Honey Done Hang from the Rafters!

Another new project - yes it is. This time he has me on a walkboard suspended over the stairs, who knows how many feet off the ground! Honey - I'm glad I have accident insurance but this is ridiculous!

We have vaulted ceilings in the foyer and we added a border of wood around to break off a point so we did not have to paint all the way up. Well that was fine and dandy but we had to somehow figure out how to paint up to the board from point A to B. Nick decided a walkboard - hmmmm. And guess who got to paint - hmmmmm. After all, he had sanding to do, it was my job to paint.

I just notice on the one picture, there are spots on the lens of the camera, BUT I am not getting back on the walkboards to retake the shot. Squint a little, they go away. Let's see, next project...hmmmmm - maybe I should clue him in about the giant quilt I need him to hang above the board on the other side of the wall. He's gonna LOVE me for that project. More to come folks!!!!

Another Honey Do Project Checked off the List

Terri Bocciardi, you would have laughed at this Honey Do adventure! Anthony, you too. We decided to tackle the pot holders that have been sitting in the family room now for months. We could not hang them because we needed a stud finder to put them up. We had to MAKE SURE there were studs to hold those pots. Well, I had to agree on that one cause my pots and pans are quite heavy. Well somewhere his stud finder got broke and we asked our friend Richard if we could borrow his. He gave us his little one that worked on the magnet system but because we were working on a ceiling, that didn't work so we opted to buy a new one and have it for all future projects. $15 later, we have this wonderful NEW TOOL!

Hanging these were somewhat of an hour and a half long ordeal. We ended up finding only one stud in all of the ceiling and half way through it he was giving me incomplete instructions and needless to say we were yelling and laughing all at the same time. Hanging pot holders is like hanging wallpaper - DON'T DO IT. I thought we were gonna kill each other!

Funny thing is, when it was done, I was hunting for my pots to hang on it. I told him, knowing him, I will come down in the morning and WHO KNOWS what I will find hanging on the pot rack. I just know how he is. It will be one surprise after the next, I am sure.

Sample Tea cup lamp

This is for Dave and Linda. We wanted to show you a sample of one of our lamps.

A GOAT COMES TO SCHOOL

This was awesome! Our kindergarten teacher brought in a baby goat for her class to learn the letter Q. Because he was born a quintuplet. She brought him in in a bucket. At first when I saw the top of his head I jumped back thinking she had a skunk in the box. Then when she set him down Oh MY! He was the cutest thing you ever wanted to see. He loved on ya, and when you put him on the ground, and the kids ran, he leaped and ran with them. The funniest part was when he cried, he sounded like one of those squeeky toys that you give a baby and mash on it, it almost didn't sound real. I honestly had to ask if it really was making that noise it sounded so much like a toy.

She said the momma couldn't feed them all so he was being bottle fed and that makes them more gentle. He was about the size of small cat. When they took him outside, they put a shirt on him to keep him warm and he knew to wait to pee. It was so cool. If we didn't have Covenants and Restrictions in our subdivision, I would have one of these for sure. But I don't know what I would name him. Maybe Boots or Patches! See what happens when you move to the mountains!

Name this Cute little House warming gift

Yes! this was a housewarming gift! My twin gave me this as a joke. She set out to find the UGLIEST housewarming gift there ever was to give anyone and found it at a garage sale in Roswell. AND I now own it. She is gladly displayed in my laundry room. And I haven't named her yet. So if you who visit our site want to give me suggestions, I am open to them. If your name gets picked, I will make you one for your house! I will EVEN color coordinate her dress to match your decor!

House Warming Gift Up and in Working Order!

My nephew Robert and his wife Julie gave us this great bird house which is now hung on our back porch. There were three birds on it while I was taking this pic. The cats are loving it, they can sit at the french doors and watch those little birdies all day long. If you would like for Robert to make you one, let me know, I will hook ya up.

Nick's busy working in his workshop

Christmas day we worked on getting his workshop in some order. We had just piled stuff in it to get it out of the way so we unloaded it and finally got it lined up so he could begin using it. Here he's working on a project for Mountain Building. Fixin their knife display box. He had the music up so load the rafters were shakin. But no worry, I was playing the drums louder than his music. Good thing we have no nearby neighbors to hear it all.

