cats

A quick kitty post, then I’m off to bed…

Niko enjoys a head scratch. Some days he seeks more attention than others. He likes to be around us all the time, watching what we’re doing, but he isn’t real cuddly most of the time. Note the cat fountain in the background (never thought I’d own one of those!), but he has been happier since we got it. He no longer cries for drinks from the sink. ๐Ÿ™‚

Niko enjoys attention

Happy never sat on this little ledge when the table was in the dining room. Now the table sits in the front hall.

happy's perch

Niko is under the dining room chair, while Buttercup sits in the window, watching him. Buttercup follows him around the house and keeps an eye on him. They haven’t become friendly yet, but they do tolerate one another pretty well.

buttercup keeps an eye on niko

The kitchen room was once an enclosed porch. This window, which looks from the dining room into the kitchen was once a window to the outside, prior to the porch. It makes a great pass through for food…and cats…

buttercup in the kitchen window

The second day of the house tour went very well. I’ll post about that soon!

~~Rhonda

guest room

This evening brought the first wave of house tour guests. We’ll do it again tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have pictures then of the tour. It was a lot of fun to watch people come in the front door and get their first look at the living room tree. Lots of ooos and aaahs. ๐Ÿ™‚

While the guest room was empty, I took a few pictures so you can see how the remodel has turned out. I’ve ordered a four poster white queen size bed. For the time being, this full size iron bed works well.

iron bed

The carpenter is making new doors for the armoire. The upper ones will fold back inside the cabinet.

waiting for doors for the armoire

This is the tree I spray painted.

silver tree

A place to sit, chat, snack.

a place to sit

There are still a few things to do in the room. Laurie is making drapes and a bed skirt. There will be a set of drapes over the door, as well as on both windows. We’ll bring the little fridge and a small microwave into the corner behind the door for guests to use. I need to buy a large area rug. Odds and ends. ๐Ÿ™‚ But I’m very happy with the way it has turned out.

I’ll post again tomorrow with some snapshots from the house tour.

~~Rhonda

home extension Christmas party

This evening we had a wonderful time at our annual Home Extension Christmas party. Everyone brought an appetizer or a dessert. Delicious!

Christmas spread

snack time

Before (and after!) dinner, touring the house to view the Christmas trees was at the top of everyone’s list. Then it was time for some sit down chat.

after dinner chat

Home Extension Christmas Party

Purse pew… ๐Ÿ™‚

purse pew

Two ladies had to leave early and a few ladies were not able to come at all. DH took a picture of the rest of us before the party ended.

most of us

A fun evening! Now we move on to the public house tour, tomorrow evening and Saturday afternoon. All proceeds will benefit our church’s mission fund. Our Home Extension group usually has an ornament exchange at our annual Christmas party, but this year the ladies decided to give donations to the mission fund instead. They donated $119! A great start for the weekend fund raiser! Thank you, HEA friends!! ๐Ÿ™‚

~~Rhonda

under construction

DD’s room will take a while to complete. The two level bed/book nook is about half done. Next will be the cubbies/steps to the second bed and then the new closet. This wreath hangs on the current closet door.

under construction

The pink tree turned out very cute! Not sure why DD didn’t want it on a box this year. But it’s her room, her tree. If she wants it on the floor when I’d prefer it on a box, no big deal.

DD's pink tree

The pink tree has been a big hit.

the pink Christmas tree

For the open house, we taped the plans for her room to the end of the bed.

bed/book nook in progress

The overall plan:

THE plan

DD is excited about what is happening in her room. We’re looking forward to more progress on the bed this week!

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ december 8, 2008

We had a wonderful time at the open house yesterday. But that is just the beginning of a busy month of entertaining. This week, I am hosting my home extension group’s Christmas party, and Friday and Saturday our home will be open to the public for a house tour to raise money for the mission fund at church. That means another week of very easy meals!

Monday
baked tilapia with Parmesan crust
steamed red potatoes
peas
corn

Tuesday
BBQ pork steaks in the oven
baked potatoes (microwaved)
lima beans
corn

Wednesday
veggie pizza

Thursday / Home Extension here
leftovers

Friday / Public House Tour
turkey / ham / cheese sandwiches

Saturday / Public House Tour
turkey / ham / cheese sandwiches

Sunday
crock pot chicken cordon bleu
rice
spinach salad
peas
corn

You will find more menu ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

sugarplums

Lindsey and Tricia, this is for you. ๐Ÿ™‚ So glad you were able to come yesterday!

These sugarplums are delicious and easy to make. I double the following recipe for the open house.

Sugarplums

* 3/4 c. raisins
* 3/4 c. chopped dates
* 3/4 c. dried apricots, chopped
* 1 c. walnuts
* 1 c. almonds
* 1/4 c. orange juice

Mix all the ingredients together, except the orange juice.

fruit and nuts

Using a blender or a food processor, pulse the mixture until you have a coarse meal. I use a blender as I don’t have a food processor. I’m sure this would be easier in a processor where you could chop the whole batch at one time. In the blender, I do about a cup at a time.

wish I had a food processor...

The bowl on the left shows the fruits and nuts after grinding them in the blender.

just add orange juice

After all the nuts and fruits are ground together, add the orange juice, stirring well. If you let the mixture set for half an hour or so, the dry ingredients will absorb some of the orange juice. Not necessary, but helpful.

Form the mixture into 1-inch balls and roll them in sugar. I usually use sanding sugar for this as it gives the sugarplums a pretty sparkly look, but all I had this year was regular white granulated sugar. Still pretty. And so yummy!

sugarplums

The sugarplums can be placed in candy paper liners, though I never do. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 24-30. I found the recipe in “Family Fun” magazine, December 2002, page 24.

