‘Tis the season for scoring stuff on Craigslist.
take the full holiday house tour here!
My goal this Christmas was to NOT ENTER THE CRAFT STORE. You know why? Because I have enough crap.
Also, because I have silently led us down the road to bankruptcy via Elvis’s cancer treatments and I am trying to remedy that now by not spending $19 on fake cranberry branches and assorted other crap that would have improved my tablescape.
I have kept my budget-minded thought process to myself though because the last thing I need is Paul knowing that we have reached a point where I am abandoning my commitment to wasting money on seasonal madness… which would definitely be his cue to conduct a throughout audit of our expenses.
So far, Paul has shocked me by never once asking what Elvis is costing us. This is a man who cuts open the toothpaste to be sure he gets it all, so I can only imagine the restraint involved in his not questioning what we are spending.
OR, alternately he DOES know and realizes the ugly predicament where he:
a— asks.
b— is compelled to suggest a budget for Elvis’s lifespan.
c— is never heard from again.
I really have no idea what will happen when it’s time to buy kitchen cabinets. Or appliances. Or do the kitchen floor. Probably something bad!
Fortunately for me, I’m excellent at ignoring the long-term reality in favor of something old and fancy. Especially if it comes in urn-form.
Are these the perfect substitute for my TRUE URN DESTINY that were ripped from my loving arms?
No.
Were they a better deal?
Indeed.
Besides, I think we can all agree that Craigslist purchases are exempt from budgetary limitations because there will always be time to buy refrigerators… there will not always be time to buy smallish GFT’s.
Also exempt from budgetary limitations, apparently was Black Friday.
I re-routed my wise financial decisions to the holiday weekend/sale in the form of some truly outsized accessories which will either be horrendous or outstanding… I will probably need to submit them here for your admiration once they arrive because no one else will tell me they were a good idea.
I’m not sure if you can tell, but these are sugar pinecones and THEY ARE MASSIVE. Every single person who came for Thanksgiving was like– THOSE ARE REALLY BIG PINECONES.
Which is always the nicest compliment anyone can give me: to visit my home and remark on how GIANT something is… I don’t care if you like it or not; if you are struck by how unusually large it is, I am pleased.
To give you a better perspective, these are essentially CAT SIZED pinecones… it looks like Elvis is alarmed by the pinecone, but she is actually looking at Paul putting a box on the floor– there is nothing Elvis loves more than a good box party.
If you can find the pinecones in person, you can dig through the bin and get all the giantest ones. Otherwise, you’ll have to order them online and hope for the best.
I thought I needed some color in the greenery… so I bought pomegranates. But then I ate them.
So now I’m pretending that I intended a simple, forest-themed centerpiece.
Now let’s recap past Christmas holiday posts.
One of the first posts I ever wrote, How to Make a Bow… has been pinned over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND times… Proving that my mother taught me everything I need to know in life, including what the internet wants to read about.
My personal favorite Christmas post (maybe even ALL TIME favorite?) is the time I decided to sew roughly 96 yards (not a typo!) of fabric into fancy pillow bows.
Paul helped long enough to utterly destroy the project, then went to make a snack and started calling me Kim Jong-il.
Nothing says Christmas like 50 Disco balls.
Buying the disco balls:
The shiny-loving, raccoon-part of my brain demanded that I buy these and take them back to my den. I tried to leave, but it chattered insistently and clawed at my good sense.
Front porch in its full glory.
Huge DIY glitter snowflakes: they are super fast and easy IF YOU GET YOUR HUSBAND TO MAKE THEM.
Ok, now I have to go hit refresh on the UPS website to see when my new hat/earrings/necklace will arrive.
go see the rest of the holiday posts.
December 1, 2015 @ 1:54 pm
Your giant fancy posts are so fabulous. Thank you.
December 1, 2015 @ 2:12 pm
Like line items on the federal budget, emergency veterinary care is separate from Christmas decor or home improvement. Since you are Congress, you may – at your discretion – exceed these numbers when it is necessary…or even if you just want to do so. Feel no guilt, you are merely using governmental best practices.!
I must take umbrage with your use of the JOY sign. Oh it’s beautiful and looks stunning on the table but I am tired of JOY. JOY gives me no JOY – she mocks me yearly during the holiday season and has tried to take over my turf for years. Since my maiden name is Natalie Noél Nicklas and I go by Noél, I find JOY quite annoying and a bit of an upstart. This is my turf and I am willing to share with PEACE and LOVE but not JOY. Therefore I strongly suggest you immediately go order a NOEL sign. Your table with be even more beautiful! 🙂
Love your blog! I must read it covertly as I made the mistake of sharing it with my hubby. He thinks you are a bad influence on me and thus must be avoided. I simply do not understand why!
December 1, 2015 @ 2:21 pm
My brain cannot process the giantness of the pinecones; it looks like you shrunk Elvis. Which would actually be kind of awesome, because then you could stuff her in your pocket and take her everywhere. (it would also explain the look on her face just there)
December 1, 2015 @ 2:54 pm
I still want those Asian dolls. I will never give up on the Asian Dolls. I will look until my eyeballs fall out or turn into disco balls. I peruse every picture you post looking at for the Asian Dolls. I love the Asian Dolls.
December 1, 2015 @ 3:32 pm
Okay, let me begin by saying that I thought those were some pretty awesome urns for the price, and they looked pretty good with the greenery and pine cones. THEN, I saw the pine cone next to Elvis, (who is looking pretty good, herself) and I was like… WHOA! Those are some AMAZING urns at that price! Score! Even your SFTs are GFTs! I bow to your Craigslist prowess once again. Fantastic job!
