Nearly Partied Out

I bet you are as well what with it being one week until Christmas. One week!!! That means two weeks until I turn 63!!!

Keeping up my reputation as a Dancing Queen is not easy these days; my knees this morning proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. But, we'll get to that in a few paragraphs.

Let us begin with a posted sign on Pershing that leaves so much up to the reader's imagination...

Seriously, can you make heads, or tails, out of this? Clever, right?

Am I the last to know that OxyClean can be used for more than laundry? It says so right on the container!

Here's what happened--I confess, I generally have a small glass of wine on the counter while I am cooking dinner. Not the only one perhaps, but just saying...  Anyway, while reaching for a bottle of olive oil to put away, I somehow knocked over said glass of red wine and it was not pretty. Pouring down the face of my white cabinets in streaks, I was freaking out! Grabbing my wonderful dish cloth made just for me by Matthew, I wiped as quickly as is humanly possible. Not just the face of the cabinet, but the inside of the door mirrored the front. Because I had no white wine opened, I grabbed some white vinegar, trying that with not even a modicum of success. It came to me in a flash, "why not try my spray OxiClean?" Why not indeed? Within seconds, all those nasty marks were history. I need not tell you how thrilled I was with the results. Have you tried OxiClean on anything besides laundry?

Unloading my camera card in preparation for writing this post, I'd forgotten all about the awesome eagle encounter I had the other morning during my bike ride. What, pray tell, would a Camera Crazy post be without a little nature thrown in for good measure? Here you go:

The moment Fallon has been preparing for these last two and a half years finally arrived on Friday evening. I told you she studied like crazy, day and night, to finish nursing school and now she officially has! The pinning ceremony was held in the College Park First Baptist Church, now re-branded as the "Church on the Drive." Unlike the last time I was there to attend the funeral of Betty Stewart, this occasion was filled with joy, rather than sorrow. Arriving early to secure a good place to take photographs, I was bursting with happiness when she was "pinned" by one of her nurse mentors.

Should you be wondering what a pinning ceremony is, here's the scoop. Following the ceremony we all convened at Bill and Fallon's house to celebrate her awesome accomplishment.

How pretty is that tree? Can you believe it came from QVC. You have to see those lights cycle and change color to fully appreciate it's awesomeness! Have I already written about QVC before? Ever since she told me that both she and Michelle got trees from there, if you can call it a there, I've been on a quest to learn more about the sensation that is the Quality Value and Convenience channel on your television. This article from the Atlantic is genius. Oh wait, that's the aricle title, or nearly so. Perhaps you are not in the dark, as was I for the longest time, about how Spanx became the sensation it is because of QVC? Remember when I graduated Valencia and I did not continue at UCF? It was because I was tired of learning stuff other folks wanted me to learn. I am way more interested in how QVC became the behemoth of shopping!

One thing I told Fallon is that going through a house renovation for years on end is hard on anyone. Doing that while studying to be a nurse is just plain torture! She did both with aplomb though.

Whereas Fallon is our future daughter-in-law, Michelle has been in the family officially for eight years now. She also had a party this weekend. Not just any party mind you, but a smashing 40th birthday party held at her friend's home, Ken and Courtney. It is never easy finding gifts for Michelle, but I hope I managed okay this time. At least the bow, made by your favorite blogger, instead of her crazy talented bow maker husband, was a winner. Bruce was working on a work budget and no amount of cajoling would convince him to come to my aid.

A sparkly present for a sparkly house. This, my friends, was not just any home. Oh my! When was the last time you saw handmade copper hardware in a kitchen?

They also have done extensive renovations, however, unlike Bill, they hired it done, making the timeline significantly shortened. How about this view of the back? BTW--I am standing with the lake to my back.

Earlier in the week Fallon told me I was going to die over the house and while I did not die from seeing it, I did nearly die from dancing the night away in the big room with the Christmas tree. Will I ever learn? Probably not. I at least had to keep up with Michelle's Mom, a dancing queen in her own right, and she is 79 years old!

That would be David dancing with her. To say that she is a little dynamo is putting it mildly! On the home decor front, the blue and gold graphic doors were once brown. The focal point of both this great room, and the foyer, on the other side, they are stunning.

One of the highlights of the evening is when this happened:

And why is Michelle so flabbergasted? Well, here's why:

Can you believe what they can do with cakes nowadays? It is simply astonishing to me. Underneath all that fondant was a delicious red velvet cake, but for some, that was an afterthought!

When I see photographs of myself, I think--who is that woman? I so wish I was one of those people who photograph well, but that is not the case as I always look so weary.

After Fallon handed the camera back to me, following her taking the one above, I took this one of two young woman who do not looks worn out!

Can you say glamorous, times two??? I never looked like this even when I was young! I'm only sorry I did not take a single photograph of that handsome husband of mine with his two equally handsome sons!

Staying up until 1:30 in the morning is just not in our repertoire anymore. Yup, 1:30! Needless to say, it was not easy waking up for church, but we managed and I'm glad we did. The flower guild did a beautiful job decorating the sanctuary...oh my! The advent wreath alone is gorgeous, making use of greenery from yards, as well as florist flowers.

Swagged greenery is on the balcony rails, the staircase, and anywhere else they can find room to hang it. This narthex arrangement...for the record the Nativity scene was, before the flower committee came in, on the top. They definitely have their priorities in order.

Are you tired from reading this? Wait...one more party tonight!! Like in 45 minutes.

I'll keep you posted,

Gail