You serious, Clark?

It's hard to believe my favorite Christmas movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", hit theaters waaaaay back in 1989. I was still in college, just a youngster. No matter how many times I watch it, and that number must be nearing three digits these days, I still laugh like a loon at the squirrel scene and get tickled when Clark is putting up the gazillion lights on the house.

I annoy the family by quoting my favorite parts along with the characters. And so of course I had to order this t-shirt with all of the movie's famous quotes that I found on Etsy. 

Thanks, Griswolds, for keeping it real with the fun old fashioned family Christmases where the in-laws and outlaws get on your last nerve, but you still love 'em like crazy.

It's DECEMBER!

We kicked off my most favorite month of the year with a trip to Waco for state cheer competition. The 11th grader was bummed her squad didn't bring home the gold, but they finished a respectable 5th place. Some of the talent was college level amazing.

I love the pic above, getting her hair teased by one of the coaches.

It wouldn't be Texas cheer unless the girls were wearing big ol' hair bows on top of their heads. Below you can see we went a bit overboard securing our spots to watch them perform both days.

While I was there, I finally made it to the Magnolia Farms Fixer Upper Silos to see the Gaines business venture. That woman has done wonders for subway tile and the modern farmhouse look.

Then we got to celebrate the 11th grader turning 17 with breakfast and a haircut. She looks so grown up these days. I'm gonna blink my eyes and she'll be headed off to college, leaving us empty nesters. Time can slow down now, thank you very much.

Dog Days of November

I love these pics of my furry children, our Cairns Ollie and Pepper lounging on the master bed Friday morning in the sunlight streaming through the window. The rather dirty window because I won't arrange for them to be cleaned until the dusty patio remodel is finished. So yeah, a rather filtered light coming through the window that they still appreciated.

Patio Pour

On Friday, the contractor poured the concrete for our new and improved patio space between the main house and cabana. In the midst of this clean slate is the sad looking pool. It's getting new tile, so it will have to look pitiful for a bit longer until it can be acid washed and then get refilled. I'm looking forward to a fresh start with the chemicals.

The Old Homeplace

Mimi (my mother) wanted to go back to the old stomping ground in Southeast Texas to visit a couple friends and put some flowers on granny's grave. So we made a flying trip over the weekend to do just that. 

A week after my husband and I married at age 25, we moved far away from that part of Texas and I haven't looked back since. I don't long for it. I don't get this sense of nostalgia or wish for the old days. I put it in my rearview mirror and moved on. 

Above is the place where Mimi grew up. Below that is a pic of the old tank farm. You didn't need to see the city limit sign back in the day because your nose told you when you hit it. The stink of sulfur is forever etched in my brain.

There are some nice folks who still live there, old classmates and their parents. And some great restaurants I enjoyed. It's flat and green and I do think it would be cool if we had pine trees and azaleas here in central Texas like they do where I grew up. But that's pretty much it.

Beauty & Brains

The 11th grader got inducted into the National Honor Society recently. Here she is with her Mimi, who attended the ceremony with me. 

Wreath Making Fools

Mother and I have been busy bees, cranking out four wreaths thus far and one more to go. There have been multiple trips to the craft stores because I can't ever seem to get the ratio of ribbon just right. Too much burlap, not enough deco mesh, etc. You know you're getting older when your shoulder and fingers are sore from crafting.

Here is the wreath we made for our front gate. I'm digging the square shape. The last one I'm planning to make this holiday season is a smaller square one in the same red, white and lime green color scheme for the front door.

This wreath was made for one of mother's oldest and dearest friends. She chose the colors of red, white and silver and we did the rest. All it lacks is the red and white glitter 3-D picks I bought to use as accents.

Last wreath we've completed is the small one we'll place on my granny's grave when we're back on our old stomping ground in a couple weekends to visit a couple of mother's old friends. The sparkly pink poinsettias were our inspiration, so I chose the burlap to try and tone it down a bit so it isn't too Vegas for the cemetery. 

A friend asked if wreath making would be my second career. I told her only if I could outsource the actual work to a third world country. I enjoy the beginning when we pick out the design and colors, and then the end when it's finished. All of the cutting and measuring and twisting in between is a pain in the patootie.