The Elephant in the Dining Room UPDATE

So no sooner than I posted that serious white girl problems post about the lack of dining room furniture did a solution present itself. Note to self: anytime one has problems, just blab them to the blogger universe and they will resolve themselves!

Mama H. came in town this past weekend to hang out and help me finish up some last details with the nursery. (Let's be very honest though: she was here in case I went in to labor while Mr. B was gallivanting around a golf course in Spain and drinking way too much beer. But no worries friends, the bun in still in the oven!)

Mr. B had mentioned, as he does every month, that I should check out the listing for the local monthly auction as there were a couple items which I might be interested. I sort of ignored him at first, but finally found myself scrolling through the pictures when BAM. I saw a dining room table. AH-HA!

Well yall know I just LOVE the auction. Think of all the deals we've scored over the years at various auctions: rocking chairs, dining chairs, pansy paintings, a Persian rug...oh I'm sure I've left a bunch of stuff out. I love the adrenaline rush (and so did Baby B! He/she was kicking up a storm when I was bidding!) and I love feeling like I crushed the competition when I win (um, competitive much?).

Mama H. and I went to check out the table and chairs the day before and they passed the test. Of course, this is a used table, so it wasn't in brand new retail condition, but that's okay. It had a little wear and tear, but let's be honest, YOU KNOW if I brought home a brand new table I'd find a way to scratch it within 7.3 seconds of it being in my home. That's just how it goes with me.

Fast forward to auction day, and lucky number 147, and the table + two leaves + 8 chairs were mine.

(pictures from the Auction House website)

 

I'd been hankering for a double pedestal table and while I'd prefer a little less upholstery on the chairs, I'll take it! The good news is the cream is so neutral (and clean) they don't need to be reupholstered immediately.

 

I've found what looks to be a later edition of the set by Broyhill so if I want the sideboard / buffet / china cabinet, I can hopefully match it so that only I know (and yall too!) how we pieced together this little deal. And it still leaves me the flexibility to find a really unique (and non-matching piece!) for the room instead. Call it the best of both worlds.

 

Hello jigsaw puzzles, turkey and stuffing and lots of family memories around this table!

 



The best Christmas present EVER

Look no further friends. I have discovered the ultimate present for almost any occasion. Wait, let's give credit where credit is due: my DAD discovered the best present. And, he found it in the Wall Street Journal, no less. (So typical of my father.)

For Christmas, he had 15 bottles of various red wines shipped directly to our door. Best.present.ever. They're all from smallish, up-and-coming vineyards around the world (no offense America but other countries have really good wine too. Nothing peeves me more than a restaurant with a wine list comprised entirely of American wines) and it's been fun trying and comparing all the different bottles. And for the record, I'm not a wine-snob! I went through phase of buying cases of Charles Shaw (three-buck Chuck) at Trader Joe's but I also appreciate a really high end bottle of wine. Wine is wine.

Now, I know these wine club deals are all over the place, so perhaps I'm just more impressed with my dad's unbelievably insightful gift giving skills. It was beyond thoughtful of him and every time we open a bottle of wine, we think of him!

And opened bottles of wine we have. I save the corks (someday I'll get around to a crafting cork project!) and we still have plenty of bottles to last us, say, another week or so. Kidding. At least two weeks.

Just a heads up yall that my birthday is in June, so email me for my address to send my next case of wine.

Happy Friday! And don't forget it's five o'clock somewhere!

Thanksgiving Shenanigans

What a whirlwind holiday! It feels like I spend so much time getting excited for any holiday or vacation, and then, poof!, it's over.

For the first time in a long time, the travel gods were on my side with this trip. I was scheduled to leave Philadelphia on Tuesday evening, but in an excellent decision on my end (if I do say so myself) I decided to head to the airport four hours early to see if I could hop on a standby flight due to the weather. It was only sprinkling, but forecasted to get worse as the day progressed, and PHL is no treat when there are weather delays.

