Current events

So this is my 'I better post so I don't get shamed on Facebook' post.  B-rad is still working on getting all the crop harvested & hauled into the grainery.  The BIG McAfee Christmas is next Saturday & at first B-rad thought he'd still be combining corn so we wouldn't be able to go, but then he waivered a bit because he & his brother decided to take off work yesterday & today to try & finish this weekend.  But when he came home last night he declared, "Yea - I'm pretty sure we're gonna be running next weekend..."  SO...I'm not sure if the actual McAfee will make it to the BIG McAfee Christmas or not??  I mean - I can go without him (he talks to people & I talk to people Alicia so it's not like we even see each other the whole night... {we do sit next to each other when we eat!}).  After all,  I've been in the damn family for over 15 years, but it kinda feels weird to go to a family function w/ out the actual family member.  However - I've committed to making corn & by God I don't want to disappoint anyone...

(And for all you smart asses who know my cooking skills I have found a creamed corn Crockpot recipe on Pinterest I'm gonna try, so there...)

I have been working on Christmas shopping.  This year has been tough on me - I have NOT been in the Christmas spirit.  I didn't even start THINKING of things to buy until last week.  THAT, people, is unheard of... I am taking off work next week to try & finish up Christmas shopping & wrapping.  (So Marcia - you won't see me at moms...)  I've also started planning a few other fun things to do.  I have a friends daughters choir concert Monday night, lunch w/ a friend Tuesday, & that night a painting class at Uptown Art w/ JLL & Alicia I'm excited about.  I have another friend figuring out her plans for the week & we are going to try & get together to go to the new outlet mall in Simpsonville. I haven't been there yet.  BLASPHEMY.   So if you're gonna be bored next week & you wanna hang out - let me know!  My week is filling up as quickly as Taylor Swift sells out concerts!

A few weeks ago I went shopping & bought me a little something.... If you recall, my most recent Dooney was bright blue which was great, but just doesn't work for winter.  I decided that with the money Brian gave me for helping w/ the costume contest I would buy a new purse.  I mean - DUH.  However when I was dumb enough to walk through the Dooney section found this beauty I couldn't pass it up... lets just say the money he gave me ALMOST paid for the wallet... (thanks Brian for the new wallet!)
Yes, I have a sickness - but COME ON - this thing is awesome...  I wasn't planning to buy a Dooney...it just happened.  Typically I try not to don't pay that much for handbags (because I know I will carry it for approximately 3.4 months & never touch it again) but I justified this one because my dad had given me some money a few months ago which was more than enough to cover it.  NO BRAINER.  (Even B-rad said when I told him how much it cost, "You paid $xxx for that purse?" {I mean-he didn't care that I did - he was just shocked because I'm usually cheaper than that.})  

Merry Christmas to ME. 

 B-rad's brother sent us a picture a few weeks ago from obviously a long, LONG time ago.  I have NO clue how old we are here...maybe early 20's?   I don't think we were married yet...

I LOVED that Esprit sweatshirt!  Do ya'll remember 'Esprit' stuff?!   That & 'Guess' were my 'go to' clothing!

I got my nails done this past week & I always go to Pinterest to find cute things to do w/ them since I have no creativity gene.  I saw LOTS of Santa's, Santa hats, reindeer, Christmas lights, etc but none of that is me.  THEN I found these - & I was ALLLL about these nails...

Sadly my nail place didn't have large red & green glitters...so we had to improvise.  I don't love them as much as I love the ones on Pinterest, but I'm 'ok' w/ how they look.  They are much cuter when the light hits the glitter & makes it shine.  Ya just never know how people are going to react to black nails.  I love them because they just look 'clean' to me.  I've had people tell me they're cute & other people tell me I look goth.  Best thing about it is I don't care what they think they'll be different in two weeks...

 I go through phases w/ Pinterest where I'm not on it forever & then I'm on it all the time.  After the Christmas tree decoration debacle I've been on there a bit & I found this shirt.  Sorry for the language, but I find this hilarious...

 Lastly, I know what a Podcast is, but I've never really wanted to listen to one.  B-rad listens to them ALL the time about archery stuff.  My current obsession is a Podcast called 'Serial'.  Gretchen told me about it (because she's cool & hip like that) & when she said EVERYONE was listening to it I had no choice but to join in.  I can't miss out on something that EVERYONE is doing (It's a wonder I never became a drug addict or alcoholic...My thirst for control must out-weigh my thirst for wanting to be like everyone else...)  It's like a true crime kinda thing.  This reporter is investigating a crime from the 90's (yea, like forever ago) where a 17 year old kid was charged & convicted of murdering his equally young girlfriend with NO physical evidence.  WHAT?   I do love me a true crime story so G knew I would love it... and I DO.   The last episode comes out next week.  If you like this kind of thing & would like to listen to the Podcast it's not too late to catch up!  You can search for it in your Podcast app on your super cool iPhone (I mean - assuming you all have super cool iPhones... I mean-who doesn't?)  My favorite part is you can download them to your phone when you're at a place where you can steal use their high speed internet & then listen whenever you want.   OH-no one else has to steal high speed internet because they don't have it at home?  I hate you - to the CORE...