Practice session

I was working on my druming skills today. It's been a rainy day. Being the multi-tasker that I am, I am painting the front foyer, practicing my druming, doing laundry, updating the blog, not to mention just a few other items! And my sister thinks I am ADD! Hmmmm.

New Business Adventure

This is exciting! Today Barbie and I started our venture of putting our goods into a consignment shop here in Blairsville. I passed this place everyday for months on my way to work and into town when we lived at the rental in Young Harris. So I scoped it out and got info on getting a booth to rent and WE DID IT.
Barbie came up and we spent several hours setting up our area. It was exciting. I was disappointed cause I didn't take the camera. It was a "Blog" moment so we will have to settle on the business card.

Now when you all come into town, you will have to go to Tuckers' Antiques & Gifts and check it out. This will be motivation for me to get working on my sewing projects! It is also an avenue for me to put the word out for my sewing/alterations business. I need to begin building my client base and from what I hear, there aren't many people that do alterations in these parts soooo, it will be a good thing!

My sister and husband laugh at me cause now everything is a "blog" moment! I looked at the new rocking chairs on the front porch and said - grab the camera, it's gotta go on the blog! Think I'm bored or what. Maybe this new business venture will keep me busy!

The Long awaited Bedset has arrived

Have ya heard the saying "Things moooove real slow here in the Mountains" wellll, I ordered this bedspread set in August. It finally came in this week. Yes December. I heard every excuse under the sun and was even more discouraged when I went to Florida on my "sonogram" trip only to find when I stopped at Crackerbarrel, here was my "special order" bedspread in their gift shop.

When I took it out of the package today to press it, there was a spot. Decorative pillows will be the key to covering that spot up. I am fearful if I send it back, it will be NEXT December before I get another one to replace it. We will live with the spot! I am sure we will add a few more over the years.

Christmas Gift from Sis

We have a new addition to our family pictures. Sarah as you all know does the photography in the family. She got Dad's name this year for Secret Santa and blew up the picture she took at Helton Creek Falls here in GA at Thanksgiving, framed it and gave it to him for Christmas.

FedEx was VERY late in delivering it and he just got to open it tonight. As he sat and took off the wrapper, he began to cry. I of course welled up too. I asked him what was going through his head. He said seeing the picture made it hard to believe we were at this stage in our lives and he said he could not imagine where in the picture Robbie would be standing if he were here with us today. That just made me cry that much more.

Family photos are a VERY difficult part of our family, now that Robbie is gone. We toyed with where to hang it. Not wanting to take down the one of all 6 of us in the main living room. So we have hung the new, updated one in our front foyer. It's beautiful Sis, you have a way with the camera. Pictures are ever so precious to us and hold the memories of our hearts. If it wasn't for the pictures we have of Robbie, some of those memories would fade.

Lets show some excitement here!

Rebecca was excited about her bead making kit she got. She also was modeling her new leopard bag. She will be be the bell of the ball!

Rayah Lee and her boots

Country Girl!

This is an interesting gift!

We drew names this year instead of everyone buying for each other. We figured we all had a rough year financially and this might become a good way to not focus so much on the buying aspect of Christmas but just doing things simple.

Sarah got her dad. Now that Mom and Dad are empty nesters she thought it would be cute to give him a gift that would be appropriate for his wild sided wife he's gotten since they have moved to the mountains! Nice Sis. It's even color coordinated to match our new bedspread set!

Our yearly gift from The Ryans and The Muellers

Every year we receive a gift in loving memory of Robbie from family members. This year it was a Pinnochio. It's beautiful. As most of you know from being in our home in Florida, Nick and I collect Pinnochio's in Robbie's memory. When Robbie was little, one of his favorite movies was Pinnochio and he could never say his name so he called it "Miricowhee" For some reason, that has remained special between Nick and I and we have collected them in his memory ever since his death. When we go antiquing, we look for them. We have over 125 of them in all shapes and sizes. We will be putting up our collection in the game room like we had in our Florida home. When we see a Pinnochio, we think of Robbie and we SMILE!

