Better Late Than Never. Right?

January 8, 2020 By Linda 11 Comments

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say no other blogger is sharing Christmas decor in January. 😉

I mean, all the cool kids (and by kids I mean grown women in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and older) regaled you with their perfectly appointed Christmas homes way back in November and early December.

And now all the cool kids (aka, grown women) are in full New Year, New You swing.

Because all I’m seeing in my email inbox are blogger stories reflecting back on 2019 with “best of’s” and “favorite projects,” and stories looking forward to 2020 that include books to be read and healthy foods to be consumed and exercise routines to be followed and homes to be organized.

I’ve got none of that!

I guess you should count me among the nerds. Or the socially awkward.

But, then again, all those other bloggers didn’t have a turn of events in December that sent their aging father to the hospital, and then rehab. And left their aging mother in a state of confused panic.

And melodrama. Lots and lots of melodrama. 😉

And stress. Lots and lots of stress!

So I find myself in Florida at the start of the New Year. Away from my children and husband as I help (hopefully) my parents cope with their new reality.

Whatever that may be.

It’s a long and uncertain road as we all try to work together to figure out if they can still live independently.

And when I say “we all work together” I mean my sister, brother and I are getting a lot of push back from two very stubborn, aging parents who greatly overestimate how healthy they are and downplay their limitations! 😉

Before I departed on this fateful trip to Florida, I took a few pictures of my Christmas living room.

I debated if I should even share …

or just tuck them away into my photo archives, never to be seen on the blog.

But …

energy was expended.

Work was put into the photo shoot. Things were moved around. Surfaces dusted. Floors swept and vacuumed. Time devoted to taking pictures. And downloading pictures. And reviewing those pictures. And picking favorites. And editing and re-editing and editing again those favorites.

So in the end, I decided to be daring ….

and dare to share Christmas in January!

I’m going with I’m waaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of the curve by sharing Christmas at the start of 2020 …

versus the end.

Who knows. Maybe this makes me the coolest of the cool kids now? Says the socially awkward grown woman.

🙂

A Belated Merry Christmas

December 31, 2019 By Linda 19 Comments

… and a (complicated) Happy New Year!

Remember last month when I was telling you how I wasn’t feeling the holiday mojo this year? How getting the decorations up felt like a struggle?

Which made me extra sad because I had all these amazing craft and blog post ideas that I never pulled the trigger on!

And just about the time I was mustering up the energy to go all in on Christmas …

well …

things hit the fan.

My parents retired to Florida close to 30 years ago. And they’ve lived a lovely life in their lovely condo.

But they’re not getting any younger (mom is 86; dad is 88). And, with age, comes complications. And a week-and-a-half before Christmas my father was hospitalized.

Now, it would all be so much easier to understand if there was a reason he was hospitalized. Like a heart incident. Or infection. Or something …

but there isn’t.

So now he’s in rehab. He’s weak, but showing improvement. He’s working very hard. But he’s far from being able to return to his previous independent lifestyle. And my mother is in no position to be his full-time caregiver.

Hard decisions need to be made.

So as I work with my sister and brother (and, hopefully with my parents cooperation) to work through those hard decisions, I will be posting sporadically as I travel to and from Chicago to Florida to Chicago again over the next few months.

Here’s hoping you have a much less complicated 2020 than I!

🙂

Christmas in Chicago’s Loop

December 10, 2019 By Linda 13 Comments

Christmas in Chicago’s Loop – Macy’s, Christkindlmarket.

Today I’m joining up with a group of bloggers who are bravely leaving the warmth and comfort of our holiday-decorated homes to venture outside and share some of our favorite holiday sights around our neighborhoods, towns, cities and states.

Thank you Jennifer @Town & Country Living for organizing this great tour! And be sure to follow the links at the end of this post to check out my blogging friends.

I’ll start today’s post with a quick Chicago geography lesson: Downtown Chicago – where you’ll find the hi rise buildings – is divided by the Chicago River …

as beautifully shown in the opening sequence of The Bob Newhart Show.

North of the river you’ll find The Magnificent Mile and River North.

South of the river is The Loop.

When I worked downtown, I was north of the River. On The Magnificent Mile. And was very familiar with the holiday decor along Michigan Avenue.

Pro tip: It’s best seen at dusk/night because each and every tree lining the street is strung with hundreds and thousands of twinkle lights.

But I’m embarrassed to say I never ventured south of the River during the holidays …

hangs head in shame.

In my defense, I worked hard, long hours on Michigan Avenue and just wanted to get home at day’s end.

