We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Sequoia with our friends Jules and Kristen.



We did a lot of hiking and saw lots of trees. Duh...



We also learned a new game called table scrabble and got out of eating Tofurkey!!! (J/K Kristen!)

It was about 35 during the day and just plain freezing cold at night. Kristen kept a fire going the whole time, YAY Kristen! We did hear that it snowed on Monday so we barely missed it. Thank goodness as none of us were prepared for snow. The trails were cold enough that I don't think we would have made it in the snow!

Here's to next year, I hope we can do it again!

Over the weekend I went to Mandi's party for her son Jack's 3rd birthday! It was alot of fun and I was able to go out with Michele afterwards. We went to my house for a bit so my mom could see the kids and Jamie got to play with them. He spent a lot of time spinning! Check out the pics...Kolbe and Kaylee

YAY! Our dining room is almost done. Here is a picture to remind you of the hideous wallpaper.



When we removed the wallpaper, it was very clear WHY they had wallpapered. The walls were in terrible condition. The paint below was peeling off and there were tons of holes from nails and goodness knows what. We figured we needed more than a little jar of spackle so we had the drywall company (that we are getting to know pretty well!) come in. They did a skim coat on all of the walls which smoothed everything out and made the walls look new. It was amazing how much difference it made! They looked great! The picture looks a bit splotchy but that is because it was still not completely dry when I took the pic.



And finally, THE RED PAINT! I know a lot of you have been wondering about what this would look like... to quote my lovely mother in law "RED? Well, I guess now that you are my daughter in law I need to just smile and say I am sure that will be lovely :)" Well maybe she didn't say it quite like that but I am sure it's what most of you were thinking! Anyways, it is RED now and Jamie and I love it so hopefully you like it too. I especially like it with the yellow/orange kitchen color. They compliment each other really well. I don't know that the picture shows that very well.



Tom and I are going to put up the base moulding this weekend and I still need to finish up the trim. For my birthday Jamie bought me a new light fixture but it's on backorder so hoepfully that will come soon!

So as promised, here are the pictures from the tea! Afternoon Tea at the Ritz

YAY ME! I had a wonderful birthday weekend! Julia came down from Lompoc and stayed over on Friday night. We had a lovely meal (the whole weekend was about eating!) at the Olive Branch here in La Crescenta. It was much better than I remembered it and Julia really liked it too! I am sorry to say that I wimped out on her and went to sleep about 10 ( at least that is an hour past my bedtime!) I was wide awake at 5:30 on Saturday morning but I resisted the urge to wake her! At around 9 we were all up and went to breakfast at one of my favorite places, The Dish in La Canada and then we got pedicures and did a little shopping. Later on we played some scrabble and I was doing soooo well. I was actually kicking Julia's butt! In the last 5 words or so she caught up and on her final piece I kind of rubbed it in that she only needed 7 points to tie me. She sat there for a while and then placed her letter "B" and got 19 points to win the game!!! Can you believe it? She spelled Be and B.O.! She must have had some one much higher up on her side! (j/k :) We then went to grandmas house for my mom's famous vegetable beef soup and gradma and grandpa's famous lemon meringue pie. YUMMY!

Today Jamie made me my favorite breakfast. Jamie sandwiches! We put up a coat of primer in the dining room and I helped start a coat of the red paint. Jamie finished the first and also did a second coat while I went out to a ladies tea at the Ritz in Pasadena. It was so much fun! My mom, grandma, Cousin Renee and Aunt Sue, Aunt Shirley and Cousin Barbara as well as friends Katherine, Carolyn, Debbie, Nancy and Pam. Whew! What a group! I think everyone had a great time. I took some pictures but won't be able to post them until Wednesday. I am off to Chicago for work!

Last but not least, my wondeful husband gave me a new light for the dining room and took me out to dinner and a movie. We saw Borat, which was very funny but also very offensive. I don't think most of my friends would like it, please let me know if you see it and like it! We also went to Pichanas and stuffed ourselves with Brazilian meat.

I am sitting here in my post-birthday glow, full of tea, meat and happiness. Thank you to everyone who thought of me on my birthday and helped make it such a memorable one! I am truly blessed!

Here is Jamie working on peeling the rest of the wallpaper.



We had the drywallers come yesterday and do a skim coat all over to even out the walls and WOW does it ever look better!!! Next step. the RED PAINT!



JUNGLE CAT!