Today I have a tale to tell about the perils of decorating ~ the difficulty of getting something in your head, but being unable to find it. While it's not a dangerous story, although I did prick my finger with a needle, it is one that starts out with frustration.

It does, however, have a happy ending.

But let's get back to the beginning, shall we?

It's a well known fact that Christmas is my favorite time to craft. Well, second favorite, really. Summer is my favorite time to...well, to do everything. Period. Island life revolves around the beach, you know.

But even in summer, toes in the sand and iced tea in my hand, I'm crafting for Christmas. 

Hello friends. So it may be a bit early, but if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know that my Christmas decorating is done. I went with a simple theme (again) this year, so it didn't take long to complete the task and now I get to move on to the fun stuff...Christmas crafting!!

It's my favorite.

Every now and then I get the purging bug. I go through my craft closet or a kitchen cabinet, see items I haven't used or have been meaning to use...for years...and donate them. Well, last week when I was looking for some supplies to make my placemat apron, I found a few old jars and thought, well, it's now or never.

And you guessed it. I finally chose now.

I have never been one to blindly follow trends or take public opinion into account when decorating. I think if you took a peek around my house, that would be evident. I live in a very old and very small 1920's cottage, I have laminate countertops in my kitchen that I adore and not a stitch of grey paint in any room.

I'm a super hard sell, you're never going to talk me into buying something I don't love, so your opinion, Mr. or Mrs. Salesperson is falling on deaf ears.

I'm a New Yorker and a Sicilian one at that.

Several Christmases ago, my sister arrived at my home with four of the prettiest Pottery Barn placemats for me. The holiday hostess!!

I instantly fell in love. 

A few days ago, I was on Facebook and a shocking post came across my screen. Candy Corn stacked up in the shape of an ear of corn, with the tag line, "How old were you when you realized it's called candy corn because if you stack it up, it looks like corn?"

Um. WHAT???

We were late for a birthday party, but that was nothing new. Working, renovating and taking care of the kids had me on the ropes. I was trying to do it all and semi-succeeding, but I was never on time.

The party was a good thirty minutes away at a bakery. A bunch of five year olds, their parents and any tag-a-long siblings were going to make a dozen of their very own, custom created cookies. It was going to be a messy endeavor and the outfit my daughter was wearing was definitely not appropriate.

Brand new and black.

When I asked her to change, she was fine with the idea. Ever agreeable, she pulled out a little pink dress that we were both happy with and I said, Great. Let’s go.

No.

Several years ago, I sat at the computer and wrote down some of the DIY jobs on my seemingly never-ending to-do list and called it The Project Pile.

I carefully chronicled what needed to be repaired, completed or totally made over in this tiny little cottage of mine, in the hopes that by putting it out there for all the world to see, it would provide me with the motivation to find the time I needed to actually get it all done.

Did it work, you ask?

Well. Sort of.