Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving wishes to all.  

We’ll be celebrating at my daughter’s house this year.  Her first year in and she’s cooking for 24 people!  I’ll be there to help of course.   Since we moved a good hour and some change away from most of our family it would be hard for everyone to get to my place in time for dinner.  Our little girl is the half way point.   We’re making two turkeys and a ham along with all the sides.  She got some big appetites coming. 

I’m so looking forward to decorating for Christmas in the new house this year.  I’ve been buying a few things here and there but have plenty of bins in the storage room in our basement to go through.  Since we were getting ready to list our house on Saylor last year I scaled down on Christmas.  I’m so excited this year because I’ve got TWO fireplaces to decorate!  I’ve never even had one in any of my past houses.  One of my FP’s has a mantle and the other doesn’t but has a very wide raised hearth so I’m going to have a ball with both.   This long weekend will be filled with decorating and hot chocolate and Christmas music.  Mr. Wonderful will be hanging lights outside and putting up his Hunter Snow Man (which I’m not crazy about so he’ll be tucked in a corner).  

I’m really loving the Scandinavian look this year and will be combining it with my traditional tartan Christmas décor.   I love the colors of Christmas!

I love “kilty” Santa ornaments and cannot believe that I went all the way to Scotland last month and didn’t think to buy one for the tree!!   Well, maybe next trip I’ll remember.  I wasn’t in the Christmas mood yet and my daughter didn’t want to traipse through all the gift shops.

I will end this post with some pictures from the old house since we don't have any winter pics from the new house yet. 

I always loved this tree and will miss decorating her for Christmas.  

In all her finery for Christmas.

 

Our Christmas tree in the old house.  It was cramped but cozy. 

Our new house has plenty of space and I won't have to move around the furniture!  

 

Oh the fun I'll be having this weekend! 

Bringing down the wall

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in this house for almost 5 months!  The summer went by so quickly and so did the fall!  The weather has been so cold that it feels we are already in the dead of winter.  I’m almost afraid to imagine what it will be like in January.  I’m hoping we get a cold snap and then warm up from there.  

Since moving to our new home we’ve knocked down a wall which proved to be a little more work than anticipated.  As you can see in the picture it broke up the living room and fireplace room and divided it awkwardly.  The living room portion could have been used as a dining room but that would mean I’d have to walk around the wall from the kitchen.  The fireplace room didn’t seem deep enough for a table and broke up the path from the deck.   Our contractor came in and took a look and determined it was not load bearing.  He agreed that the wall didn’t make sense and said it would not be difficult to remove.  Luckily the previous owners left extra pieces of hardwood flooring in the garage so that issue was resolved.   So all was a go even though we had our entire family up for the long weekend and a ride in the new boat (a post for later).  He started knocking it down and wouldn’t you know it the answer to why that wall was there hit us square in the face.  The electrical for the entire house was running through that wall!   Well, it took a little bit of extra work but all went well and the wall is gone. 

Here are a couple of before pics with the wall.  Look how dark the front room is! 

 

Now I have a big open rectangular box of a room.  One side is plain and the other has my fireplace.  It’s still a bit awkward but with the right furniture I think I can bring it all together.  I just picked up a long table from a woman who chalk painted it and sad to say did not do a very good job.  I bought the table for its sturdiness and the shape of the legs.  Even though I’m not experienced with chalk paint I’ll give it a crack.  If that fails then I’ll paint it with some acrylic paint and make it work.  I also bought a bench to match and am on the hunt for some chairs.  Pictures to come on that.   I'm supposed to host Christmas so I better get on it!

The house is in great shape but I need to make it my own.  Almost every room needs a new coat of paint simply because I am not a fan of the colors.  So far the coziest room in the house is turning out to be the basement!  We’ve got a wood burning fireplace down there too and used if for the first time this past weekend.  It’s the first time I’ve ever had a fireplace in my home.

With the holidays approaching it will be hard to start some projects but maybe a quick update of the laundry room or a bathroom will happen.  I’m going to take advantage of the cold weather to stay warm inside and work this winter. 

I just have to remember to take pictures!