So I thought it was overdue time to correct my 25+ year misstep and head south of the River to walk around The Loop. With my camera in hand …

I started at Macy’s.

Captured some street musicians.

Loved this giant bow on Old Navy.

I stumbled up on the annual Christkindlemarket in Daley Plaza …

I capped off my Loop tour with a few quick shots of the decor outside of Petterino’s Restaurant in The Goodman Theater.

And, no, I did not stop in for a bite to eat.

Maybe next year! 🙂

Be sure to check out my blogging friend’s favorite Christmas places:

MONDAY

Town and Country Living / My Sweet Savannah / Finding Silver Pennies

Hymns and Verses / Duke Manor Farm

TUESDAY

Saw Nail and Paint / It All Started with Paint / Maison de Cinq / Southern Hospitality

December in the City

December 7, 2019 By Linda 17 Comments

December in the City – December in Chicago – Cozy Living in December.

It’s the first Saturday of the month and that means I’m joining up with some fabulous bloggers (led by Jennifer @Town & Country Living) to share how we make our homes and lives cozy in the month of December.

December in Chicago can range from mild (and even a bit rainy) to bitter below zero cold. And we aren’t even guaranteed snow on the ground when Christmas day rolls around.

I mean, cold with no snow is just cold. Especially on Christmas day!

But regardless of temperature or snow fall levels, December gets a pass from me. You will hear zero complaints about said temperatures and said snow fall levels.

Okay, not entirely true. I will complain if, once again, we have no snow on the ground on Christmas day!

But this month (mostly) gets a pass from me is because December comes with twinkle lights!

Just look at that top picture. Even Ernie the Beagle likes getting cozy in December with the twinkle lights.

And you know what happens when you live in a city where your house is just an arm’s reach from your neighbors?

It means lots and lots and lots of twinkle lights lighting up your street, your block and your entire neighborhood!

All I need to do is look out the front window and my heart is filled with all those twinkling twinkle lights!

Now, admittedly, I’m running a little late this year in pulling out the twinkle lights (as I explained in yesterday’s post). So this is my tree from last year …

but I’m pretty sure this year’s tree will look eerily similar to last year. 🙂

And my neighbors with all their twinkle lights are putting me to shame. So today, as you read this, I will be making a thousand trips down to and up from the basement to pull out the Christmas decorations.

And the twinkle lights!

Because honestly, inside I’m feeling a little twinkle light deprived!

The one downside of the twinkle lights is that I can’t see that cozy, fluffy pup when I’m working on my laptop …

because I sit on the other side of that twinkling tree.

So for the next month or so, I can’t just reach over and give him a little pet on the head.

Though, I’ll be honest, I don’t think he minds all that much. He’s not a beg for pets kind of dog. In fact, after he “allows” me to pet him he expects a treat! Ha!

Be sure to follow the links below to see how my fellow bloggers are making their homes — and lives — cozy this December:

Finding Silver Pennies / Vinyet Etc. / Making It in the Mountains

Duke Manor Farm / It All Started with Paint / Town and Country Living

Sincerely Marie Designs / Hymns and Verses / Creative Cain Cabin

And you can find my full collection of Chicago Cozy Living in the City posts at the links below:

September in the City / October in the City / November in the City

Mason Jar Santa Suit Cozy

December 6, 2019 By Linda 12 Comments

Mason Jar Santa Suit Cozy – Christmas Mason Jar Craft with Duck Tape.

I’m going to be brutally honest with you …

I’m not feeling the fa la la love feels yet this year.

And don’t let this Christmas craft project fool you.

This is from last year. A project I made for Duck Tape that I featured on my other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love.

It’s my very favorite Duck Tape project I’ve made. Of. All. Time.

And, no, I’m not getting paid again by Duck Tape to share it on this blog. Just to be crystal clear.

I’m sharing it in the hopes of jump starting my Christmas cheer.

You see, I don’t have a single tree up.

Gasp.

My dining table and side tables are still sporting pumpkins.

Double gasp!

And when the sun sets each night, my neighbors are shaming me with their twinkling Christmas tree reminders that I have no trees up.

Sigh.

But why? Why am I so bah humbug? The television has been tuned day and night to Lifetime and Hallmark and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Christmas movies since Halloween!

Perhaps I need a trip to downtown Chicago to try and spark a little Christmas cheer?

Or maybe … just maybe … I’m procrastinating. Because the house needs a good cleaning before decor can be displayed.

Or maybe … just maybe … my Christmas decorations are a disorganized mess down in the bowels of the basement.

