Top Ten Posts of 2014

This is my First New Post, on my New Blog!  Here are the Top Ten Posts of 2014 {from the posts that I transferred over here}, in no particular order.  
Gail Claridge Designs Home Tour

Interior designer Gail Claridge was born with a passion for design. Always interested in collectables and antiques, she has used her imagination, attention to...
detail, and design abilities to turn her personal residences into jewel boxes.   The rooms all have so much detail and I love the colors.

Pocket Pies

These Pies are so easy to make.  Besides having their own personal pie, everyone 

gets a crispy top and bottom crust, which is something most pie eaters LOVE! 

Display Window
I love how my Display Window has taken shape.  It's in my Office, in the top part of the Armoire {doors have been removed} and when the Glass French Doors to the office are open almost all the way, it looks exactly like this from just outside the office...from my Living Room/Great Room.

Flashback Friday - A Baby

A Baby Boy Was Born.  On April 6, 1970, at 11:41 am this precious 

child entered our lives.  We Named Our Son, Stephen Craig. 

Home Tour - Old West End, Toledo Ohio

Tillinghast-Murray-Willys Mansion

 2210 Robinwood Avenue Toledo, Wisconsin

It is located in the Old West End of Toledo, Ohio

I ♥ Shopping Shaped Expressions Etsy Shop

I shopped and shopped and then...I found their lovely shop.  They have

the cutest collage frames, in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors, even 

unpainted, so that you can finish however you would like.  It worked 

for me and solved all my problems with different sized paintings!

FlashBack Friday - Ralph Hermann

He was born 100 years ago - quite the FlashBack!  Now, what do I know about 

Ralph Hermann?  Why would I know anything about Ralph Hermann?  What 

did he do?  Do you know what he was famous for?   Well, let me tell you...

I'm At the End of My Rope and Feeling Sad

I just want some peace and quiet and a soft place to land.  I don't want to deal with all 

nonsense and arguments...and all the difficulties.  It's too hard.  I just want it to end.  

It isn't good for my health.

I ♥ Shopping - Celestina Marie Designs

Welcome Friends to my etsy shoppe sharing decorative design painting, vintage accents and hand created decor. My name is Celestina Marie, friends call me Celeste. My boutique is located here on Etsy and I have been a designer for over 30 years.

My House at Christmas - Circa 2007

Two big trees...and lots of other pretty things.  I even decorated our Bedroom and Den 

(no pictures) with trees and wreaths and pretty things.  I even decorated the front 

porch and yard...in 2007.

This Christmas At Jan's Place

Better late than never, right?  Isn't that the way the saying goes?  I did alot more decorating this year than last year - only put up my tabletop tree and after waiting for sunlight for over a week, to take photos of my 2014 Christmas decorations, we finally had sun today!  So, I got out my camera and went to town taking pictures to share here with you.   The first photos I took were of the Nativity Scene - the Reason for the Season...you'll find two

other photos of it further down in the post.  This nativity set came with the folding screen for the stable and each piece has a Bible Verse printed on the front.  It is a very pretty set.

The next photo shows how my Entertainment Center appeared in a post for Christmas in 2007.  I decorated with Red, Gold and Silver...and snowmen and angels.  Quite a few of the angels on the right bottom shelf, and the Nativity Set on the left bottom shelf are Jim Shore Collections.  

How it looks Today - Christmas 2014  - no wood backing, it's been covered with fabric...and I'll be showing you each shelf and more! Each shelf of the left portion of the Entertainment Cabinet - 2014

 The Right Side of the Entertainment Center and Close- up of each shelf follows

 The Right Side of the Entertainment Center and Close- up of each shelf follows

Candles {Mercury Glass} on a Vintage mirror on my Coffee Table Black Vintage Shelf in Great Room, on Wall opposite the Entertainment Center 

Nativity Scene with a Bible Verse on each  statue 

Keeping Room

Master Bedroom 

 

Den

I hope you liked my Tour of my House and all the Christmas Decorations.  Thanks for coming...and I hope to see you back again...real soon!

Christmas Day...The Reason for the Season

Wishing you Love & Happiness this Christmas!

Oh This Looks So Cozy...

I love Animal Print - Especially Cheetah and Leopard...and this would look so great in my house.  I can just see it draped across my new Sleigh Bed.  (You can see that bed in this post Here)  Believe it or not, I'm still working on finishing all of my projects every room has a project or 2 going on!  I can see me snuggled up with my Pups, a cup of Tea, a good book and watching the snow fall outside the window, !!  The matching Cheetah Pillows come in 18" and 26".  I'd love to use the 26" Euro Pillow size on my Bed with my standard/queen

Pillow Shams.  I know they'd look great!  But, the Sale Prices really aren't in my budget right now...check out the information below.  For 2 Euro Pillow Covers and the Throw, it would be well over $200.  I will have to shop around...or even make my own.  But this is my jump-off point!

