Camera-Ready In A Tree Skirt

Good evening, dear friends.  It has been a whirlwind of yuletide excitement for the past couple of days.

Allow me to start from the very beginning.  My buddy, Dude, has an old college friend who is a producer at NBC.  She sent a copy of the infamous tree skirt/scape posts to her.  If you haven't read any of the posts on Dude's scapes you can find them here, here, and here.

In a matter of a few days, we were contacted by a lovely producer from the Meredith Vieira Show.  She informed us that the show was interested in doing a segment highlighting the versatility of the almighty tree skirt. The producer told us that they would be taping the show on December 19th.  She offered us VIP tickets and  asked that we come in our finest tree skirts.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US!!!!

So, Thursday afternoon, I hopped in my car and drove three hours to Connecticut to do a pre-show warm-up and wardrobe styling at Dude's house.  Note to self:  I really must talk to Meredith about getting me a private jet for my next appearance.

I arrived at Dude's just in time for a glass of wine and some serious scape styling.  I brought 3 tree skirts with me - 2 from my beloved Homegoods and one that I ordered online from Restoration Hardware.  Due to Dude's long standing career in the fashion industry, I had full confidence in her ability to make our tree skirts into the must-have accessory of the season.  Never mind the season -- how about the whole year!

Here is the behind-the-scenes coverage of our evening of wine and scapes.

I told Dude that the pompoms made me reminiscent of my cheerleading days.  She gently reminded me that I was never a cheerleader.  That's the thing about old friends... they remember everything.

Dude - very comfortable in her scape.

This is where I tell Dude that I can't believe we are actually going through with this...

BTW... when and if you watch the show on Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, Meredith chose this little number to wear (see above).  It looked better on her than it does on me.

Dude showing off...

This is what I learned from Thursday night.  Just because a woman of 5'8" can carry off a tree skirt does not mean that a woman of 5'2'' with a less-than-willowy frame will have the same high fashion impact.  
Note to self:  in my next life, I want to come back with long legs.  I don't even care if my arms are short, my feet are big, or I have ears like Prince Charles.  Just give me the long legs.  It's that simple.

I do admit, we did have few disagreements over our attire.  I'm not saying how she got there, but Dude and her stupid long legs ended up in the tree.  

After a few hours of  pulling, tucking, styling, and tying, we decided on our scapes of the day for our television debut.  We then went out to celebrate our hard work and met up with some of Dude's friends who are a wonderful group of ladies. 

We got home early so we would get a good night sleep and wake up in time to catch the 6:36AM train to stardom NYC. 

If I haven't bored you to death, tune in tomorrow for more about Dude and me with our new bff, Meredith.

As they say in the business...

Ciao Baby!

My Favorite Things of 2014

Good Morning, dear friends!  I hope you are having a wonderful week.  The highlight of my week is meeting one of my readers, Christine, in where else but .... Marshall's yesterday!

Here is a list of all the things that made an impact on me in 2014.  

Best Movies

Positively adored this movie.  I walked out of the theater smiling.

Just watched this movie on the plane from Dallas.  Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are positively brilliant in this feel-good flick.  A great movie to watch over the holidays with the family. 

Best Music

Madalyn is a high school buddy of mine.  I have been listening to this CD in my car for days.  I think I have memorized the words to every song.  Maybe they would be interested in changing their duo to a trio?   You can find the link here.

Best Beauty Products

Without a doubt, Day By Day Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid have been game changers for my skin this year.  My milia, age spots, and prodigious pores  are a thing of the past since I have used these miracles in a bottle.  If I keep using this stuff, they'll start carding me by 2016!

Amazon

Amazon

My new favorite mascara.  I can barely open my eyes, my lashes are so thick and long when I use this stuff!  

Sephora

I have been using Jane Iredale mineral foundation for about 3 years now.  My dermatologist recommended it to me and I have never looked back.  It covers any skin imperfection and the amount of coverage is controlled by how much you apply.  Also has a high SPF.

Jane Iredale

My #2 discovered this perfume last year.  Instead of borrowing it all the time, I bought my own bottle.  Every time I wear it, I get compliments.   