So here’s hoping that dusting off one of my all time favorite Christmas mason jar craft’s and sharing it here today could help jump start my Fa La La love …

as well as my procrastination and disorganization issues! 🙂

How To Make Mason Jar Santa Suit Cozy

Materials*

Regular Mouth Pint Size (16 oz.) Mason Jars

1.88″ White Duck Tape

1.88″ Red Duck Tape

Black Buttons

White Paper

Ruler

Scissor

Glue or Glue Gun (Optional)

*includes some affiliate links.

Cut a length of plain white copy paper 10 1/2″ by 2 3/4.” This will be the base for the Santa suit cozy.

Cover one side of the 10 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ white paper with white duck tape. I used 1.88″ duck tape and needed two strips that overlapped. Trim excess from ends.

Cut a strip of 1.88″ red Duck Tape about two inches longer than the cozy length (12 1/2″+ long). Lay down the center of the cozy, leaving a little less than a 1/2″ of white Duck Tape exposed on either side.

Trim the red tape on one end flush with the cozy length and leave about 1/2″ to 3/4″ extra length of red on the other end (this will be used to secure the cozy around the mason jar (see below)

Cut a small piece of duck tape and fold over itself, leaving sticky side up. Stick to two black buttons (you can also use glue or your hot glue gun for this step).

Attach buttons. And your mason jar Santa suit cozy is done!

These are removable and can be wipe down. So no need to worry about any spilled milk! 🙂

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Thanksgiving Dining Room

November 27, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

Thanksgiving Dining Room – Thanksgiving Centerpiece & Table Setting.

I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year …

but if I was, this is what my Thanksgiving dining room, table and centerpiece would look like.

And although I’m not hosting Thanksgiving, this is a monumental year.

And for many, many, many years following this year I will be hosting.

Indefinitely.

You see, my sister-in-law and her husband are moving. Opting for warmer climes in their retirement.

So she will be hosting this one last time … in the beautiful, cozy home where she raised her family … this year.

And after she leaves, our Thanksgiving celebration will become much, much, much more intimate. Mike and I and our kids. And Mike’s sister Sarah …

though I have the feeling she may travel at Thanksgiving time to visit her sister in the warmer climes that she loves so much.

There is something bittersweet about Thanksgiving this year.

I know this is a natural progression. Families expand. Families compress. And families expand again.

For my family, we’ve now entered the compression stage of life.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 🙂

Thanksgiving Place Card Printable

November 7, 2019 By Linda 4 Comments

Thanksgiving Place Card Printable – Free Thanksgiving Printables.

Sometimes blog posts just write themselves. The words just flow. The ideas pour out my head faster than I can write. Or type.

And sometimes ….

sometimes I’ve got nothing. Just a big blank space in my head. Nada. Nothing. Nunca.

And then sometimes …

sometimes I’m in a DayQuil slash TheraFlu slash Aleve haze.

That’s the space I’m in this week.

It hit me this weekend. Out of nowhere.

Woke up Saturday feeling like my head weighed 150 pounds.

That was followed up with a massive, splitting headache. And sore throat. And swollen glands.

You get the picture.

All week long it’s been lingering in that place where I don’t feel quite right, but can still function.

Annoying.

So the still functioning part of me created some simple doodle art Thanksgiving place cards …

And the don’t feel quite right part of me is at a loss for words.

I blame the DayQuil slash TheraFlu slash Aleve haze.

The still functioning part of me created a second version of this doodle art Thanksgiving place card printable that you can attach to the napkin with some baker’s twine.

Like so …

It’s pretty clear the over over-the-counter-medicated side of me cannot figure out how to edit down the number of pictures to include in this post! 🙂

To download and print out these doodle art Thanksgiving Place Cards, just click here …

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**Thanksgiving/Fall Table Setting Ideas**

Painted Snowy Tree Mason Jar

November 5, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

Painted Snowy Tree Mason Jar – Christmas Tree Mason Jar Craft.

I seriously debated if perhaps I should wait another week …

or two …

before pulling out the Christmas crafts.

Because, between you and me, I’ve been Christmas crafting up a storm. With the requisite cheesy Lifetime and/or Hallmark Channel Christmas love stories playing in the background, of course! 🙂

And when I’m not Christmas crafting, I’ve looking on Pinterest and Google Images for some potential craft ideas I can adapt and customize and share with you.

(As an aside, hey Google when are you going to recognize the spelling of Pinterest? Every time I type it into a blog post you give me the big red underline that screams “Hey dummy, don’t you know how to spell?“)

But then I took my dog for a walk last evening. And did you know what I spotted?