I lucked out and got on a flight at 5.15pm and was back in the great state by 8:30. My original flight landed around 1am. Like I said, a wise move by yours truly.

So what did I do to pass the time while I was waiting for my new flight? Duh. Airport bar.

Wednesday was filled with baking and cooking. Pies, mashed potatoes, stuffing prep, you name it, we did it. I love spending time in the kitchen with my mom. There's not many people you can truly share a kitchen with. They're either in the way, or doing something wrong (bossy Mrs. B!), but Mama H. and I can work it in the kitchen. Get some candles lit, the Christmas carols going, a glass of wine, and voila, Thanksgiving dinner is nearly ready.

On Thursday morning, we have a newish tradition of doing the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot. There's seriously no better way to start Thanksgiving than a good trot around the streets of Dallas. This year, unfortunately, it was more of a 5k stroll as I'll be the first one to admit, the whole "exercise" thing has fallen off the map with work, MBA and house nonsense. Must get back on that after the move.



Mr. B, me and Junior before the start. Please ignore the lack of shower/makeup/hair!

A little plug here for the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot. If you're ever in Dallas on Thanksgiving morning, I would highly suggest this event. According to their website, it's the largest Thanksgiving day event of it's kind in the nation, and it's just so fun. 33,000 people, lots dressed up as turkeys, with their adorable pets and babies, running through the streets of Dallas. Awesome times.

The weather was really weird this year and the hanging fog gave it a very funny feel.

From the starting line, and there were tons more people behind us.

My favorite part is the announcer who runs through all the colleges and every cheers for their team. "Do we have any TCU Horned Frogs in the house?"

Um, yes, and I'm going to let you know it too!

Deep Ellum is under attack!

I was nonstop commenting about the fog. I have a slight weather obsession.

Mr. B's artsy fartsy photo of the skyscrapers and the fog.

After the Turkey Trot, we headed home where Mama H. had a huge pot o' chili waiting for us and then we got to cookin'! We ate fairly late this year since we had some of our friends join us for dinner. A long story short, but stick with me here: One of Rich's colleagues in the London office, who moved to Philadelphia around the same time we did (and was transferred to Arkansas last year. Now that we're headed South too, so hopefully we'll get to see more of them.) decided to check out Dallas for the weekend with their three wee-ones.

The rule at my parents house is the more the merrier, so it only made sense to have them over for Thanksgiving. Y'all, believe it or not, the Brits outnumbered the Americans at this year's dinner! What is the world coming to?

I hardly got any pictures from the dinner; it's fair to say I was preoccupied with the last minute preparations, but I did manage to snag this AWFUL picture of the turkey. Friendly readers, Christmas is just around the corner and if you wanted to buy me some photography lessons, well, I wouldn't object.

Seriously, Kate. WTH picture is this?

And there's nothing better after Turkey dinner than some cuddles from the most adorable 3 year old.

Playing some serious clapping games here.

Luckily, Junior was promoted from the kids table this year.



Here's how you know the next generation is going to be super tech-savvy. When one of the little ones told Junior he wanted to watch a rocket (yes, a rocket?), Junior grabbed the iPhone, found a YouTube video of a rocket, and entertained these kids for a good 10 minutes. That's got to be an attention span record. It's so funny to think while this is new, state of the art stuff for us, they're growing up with this technology and it's all they'll ever know. Plus, it melts my heart to see this photo too. Someone's going to be an awesome dad/uncle.

The rest of the weekend was a blur, and by that, I mean we did absolutely nothing. I don't think I changed from my PJ's (or showered - don't judge, you do it too) on Friday. Lots of football. And more eating. And some napping. And football. Some Christmas tree decorating. Repeat.