December 1, 2015 @ 4:08 pm
My inlaws moved to Florida after they retired. On one of our holiday visits there I discovered giant pinecones — not quite as giant as yours, but certainly gianter than any I had ever observed in nature — on someone’s lawn. A nice big bag of them came home with me and has adorned various spots in our house ever since. Put ’em in a basket on the hearth in the summer. Mix ’em up with shiny red ornaments in a big glass bowl at Christmas.
December 1, 2015 @ 4:58 pm
I am so happy you found the spirit to bring the season into your home.
Christmas Miracles from Santa Paws to dear Elvis.
December 1, 2015 @ 5:02 pm
Well you have validated my pinecone obsession that my husband thinks is batty. But now I need some disco balls for my porch……
December 1, 2015 @ 6:14 pm
I can absolutely guarantee that Paul is well aware of the cost of Elvis care and he accepts it because it is part of sharing his life with a treasure like you. You are a rare human being and finding you must have been like winning the Lottery!
December 1, 2015 @ 8:16 pm
I love the way you have used greens and white ribbon to hang from your china cabinet, so classy and simple looking! And those urns……what a steal! I’ve said it before here, but your Craigslist puts my Craigslist to shame- I am always amazed and in disbelief at the beautiful things you find there…..GFT’s are not what we get here where i live 🙁 Elvis looks great, i have been thinking about her occasionally after reading about her illness and hope she is feeling okay……that’s a great photo of her next to the pine cone, she’s a beautiful kitty.
Always look forward to your posts, i find them great for decorating ideas and very entertaining as I snicker and laugh my way through your writings. Hope to see more of your house with Christmas touches! disco balls……….who knew?!!
December 1, 2015 @ 10:38 pm
I had a cat and miss him dearly. I can understand your devotion. I also watched a relative spend money like there was no tomorrow, for decades. She enjoyed buying and decorating even more than you. Also spent quite a bit on her pets over the years. She has alzheimers now, and a few thousand dollars left. Literally. It’s not funny when you reach that point. I hate to be a grinch, but I’m glad you have the sense to reign in your spending while you can still earn more for your future. This year’s decorations are beautiful and I hope you enjoy them. Our pets have shorter lifespans than we do; we are their caretakers for life. It is sad, but necessary, because if they outlived us, who would take care of them? But we can’t expect them to match our own lifespans.
December 1, 2015 @ 11:26 pm
We have an older cat who is held together (figuratively) with superglue. We’ve spent lots of money over the years keeping her healthy and happy, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Your previous post about Elvis is spot on – she is family 🙂
December 1, 2015 @ 11:54 pm
If you are ever in Incline Village NV, let me know and I can tell you where to get sugar pine cones. I lived their for several decades and our home backed up to forest land, but there was a sugar pine tree on our land, plus the forest.
Blessings to your family and love to Elvis for a wonderful holiday. Your home is beautiful!
December 2, 2015 @ 3:20 pm
I love your posts as always, and love how you decorate and spend money on your pets as a priority!
On the mantel tip, I can expand that tip a bit. I use a 2×4 cut to fit length of mantel. You can staple away on this. I use the larger board as I clamp the ends to the mantel with “C” clamps, which are hidden by the foliage. I add about 10-11 cup hooks to the side of the board. That way I can hang heavily stuffed Christmas stockings off that board sturdily. (We have a large family). and the cup hooks, side of board, “C” clamps are all hidden by the foliage. I have two fireplaces, and each year I get out the boards for the mantels for quick decorating.
Thanks for all that you share with us!
December 2, 2015 @ 3:57 pm
Victoria:
I am sure that Paul knows the cost of the care for Elvis; wise man that he is, he declines to comment/inquire because of how important she is to both of you. He is a treasure.
Glad to see Elvis. She looks spectacular next that pine cone. Hope she’s doing well. I must admit that it is the largest pine cone I have ever seen; I have been woefully ignorant of their existence. Now that I know…Love it! Love the urns. Your status as The Envy Of All is securely intact. It has made me appreciate disco balls!
I always look forward to and enjoy your posts. I am having a bit of a challenging year, and your posts cheer me up and make me laugh. Thank you for that. Merry Christmas, Divine One.
December 2, 2015 @ 5:04 pm
Will you come decorate my house? You definitely have the touch. Hope Elvis continues to do well. What a beautiful kitty.
December 3, 2015 @ 2:40 pm
So sorry to hear about your husband Elvin’s illness and in unnecessary spending on items “o’day crapola”. Might as well just pile the dollar bills in a stack with paid items I won’t be using anytime “soon enough”. I am enjoying your blogs! ~Merry Bows~
December 3, 2015 @ 6:02 pm
Victoria, the bookcase on the left in the “JOY” picture…know anything about it? We inherited the EXACT same one from my great-grandparents’ farm in upstate New York and the family calls it the “lawyer bookcase” (despite the dearth of lawyers in the family?) and that’s all we know!
December 9, 2015 @ 6:19 am
It’s a ‘Barrister’ bookcase. They typically come apart with a base, any number of different height case pieces with clear glass fronts and a ‘crown’ on top. As you know, the pieces stack on top of one another. I have one from the 1920’s or 30’s. There were many popular manufacturers. Mine is from Globe-Wernicke (hope I spelled that right). They also come in a variety of woods but oak was the most common. I love mine and will get more when I return to the States. They are great for books and other display items as the cases are enclosed and protect your items from dust, etc.
December 4, 2015 @ 12:39 pm
Victoria, this is possibly really unhelpful, but:
http://m.ebay.com/itm/291631382773?_mwBanner=1
It’s giant, but is it fancy enough?
December 20, 2015 @ 8:01 am
Victoria, you make me laugh like no one else in the blogosphere. Actually, the word blogoshere makes me laugh. Your house looks fabulous. I wish you, Paul and Elvis a wonderful Christmas.