Countdown: Four More Days....

It's coming up fast....
It's been in the planning stage for so long, it seems hard to believe that the time has come to implement all the To Do Lists, the scheduling, the (YIKES) cleaning!

Today's list is nearly accomplished.  I use 'nearly' with great generosity but there is tomorrow.  But not too many of those before the Ladies who have signed on to attend the

mama's collection of Friends

First Annual Crafting/Spiritual Retreat!!!

will begin arriving!!!  Eldest/Admin and Miss Vivie arrive on Wednesday and I am thrilled!  The doggies look a bit sad knowing full well that they are are not on the Invite List.  Miss Dixie is more than aware of something afoot in  her abode.  She eyes me suspiciously as I accomplish household tasks that are not on my daily repertoire. She is pictured in my Sewing Room as I wrap up some 'surprises'....Not particularly thrilled..

Even Hubby with his own overwhelming issues, has seen to it that his 'To Do' list is attended to, as is witnessed by my new kitchen shelves in the above photo.  I must add that this was done without One Word of Prompting (nagging, reminding, hinting).  I awoke from my Sunday Nap to find this Helpful Hubby working on the shelves. (Did you notice the nice rounded edge he did for me? How well treated am I??)

Tomorrow, Stella the Cat gets her first 'grooming'.....Don't you wish you could see that?
More work on sessions, 'surprises, cleaning and setting up the great outdoors for My Lovely Ladies....

More coverage tomorrow.....

Cabin Fever Crazies

I haven't cleaned my pantry since I moved here. Ten years ago. Plus.
Are you tsk-tsking?
Let us just say that I preferred a higher calling, putting much more important things in the way of Clean Pantryness.
Yeah. I don't believe it either.
Yet this is what it was getting to look like.
Canned goods stuffed her and there.
Other things crammed where they could get crammed.
Sad, really.

Nothing like a snowy Saturday with nothing to do (really?) to make lining some well worn shelves into Pantry Perfection.
I am VERY picky about shelf paper.
NO contact paper.
No marbly, fake wood grained, goose printy paper for me.
Hence you can see another excuse for stalling.
Why doesn't Amy Butler make shelf paper? I could see myself changing paper much more frequently(every 2 years?) to take advantage of her lively prints....
On a Shelf Paper Run to our friendly Ace/Ben Franklin, I began a conversation with Community Friend Carolyn about the sad offerings of shelf paper. I drifted into the fabric section and noticed the flannel back table cloth fabric by the yard.
Hmmmmm, I says to Hubby.
Hmmmmmm, he says back to me.
Hmmmmmmm, says Community Friend Carolyn...
It might just work.
Sturdy for the long hauls between changing. Wipeable. Easy to change when Amy Butler comes out with her shelf paper line.
Hubby goes one step beyond and suggests colored thumb tacks to fasten it down just to look good whilst holding on well.
I suggest hot glue for those pesky sagging areas.
Community Friend Carolyn thinks it could work and promptly cuts the random amount that I guestimated. I should have gone home to measure, but I was on a roll and I feared the momentum would stop if I went home to do such a rational thing.

Then zip, zip, some vacuuming here (ceiling cobwebs, errant rice and leaky dog/cat food bags), a good scrubbing, (there was that pesky dead mouse thing a few years ago), some can organizing (not alphabetical but category), some hot glue in strategic spots, cute little red and white thumb tacks, and, ta da!
Pantry Perfection!
Would I sound too nutty if I told you that I go to the pantry these days just to look at it?

Wouldn't you?