that). I am sorry that you work for the federal government or that hordy-tordy lawfirm where you have to wear skirts, closed-toe shoes, airway-constricting turtlenecks, and support hose, but really, people, give me a break!

So in honor of that I am listing my "Top 10 reasons I look like dog poo:"
1. Speaking of dog poo, my dog ate my really cute outfit that I had set out the night before. She's a ferocious one!
b. I am currently in between sizes due to the exhorborant amount of weight that I have lost in the past month.
3. I haven't switched out my summer clothes with my fall ones that are housed in storage, and I only have sweats in my near vicinity.
4. My skinny jeans no longer make me feel skinny, what with that pesky muffin top bulging out.
c. Mr. Cranky-Pants threw all grooming appliances away for fear he would come home to a scorched house because I continuously forgot to unplug the curling iron.
6. That third bottle of wine I had the night before did me in, and I passed out while setting the alarm, only to wake up 10 minutes before I was supposed to be at work.
7. I spent the night lying awake, wondering why Mr. Darcy hasn't told Lizzie his true feelings for me, hence, the dark, droopy bags under my eyes.
g. Casper called and he wants his white pasty skin back. Unfortunately, it's stuck like glue, and therefore, I cannot wear anything but the above mentioned sweats in an effort to hide my shame.
h. The stores in my area do not carry a size 000.
10. For some unknown reason, I am unable to put together a cohesive, stylish, form-fitting, figure-flattering, cost-conscious, non-denim outfit and have my makeup airbrushed, unibrow plucked, and hair trimmed, curled, and styled by the time 8:00 a.m. rolls around. Get over it!

But if you feel the need to slip an Anthro giftcard under the office Christmas tree with my name on it, I will be much obliged to buy any of the following:








Sincerely yours,
The Procrastinator

P.S. I have not lost exhorborant amounts of weight, nor do I an any way, shape, or form wear I size 000, except maybe on my pinkie. I do, however, have a muffin top. Just sayin!