Nordstrom

Best Books

I was so curious about this book.  The Amazon Editors voted it #1 on their best fiction list of 2014 and it had very little hype.  They were right.  It is not only beautifully written, it keeps you guessing until the very last page. 

Amazon

Loved this thriller - couldn't put it down. Shocker ending which I couldn't get out of my mind for days.   

Amazon

One of my favorite things about Jojo Moyes' writing is that she does not use the same formula for any of her books.  This novel has a quirky, lovable cast of characters as well as an endearing plot.  I finished it with a big ol' smile on my face and mist in my eyes.

Amazon

and last but certainly not least...

Surviving Thanksgiving

and

A Very Chic Christmas

These books are written by one of my favorite bloggers, Ellie O'Connell Decret, who pens Have Some Decorum.  My copies arrived last week and I have read them from cover to cover.  Both books are illuminated with Ellie's wry humor and chock full of fabulous, mouthwatering O'Connell family recipes.

Amazon

Best TV Shows

I can't believe it's over.  I watched all 3 seasons of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom and loved every minute of it.  The last and final show aired last week which made me very sad.  If you're looking for a good series to binge watch, I strongly suggest this one.

Showtime

My friend, Jelly Bean and my #1 turned me on to this 10-part limited series following a murder in a small town.  It ended last week with a shocker of an ending.  Great acting and tons of twists and turns.  Another great one to sit on the couch and binge watch.

Fox

I am addicted to this new show.  I count the minutes until the  following Sunday, where I can inhale another mesmerizing show.  It takes place in beautiful Montauk and centers around a gorgeous cast. It is chock full of insatiable lust and sizzling sexual chemistry.  When watching, make sure the kids are in another room.

Most Addicting Site on my Laptop

Vicky from The Westra World wrote a post about how much she enjoyed this photo editor.  It is user-friendly and great fun.

Amazon has a deal going on now.  You can buy a year membership for you or your loved ones for $33.00.

Amazon

Best Stuff I listen to on my Phone

My #1 turned me in on to this podcast.  It follows a true life murder case that occurred in Baltimore in 1999.  Real life witnesses and even the man that is serving time for the murder are interviewed.  I'm hooked.  Before I started listening to Serial, I didn't even know what a podcast was. 

Shout-out to my friend, Sudbury Sweetheart, Mary, for convincing me to try listening to a book while I stroll run, instead of music.  I will say that I enjoy autobiographies as opposed to fiction when it comes to the audible format.  

As always, my boyfriend, Andy, wrote another funny, entertaining book.  I think my neighbors think I'm a little cuckoo when they see me laughing while I am getting in my 20 miles.  

Most Comfy

Last Christmas, my #2 gave me these deliciously comfy slippers.  I love these things so much,  I dream about them!  

Ugg

What are your favorite things of 2014?

The Halls Have Been Decked

Hello dear friends.  Here are a few pics of our holiday decorations. It was an interesting experience this year.  One reason for that is that I have not decked the halls in three years.  Two years ago, we went on a cruise and last year we moved into the house.  It was kind of fun and a little overwhelming pillaging through the red and green containers.

This year's theme is less is more.  Or otherwise, Mom is a big ol' lazy pants.

I put a few of the kitchen pics on an earlier post.  If you missed them, it's your lucky day.  Here they are again.

I love these wreaths so much.  What are your thoughts about keeping them up all year round?

I love my Enchanted Home bell jars and planter!
By the way... Tina has an incredible give away from Homegoods going on right now.  Please don't enter - I want to win it!!

I got this cute lavender tree at Whole Goods.  I actually kept it alive for a whole ten days.  RIP lavender tree.

We always get an artificial tree.  I would like to tell you the reason is because we have allergies.  But the real reason is Felix Unger the Mister does not like to see pine needles on the floor.

I haven't done a room reveal post on the den because it is hard to photograph.  The room is long and doesn't look right in photos.  The former owners had this room painted in a light color with dark stained woodwork.   We changed the paint and woodwork color and had the doors made for the bookcases.  There's also a fireplace but I didn't take a photo because I haven't done the mantel yet.  Don't judge me - I still have nine days.

We spend most of our time in this room.  The Mister just loved hanging these wreaths.  I'm just happy that Christmas only comes once a year!

That's it for now.  I hope you are having a wonderful week. 

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