A bit of Christmas whimsy

Good Thursday!

I have begun "digging" into our Christmas Decor boxes and what treasures I am finding...from year to year I always add a few special items...we have the Fontanini nativity, Old World ornaments, Snow Village and Sabuda Pop-up Books (moveable art) as our collections...then I am always on the look-out for those very special ornaments that seem to "call" to me. (don't laugh, I am very sensitive, really). I am not an HGTV decorator, or into "themes". My life is my theme, there are many things that make me smile...memories of my grandparents, accomplishments of my grandchildren, travel plans, very good tea, my sweet hubby, and watching my dog prance at the end of her leash. ALSO, my Christmas things! Martha Stewart did a very "good thing" when she marketed her wares in KMart. I have been a faithful consumer of all those items for quite a few years and have only good things to say about every item I have purchased. Sadly, each year, there are less and less of them on the shelves and I feel she is backing off and going into the Macy's venue, which is much more expensive. I did check out her Christmas decor at Macy's and bought several very nice ornaments...but they averaged $9 each..some as much as $12. Now, at KMart, her ornaments are $2.99-4.99 and something is always on sale for at least 20% off....do the math, I prefer KMart.

My plan is to take photos of the decorating in process and share with you each day something new that is Christmas-ready. I am getting the house set for a deadline of Saturday, the 8th. Tuesday, the 11 is the Bunco Party.....so everything must be ready....I would have it all done by now except ZeroRes is coming to clean carpets and sofa tomorrow....but after that Katie bar the door....I am Chrismatizing 105 Arrowhead Way Big time!!!

The musical penguins and snow man were purchased last after-Christmas sale at Hallmark's for pennies....they are just adorable and make me smile!

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Cathy

More KCMO

SNOW IN KCMO!
Teapot purchased at Halls in Crown Center, isn't he a cutie?

And isn't she angelic?

These snowmen certainly do love sledding...the second one I have this season with a sled!

Two great trees!

All my KC goodies together

Click on the photo to read the sign

A "wedding cake" style Victorian in Independance, MO home of Harry Truman

Very impressive home

We were given a warm welcome and the deluxe tour of the mansion!

Upside down tree copied from Queen Victoria who had a chandelier taken down during Christmas and a tree hung in its place with the glass beads hung on the tree and candles lit on the branches.



A bit of Christmas cheer recorded at the Crown Center. The tree is the Mayor's Christmas tree in Kansas City. The fellow in the video is my husband, Paul, who is a great sportxxxooo!

So, now I think I have caught you up with all my KC doings. It was a fun trip and a great home town! Folks are friendly and there's lots to do and see and much good eats too. I left KC in 1966, but it will always be my home town, no matter where I am. I do regret not getting to see more family while in town, but three days is not alot of time and with Thanksgiving in the middle, well, everyone has plans and so we just did a little of this and that on our own. We will be back again soon I am sure.

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Cathy

KC Thanksgiving

The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City

View of Kansas City, Missouri from the Liberty Memorial Tower

We had a good time shopping here...will show my Christmas decor soon....it was a good outting!

My sister, Claudia, who takes many of these photos...that is a huge piece of fried chicken...done the best in the U.S. at this place....




Paul is not a KC native, but he knows good fried chicken and since it has been 10 years from his last visit...he remembered STROUDS and requested dinner there....

Hungry, but patiently waiting....Tricia, our niece, Paul and me...in festive Christmas only sweater!

Family-style and better than gooooooood!

We eat

and eat

All done....

After dinner we walked it off on the Country Club Plaza which is lighted-up for Christmas in a big way. Lots of activity, happy folks, beautiful decorations, so very nostalgic for me as I always loved a walk around the plaza at Christmas. There was a full moon that night too. Wish I could have gotten better photos of the area, but you can get an idea. It is just lovely.

Took two full days of driving to get to KC, but we had a wonderful time with family. No leaves left on the trees in KC area. When we got back to NC, most of the leaves had fallen while we were gone! But, still some remain and are breath-takingly beautiful. It snowed in KC while we were there...I have a photo to prove it!

We took 4 days to travel for 3 days of visit...maybe we will fly next time.....................