Other dried fruits or nuts could be substituted. I think they would be good with craisins (dried cranberries), dried cherries, and/or figs. And don’t forget dried plums (prunes)! Pecans could be used in place of some of the nuts.

~~Rhonda

open house

We made it! About 10:00 this morning, I was pretty sure we wouldn’t! I think this year was the hardest to pull together of any we’ve done. I guess renovating, a son’s wedding, and babysitting one year old twins doesn’t help make Christmas prep any easier! But with the tremendous help of my sister Genny and many friends from church, we did it! Here are a few pictures from the afternoon.

Our usual kitchen helpers were here, plus a few young ladies from church. Wonderful helping hands.

kitchen helpers and guests

Stacks of cookies…

loading cookie trays

Seems everyone likes to congregate in the kitchen.

dec 2008 007

The village Genny made looked great on the cookie table.

treat table

Lots of company…family and friends.

guests

dec 2008 010

dec 2008 022

We worked hard for this one, but it was another success. ๐Ÿ™‚

~~Rhonda

a few snapshots from the past few days

Busy! We’ve been *very* busy! Last night, I didn’t have the energy to check email before I went to bed at 12:00. For me, that is tired! ๐Ÿ™‚ Here are a few pics from the past few days.

Sugarplums

sugarplums

Peanut Butter Truffles

peanut butter truffles

Genny always decorates the mailbox

Genny always decorates the mailbox

Young ladies from church came to help. A blessing, to be sure! Below, Ashley and Ruth. Yesterday, Brooke, Samantha, Ashley, Susan and Bob came to lend a hand. SO helpful!!

yeah for helpers!

I no longer climb ladders, but my helpers are great at it. ๐Ÿ™‚

ladders are essential

Niko thought all the boxes from the attic were very interesting.

Niko explores the Christmas boxes

Our house pictured on a 1912 postcard…this is an enlarged copy of both sides of the card.

our  house on a 1912 postcard

While painting, DH took the window panes out of the windows and replaced the rope on the weights.

new ropes for the window weights

Ruth decorated this little tree in the master bath, but after I looked at it for a few days, I decided it needed a good dusting…too much powder on it from several Christmas seasons in the bathroom. ๐Ÿ™‚ So I took everything off the tree, gave it a shower, wiped down the lights, washed the ornaments and put it all back together. Now it sparkles.

little tree in master bath

Happy loves the wooden ladder, but totally ignores the metal one.

Happy loves the wooden ladder

I wrapped the baby pictures. Along with DH, these are the best gifts I ever received. ๐Ÿ™‚

baby presents

DD tries out the upper bunk…the bed won’t be done for the open house, but next week Ray should be able to get it enclosed and finish the steps up to the second story. DD slept on the lower bunk last night. ๐Ÿ™‚

bookshelves for the upper bunk

Back to work! I have three hours of sugar cookie decorating ahead of me. ~~Rhonda ๐Ÿ™‚

foam board houses

A few weeks ago, I saw a pretty display in a store. White houses and trees, flat and glittery. I thought, “We could do that!” My sister drew a pattern from the picture I took.

making a pattern

She cut the patterns from foam board.

pre-glitter

The buildings and trees were sprayed with texture paint (which was brown…couldn’t find white) and then sprayed with white paint. The texture added a lot to the overall look of the pieces. After the paint dried, a hot glue gun was used to run a thick line of glue along the border.

adding glitter

And the glue was sprinkled with flaked opalescent glitter mixed with white glitter.

third layer

How cute is that?

first layer

We leaned the finished houses and trees against some candles and books to get an idea of what it will look like. They will be attached to something to make them stand straight and will decorate the cookie table during the open house.

finished village

I’ll put a snowflake themed tablecloth on the table and pile some fluffy “snow” around the base of the houses and trees. I think they’re going to work well!

~~Rhonda ๐Ÿ™‚

dd’s room in progress

I know it’s crazy to try to get some of this stuff done before Sunday, but DD has been SO patient and looked so forward to having her room remodeled, that we want to see what we can finish before the open house. The carpenter told us he could have the bed done in time, so we are hoping that turns out to be so!

DH has been painting the room for the past several days. A little more work on the woodwork and the painting will be done.

The fresh coats of paint have completely transformed the space, making it feel brighter and more inviting. Each stroke of the brush has brought new life to the walls, covering up the old, dull shades that had been there for years.

The careful attention to detail, especially around the edges and corners, has made a noticeable difference. With just a little more effort on the finishing touches, the room will soon have a polished and professional look.

Finding the right color scheme was a challenge, but the effort was worth it. The blend of soft neutrals and warm accents has created a cozy yet elegant feel.

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DD's room in process

The lime green is in a small indention in the wall. Her desk will be placed in front of this window. The closet to the right will be removed after Christmas and a new closet will be built to the right of the door to the room (which is where I was standing when I took the picture).

The carpenter is building a two story bed nook (the bedroom ceiling is 12′). The upper story will be a second bed for company, as well as a library nook for DD. The bed will have walls, windows, and steps up to the upper part. Each bed will have a ledge for a clock, a lamp, etc. Gary wired the outlets for us last week. Above the ledge will be shelves for books, display, etc.

Watching DDโ€™s room come together has reminded us just how powerful design isโ€”not just in function but in creating memories and comfort. From the vibrant lime green accent wall to the thoughtfully wired shelves and cozy bed nook, every detail matters.

When it comes to transforming spaces like this, especially with unique architectural features or bold design choices, having professionals who understand both the vision and the practicality makes all the difference. American Painting and Design brings that level of care and precision, helping families like ours turn challenging rooms into personal sanctuaries. Their attention to detail and ability to enhance a roomโ€™s natural light and character would be such a valuable touch to projects like this, where every corner is filled with purpose and love.

I’m looking forward to posting pictures of this room when it is completed!

~~Rhonda