Halloween Goodies

(FYI: This is today's screensaver on my computer. I am loving watching all the leaves fall and the chipmunks trying to burrow their way out of all the leaves and jack-o-lanterns!)

I always enjoy being part of Pea's annual Halloween Swap. On Monday, I received my goody box from Laura over at This is Me. What fun! Since I am on limited space here at the house, I decided to decorate the mantel (and my computer screen above).

Look at the Halloween banner she made for me. Isn't it the best? I am loving it. I had made three little Halloween cones for friends and never got them out, so I hung them with Laura's banner. They fit right in as if she knew I had them waiting for something extra to put with them. Thank you Laura. How very special. I've always wanted a banner, really! I've seen folks making them online but have never tried my hand at it--not being the sewer. It made my day fixing up the mantel with her goodies and some ATCs that I received from a swap through Shelley.

I barely had the box open when I spied some of my favorite flavored candy--Tanganilla (to me, orange dreamsicle). YUM. Yes, I have delved into the bag and have helped myself to several already. Look at all the goodies she sent. Look at the sweet little bears. I have them flanking each side of the mantel. I can't wait to use the gorgeous autumn stickers on something fun. I'm going to have fight the kid for the other goodies, I'm sure. Again, thank you Laura for a wonderful box of goodies. I love everything.

Today was another trying day in the kitchen department. Every day never seizes to amaze me. I truly wonder at different parts of the day if these guys have ever done a kitchen before. Today, they put the back splash in. It's a bright white subway tile. When I asked them if I purchased new electrical outlets to replace the old dingy ones, would they install them. They looked at me as if I had asked them to rip the cabinets out. After about ten seconds, the "son" says "Well, you'll have to call the showroom and ask them." I looked at him in disbelief and said (probably with a bright red face) "Forget it, I'll do it myself," and I walked out of the room. I mean, these things may cost about $1.00 each, probably need five replaced. It takes probably two minutes to switch them out. You do the math. After a couple of minutes, they called me into the kitchen and said it was in the "almighty book" and they would do it. Which means, if I hadn't asked about it, it wouldn't have been done, period. Bottom line. I mean, look at the difference between the new light switch and the old outlet. Is that right? No, it's not.


I am so over working with these guys, believe me. It seems that each day is one step forward, two steps back. I actually painted the shelves for the china cabinet tonight just to get it done. The guy routed the plate grooves for me yesterday and put them back in the pantry. It should have been done at the factory. Since it wasn't, the groove was the color of the wood, not the color of the shelf. I pulled them out and asked that they paint them the same color as the shelf. Today, when I asked if they were ready to put back in (so I can finally put my china away), he said "Uh, I don't know." He then walked over and said they were still wet. What? So I looked at them. I asked him if he had used oil paint. Yes. "Did you prime the wood before you painted it? No. Of course not. So tonight, I primed them, painted them and put them back in the cabinet myself. You think I should charge them?

The hub came home, not feeling well but did his annual carving of the pumpkin. Yay. It has truly been a trying two weeks--losing our Roo, fighting with the teenager, kitchen woes, etc. I'm sure it's all weighing heavily on him also which probably wore down his resistance. Poor guy. I know having the house torn up for this long has worn everybody down. It's hard to function when there's no where to find peace. We're all at whit's end, I'm afraid. I'm finding it so hard to function. I'm trying, I truly am. But each day, I am finding it more difficult. It has literally taken me all day to write this post. All day. I started it at 9 a.m. and it's now almost 11 p.m. Now that's scary. SCREAM! Did I scare you again? I scared me that time!