I'll be checking after-Christmas Sales!!!

These are available at:

FAUX FUR PILLOW COVERS

The ultimate in luxurious comfort, our superior-quality faux fur pillow {18" for $39.50 each and 26" for $50.00 each - sale priced} is as indulgent as it is beautiful. It’s exceptionally woven from the finest materials for a sumptuously plush feel, and its handsome texture beautifully emulates the inherent softness and color variation of genuine fur.

• 18" square
• 26" square
• Woven of an acrylic/polyester blend.
• Zip closure.
• Insert sold separately.
• Machine wash.
• Imported.

Features

• Made of 84% modacrylic, 16% polyester.
• 18" square pillow reverses to self.
• 26" square pillow reverses to Velboa.

Care

• Machine wash, cold water, gentle cycle.
• Tumble dry on low/warm or cool setting.
• Do not iron.
• 
  

FAUX FUR THROW

The ultimate in luxurious comfort, our superior-quality faux fur throw {sale priced at $99.00} is as indulgent as it is beautiful. It's exceptionally woven from the finest materials for a sumptuously plush feel, and its handsome texture beautifully emulates the inherent softness and color variation of genuine fur.

• 50" x 60"
• Woven of an acrylic/polyester blend.
• Ultraplush 750-gram weight.
• Reverses to solid polyester.
• Dry-clean for best results.   
• Imported.

Features

• Woven of 84% modacrylic, 16% polyester.
• Reverse is 100% polyester.

Care

• To fluff, place in dryer on low heat for 10 minutes.    
• Dry-clean for best results.    
• Can be machine washed, cold water, gentle cycle.    
• Tumble dry on low/warm or cool setting.    
• Do not iron.

My House at Christmas - Circa 2007

This is how I used to decorate our house.  Two big trees...and lots of other pretty things.  I even decorated our Bedroom and Den (no pictures) with trees and wreaths and pretty things.  I even decorated the front porch and yard!!  I haven't shared these photos in a number of years and definitely not on this blog, so I thought I would today.  Sometimes I miss all the decorations...but I don't have the urge to do it anymore...or enough energy to get it all

done, so it gets put on the back burner and I do the minimal decorating.  Enjoy the tour.

After moving into our house in 2006, I painted our kitchen - the 2 long and smallest walls in our house.  I painted them Red.  I had a Black and Gold Valance, like the panels and valances here in our Great Room and lots of wood cabinets to soften the red.  The 2 tall walls on either end of our Kitchen were painted a mossy green, which I absolutely loved and still do.  That made me decide to carry red accents throughout the house.  And for Christmas, I decorate with Red, Gold and Silver.  It made the house very festive and old-fashioned looking with the Red.  I loved it...but, soon, I began to feel anxious with the red...and eventually that all changed.

Here is another photo of our Great Room, looking through French Doors into My Office {used to be "our" office}

Off to the left on the very edge of the photo, you can see a bit of my chair...pulled up to another desk.  This is when hubby and I shared office space.  Little by little, I {and the 3 Pups} took over the entire office!!  The desk you see under the window, you can't see anymore.  I put my massage table directly in front of that desk...the length of the desk, in between the 2 bookcases.  Before I did that, I emptied the desk drawers, knowing I wouldn't be able to access them any more.  The cabinet doors on the bottom of each bookcase were removed, making way for a "Den" for the Pups on the left and the one on the right is for toys.  They love those spaces, and it reduces clutter in my office.

Our entertainment center in the Great Room, opposite the window wall.  It's all made out of Ash.  You can see our old carpeting there...I forgot how awful it looked.

These photos are from 2007...quite a while ago.

My Snow People...they've all found good homes elsewhere.

The White Christmas Tree, in our Dining Room.  Yes, those are Black with a Bronzey-Gold design in the Drapery Panels.  I loved them.  But after 7 years, they had to go.

In the photo below, you can see one of my old Chandeliers.  It was the 2nd one there.  It took the place of the super skinny one that was installed in the house when it was built. 

I hope you enjoyed this short tour of my house...and how it looked 7 years ago.  Alot has already changed, but some is still the same - I think it is.  I'll have to check!

Merry Christmas!!

