Weekend Recap and Thanksgiving Plans

Despite the dreariness and rain this weekend, I had a wonderful couple of days. My stepson went to spend Thanksgiving vacation with his mother, so my husband and I got to spend the entire weekend together. Since J moved in with us a year before we got married, my husband and I missed the "newlywed" stage. I love having my stepson live with us, but it's nice to have time alone, too.

I still managed to get a bunch of projects started. I didn't get to complete any of them, though, so I won't be showing them today. I began reupholstering a chair, made a wall decoration out of fabric and nailheads, and came up with the Thanksgiving tablescape.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I also came up with this:

Yep, that's a minute-by-minute schedule for Thanksgiving preparations. (Part of it, anyway. The whole thing is over a page long.) My husband thinks I'm nuts for being so organized, but I like being that way. I'm a list-maker. I like having everything planned out.

Okay, maybe it's a little OCD. But no one every complains when Thanksgiving dinner is ready right on time.

Christmas Plans, Finally

Yay! It's only taken me a few months, but I finalized my Christmas plans! My family usually spends Christmas in Hawaii, but because of something that happened earlier this year, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it. My parents and brother haven't decided if they're joining us yet. I hope they do, because it would be so sad to spend Christmas without them.

I am *really* lucky because my parents own a condo in Ko Olina on Oahu. It's a wonderful little suburb about 30 minutes away from downtown Waikiki, but it's much slower paced and relaxing. (Actually, it's a little longer than that if you follow the speed limit, but I don't. I'm from Southern California. People tend to drive fast. ) I highly recommend staying in Ko Olina because Waikiki can get really crazy, and I avoid it whenever possible. There are 2 hotels there, including the newly built monstrosity, the Disneyland Aulani resort. Plus, a lot of people from our complex rent out their condos.

I cannot wait to get soak up some sun and to blog with this in the background. What are your Christmas plans?

What I Read Last Week... {11.17} and Acupuncture

Two topics on my agenda this morning. First up, what I read last week.

Don Fernando by W. Somerset Maugham

A paean to Spain's golden age of enormous creative energy, Don Fernando begins with the vivid tale of Loyola's life and conversion, discusses the writings of St Teresa and the paintings of El Greco, and comments with sagacity and wit on such illustrious figures as Cervantes, Luis de Léon, Lope de Vega, Velasquez and the creator of Don Juan.

My take: This was a fascinating book to me. First of all, I've never read any nonfiction by Maugham. His nonfiction almost reads like his fiction does, which I love. He incorporates anecdotes and stories into what is essentially a long essay on Spanish literature.

My recommendation: This is definitely not the book for everybody. If you majored in English, you might find it interesting. Otherwise, I'd imagine that few people would care much about this subject matter. I liked it, but didn't love it.
The Progress of Love by Alice Munro

A divorced woman returns to her childhood home where she confronts the memory of her parents' confounding yet deep bond. The accidental near-drowning of a child exposes the fragility of the trust between children and parents. A young man, remembering a terrifying childhood incident, wrestles with the responsibility he has always felt for his younger brother. In these and other stories Alice Munro proves once again a sensitive and compassionate chronicler of our times. Drawing us into the most intimate corners of ordinary lives, she reveals much about ourselves, our choices, and our experiences of love.

My take: I love this book. It's the second time I've read it, and it was better this time around. Munro is an amazing author. Her writing is beautiful, and her stories are intricate and complex, but not confusingly so. This particular collection deals with love that is unromantic for the most part, but still very moving.

My recommendation: Read it! Just make sure you're in the mood for short stories!


And also...
I've noticed that a lot of people have been sick lately. My son's class is one big germ factory, and I'm lucky I haven't gotten sick. The reason for that? I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with the acupuncture I've gotten weekly for the past 2 years. I have a number of health problems, so my immune system is basically nonexistent. I've always been the first person to get a cold or the flu. Plus, I was notorious for getting stress-induced illnesses. BUT that changed a couple of years ago when I started getting acupuncture. Since then, I've gotten maybe 2 colds. And they weren't bad ones, either. Seriously, it's amazing. I never would have believed it, but it works. For reals.

