A Little Road Trip and Home to THIS.......

Another January Monday. Time is swiftly moving along in the New Year. Over half the month gone already. Hope today finds sunshine in your world. Finally yesterday the sun decided to show itself after a whole week of fog, rain, and clouds.

On Friday, Holly, Darbee Rae and I decided on a girls trip for the weekend. We left out well before day light for a weekend of shopping in Pigeon Forge, TN.  About a 5 hour drive and we wanted to get there early enough to start our shopping of Friday

 

I just love traveling.  That's part of the fun of getting there.  I had a bag of activities at my feet to work on and actually finished stitching a stitchery while riding.  We made many stops on the way but the first one was at our favorite bakery in Cleveland, TN.  We were not going to be hungry. {smile}

 

 

Friday evening we rode to Gatlinburg to do some shopping.  Everywhere still had the Christmas lights and decorations up.  So Darbee borrowed Santa's sleigh for a picture.

 

 

You guys have visited with me in the kitchen many times.  As you know we are doing some remodeling in there. But this is what it looked like when we left on Friday for our trip.

 

 

Just past those bay windows is now the dining room.  It use to be the sunroom and you entered through French door in the great room.

 

We were shopping in Knoxville on Saturday when I got a picture text from Mr. P.  This is what I saw.

 

 

The window and wall is now gone!!  I was excited but a little nervous and will be until all is done.  This is turning into a little more major remodeling than I was expecting. 

 

And so  the saga continues. 

 

 

Today the flooring is coming up where the windows were part of the kitchen.  Which will call for new paint on the floor in the "new" dining room. And we won't even mention all the dust!Everywhere!!! I should have stayed out of town until this is all done.

 

All the wallpaper is now gone and the walls are waiting for their new primer and paint just as soon as all the sanding and construction work is done. And I have to decide on a color.  Really having trouble with this one. 

 

 

Oh well,,,, will give you updates as we continue with this major project. 

 

I did very little prim shopping while we were on our trip.  Can't believe I didn't even go in several of the shops that I never miss while in that area. This trip Holly and I were on quite a different shopping spree.   I will share later what our shopping mission was this trip. I was excited that we found an AC Moore store in Knoxville.  I had never shopped in one.  We don't have those in GA that I am aware of.  Loved it and got many things in there.  Don't you love finding a shop you hear others speak of and finally get to see for yourself?  I did however get this little pie rack on the way home at Country Kinfolk in Lenoir City.

 

Once the kitchen is back in order, I will use it to display my grandmother's old pie/cake pans.  I am so blessed to have these pans.  I remember as a child watching her bake cake layers in them.  I would beg her to let me stir the batter and she never would.  Said it would make the cake layers fall if two people baked them instead of one person.  Have you ever heard that??

 

 

Love the patina of these old pans.

 

 

 

Well, I know my house was not "company ready" today, but I am so glad you stopped by anyway.  Wishing all of you a great week  at your home place.  We will visit again soon.

 

Until next time.

.

Nana's News

Good evening to all. Hope the New Year finds all of you doing great. All the Christmas décor has been packed away for another year.  Except for the twig tree in the "dining/sun room."  Once all the greenery and such was gone everything just looked so bare.  So I decided this year to do the tree in there with snow /winter related items.  Last year here in GA, we got lots of snow, well for us at least and it found me with none of my snowmen decorations on display.  So this year I have a few things scattered around.  Hope I don't jinx us and not get any this year!!  So all of you with plenty of snow to share,,,, send it on down South!!

 

On Dec 29th Darbee Rae had her tonsils out. She was a real trooper. I rode in for the surgery with them.  She was a little nervous but still had that sweet smile.

 Once she got the "giggle juice" everything was funny.  I think they gave her the juice just to calm the nerves of her Mommy and Daddy and this worried Nana also.  We could not help but laugh along with her. 

 

Silly girl !! Go ahead and get a good laugh.

But those were the last smiles we saw from her for quite awhile.  So thankful after a couple of weeks, she is back to her bouncy, smiling self again. 

As soon as the holidays were over Mr. P. decided it was time to resume work in the kitchen.  So the next job on the list was to strip all the wallpaper from the eating area .  What a job it has been.  Two layers at that!!! We will be painting this go round....no Mr. P. will be painting this go round.  I love the look of wallpaper but after this ordeal our home will be wallpaper free.  So much easier to just paint.

After service yesterday Darbee Rae decided to come home and spend the afternoon with us.  We played with play-doh, her zelfs she got for Christmas, mixed paint,,,,,,

and then she decided she was going to strip wallpaper like Papa.  When she saw the old mauve and blue pattern wallpaper under the current gold,  she said," Nana, I can't believe this was ever popular". This just did not look like something Nana would have liked.  Oh if this child just knew all the phases we go through in our homes over the years.  Like the last 36 years!  {hehe}

 

 

Today was another fun day.  Every year we go out to lunch to celebrate two of our special friends.  Doesn't seem right to say friends, these girls are like family.  We all have gone through so much together.  We have laughed, cried, and been  there for each other and our families for more years than I want to tell you.  Might just figure out how OLD we all are!!{smile} After a delicious lunch we went to a new cupcake shop in town  {Smallcakes Cupcakery } The birthday girls.  By the way they are sisters, can't you tell. Happy Birthday Jane and Beverly.

 

Just look at all the calories behind the showcase.

 

 

We made good choices.  These were the best cupcakes ever.

 

 

After a fun day, I came home with a bucket full of fresh eggs from Jane.  I have never seen eggs so brown and big.  I can just smell a fresh pound cake in the next few days.  I just love cooking cakes with fresh brown eggs.  Reminds me of my grandmother and her pound cakes.  Thank you Jane.

 

As far as crafting,,, well I have been slow getting back in the groove of things.  Since I only have one show a year that we do and it is in September, I usually find myself struggling in late June, July, and August to get things made and ready.  I sell fall and Christmas items more than everyday crafts.  This year once Christmas patterns started showing up on the internet, I got many new patterns and I am so excited to try them.  So I have made a promise to myself to work two days a week on items for my show all during the year.  So far this month I have held true to my promise to myself.  Most of you are working toward Valentine and Easter and here I am playing with reindeer!!!{smile}  But I do have a few rabbit patterns I want to make for myself.  I just love decorating with rabbits here at the home place. Hopefully all our home improvements for the inside will be done by then.

There have been no prim shopping trips for this old girl either.  But I feel one is on the horizon.  Think we need to go on a girl's trip and celebrate Darbee Rae's recovery!  In fact , it almost happened this weekend and then we thought different.  So stay tuned and see what we will be up to next time.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.  Can't wait to hear from all of you.  Don't forget to say hi so I will know you stopped by.

Have a wonderful and blessed week.  Until next time.