Author: Big Mama

We have yuletide by the fireside

Here’s the thing. This marks the third Christmas season since I started this site. In all honesty, I’ve had to look at the archives several times already this month to see if I’m telling y’all something I told you two years ago.

Chances are you didn’t really care back then and you certainly don’t care now.

But since today is Boomama’s Christmas Tour of Homes, this will basically be the same post I’ve put up for the last two years because as much as I wish I could decorate my home totally different each Christmas season, it wouldn’t really be a display of fiscal responsibility.

“Honey, I know we’re in a recession but look at these darling new ornaments I bought for only $8.00 a piece!”

It would be sad to end up in marital counseling during the holidays.

Truth be told, I really looked for some cute hot pink and lime green ribbon to add to my decor this year, but couldn’t find what I have pictured in my mind, which probably means it doesn’t exist anywhere EXCEPT in my mind. So I can add ribbon to a long list of issues.

Okay, I’ll start with the tree.

Yes, those are deer. Howdy, it’s Christmas in Texas.

This is our mantle.

Every year I frame a picture of Caroline with Santa and then put it on the mantle. At this point I’m starting to run out of room on the mantle, but, even sadder, I’m starting to run out of years that she’ll actually go sit on Santa’s lap.

But I can’t think about that right now.

This is a little nativity that Caroline made out of flowerpots last year. Mary’s hair is a little wild, but you try riding a donkey while nine months pregnant and then giving birth in a stable. It’s a recipe for bad hair.

This is another nativity that someone gave us a wedding present. Sadly, when we got it down out of the attic this year we discovered that Joseph was decapitated at some point during the last twelve months or maybe his head flew off when he heard that Mary was pregnant with the son of God.

Fortunately, unlike Marie Antoinette, we were able to fix him up with a little super glue.

These aren’t actually in my house but at my dad’s house. I figured since I have nothing new to show y’all, I’d show you Mr. and Mrs. Claus. My great aunt Mamie made these out of newspaper for everyone in the family probably thirty-five years ago and they totally take me back to my childhood when I see them.

And then here are the same pictures I’ve shown you for the last two years, but let’s use the magic of Christmas and pretend you’re seeing them for the first time.

This is the wreath on my front door.

This is our dining room. I’ve been known to fill those urns with M&M’s in past years, but this year I opted for ornaments because they are virtually calorie-free although they can be a little hard on the digestive track.

And this is our kitchen. I can’t remember when I took this picture but I promise it wasn’t five minutes ago or all you’d see would be dirty dishes in the sink and various works of art by Caroline all over the island.

This is the view from our living room into the kitchen. I just want you to see the columns wrapped like candy canes. They make me happy.

I’d leave them like that all year but that might be weird.

That’s it for this year. Maybe I’ll hit some after Christmas sales and load up on hot pink and lime green ribbon and ornaments for next year!

But then again, maybe I’ll just think about it since that requires less effort.

And I’m all about that.
KEEN Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much for participating in the KEEN giveaway. I loved looking at all your choices and found a few things that I now feel like I can’t live without.

I used Random.org to select a random number from the comments

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11
Timestamp: 2008-12-14 18:29:44 UTC

Comment #11 is Lora at By the Lamplight.

Congratulations, Lora! Email me at [email protected] and I’ll pass your information on to KEEN.
Then we stopped on the way home for some Geritol

I was in Houston on Thursday night and when I called home to check on the fam, Caroline informed me that they had gone out for sushi and were in the process of lighting a fire in the fireplace.

So, since P is out of town tonight and I am never one to want to be OUT-FUNNED, I told Caroline she could pick a restaurant and we could have ourselves a girls’ night out.

She picked Luby’s Cafeteria.

And she was ready to go at that moment.

It was 5:15 p.m.

On Friday night.

We were the only ones there without a walker.

And with our own teeth.

But the important thing is that she thoroughly enjoyed her LuAnn platter and got the chance to dance to a little “Feliz Navidad” courtesy of the Muzak at Luby’s.

Then as we were leaving she handed me three leftover packets of butter and told me to put them in my purse for later.

It’s official. I’m raising a senior citizen.
I’m more of a G.I. Joe girl myself

If you’re reading this post then it means I was having way too much fun in Houston to work on Fashion Friday. But, never fear, Fashion Friday will return next week.

When I came home and showed P the pictures of the Ken dolls last weekend (I like him to be informed and I know he is so grateful), he reminded me about this classic commercial.

Oh, Ken.

