Tartan at Tarjay

I don't know about y'all, but I love Target.  I usually leave the store with everything on my shopping list plus quite a few other treasures.  From home decor to garden supplies to bunny costumes, Target has it all.  

Browsing online today at Target gave me some great ideas for Christmas gifts, and they're all tartan.  Read on!

I have this tumbler and use it every day.  It's similar to the YETI tumblers that are so popular now but of course more in keeping with my signature style.  Keeps my coffee hot and my water cold for hours.

How cute is this Timex watch?  I wear mine all the time. 

Have you ever slept on a down alternative comforter when it's really cold?  Nothing cozier.

Speaking of cozy, flannel gloves will keep your hands nice and toasty.

How about some plaid pajamas for the favorite pooch in your life?  I would buy some for Bitsy but she would hide under the bed.  Nothing humiliates her more than wearing silly dog clothes.  

This cardigan coat couldn't be cuter.

And finally, who doesn't love a man in a kilt?

Happy tartan shopping at Tarjay!

Halloween Revisited Plus a Drop Dead Gorgeous Dallas House (No, it's not mine)

I wrote a post a few years ago about Halloween but I accidentally deleted it a few minutes ago.  After throwing my laptop across the room (just kidding), I realized that I can probably retrieve it from wherever it is in cyber space.  Fingers crossed.  For now, though, I'll just show a few of the original photos.  

One photo I didn't include are these cute little trick-or-treaters.  Two are mine and two are my neighbor's.  
I miss those years!

In the post that I just lost entitled "Halloween:  Decorating Gone Wild," I featured the following house.  It's a favorite in Dallas, drawing thousands of people every year.  The owners also decorate for Christmas but that's a different post.

Here are a few of the photos of the Halloween decorations.

Now here's the exciting news: This house is for sale.  Now I  can finally stalk look inside online.  Here we go!

So what do y'all think?  I think it's interesting how the pops of purple are incorporated into many of the rooms without being overwhelming.  The owners of the house must love purple but their decorator suggested using restraint.  A good idea, in my opinion....

As I said in my post that disappeared, this house was built in 1946 but has been remodeled extensively. At one point the mansion next door was purchased and bulldozed so the owners could have more room for their dream; the property now totals 2.8 acres.  The square footage of the main house is over 13,000 but that doesn't include all of the other buildings on the property. I'm sure that the master bedroom closet is bigger than my entire house.  Oh well...

The last three photos show the guest house (on the left).  I would feel more comfortable there but I think it's all gorgeous.

So for a mere $39 million, you can have this house in the honeypot of Dallas.  See more about it HERE.

Happy Halloween!

By the way, do any of you have advice on how to retrieve my post that disappeared into thin air without a trace?  Help!  

National Tartan Day

HAPPY NATIONAL TARTAN DAY!

The Stockings Were Hung...

It's finally finished!  I've been working on this stocking for our little grandbaby for the past few months.  I wasn't sure if I would get it done in time.  

But it's been delivered and hung on the mantel, and it's ready for the big guy to fill up. 

I lined it with my trademark tartan taffeta:

This is what it looks like hanging on my mantel:

 And here is little David himself looking at his stocking for the first time:

Now that I've finished, I can start decorating the house for Christmas, buying and wrapping presents, putting up the tree, getting my house ready for out-of-town guests, sending Christmas cards and cooking.  (Actually, cooking - not so much.)  "Only five days until Christmas; have you lost your mind?" you say.  No problem for me, the master procrastinator.

I hope all of you enjoy the holidays.  Me?  I'll be sitting by the fire, drinking egg nog while I watch my poor, long-suffering husband put the finishing touches on the tree. 

   

Toms Shoes, Part 3

As some of you know, I am slightly obsessed with Toms Shoes.  This tartan pair from my friend Judy is still my favorite:

Of course I'm always on the lookout for new ones.  I love these Madras Toms:

How cute are these green plaid with faux gold tassels?

I wrote a  post entitled Toms, Part 2 (here) about a pair of shabby chic Toms that Rachel Ashwell designed.  I was distraught because the shoes had sold out and I couldn't find a pair except on eBay, where the seller was price gouging!

But then I found a fabulous pair on Etsy (here) which I like even more than Rachel Ashwell's:

Today I was at Hobby Lobby when I stumbled across this pair of Toms knock-offs.  For $9.99 you can buy and decorate them yourself.  Not a bad idea!

But life happens...

After searching for my size all these years, I've changed my focus.  There's a new kid in town:

We have the baby....now we need the Baby Toms!

There's a New Blog in Town!

Garden Gate by Gigi

I must tell y'all about a wonderful blog that has recently made its debut in the blogging community.  

Trained as a graphic designer, Gigi has branched out into many other fields since college.  Interior design, custom-made lamps and finials, gardening, name branding, clothing design, artist extraordinaire...You name it, she can do it.  As you can tell from her painting Garden Gate above, she is extremely talented.  

Gigi's latest endeavor is a humorous and informative blog named The Girl with the Flying Stripeze.

Isn't her banner awesome?  Of course she designed it herself.  I'm telling you, this girl is GOOD!

I've known Gigi for quite a while, and I never cease to be amazed at the things she can do.  Replacing the heating element on her dryer, creating a beautiful mosaic tile design on an antique bird bath, remodeling her kitchen almost single-handedly (her husband "Paco" helped her with this one), re-tarring a leaking roof or preparing a gourmet meal - these are just a few of her many accomplishments.  Believe me, there are many more.  Not only will Gigi offer clever tips and ideas for amazing projects on her new blog, she will show you how to do them "on a shoestring budget."  What could be better than that?

So I hope all of you will follow and like The Girl with the Flying Stripeze, because not only is Gigi creative and funny...she's my little sis!

Everyone can always use a little lipstick!