Family Sings the Twelve Days of Christmas

The Price of The Twelve Days of Christmas

The cost of six geese-a-laying spiked considerably this year, while most of the items in the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas," saw little to no increase, according to the 31st annual PNC Wealth Management Christmas Price Index.  A set of gifts in each verse of the song would set you back $27,673 in stores, an increase of less than $300 or 1 percent from last year.  If you missed my Twelve Days of Christmas Post...you can see it Here.

 

Prices of the Twelve Days of Christmas items:

- Partridge in a Pear Tree, $208

- Two turtle doves, $125

- Three French hens, $181

- Four calling birds (canaries), $600

- Five gold rings, $750

- Six geese-a-laying, $360

- Seven swans a-swimming, $7,000

- Eight maids a-milking, $58

- Nine ladies dancing (per performance), $7,553

- 10 lords a-leaping (per performance), $5,348

- 11 pipers piping (per performance), $2,635

- 12 drummers drumming (per performance), $2,855

The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the First Day of Christmas
My true Love gave to me.....

Dearest Michael,
I went to the door today, and the post man delivered a partridge in a pear tree. This was a delightful gift! I couldn't have been more surprised or pleased darling!

With truly the deepest love, 

Elizabeth


On the Second Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Dearest Michael,

Today the postman brought me yet another of your sweet gifts. The two turtle doves that arrived today are adorable, and I'm delighted by your thoughtful and generous ways.
With all of my love, Yours, 

Elizabeth 

 

On the Third Day of Christmas
My true Love gave to me.....
Dearest Michael,
You've been too kind! I don't deserve such generosity. The thought of getting three French hens amazes me. Yet, I am not surprised. What more should I expect from such a nice person?
Love, 
Elizabeth

 

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Dear Michael,
Four calling birds arrived in the mail today. They are truly nice but don't you think that enough is enough? You are being too romantic.

Affectionately, 
Elizabeth

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Dearest darling Michael,

It was a surprise to get five golden rings! I now have one for every finger. You truly are impossible Darling, yet oh how I love it! Quite frankly, all these birds squawking from the previous days were starting to get on my nerves. Yet, you managed to come through with a beautiful valuable gift!

All my love, Elizabeth

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Dear Michael,

Well I opened my door, there were actually six geese a-laying on my front steps. So you're back to the birds again, huh? Those geese are dear, but where will I keep them?  The neighbors are complaining, and I am unable to sleep with all this racket. Please stop dear.

Cordially, Elizabeth

On the Seventh Day of Christmas
My true Love gave to me.....

Michael,

What is with you and those stupid birds? Seven swans a-swimming!  What kind of sick joke is this!?  There are bird droppings everywhere! They never shut up, and I don't get any sleep!!  I'm a nervous wreck!  It's not funny you weirdo, so stop with the birds.

Sincerely, Elizabeth

 

 On the Eighth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

 O.K. wise guy, 

The birds were bad enough, Now what do you expect me to do with eight maids a-milking? If that's not enough, they brought their cows!! The front lawn was completely ruined by them, and I can't move in my own house! Just lay off me or you'll be sorry!

Elizabeth

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....
You rotten scum!!  There are now nine ladies dancing! They're dancing twenty-four hours a day. The cows can't sleep, {neither can I} and they are going to the bathroom everywhere! The building commissioner has subpoenaed me to give cause as to why the house shouldn't be condemned! I can't even think of a reason! You creep! I'm sicking the police on you!

One who means it!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Listen you evil, sadistic, maniac!  What's with the ten lords a-leaping? They are leaping through the house, breaking everything and even injuring some of the maids! They've knocked my precious Hummel collection on the floor and broken them. The place smells, is an absolute mad house, and is about to be condemned! I hope you are satisfied...you rotten vicious worthless piece of garbage!

Your sworn enemy, Elizabeth

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Hey loser, What are you? You must be some kind of sadist!! Now there are eleven pipers piping, and they certainly do pipe! They haven't stopped chasing those maids since they got here! The cows are getting upset...but at least the birds are quiet, they were trampled to death by the cows,  The neighbors are getting up a petition to evict me, and I'm going out of my mind!

You'll get yours!  Elizabeth

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

My true Love gave to me.....

Dear Sir,
This is to acknowledge your latest gift of twelve drummers drumming, which you have seen fit to inflict on our client, one Elizabeth Quinn. The destruction of course was total. If you attempt to reach Ms.Quinn at Happy Daze sanitarium, the guards have instructions to shoot you on sight.  Please direct all correspondence to this office in the future. With this letter, please find attached a warrant for your arrest.

Cordially,
The Law Offices of  Badger, Rees, and Yorker