On Saturday, Mr. B and I headed over to Eff Dub, that's Fort Worth for those of you not in the know, for some Tex-Mex at Joe T's (that requires it's own blog entry), a quick trip to the bookstore to stock up on essential TCU gear and a sneak peak of the new stadium. Let's just say Hello Big 12 and I'm so glad we got season tickets this year because next year will be uh-may-zing. Love me some college football.

Sunday was a travel day and then, well, you saw my Monday post. The Post-Thanksgiving Blues. Which you'll be pleased to know I've officially recovered from thanks to an 8pm bedtime for two straight nights.

That's about it for Thanksgiving. Eating, sleeping, shopping, lots of family time and football. My ideal holiday.

I hope you and yours all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too - here's to the Christmas countdown!

The Post-Thanksgiving Monday blues

Hi guys! I missed you. In case you didn't notice, I took a little break from blogging / social media over the Thanksgiving break, and I'll be honest, I felt a little void in my life. Is that weird? I missed people who I don't even know?

Today was brutal. Seriously, the Monday after Thanksgiving has GOT to be one of the top five worst days of the year. (I like lists. I'm going a little John Cusack High Fidelity on you here.)

Clearly, New Year's Day is up there (due to hangovers, minus last year when we won the Rose Bowl), the Monday after the clocks spring forward (love the daylight, but I miss that hour!) and I think I'm going to go ahead and rank post-Thanksgiving Monday at third.

Why? My clothes seriously don't fit. Thanks to retail America I am reminded every 1.3 seconds that I am basically behind on any form of Christmas cheer (shopping, decorating, cards, etc. etc.) and it's dark and cold. Thank goodness we just had a holiday full of eating and relaxing or things would be really bleak.

But there's so much to be excited about. There are Christmas Carols on the radio. I love. There are Peppermint Lattes at Starbucks. I love. There are only 29 more days till I'm back at home again. I love. And there are all these sneaky Cyber Monday sales that I have managed to avoid but am going to take a quick peek as soon as I'm done writing this. I love.

All in all, there is much to be excited about, even if my pants don't fit and I have a ton of stuff to do. It's my favorite time of the year!

I hope y'all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving too?! I'll share some pictures and stories about our holiday tomorrow. In the meantime, peace out snitches. I gots some shopping to do!

xx

Kaysie's 30 Days of Thanks

Have any of you checked out Kaysie's 30 Days of Thanks for November?

In addition to her daily posts, she's writing about one thing she's thankful for each day.

I love this idea. Especially after my whiney, bratty rant yesterday about Pottery Barn, I realized I should be thankful I have a dining room table, to share food with my family and friends, under a roof (brand new!) and with a husband who provides so much for us. Conscious reality-check. Thanks Kaysie!

It's the perfect time of year to reflect, give thanks and remember all the good that is in our lives. Each day I read hers, I think about what I'm thankful for too.

Turkey Placecard Holders for Mama H.

A few weeks ago, I came across the most adorable place card holders at good ol' Pottery Barn. Mama H. doesn't know this yet, but I bought six of them for her. I think she's going to love them. I plan on giving them to her today!

I know she loves anything turkey-themed for Thanksgiving. Remember the eventual disclosure plates? And every year for Thanksgiving - for as long as I can remember - my mom has given my Aunt some kind of turkey-related object for Thanksgiving. (She must have at least 30 different turkeys? Don't ask.) Really, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Mama H. loves Thanksgiving. Heck, she just loves holidays.

So, it was a no brainer to get her these little cuties as an early thank you / hostess present for having us all over for Thanksgiving again this year.

Six turkeys for the family: Mama H., Senior, Mr. B, Mrs. B, Junior and Junior's GF

 Some years we have more than six people, so I'll have to think of a supplemental place card holder - but that's for another year!

And if the little turkeys aren't cute enough, they have a sentimential story behind them too. As a little girl, my mom would always have me make the place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. Some years, I just used note cards folded over, other years I had special stamps (cornicopia, if I'm not mistaken? Or maybe it was a turkey?) Sometimes there were even "real" place cards where I just had to write in the name.

