Uggs, Tang & a Centerpiece

Okay, I have never been a fan of Uggs. I can't get over the slipper-ness of them. I know they are in style, I just can't do it. But I can make Susie do it...

They aren't real Uggs, but they do look similar. Funny thing is I actually do like these ones... I think the split down the middle makes them less tube sock /slash slipper. Anyway, Susie wasn't sure at first (trying to pry them off above), but after further investigation, she decided she could rock them afterall...

I think she wanted to say, "Mom take a picture and show Leah my new Uggs." Leah is our fashion advisor/friend/Mark and Susie's Godmother. Leah should blog about fashion more because she gets it and I really need help. Anyway, one more thing, see the book on the table in the above picture? She loves books, and I don't mean kid books...

She turns the pages, one chunky handfull at a time, very carefully and purposefully, front to back, back to front, front to back, over and over and it keeps her busy for quite some time. But it has to be paper pages - none of those cardboard baby books for this one - she is interested in real learning. Her favorites are my Exhaustive Concordance and Old and New Testament Word Studies. Those are some big books! With no pictures, that is for sure!

Anyway, as Susie figured out that her new boots did not, in fact, weigh 17 pounds each and she could, in fact, still walk while wearing them, I was working on cleaning this whatever-it-is-in-hard-water-that-stains-things-orange off my dishwasher interior...

Nasty. That dishwasher was immaculate when we got it. It has had wayyy too much hardwater through it since then. Some people had told me to get some kind of crystals from the pharmacy, but mine didn't have them. Then my handyman extrordinaire told me to run a container of Tang through it. I am always afraid of these outlandish ideas. He assured me a mutual friend of ours does it all the time and nothing bad happens. I tried a couple table spoons at first and I could tell it was working, so I tried about a cup, and it worked a little more. I had this mental picture that it was going to fizz and overflow all over my kitchen, but that wasn't happening, to my surprise, so I threw caution to the wind and dumped the whole tub in (it was probably about a 3 to 4 cup tub). The result:

I know you are all going to think those pics are doctored (even the husb did). They are NOT tampered with in any way besides adding the words. The first one was taken in the morning while it was still dark outside so it has the yellow glow of artificial light, while the after was taken with the morning light shining through the window. Look at the details though, you can tell that stuff rocked! Very pleasantly surprised! I like my dishwasher again, even though I have to wash the dishes before it washes the dishes. FYI, the product review I posted when I got it may have been a bit premature. Sorry folks.

So, last but not least in this circus of a random blog post is the centerpiece I made for my mini-late-Thanksgiving table today...

My mom and I saved some sparkling cider and wine bottles, I cleaned the labels off (soaked in warm water then scrubbed with rough side of a sponge), shaved a taper candle smaller (mine are fat Ikea ones), and stuck them in. I like it. I ended up doing a burlap table runner and I really liked the contrast of the dark, shiny bottles on the rustic burlap.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving to y'all -- I was not able to blog during the holiday.... I was heavily burdened with attending four - you read right, FOUR holiday dinners. The last of which I cooked myself - and the turkey, potatoes, green beans, yams, and gravy that were my responsibility all turned out pretty well! It was miraculous. Hope you all ate tons and experienced the blessings of home, food and family!