For starters, I’d like to share a couple delicacies {at least in my mind} that everyone should try this holiday season!

#1) Ferrero Rocher Dark Chocolates "Rondnoir"

Words can’t express how these taste!  The diagram above does help put into words… "a combination of layered creamy and crispy textures with a rich, dark chocolate flavor."  SIGN ME UP!  They sell these bad boys at Wal-mart, but I’d be willing to pay boutique prices for them… that says a lot if you know me!  I bought a cute small box for a friend and she shared one with me.  The Ferrero family also created Nutella.  Also a delicious treat!

#2) Pillsbury ‘Ready to Bake’ Cookies

Well the folks at Ferrero Rocher will probably be humiliated to be up there on my list with Pillsbury Ready to Bake cookies, but sorry… it’s true.  If you haven’t tried these cookies yet… you are missing out!  My friend Jan brought a package by last week, thanks Jan!!! They were YUMMMMMMY!  Also note: they can be reheated in the oven (I did this last night as I was preheating the oven for dinner, just stuck a couple in to warm them) and they didn’t get hard… they were soft and chewy just like when I first pulled them out the first time I baked them! 

As we got in bed last night {yes in the winter I sleep in long underwear- try it if you haven’t they don’t get jammed up above your knees like most PJ pants} and my precious husband rolled over and said "I have to ask you a very important question".  I thought to myself ‘what in the world?‘

He said "Did you tell me you wore a "normal" or a "short" in those pants at JCrew?"

Bless his heart.  The boy hasn’t had time to do his shopping yet.  But that’s okay, because what I’m dreaming of doesn’t fit under a Christmas tree…

I insisted that all I wanted was grass and a fence for Christmas.  I’m being serious.  For Valentine’s Day last year I requested compost manure for my garden.  And by-golly… I got a huge dump truck load of it! 

This Christmas I want some sod for the back yard:

And a fence:

Practical things we can both enjoy, not to mention the girls (canine)!  Of course we cannot buy pre-fab fencing from Home Depot… we’ll have to have unique pickets – or buy the prefab and adapt to our own liking.

Here’s one near my sister’s house that I’ve had my eye on for quite awhile too:

That first fence photo came from a blog I just discovered that is great… as if I don’t have enough daily reading in Google Reader, I’ve now added Katie Hutchison’s House Enthusiast to my list!

Enter Guest Bloggers: Penelope & Paisley… the canines in the family deserve a little love too!

We have been very good this year and we have our eyes on a couple items:

1) a new bed

Thank you Orvis!!… we like this plaid dog bed.  Not sure we can get used to not having the back support that our "nest" style beds have now, but we (like our mom) like how that one looks.  And sometimes fashion over function is okay.

2) car seats

That’s not us in the photo above, but that’s totally how we roll.  We are also not to be mistaken with "pure breed" Jack Russells, we are mixed breed Terri-huahuas (that’s part terrier (Jack Russell perhaps) and part Chihuahua).  And we are proud of it!  Mom thinks we’d be safer in car seats than hanging out the window.  We could get used to the concept.  Especially if we can sit higher, and see better out the windows. 

And mom was able to scrounge up a picture of us in our usually positions in the car:

Signing off,

Penelope & Paisley

(we are not related, we just look a lot alike, we are both rescues… to find a loved one like us try: www.petfinder.com )

Well, I can only assume that Arre has been as busy as I have!?  I love the holidays but geez it’s hard to find time with so much going on!   

Had a Christmas soiree last night.  If there is music, there is dancing.  {At least at our house, anyway!}  We had an absolute blast, and it’s a pot-luck party, which (sort-of) takes the stress out of hosting it!  

Growing up we always had one of these "magnolia leaves, apples, pineapple" (someone fill me in if there is a name for this thing) boards over our front door.  I looked up the tradition (I thought this was a Kentucky-thing) but it’s not… it’s a Williamsburg-thing.  I love the colors… and that it’s fresh. I haven’t made one yet, but I intend to do so ASAP.  Supposed to cool off this weekend, which will elevate my Christmas spirits!  I snagged some tree trimmings at Home Depot… but they are still in a cardboard box in my driveway (lovely) I had intentions of wiring up garland yesterday, but one thing lead to another and I didn’t get it done.  Maybe this evening. 

This photo below is from a cyber-friend and fellow AU graduate, Jennifer!  She sent me this fabulous idea – spray painted grapevine wreaths.  I loved the idea so much I implemented my own version.  I can only imagine what the rest of her house looks like… feast your eyes on her version: 

And… for mine… I opted for red spray paint.  BTW, spray paint is cheap ($1.47/can), the wreaths: mine are from Michael’s… where an 18" wreath will cost you a mere $3.95, so I bought one for all the windows on the front of the house.  I bought "artichoke" (that’s the Sherwin Williams color that my house is painted) ribbon at Michaels also – and WAH LAH!  Oh, and if you are into spray painting… I use a garden "sheppard’s hook" – you know the type that are intended to hold hanging baskets or bird feeders.  They double as a great holder to hang stuff from while painting.  Mine has many colors from chandeliers and various other stuff I’ve sprayed in my back yard!

Painting in progress:

The new "she shed" was worthy of a wreath too:

Even the porch doors (sorry the photo is so dark, they are now spot-lit) got their own:

In other random news, we just got a JCrew here.  It’s a "JCrew at-the-beach" boutique.  I think the guy working there thought I was totally insane.  I have a slight obsession with retail displays, be it the tables the folded clothes are sitting on, or the check-out register counter, or the dressing rooms… I soak it in like sponge.  {I might have missed my calling, retail design would be a blast}  Anyway, I think they really get it @ JCrew, their stores are designed and tailored to appeal to their shoppers.  I should do a post on "people who get it".  There are few in this world… that truly get "design and what sells" (this guy is one who gets it)… but I’ll save that for another day.  I told the guy working at JCrew about 10 times how much I liked the store… he probably thought I was lying considering I didn’t buy the pants (that I loved and fit perfect, thanks to Cam’s post on them) I tried on.  I really wanted to go back in there with my camera and snap a few shots,  but that’s a little over the top.    

This shirt was on sale, I’ve had my eye on it for awhile, I think I’ll drop a hint to the Santa that stuffs my stocking…

Did you notice her leopard belt with the plaid… mmm… I like.

One of our hostess gifts from last night was adorned with this tag, thanks Kate & Josh.  I do love these, I may need to order us some of our own:

Until next time…