Opinions, Please...

We just had a power outage, and this photo is supposed to be wayyyyyyyy down...but, I lost it, and had to re-upload it..sheesh. I can't seem to figure out how to move it where I want it, so just keep reading until you see "Sugared Fruit", and by the time you get to that, you'll know what I am talking about..or rambling, as the case may be.Cold, it's COLD in Texas...snow, we are expecting SNOW...lots of Texans are getting very excited about the prospect - me, not so much....I told my husband years ago, "I want to strap a snow shovel to the hood of the car, and drive south, until someone asks, "what's that on the hood of your car?" - that's where I want to live. In fact, my husband drives 40 miles each way to his office every day, and I insisted he stay home today and work from here. Why risk being on I35 (which is bad enough in good weather), with a bunch of Texans (no offense, but they don't know how to drive in snow), skidding all over the place? I've lived in Boston, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and worst of all, Wisconsin (as far as winters go, and this is in no particular order)...I've had it up to here with snow...When I told people in Wisconsin that we were moving to Texas, they would say, "It's hot there", and I would reply, "You don't have to shovel hot".......

We've dragged the eight-foot ficus into the house from the back porch, leaving alot of confused birds, who have even built nests (cardinals), and hatched their babies in it...all the other plants are placed in front of windows..rather enjoying that part. Yesterday, I stumbled about the woods, picking up kindling (live oak), and carried wood from the wood pile to the porch in anticipation of some roaring fires this weekend. Believe me, I know how to do cold... When I was in Salado, my favorite "shopping destination", which is twenty miles from where I live...(it's an old, old town, chock full of lovely shops, galleries, and antique stores), I found three of these lovely pointsettias (I don't buy real...cat's - they are poison to cats, and perhaps, kids)...anyway, they were $1.00 each on sale..I bought three, and I'm hoarding my last wreath form to make a white wreath for my mother-in-law's guest room, so I put them on a tree form, and stuck a little bird in it. I'm not sure, but it kind of reminds me of the plant in the film/play, "Little Shop of Horrors", that kept shouting "feed me"...the jury is out. My husband thinks it looks like a "Mitre", you know, the funny hats the Cardinals wear...

Okay, here's where I would appreciate your opinion....to preface, this is one of the many, many notebooks I have, that are full of articles, photos, recipes, etc., that I have cut out and saved over the years. Being the "Queen of Magazines" , I found that in order to find anything, and to avoid a mountain of magazines, I would cut out the things I wanted to save, and put them in the notebooks...many catagories.."Holidays and Entertaining", "Window Treatments", "Arts and Crafts", "Dining Rooms", "Bedrooms", "Best Recipes", the list goes on-and-on. I have dozens, stored in a couple of bookcases (photos to follow) in my office.

The black kitty, is my "sidekick", Raisenette Funicello Buttafuco" (he's always head-butting things, like a billy goat), who sleeps in his basket, next to my chair while I am on the computer..Yes, the basket liner is hairy, he's a cat, deal with it...and yes, the carpet needs cleaning..this weekend.

This is one of the curtains I made to cover the myriad of books in my bookcases in my studio/office- No sewing...I bought two twin-sized sheets, ripped the sides open to the top, inserted tension rods (tension rods are our friends), glued on the trim, and used iron-on hemming tape to hem them....

This is what is hidden behind the curtains...lots of notebooks, (not in any particular order, and many are upside down...I'm organized in some ways, and in some ways, not so much). I started using the "notebook method" while building client's homes, or doing "Designer Showcase Homes", or "Parades"...I put everything in the sleeves of the notebooks, samples, photos, invoices, every kind of selection, this way, everything is organized and easily accesible...I found things fall out of file folders, and these are easier to haul around...As far as tile samples, countertops, etc., I do what Candice Olsen does on "Devine Design", my favorite design show...I put them in a basket, or when I am hauling them around, a lovely, vintage suitcase...(really).

Whoa, we just lost our power for a few minutes, and thank goodness, I've been "saving" as I went along, or I would have lost this whole thing...I think everyone cranking up their thermostats has caused a strain on our power system...but, I digress.

Finally, I am finally getting to the point....Since I have all these wonderful photographs, visuals, tutorials, whatever you want to call them, would you like me to share some of them with you? I know alot of design bloggers scan magazines and articles, and then, write about them. I enjoy some of them some of the time, but I also enjoy seeing what real people, whether designers or not, are doing - creating, thinking, living "real time" - "real life".....Not putting those types of blogs down, but I thought perhaps a mix....For example, since the holidays are upon us, I thought I'd share a few photos each day about holiday decor ideas...such as...

Table Centerpieces (I mean, I only have so many tables, and so many centerpieces, but have over the years, been inspired, or just plain enjoy looking at these).

Alrighty, then, this is where the sugared fruit picture used to be..should be, but is now at the top...I am about ready to pick up my computer and hurl it across the room...

Anyway, sugared fruit is easy to do..I've done it for clients, and for my own centerpiece many times. Take fruit, a paintbrush, eggwhites, and sugar. Paint the eggwhites (whisked first, please) onto the fruit. stick a toothpick (did I mention toothpicks?) in the fruit where it won't be showing, and roll the fruit in the sugar...or take a spoon, and sprinkle it over the fruit, if you want a lighter coating. Stack the fruit, or with toothpicks, stick it in a form. Add a bow, or not...lovely..don't plan on eating the fruit late

This lovely image is from one of my favorite, foreign magazines, "Marie Claire Idees", which is put out seasonally. It can be bought at Barnes & Noble, Borders, or other, up-scale bookstores.

I love the simplicity of adding a wreath to this lovely bust of a cherub..simple, but beautiful.This is a more "organic", rustic, centerpiece, and considering the way Texan's love their stars, a great, inexpensive idea. Candle, lima beans, cookie cutters, enjoy.

If this seems like the most disjointed post I've ever done, blame it on the power outage...That said, I would like to know if you would like me to share more "seasonal" images I have saved...