Now, I know acupuncture isn't for everyone. Some people (my husband included) would never consent to have needles stuck in them, and it can get expensive. But for those of you who are always getting sick, I highly recommend acupuncture! I find it incredibly relaxing and the needles don't hurt. Try it!

Not that I need more boots, but...

I have an obsession with boots. I have nearly every combination of colors and heights you can imagine. The one combination I DON'T have is a pair of flat brown riding boots. So I rounded up a few pairs that I've been thinking of buying. Any suggestions?

Burberry | Bridle Leather Riding Boot
Loeffler Randall | Dana Ankle-Tie Flat Boot
Frye | Dorado Riding Boot
Seychelles | Adventurer Boot
Ted Baker | Bronko Boot
La Canadienne | Paulina Boot
Tory Burch | Aaden Tall Boot

Reupholstered Footstool

It's a couple of weeks later, but I finally finished reupholstering the footstool I purchased recently. I got this footstool for $22 at Home Goods (my first foray into the Home Goods world). It didn't look too bad before, but the fabric was a bit stained and it just didn't go with my room at all.

{Before}

{After}

Here's how I did it:
 
I stripped off the fabric and the trim and used it as a template to cut out my new fabric:



I used spray adhesive to glue down the top part over the foam, doing a little bit at a time to make sure the fabric was smooth and taut.



I wanted two strips of self welting- one along the top, and one along the bottom. To make the self welt, I joined strips of fabric cut on the bias. I put the self welt cording in the middle of the fabric strip and sewed the cord snuggly into the piece of fabric.



I used iron on hem tape to adhere the two strips of welting to the fabric that goes around the side of the footstool, and then more spray adhesive to glue the entire piece around the footstool.



The seam turned out a little messy, so I used some nailhead strips to create a decorative column along the seam. I put 3 more columns so the footstool would look balanced.

The project took me all weekend. Partly because the glue had to dry. And partly because I didn't really know what I was doing and had to figure it out as I went along. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've noticed that there are two distinct groups of Christmas celebrators: those who begin celebrating as soon as Halloween is over, and those who wait until after Thanksgiving. I am wholeheartedly in the former group. This weekend, I decided to "practice" making new Christmas cookie recipes. These aren't the real thing...I'm just testing out new recipes right now. To make sure that when I make the actual Christmas cookies, I don't run into any problems. Yeah, that's it. In any case, I decided to make some Mint Chocolate Chip cookies. I happened to find mint chips at my grocery store, and that never happens, so I took that as a sign that I should make some mint cookies.

I based this on a recipe for regular Chocolate Chip cookies from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. FYI- I chose this recipe because it yields cookies that are thin and crunchy (just the way I like them.) If you prefer cookies that are chewy and thicker, you probably wouldn't want to use this recipe. Also, this yielded about 50 cookies, so you could definitely cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, plus 1 additional egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup mint chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in the upper third and bottom third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on low until combined, about 1 minute.
4. Add the dry ingredients in two batches until just combined.
5. Add chocolate and mint chips and mix until just combined.
6. Drop by tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 15- 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.

These turned out just like I wanted them! They are thin and crispy, but not hard. And I just love the combination of peppermint and chocolate. Yep, Christmas is in full swing at my house!

P.S. I just installed Instagram on my phone, and I'm playing around with it. Bet you couldn't tell, right?

Things I Love: Laser Cut Furniture

One thing I am crazy about is laser cut furniture. (Actually, laser cut shoes, clothes, and jewelry too, but that's another post) I purchased a pair of laser cut cabinets a couple of years ago. Since then, I've noticed laser cut pieces popping up here and there. By far and away, my favorite maker of these pieces is Brocade Home. I love every single thing they offer, but I'm just dying to get these:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

I've also noticed this trend from other companies. The colors and finishes make the pieces modern and contemporary, while the intricate cuts are reminiscent of traditional Moorish and Moroccan furniture. Here are a few of my faves:

5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10