Cinderella had her slippers...

I have a pair of tennis shoes which I do believe contain "supernatural" powers. I can be dreading and putting off a project or job around the house, but all I need to do is put on my tennies and "something" happens. I can then accomplish amazing feats of stamina and fortitude! Yes, Cinderella had her slippers, but my Nike's are the next best thing.

I'm not one to keep my Christmas decor up long after Christmas. I like to have everything down and put away by the January 1. So for the last few days I have been cleaning and organizing (?) a little, trying to get things to some state of near normalcy.
We have a great L-shaped storage room that is literally filled from bottom to top with boxes of "Christmas", "Fall", and shelves of floral arrangements, boxes of faux flowers, wreaths... you name it. My husband won't go in there. He's afraid for his life.

What lurks behind the creaking door????

(Que organ music and maniacal laughter)

OK, so here is just the tip of the proverbial "iceberg" of Christmas tubs and boxes. Imagine 10 X this and you'll have the picture. I try to do some cleaning while I'm putting away, so then that causes the "domino effect". You know you start one thing, then to be able to do that, something else must be done first....

And of course, here is what Anne has been waiting to see! I've thought how much fun it would be to have a blog party called "What you didn't see" and then show all the "stuff" that we have to shoot around or crop out of photos. Like my honkin' gas grill on the deck or the dish drainer I just cannot live without. (Now I'm telling all my dirty little secrets) So here's my favorite little vacuum. I have one just like it for upstairs too, so I don't have to drag it up and down the stairs. And just as a side note. I've had all kinds of vacuums, but this little Hoover cutie that I paid  $70 for has been the best one!

And thought I'd show you what my helpers do when I'm not looking. My little white feather tree came downstairs to wait to be packed up, but in the meantime the girls had managed to pull off the little crystal prism ornaments and were having a great time with them. Vintage cat toys!

Just wanted to share some of my exciting life in the "Keepin' it Real" segment.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Debra

White Wednesday,The Gift of Time

24 hours in a day

7 days in a week

52 weeks in a year

we are all given the same amount

my desire is to see my time well spent

an hour with a friend

a tradition with a sister

a morning with a mother

an afternoon with a daughter

an evening with my beloved

hours become days

days turn into weeks

weeks become months

and months flow into a year

My prayer is for joy,

for peace,

for love,

for commitment,

for favor.

Thank you God, for one more year.

A year spent well and wisely with You.

May God's blessing for the New Year

fall gently like snow.

Debra

Fashion Time Warp...or, I really wasn't crazy!

I've had some good laughs reading through the comments for my last post. I knew that the 70's fashion might be a little vague for some of us, and that you younger gals might not be familiar with what was popular back in 1972. Often times fashion comes full circle...the early 70's, not so much.

So I thought I'd give a little fashion show from the time machine, just so some of the younger girls wouldn't think I had totally lost my marbles, or was some kind of "hillbilly gone wild"!

Phrases like "Prairie Dress", "Maxie Dress",

"Gunne Sax" and "Hippie Dress"

were used to describe the height of fashion!

Look familiar?

Now just add the apron!

OK, now I feel better!

Just didn't want anyone out there

to think I was alone on the planet...

"What were you Thinking"!

love ALL you guys,

Debra

What we did the day after Christmas...or "my feet are killing me"!

We still have the St. Louis crew here, so this is just a short post before we run out to have dinner, but I wanted to share this "oh so cute" photo of both of my sweetie pies in their aprons they received for Christmas. My sister enlisted the help from her son's girlfriend who is a great little seamstress to make aprons for my girls for Christmas. Erin and Keith entertain regularly so she will use it alot. Aly's pretty busy, so she will just admire hers, but I thought they were just the cutest, and even better they're reversible!

Erin and Alyson

gratuitous cat photo

We had a wonderful Christmas, and today like a bunch of dummies we went to the mall.(we did sleep in though...we not totally crazy!) It was "freeze your patootie off" cold, but we shopped until we literally couldn't get anything else in the trunk. Oh how I love my girlies, and we always have so much darn fun.

New RL boots that we all three just had to have.

The guys spent the day at Bass Pro and Best Buy. Springfield is the "Home" of Bass Pro, so it has a monster store which takes up two blocks. It's tons of fun, though, but you really have to have on your walking shoes.

OK, we're off to have Greek food,

 hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Debra

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

"...we saw His star in the east

and have come to worship Him."

Matthew 2:2

This was our 2008 Christmas Card. When I found it in the store I burst out in tears, It spoke to me like nothing else.
All Heaven and Nature Sing... Even the animals adore Him and join together in peace and harmony to give Him Glory!

(click on the card to see all the variety of beasts,

I would have loved to see a lamb in there)

You are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Have a Heavenly Christmas!

Debra

Back Door Christmas

I spend a lot of time looking out my kitchen window.
I guess that's even more true,

 with all the busy hustle and bustle in the kitchen

over the Christmas Holiday.

So I wanted to have a "Back Door Welcome"

for Christmas, too.

It had to be "snow and waterproof",

as we are expecting a "White Christmas".

My little "Goosey Gander" says...

Merry Christmas!

...and He's really glad we're having HoneyBaked Ham!

I'd like to invite you to stop by my

Bible Study Blog

 "...a day in the life".

 Also found on the side bar,

 for a little more spiritual thought about Christmas.

Christmas Blessings,

love,

Debra

White Wednesday Before Christmas

I'm posting a little early for White Wednesday. I have been saving these photos for this last Wednesday before Christmas. This is my sideboard that I moved into the entry hallway right before Thanksgiving. Ive had such a wonderful time decorating it for Christmas. So I didn't want to miss out on sharing it with you all.

Garden statuary with crown

White wood lantern

Feather tree I found last year at a flea market...

covered in chandelier prisms.

Lovey doves in a white sleigh.

Paperwhites and Angel Vine

Old birdcage and stand...

with a jingle bell wreath.

This is an old lithograph of the nativity

that we found this year at a flea market.
(sorry for the reflection)

Thank you, Kathleen, at Faded Charm.

Have a wonderful few days enjoying

the peace and blessings

that come with Christmas.

Debra