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Cathy

FAMILY

Here's my family...Paul and I are getting ready to visit my family in Kansas City this week, so we met at Golden Corral for brunch, and a photo. It is sad that these cousins might not get a chance to know their other cousins in KC. I grew up with cousins and made life-long attachments.....even tho it is years between visits, we have a history and it keeps us together. At least these NC cousins have that too....our grown children are friends and their children, our grands, have done many things together from day one....so that is good! But, my sister's granddaughters haven't met any of these cousins...they would all get along so well too! Who knows?
Paul and I are making "todo" lists and checking them off. Getting rather excited about our vacation/road trip. I love to travel. More, later
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Cathy

There and Back Again!

Roadside colors were spectacular! I took this as I was crusing in my upgraded rental car...Chrysler Sebring. A very nice auto, if I must say.
View of Pilot Mountain, taken again, as I was driving, not too bad, huh? Andy of Mayberry fame made Pilot Mountain a star.

A bit closer to the mountain, it is very pretty, but you can see it getting cloudier. Began to rain, lots of fog and very dark. Not the best for photos or driving.

Of course, this is the only shot of the event that I took. It was very nice...but lots of mishaps along the way.

Good morning friends! My trip to Knoxville was a success in that I got there AND back here all in one piece and none the better (or worse) for wear! I DID IT! Got the rental car, made it to Knoxville with no problems,(my rental car had Sirius radio...on the Martha channel all the way....except I did not enjoy her daughter's radio program, very un-couth and R rated) found the motel and got settled in my room (HGTV non-stop), got some dinner and back to the room to get a call from the Belk folks saying Lord W was in the hospital and not able to be at the event!!! He is fine, just exaughsted, so a woman from Chicago with Wedgewood china came to do the event in his place. OK, all went very well, Colleen and I did fine and the tea was great and the food was yummy, so, I think they were pleased. The turnout was very poor tho. So, sorry, no photos of me and "the Lord". Maybe in the spring......

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Cathy

ON THE ROAD TO KNOXVILLE!

Good morning friends,
Ah, the gypsy in me is getting revved-up to travel....back in May, I was fortunate to be offered a speaking event with none other than venerable "Lord" Wedgewood...the guy the china from England is named after (not really, it was an ancestor of his, but close....). I think we got along just wonderfully and after the event was over I mentioned that I had my passport and was very flexible and available to do this again....ANYWHERE! Well, lo and behold, I got a call...unfortunately, I will not be needing my passport to travel to Knoxville, but still, it is a nice compliment. So, today, I pick up the rental car and high-tail it off to Tennesee. I am leaving around 10 am and it should take no longer than 6 hours, so it will be a lovely ride through the autumn colors of the Blue Ridge Moutains! I did not bring my camera with me to the last event...bad move. So, this is my second chance to get a great photo of me and the Lord. (not THE LORD, just lord W)
Photos and interesting stories will follow....
Hope you are enjoying this lovely autumn and pacing yourself for the season to come! I am seriously toying with the idea of having a tea party BUNCO event! I long to play bunco, and no one has ever invited me to a game, so, guess I will have to do it myself! I bought a Bunco game with lots of small dice, one big red furry die, a cool bell and score cards...all I need is 11 friends and tea and tea goodies and I am set, plus, I love to show off my pretty Christmas house! Hope you are planning a celebration of some sort for the Christmas season as it is a good idea.
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Cathy

I CHOSE THIS ONE!

This is one great magazine! Got it at Target, looks alot like RealSimple, but less pages and LESS ADVERTISING and the advertising is all about organization or organizational-type stuff!!! I love every single article and all the neat web sites and info, well, I will be subscribing and hoping this becomes the "Victoria" of the "simple-life set". And speaking of simple, I am totally on the Christmas bandwagon....or I should say I am "off the wagon". Have been picking up wonderful little Christmasey items here and there. IT MUST STOP. Tomorrow I am staying home all day. I have lots to do.