Two — count em two — houses with their Christmas trees up. Lights and decorations and all!

Who knows how many more trees I would have spotted if we had taken a longer walk? 😉

So that right there settled it. If Chicago is ready to embrace Christmas, then so am I!

I actually made this mason jar as part of a wedding gift for my newly married niece.

Now, I’ve never seen her house but I’m guessing she might like a painted snowy tree mason jar because (1) she got married in a barn; (2) she paints hand made signs that she posts on Facebook and; (3) she has chickens in her back yard!

That’s like a perfect trifecta for some mason jar crafty love!

Painted Snowy Tree Mason Jar Tutorial

Materials

Ball Regular Mouth Pint (16 oz.) Mason Jars

Gray Paint (I used this Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint, but you can use an acrylic gray too)

White Paint

Americana Holly Green Paint

Paint Brushes

80 Grit Sandpaper

Toothpicks

Matte Spray Sealant (this is my go-to favorite that never yellows the whites)

*some affiliate links included.

Start with two coats of paint. Let dry completely between coats (I typically give it an overnight to dry).

Distress along raised letters and edges with 80 grit sandpaper.

Add a dot of green paint.

Use toothpick to stretch paint upwards to form tree top …

… and downwards to create branches.

Use toothpick and white paint to add snow to the top …

… and the branches.

Add brown tree trunk using toothpick.

Sprinkle in some dots of snow.

Finish with spray of matte sealant. This is my favorite brand (link here) which never yellows the whites.

P.S. I guess technically this mason jar isn’t just Christmas. It’s more of a winter craft … if that makes it any better that I’m sharing it two months before official winter kicks in! 🙂

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Snowy Tree Painted Mason Jar - Winter Mason Jar Crafts - Christmas Tree Mason Jar. Painted snowy tree mason jar. Christmas tree mason jar craft. How to paint evergreen trees on mason jars. How to paint snowy Christmas trees. Winter craft mason jar.

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November in Chicago

November 2, 2019 By Linda 9 Comments

November in Chicago – Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas – Cozy Living Ideas for November.

November.

Sigh.

I’ll be honest. If it wasn’t for that big giant feast at the end of the month — you know, the one with the turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce — you (November) could quite possibly be my least favorite month of the year.

Sure, you’re not the coldest.

Sure, you don’t typically come in with snow (unlike this year!).

Sure, you’re one of the shortest of months of the year.

But none of these truths can overlook the fact that you’re the gateway month. You, November, are the beginning of what will only be a long, cold, gray (and potentially snowy) Chicago winter.

So in November, I find myself bringing the cozy inside. And occupying myself with Thanksgiving preparations …

you know, to try and distract from that cold thing. 🙂

Once again, I’m joining some blogging friends (organized by Jennifer at Town & Country Living) to share some thoughts on how we make each month cozy!

In November, I like to focus on creating cozy table setting ideas for that big end-of-month feast. Like this one I recently created that features black, white and orange.

And then there’s this more neutral centerpiece and table setting, using fabric pumpkins and jute pumpkins and faux eucalyptus …

I also really liked the year I went all white pumpkin and hydrangea. Everything was real and fresh …

Remember when I was all about color and contrast? Before I adopted neutrals? That’s when I went crazy and painted pumpkins for my Thanksgiving table setting idea …

A few years back I even created a free printable place card for Thanksgiving.

But the #1 thing I look forward to in November … and what truly makes the house super cozy … is setting up the Christmas tree in the dining room in time for that end-of-month feast!

Twinkle lights make everything better!

Be sure to check out my blogging friends to see how they cozy up to November!

Duke Manor Farm / Sincerely Marie Designs / Finding Silver Pennies / Creative Cain Cabin

Town and Country Living / Making It in the Mountains / It All Started with Paint

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Halloween in Chicago

October 31, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

I never fully embraced Halloween this year.

Oh, who am I kidding. There was zero embracing involved.

The porch was completely naked until last week. When I added two sad little pumpkins.

And on Monday (yes, three days ago Monday), I added three mums from Home Depot.

I didn’t even bring up my Halloween haul from the basement.

I mean, why bother at this point? I would just have to haul it all back down this weekend.

I’m not sure what has led to my Halloween apathy this year.

Perhaps not having my daughter at home contributed?

She has been egging me on these past few years, adding spiders and skeletons to my typically pumpkin and mums mix.

