we're having a pahtay

tonight, we're throwing our first ever new year's eve party.  i don't what got into us; we usually never venture off the couch for NYE, but this year we thought, "what the hell?"



if you're in the vicinity, join us for a champagne toast, will you?

my "ipad"

my family thought it would be funny if they gave me this "ipad" for christmas. har har.



looks pretty real from the front, huh?

not so much from the side.  when it flops is the dead giveaway.



just to spite them - i might just go to my local cafe and use it.

santa did good.

on christmas morning, i awoke to the site of an old vintage schwinn i had picked up a couple of summers ago for $30. it had been sitting flat in our garage ever since.  it was all polished up and shiny, newly tuned up, and with some fresh tires. not only that, the bike had been dressed up with a set of very cool saddlebags.  now, i can't wait for the snow to melt, so i can go tool around on my new wheels.

*the scarf and sunglasses perched on my head were xmas gifts, too.  don't you think they added to my xmas morning ensemble - bedhead and all?

pigtails

what do three girls do on a cold gray afternoon?

we have a pigtail party- that's what!

santa welcomed here

instead of typical christmas lights or garland, we thought we'd welcome santa with his own banner.

hello, gorgeous!

recent friday pics

wwmd

we had rug dilemma and we knew just the person who could help us figure it out.

MORGAN!

not only did she email us back in a timely manner, she decided to use our letter to start a new feature on her ever-inspiring and always-entertaining design blog.

a box of xmas cheer

our boys know us so well...

the consummate christmas collectors sent us a box of holiday cheer, including these two ornaments.

for dabney, a tiny cute tree that sparkles in the light


and for me, a golf ball - FORE!

cut pick your own tree

yesterday, we picked up a christmas tree at a local "cut-your-own" farm. we have found in years past that going to the trouble of cutting your own saves a lot of heartache when it comes to regular clean up; they just lose a lot less needles in those long weeks before the big day.

however, despite our best intentions, we didn't end up chopping down a tree to take home.  their advertised field of douglas firs ended up being a small gathering of sad, scraggly, dried-up-looking bushes.  none of which was over six feet tall.  (but if you are in the market for long-needled red or scotch pine, look no further.)

after we made our decision from the lot of pre-cut michigan balsams, the big strong guys who helped us load our 9 ft. behemoth on top of our wagon placed it on this nifty contraption.

meet the shaker. (note: not our tree.)



think they make these for dogs who shed a lot?  i really wanted to place friday up there and see the fur fly!

dorky xmas pictures...

...starring lu and her auntie.

apples... euw.

latest AT house tour

click the image below to check it out.

double dose of mogo this weekend

if you're either in chicago or boston this weekend, chances are you'll run into one of us at each cities' local holiday craft show. info below.

nurse baumgartner

inspired by morgan over at the brick house (honestly, who isn't inspired by her?), we've found our own thrift store classic portrait.

captain cool, meet nurse baumgartner.

before/after @ ann cave

we picked up this danish sectional at a church auction in the spring with every intention of reupholstering the cushions. we just couldn't live with this hideous polyester with its blue and pink (yes, blue AND pink) checked print.


dabney worked her magic and VOILA - new couch cushions.  the linen is so much more attractive and a whole lot less itchy.


this lane coffeetable was a $5 yard sale find.  it had clearly seen better days as evidenced by its dried-out condition and many stains/burns.


a little elbow grease, some murphy's oil soap, a dash of danish oil, a coat of howard feed-n-wax, and some strategically placed tabletop items, and the thing is much more pleasing to look at.