We had a "scare". Our house has been on the market since well...June....not a serious looker in all these months, plus, this is the second year we have had the house on the market...anyway, we have decided to leave it on until it sells...but it is kinda hard to be in the moving mode when things just don't seem to be happening. We don't have to move, and our price is fair, and we would negotiate if someone would only make us an offer.............so anyway a couple of weeks ago our agent called to say the folks we came to look twice were very seriously considering an offer. WHAT, MOVE, WOW....LOTS TO THINK ABOUT REALLY FAST. it didn't happen.... Selling a house is not that easy, at least for us it isn't. Well, I like my house, so it is fine with me to stay. Ttfn

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Cathy

A TEA FRIENDS TRIP

This is the Garden Supply which is transformed into an over-the-top gorgeous Christmas wonderland every year! I love this place, it is great fun just to browse....

See what I mean? Click on this photo for a close-up...it is the first thing you see when you walk in the door!

My friend Joyce is giving her Christmas wish list to this cute elf!

And Linda is having a chat with Santa!

Joyce's Mom was with us for our afternoon and she poses with Joyce and Linda...I am always taking the pictures, we did take one of me, but somehow it didn't make it into my camera (Linda? you have one in yours tho, right?)

So, our day was supposed to be perfect and it was for friendship and such, but we waited an hour for our lunch to be served....and it was just ok....then after the Garden Supply, we decided to go to a tea room in the next town, Apex, and have a cup of tea...well, the owner asked us not to sit at the tables...our tea had to be "to go" literally! I have never been so caught off guard, I couldn't believe it. There were several tables with chairs and no one else in the whole place except us! We were all ticked off and left immediately.....never again will I go there!

Since I owned a tea shop and have been in the tea business in some form or another for over 6 years, I cannot see how that shop stays in business! Tea is a hospitable drink, a friendly, inviting, thoughtful-type of pass-time. Luckily, we all had the pleasure of our company and decided we didn't need to spend our time or money in that place.

Definately a tea experience I will remember, but not fondly!

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Cathy

Christmas beginnings

An ebay win....the laundromatt! I love it!!! Have discovered snow village on ebay and have found several pieces that were lost in our fire of '05....so now, I can replace them at a good prices, usually. This is a piece we didn't have, but is so perfect now since I visit the laundromatt at least once every other week....

A mercury glass tree....from non other than Tar jay! Way cool

This little clip on tree says"merry" on the red ball and is too cute

And this little mouse princess is adorable...the little circle dangling from the bottom of her clip says "glory". I love it!

OK, these guys are having way too much fun! Got the sledding snow man and the tree (which lights up!) at my garden center store...the large snow guy I got at Homegoods.

So now, you can see I am beginning to get in the "mood". Are you in the mood yet? I love Christmas....everything about it is the best....all my memories, all the trips, and decorations, and food and parties and programs, and choirs, and on and on......it is a blur of blessings in my heart. Thank you Jesus for coming to earth, for leaving the glory of heaven to redeem mankind. What a miracle....we should celebrate Christmas every day! God's love! Shock and awe!

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Cathy

I HAD TO CHOOSE!

My situation on Thursday was....I had $5 to spend...could only get one of these fab mags that day...so which did I choose????? Groundbreaking ORGANIZE a brand new magazine after my heart of simplicity and passion for organization.....or Victoria, the ultimate comeback? Which do you think I chose? Please guess and I will tell you next posting!

Here's the good news, I went back on Friday and bought the other magazine...so I didn't wait too long. I have enjoyed ORGANIZE tremendously...lots and lots of good articles, photos, ideas and more....with a lot less advertising...I mean, these big magazines have a huge ad on every other page, it can be anoying to say the least.

Friday was also the big Holiday Open House at one of my favorite places to browse and just enjoy the beauty of it all.....a local garden center that certainly has the skill to market their products to the fullest in such unique and clever ways. Their Christmas events are spectacular...at least 30 huge trees decorated over the top, just makes your mouth fall open in awe! really....right here in little 'ol Cary, NC too! They did a wine and hor d'oerves (sp?) on Friday. I went early to shop before having a glass of merlot....good thing too. I bought some great Christmas ornaments and decor....will show the photos next posting! Hope everyone is having a great week so far....It has turned cool and seasonally appropriate! hooray. I am going to be going to Knoxville, TN for a tea event with Lord Wedgewood this month! Going all on my own, so this will be an adventure for sure. Then Paul and I are driving to KC for Thanksgiving with my family. So, there's lots of good stuff to look forward to this month!

Keep warm. Guess which magazine I bought first.

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Cathy