Even into adulthood, this little tradition has stuck. Each year, I make the place cards and set them out on the table where everyone should sit. (Slightly type-A and controlling that I now decide where everyone sits. No wonder Junior thinks I'm bossy.) I'm already brainstorming my designs for this year...

Don't know about you but I'm really ready for Thanksgiving!

Eventual Disclosure

Listen up ladies. I'm about to let you in on the greatest secret of all time.

First of all - before I continue - you need to know something. My mom is awesome. She's the reason I'm the woman I am today. And I'm pretty awesome too. Which makes her double awesome. And she knows a thing or two about decorating and home-fabulousness.

So when I was "of age", Mama H. shared a little secret with me. It's called "Eventual Disclosure".

You're probs thinking: "Kate, what the haich are you talking about." Patience.

Mama H. has an eye for a bargain and for the "must have" piece for the home which may, or may not, break the bank. Whether it's flea market or Saks, well, that's here nor there. But Senior, my dad, he's not so up-and-up on decorating/home fashions/nesting. That's just the difference between the X and Y chromosome. Did you know you were also getting a biology lesson?

So over the years, Mama H. has adopted a little tactic to offset or distract any potential reaction from Senior when she brings home a new home decor piece. Like I said, it could be flea market, or Saks, but Pops still asks: "Where's that from?" and "How much did it cost?" Even if it's a darn mason jar from the barn.

This tactic? Well it's called Eventual Disclosure.

You ask: "What is Eventual Disclosure" and "How does it work?"

Eventual disclosure it exactly what the label says. It's the practice of introducing new pieces/objects/ideas slowly over time. Eventually. Get it? You're disclosing it, eventually.

For example: When I was a junior in college, Mama H. and I made a pilgrimage to World Market. (If you don't have a World Market, you're missing out.) I was hosting a dinner party for a bunch of friends at the house. We decided it was a perfect occasion to buy some new dinnerware. (In hindsight, Mama H. was darn smart. She wasn't leaving the good stuff to a bunch of college kids, so she found some cheap and cheerful stuff as a substitute for when things got sloppy. Which they did.)

Well, Mama H. didn't run home and tell Senior about the new dinnerware. In fairness, it wasn't anything that would break the bank, but she knew he'd freak if she told him she bought a new set of dishes for my party. So she waited. And then a few months later, she laid the table with my dishes. And Senior asked, "Are these new?" Mama H., without missing a beat, said, "Well I've had these for a while."

You see? She'd had them for a while. And really, when was the last time Pops looked in the china cabinet?

That's eventual disclosure.

Example 2: One time, when Mama H. came to visit me in London, we made another pilgrimage - this time to Stoke-on-Trent, where all the old English china manufacturers are based. (In case you haven't noticed, we have an sick obsession with china and dinnerware. Like, sets and sets of it.) So Mama H. and I hit up the factory outlets. I found our wedding china on clearance - hello, Waterford! - and Mama H. found the most perfect set of Spode Thanksgiving china. Like, perfect.

Well, of course, from here on out, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete unless we had these plates. You see a theme here? So we bought them. On super clearance. Like a dollar a plate. For Spode. And shipped them to Texas.

And then, when Thanksgiving came around and Mama H. set that beautiful table with those plates - what do you know? Senior was asking if those plates were new. And Mama H., without missing a beat, says, "Why honey, I've had these a while....help yourself to some turkey." Issue. Avoided.

Don't get me wrong. My mom and I are honest and truthful about our expenditures with our husbands. We don't lie. Money is split even and there's no secrets. And to be fair, Mr. B. doesn't miss a beat. He's got some alert set up on the credit cards so when I spend over a certain amount he gets a text!!! But eventual disclosure still comes in handy.

Like the rugs I bought this week.

And with that, you'll have to read more.....

PS: Did you enter the giveaway?? Do it now!