So in lieu of sharing my sad, pathetic and apathetic Halloween front porch this year, I thought I’d shine a spotlight on my neighbors …

they’ve really outdid themselves this year!

I love, love, love these brooms. I may need to figure out how to diy my own next year.

My Halloween tour companion Ernie made a new friend!

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Vegan Pesto with Walnuts

October 29, 2019 By Linda 1 Comment

Vegan Pesto with Walnuts – Easy Pesto Recipe.

Those who’ve been hanging around here for awhile know I like me some TV watching.

Not all day watching. But I do like to chill at the end of the day with a glass of wine and good binge.

My TV viewing tastes are all over the place. And can change with the wind.

But I’ll always say yes to Say Yes To The Dress.

And I’m always up for just about anything Bravo. Especially a little pot stirring with the Real Housewives of New York. And Orange County. And Beverly Hills.

And then there’s Below Deck. I’m all in for everything below, above and off deck too!

Gilmore Girls? Can’t get enough. I’ve watched each episode so many times that I’m very close to repeating episodes line-for-line!

90 Day Fiance? I’m obsessed with this franchise in all it’s iterations: during, before, after, the other way. I even watch as 90 Day Fiance-ers watch news episodes of new 90 Day Fiance-ers. Confusing, right?

And now we are entering the Hallmark Christmas movie season.

Sigh.

But here’s the real shocker …

are you ready for it?

I’ve recently added a series of YouTube channels to my viewing repertoire!

(Holds my head in shame).

I stumbled across Van Life on YouTube and I’m obsessed.

What’s Van Life, you may be asking?

Well, it’s simply that. Living in vans. People have converted their vans into rolling homes. And some of the conversions are amazing! And then they take their Van Life on the road. Around the U.S. To Mexico. Through Mexico. To Central America. Through Central America. To South America. Through South America …

you get the idea …

and one couple recently shipped their van across the Atlantic and are now Van Life-ing in Europe!

I’ll link some of my favorite Van Life YouTube channels at the end of the post if you want to check them out.

But there is one couple who frequently share their Van Life meals. All plant-based vegan. And they recently created an ebook with recipes that I just love, love, love. Including this Pesto recipe (which I slightly modified to adjust to my tastes) …

Print Pin

Pesto with Walnuts

Vegan Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped (you can use pine nuts too)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic
2 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP nutritional yeast

Instructions

Combine basil, walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in blender. Blend until smooth.

Ebook Link:

Here’s the Weekday Whip Ups Plant-Based Ebook from Van Lifers Eamon & Bec (p.s. I get nothing from promoting this ebook; I just am really enjoying the recipes and wanted to share!)

My Favorite Van Lifers:

Eamon & Bec – A Canadian couple in a beautifully converted Mercedes Sprinter van currently traveling through Europe

Kinging-It – This adorable couple recently converted a small bus (they named Custard) and are sharing their amazing trip through Europe. Pre-Custard, they’ve taken some wild trips in cars, vans and even a rickshaw through India!

Trent & Allie (and their dog Frank!) – Beautiful van conversion; they traveled through Mexico, Central America and are currently making their way to the tip of South America

Tio Adventura – They have a schooley (converted school bus) but are selling it and plan to take up Van Life! Can’t wait for their adventures!

Kombi Life – Ben is from the tiny island of Jersey off the coast of Great Britain and has spent the past 10 years traveling. His biggest trip was from the tip of South America to Alaska along the Pan-American Highway in a beat up VW bus. Along the way he adopted a Peruvian street dog and named her Alaska! He’s currently converting a new VW bus and plans a trip around the world with his girlfriend & Alaska the dog, of course!

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You can find all my recipes at this link …

Tissue Paper Flowers DIY

October 24, 2019 By Linda 7 Comments

Tissue Paper Flowers DIY – How To Make Tissue Paper Flowers – Script Tissue Paper Flower.

Tissue Paper Flowers DIY - How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers - Script Tissue Paper in Gray, Off White

I was in college when I first discovered that I have absolutely no business taking care of living plants.

My mother dropped me off in State College, PA my freshman year complete with all my new-for-college clothes, my favorite stuffed animals, a collection of pictures from high school to post on my bulletin board, some posters to decorate the walls, a brand new pastel striped comforter and bedding …

and a plant.

A real, live, living plant. She thought it would add some life (literally) to the room.

Bwahahahahahahaha. How little did she — and me! — know then. 😉

I really didn’t give it a second thought. I mean, it’s a just a plant after all. We had plants around the house and all of them seemed fine (note: my mom took care of those plants at home).