Between that shirt and hair, who can blame Barbie for moving on?
If you have something else to do, you might want to go do it

I have been sitting here for the last two hours looking at a blank screen as if staring at the screen is going to make words magically appear. For the life of me I can’t come up with anything to say. It’s not so much that I don’t have anything to say, it’s just the stringing together of all the words in a semi-coherent fashion that is leaving me baffled.

Apparently, I used too much brain power earlier at Starbucks deciding between the Peppermint Mocha or the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.

I went with the Peppermint Mocha. Sadly, it was 4:00 p.m. so I will regret that caffeinated decision for the better part of the wee morning hours, but in the meantime I am very peppy for 9:54 p.m.

And, on a side note, how old am I that I have to monitor my late afternoon caffeine intake? Kids, Ma-maw can’t have an afternoon coffee or she’ll be up with her rheumatism all night.

Not to mention the fact that I talked to A.J. earlier on the phone and directed her to the Boden site so she could join me in drooling over the Fab Day Bag that is currently on sale. I wanted her to buy it because she is single and in her twenties and doesn’t have to spend her hard-earned money on things like Barbie Diamond Castle Carriages.

Not only did she point out that it’s “kind of a mom bag”, she and her roommate C. also crushed my hopes and dreams by pointing out that the coveted Dalmation print version isn’t on sale. Apparently, Ma-maw can’t read the fine print.

As for the “mom bag” comment, I’m just going to say that someone who still carries their college backpack for business travel may not want to throw handbag stones.

I also have some other things I’d like to share and will now resort to a list.

1. I built a fire in the fireplace by myself. A real fire with real logs. By myself.

Granted, I used an HEB firestarter brick and a large container of lighter fluid to get this bad boy going and nearly forgot to take down our Christmas stockings, but, still, I made fire.

I have never felt more like Ma Ingalls. Well, if Ma Ingalls used lighter fluid and ate storebought iced sugar cookies by the fire.

2. For Caroline’s birthday this year, my sister-in-law bought her a Ladybug Farm. However, due to weather conditions in the midwest or some such nonsense, we didn’t receive our ladybug larvae (ewww) until about a month ago. I have followed all the directions on the care and maintenance of ladybugs to the best of my ability.

Yes, we have managed to hatch one ladybug and I found two more in the backyard that have become prisoners of the plastic dome. But by all appearances, the only thing we’re growing in abundance is mold.

Is this normal? Or am I unknowingly creating some sort of biological weapon?

3. By the time y’all read this I’ll be on my way to Houston for the night. I’m going to Converge to see CeCe Winans, Travis Cottrell and Beth Moore. I think my excitement is part of the reason I’m having a hard time forming coherent paragraphs.

4. How much do I love that Texas Representative Joe Barton is introducing legislation to end the BCS system in college football?

The economy is in the toilet and automakers want billions of dollars in loans, but let’s make sure we get this whole NCAA football thing figured out.

Don’t mess with Texas.

5. Don’t forget that this Monday, the 15th, is Boomama’s Christmas tour of homes. So finish decking your halls and take some photos.

6. Also, I’ve gotten some great entries for the Ugly Sweater Contest. Keep ’em coming and I’ll announce the winners on Friday the 19th.

I’ll also announce the first runner-up because if for any reason the winner of the Ugly Sweater Contest can’t fulfill its duties, the title will pass to the first runner-up.

Y’all have a great day.
It’s not about shooting deer

Thoughts on Christmas from Big Mama on Vimeo.

Here are the comments I’d like to make about this video:

1. I love the way her whole voice changes as she talks about what Christmas is all about.

It’s as if she’s auditioning for a part in an after-school special about the true meaning of Christmas.

2. She’s absolutely right. Christmas isn’t about shooting deer.

But considering how much time her daddy spends at the ranch around Christmastime, I’m surprised she doesn’t think it’s a crucial part of Advent.

3. “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.”

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like she’s heard that once or eight hundred times.

4. I believe the word she’s looking for is “celebrating”.

5. I find it hilarious that I just basically made up the names of the three wise men and then resorted to the old “otherwise known as the three wise men” trick. I could have edited that part out but I feel the internet deserves to know that I have a propensity for making up random information in order to appear knowledgeable.

However, please note that I did pull out two biblical names even though I completely mispronounced them and they really have nothing directly to do with the birth of Christ. I am a wealth of misinformation.

Next time I’ll go with Larry, Curly and Moe.

Call now to book me as your next Bible study teacher.

6. She’s right. All the stuff we have is clippity-clap-clap-clap. It’s a family trademark.

7. The sign on the wiseman actually says “Rejoice”, but I don’t even know the names of the three wise men so who am I to judge?