CLEAR THE ROADWAY! AND DO IT NOW!

Well, there was no snow today like predicted so I went out and got on my motorcycle and practiced. Nick rode on the Harley long side of me to make sure I was gonna stay up and on it and not be kissing the pavement. I managed to put about 3 miles on it going up and down in the subdivision.

At one point I took it up the back field toward the back of the house and up the gravel driveway that leads to the main driveway, that's where Nick had to take over. He said - what were ya thinking, I can't even get the Harley up gravel like that. I just chuckled. I LOVE being FIESTY.

Anyway, we went out on the Harley to deliver a gift and when we got back in the subdivision I asked him if I could try driving THE HARLEY to the house. AND, I did it. Managed to keep it straight up all 750 lbs of metal and rubber. He said - oh wait, get the camera and post it on the blog so your friends can see it. Thats right buddy boy! I then proceeded to have an anxiety attack thinking- wow I drove all that metal. Time for a NAP and EGGNOG.

Two new pics of the Kelly girls

Emily just turned 7 on December 16th and Rowie is going to be 2 on December 31st. WOW, hard to believe it.

The Legend of the Fruit Cake

I can tell this story only now because my sisters would all laugh seeing mom is dead and gone and her infamous fruitcake will always be forever in our hearts. Christmas time is as you know, the time of year when it surfaces in every household whether it is needed or not.

My mom always made Grandma Uebelhoer's recipe for fruitcake. And I have to admit, I loved my mothers fruitcake - God rest her soul. It did not ever have that Citron in it like store made fruitcake has. It was actually quite expensive to make. Mom made it every year even in lean times when the candied fruits and nuts got to be very expensive to buy. When she would mail our gifts to us (seeing we were in the military and not local) there was always a fruitcake tucked in the box. My girls loved gramma's fruitcake. Even Nick who hates nuts, loved mom's fruitcake.

Well, my twin sister hated mom's fruitcake and never had the heart to tell mom this. Each year, mom would send her the infamous fruitcake (because she did not live local as well) and Yes, Barbie would pack that fruitcake up and ship it onto me because she didn't have the heart to tell mom she HATED the fruitcake. There were times when the we would wait till we saw each other while dropping off mom to each other in Valdosta, GA and we'd sneak "THE FRUITCAKE" into the trunk of the car while mom wasn't looking to get it out of her house. With the cost of fruit and nuts, she didn't have the heart to throw it out either. It became a tradition that I GOT her fruitcake every year. And mom never knew it.

I am attaching a picture of a pillow that comes out every year and sits in memory of "the fruitcake". I have the recipe, but now that I have built this beautiful home I probably will never be able to afford the fruits and nuts to make my own fruitcake like mom did. And you can bet your bottom dollar, IF I could, I would sure as shootin, wrap one up and send it to my twin sister, just so she could flush it!

I AM GONNA BRAVE THIS ONE FOR OLD TIME SAKE!

OK, I cannot believe I dressed up like this for Wakie Takie day at OCS way back 2 years ago. And I sat at my desk, yes ALL day looking like this. These are Skippy's shoes I have on, and the dress - OH MY WORD, you wouldn't catch me near it today. AND I am about 16 lbs heavier here! WHAT was I thinking? Is that not dedication to a job or what. NOT! NEVER AGAIN. Girls at OCS (and guys) STOP LAUGHING. I think I might just wear this dress to SKippy's wedding - what a "mother of the bride" dress this would make and a fashion statement at that!

WELL ITS ABOUT TIME

I drove 9.5 hours to Florida and at 10:00 a.m. this morning standing at the sonography place on, Friday, December 15th, while on three way with Sis and Nick (Skip couldn't be there) we found out we were having grandson # 1.

At 1:00 p.m. on three way with Sis and Nick with Natalie standing there in the room we found out we are having grandson # 2! We are so excited we can't stand it! Sunday, I will get in the car and drive 9.5 hours back!

Gas - $80.00
Hotel - $106
Seeing the look on their faces, priceless