Wood Delivery

After buying several stacks of wood to "try" in our fireplace we finally got a great recommendation for a place that seasons their wood in a warehouse for a year! (That's homeowner with a fireplace lingo I am dropping on this blog.) Basically they store the wood in a warehouse to dry out for an entire year before selling to people who have fireplaces (like us) because wet wood doesn't burn as easily. We debated the cost of the wood because it had a delivery charge of $40 and a more local supplier didn't but in the end we obviously paid the delivery charge.

After some phone calls and ensuring delivery today and before the snow expected tomorrow (which would make it more difficult to stack and would get the logs wet) they arrived several hours earlier than expected. The hubby is supervising... (don't get too close to the truck!)

The bed of the truck slowly lifts... but nothing moves...

....until now as the echoes of tumbling logs fills the air.

Uh... now what? Get the wheelbarrow! We ended up carting the wood to the backyard (I lost count how many trips it took) to stack in a stacker thing hubby got from Lowes. Turns out the half cord we ordered was more than what we expected and we also filled the wood ring by the front door and we had to stack some on the front porch.

Then I hear and confirm from searching Google, that a fire actually makes your house colder because it draws the air in from the house to feed the fire which then pulls in the outside (cold) air to replace the air that's been stolen from the fire.... unless you have some crazy contraption built into you fireplace that will push out the hot air from the fireplace into the room ... Shit.

Christmas Day

Our first Christmas in the house, our first cut-your-own Christmas tree (complete with spiders), first time using the mixer (at all) and for making Christmas cookies... many firsts this year. Next year, seconds (most of which may not be blog worthy).

Leia loving on a present even though not a single one is for her. She's happy as can be and oblivious... what a life!

A picture of the tree on Christmas morning before all the presents were torn open by us and other family members over the next couple of days. The thing all the way on the right is a computer not a present. More specifically our media center pc that recently got a new home. Looking at the picture reminds me that we so need a mantel, but can't find a darn contractor to call us back and one that's not Home Depot!

Hope yours was Merry & Bright.

Christmas Eve

At first we didn't have any plans for Christmas Eve but that changed when my best friend and her family called and invited us to their house. Then a couple hours later they asked if we could do dinner at our house, but they'd cook, because they felt their house was boring. Well... okay.

I love using our dining room and as I kept thinking about using the dining room I realized I didn't have a proper tablecloth, napkins or much of anything to host Christmas Eve dinner. I freaked out the night before and planned a trip to Macy's first thing in the morning on Christmas Eve. I went out early enough so that the mall wasn't yet packed (on the way home I saw that I totally dodged a bullet because Route 1 was a parking lot with last minute shoppers).

Everything  worked out beautifully - I got to use the gorgeous dishes from my mother-in-law (shout out to Joan!), the cheap-o but fabulous cloth napkins with our last initial from Christmas Tree Shops and my replica amber ware pitcher from Pier 1 and the recently acquired tablecloth.

Let me present to you our Christmas Eve dinner table...

And setting...

And our delicious main course, salmon ala amazing (amazing means I have no idea what it's called but you can't go wrong with grape tomatoes, olive oil, leek, olives, and goodness).

Oh Christmas Tree...

We started our day decorating the house and then followed up with the tree farm. Rows and rows of trees to choose from. Most were too little but some way to round (like a pear for my taste - it's a tree not a pear!). We searched high and low and were discouraged over and over again. We walked without the wagon and saw, we went back to get the wagon and saw ... until finally... we decided to get it over with and go with the best that we could find (because we didn't really want to go anywhere else and Nick was insisting we lumberjack it and cut our own tree).  I was the supervisor on this gig so I watched and hollered about getting sap on me and made comments about how he had mud on his knees... lumberjacks have a filthy filthy job.

But after all the hooting and hollering (mostly on my side) we got the tree in the house, void of excess nature=y things like spiders, the stump re-cut fresh and nice and decorated.

My vintage-y tree picture... my phone's camera made me do it but I think it came out very nice with the colors and the washed out finish. And to think, noPhotoshop. Happy Holidays!

Happy Birthday Brother

27 years ago you came into this world and disturbed my peaceful life as a single child, although short as it was (one year, seven months and six days), I wasn't too sure about you.

Just want to wish you a Happy Birthday. Hope I didn't torture you too much over the years.
He is the one on the left.

Christmas Decorations - Part 1

We (actually mostly Nick because I am afraid of heights and he is the guy) hung up the Christmas lights on the house. Everytime we wanted to do it we either lost daylight or the weather was crap. Finally we got a nice but cold day to get our holiday on.

My office

I think someone hid a bomb in my house and it finally exploded. I have no excuse (actually I can think of plenty but they are all lame).

Pins as a Political Statement

I saw this book, Read My Pins, on Amazon as an upcoming release and ever since then, have been fascinated with the idea of pins being a "message" in politics.

Now that the book has been released, I took a quick browse through the book on Amazon and I am further intrigued by Ms. Albright's approach. I may have to get myself over to Barnes and Nobles to take a peek at the gorgeous pins featured in the book up close and the kind of influence they've had on shaping world history.

I have a pin collection but felt they were a bit fuddy duddy to wear and were reserved for the likes of my mother. But now that I think about it, growing up my mother wore pins and I am now the age she was when she wore pins (she still does and has a magnificent collection).

First Christmas Card

Mike and Michell (and kids)... We thank you for our very first Christmas card which we received during the first snow. In the midst of cleaning the garage I was a tad annoyed that the snow seemed to get worse before our eyes. Taking a break to admire how nice snow looks before the cleaning begins; I chose to visit our mailbox and among the disappointing bills and pushy advertisements a little holiday cheer sent our way.

It looks pretty

As much as I hate snow I will admit it looks pretty.

An hour after this picture was taken we had to shovel the driveway and clear the car twice because the snow is coming down in massive sized flakes.

First Snow

Ladies and gentlemen it is freakin snowing. I hate snow...the coldness, the wet, the blah of it all. Bah humbug. (Sorry mom, I know it means your favorite holiday is coming but the weather is just shit).

At least we have a fireplace...