If mesh is flammable, I'm in trouble...

Friday night I put up the purple silver glittery masterpiece, but this year I made a few changes.  

Ya know how we un-crafty, un-creative people go on Pinterest to be inspired to create AMAZING things?  And 90% of the time they turn out to be eh...?  

While I was wasting time on Pinterest one day I saw where people had pinned all these BEEEEE-U-TI-FUL Christmas trees.  Like they looked like a professional had walked into their homes & waved a magic wand & I was hooked.  I don't know WHY I think I'm capable of such nonsense when I'm SOOO not...but Pinterest sucked me in - again.

There were only two ideas I found on Pinterest that actually worked the way I wanted them to.  TWO.   The first suggested to put lights between your branch rows.  Mom always said "lights make the tree" so I always tried to shove them deep into the branches to make them prettier, but this idea worked even better.  I put on a row of branches, then lined each branch with lights.  I didn't get all crazy & wrap the lights around the branches ( I have NO patience for that) but I laid the lights down one side of the branch, then came back on the other side of the branch.  Essentially each branch had 2 sections of lights on them.  I must say that doing the lights this way made a HUGE difference on the tree.  I can totally tell where I ran out of lights to do this method at the top.  (More on that in a minute...)

The other idea I read was to use pipe cleaners rather than hooks for ornaments.  I bought green pipe cleaners since my tree is, well - GREEN.  They stick out like a sore thumb.  I tried to fold them over & push them back into the tree to hide them, but they are noticeable if you look.  

 The other good idea I read was to have different shaped ornaments.  When I re-designed our my tree into the purple silver glittery masterpiece I had only silver & purple balls.  This year I bought a few new pieces that were not round...

 The purple glitter flower - I DIE.

 I also bought some more silver glitter twig thingies to stick in the tree.

This was my our tree 2 years ago.  Sure, it's cute & all...

 But this year I added mesh instead of ribbon.  And you are gonna wonder, "WHY didn't she have purple mesh?"  Well- don't worry your pretty little heads about that, because I DID have purple mesh.  HOWEVER after I wrapped the tree in it, it got lost.  It did not 'pop' like I wanted & I had to un-do it all.  (that's part of the reason it took me 3 hours to decorate the tree...I was exhausted!)  I also saw on Pinterest to put the mesh at the top & work your way down rather than 'wrapping' the tree.  Of course it looked wonderful on that tree....  

And of all the things I choose to obsess about - this stupid tree is one of 'em.  I don't know why - no one comes to visit my tree.  No one drives by our house JUST so they can see how crazy  Mrs. McAfee decorated her tree this year.  But I sit & stare at it - then I get up & re-arrange ornaments....

I step back & give it a hard stare - then I move mesh...

If you look closely - you can see those damn pipe cleaners holding the mesh onto the branches.  

(In the spirit of full disclosure - what I lack in obsession in normal, every day life - I make up for w/ impatience.  I'm SURE I could take the time to painstakingly position the mesh & pipe cleaners in such a way that it's hidden.... but no - I don't care quite that much.  NOW-if I thought my tree was going to gain some sort of critical acclaim you can bet your booty I would.  But just for me, B-rad to look at & Sonny to lay under?  Nu uh...)

On Sunday (TWO days after it was 'done') I got the bright idea to add some purple mesh. (I may or may not have been on Pinterest) so I took the purple mesh I didn't use & cut it into like 12" strips.  Mesh is VERY easy to work with & it curls naturally... So I 'tied' (I did NOT use green pipe cleaners) the 12" strips of purple mesh to some branches & let the curls hang down.  

And if you think that the purple mesh curls are haphazardly thrown together - tsk tsk - that would not be obsessive...

 And to be fair, I wanted you to see the change from Friday night to Sunday afternoon...less than 48 hours later...

(and as a side note to the lights - this tiny tree has 600 lights on it right now.  Lining the branches takes a lot of extra lights & I had bought 2 more '100 light' strands before I decorated. {That means normally my tiny tree had 400 lights on it.} but I ran out at the top.  I have bought another '100 light' strand to add next year.  NO I am not obsessive patient enough to un-do everything at the top to add another strand of lights.  I'm crazy, but not that crazy...)
And I may be a bit biased here, but I think the purple mesh is a good addition...

 And for a minute I need to say God bless B-rad.  I don't know many husbands who would let their wives have a PURPLE Christmas tree let alone the 9,000,000 pounds of glitter that go along with it, but he does & he doesn't say anything about it.  
He has recently been 'into' purple himself though.  The newest bow he is buying is going to be purple.  Now - I would never say that my love obsession w/ purple has swayed him in any way, but lets be honest here - he didn't stand a chance w/ all the purple crap I throw at him.  He had no choice but to embrace it...