HOME RENOVATION PROGRESS AND A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Well, lot's of home reno and Christmas shopping progress was made this weekend and so I thought I'd share. After much debate and me actually telling off a saleperson in one horrible flooring store, we (finally) purchased our flooring for the livingroom/dining room . A nice handscraped teak from Virgina Millworks. With any luck it'll be actually on my floors by next week and I'll post a picture. On a reco from a friend, I went to Lumber Liquidators (they have a warehouse in South Hackensack, NJ not to far from where we live), and I was actually pleasantly surprised with the selection.

The contruction guys were also back this weekend and I finally now have a 1/2 ton steel beam holding up the second floor. (Fingers crossed) it'll all pass inspection and/or my stepdaughter's room won't come crashing down into my livingroom and I can finally have my house finished by next week.

As if dropping $3000 on flooring wasn't enough to lay out in one weekend, I decided to make as big of a dent as possible in my Christmas shopping as December is going to be madness at 'the day job' and I won't have much time to think about it after this week. I'd say I'm 50% done. Not bad for never having left my house. : ) Here's what I got. (Friends and family members, no peeking...)

Top left and right: Roadster Fire Truck ($69) and Fire Fighter outfit (34.99) from Back To Basics Toys for my little nephews who are currently obsessed with firemen.

2nd row left: French Alphabet Flash Cards $24 from Posh Chicago.

2nd row right: Adorable handmade sweater dress from Angora Knitter $30

3rd row left: Beautiful set of decoupaged coasters with soldered aluminum edges ($30) from Sidney Ann for a coaster obsessed friend along with a lovely pair of Kevia earrings for her purchased at Blufly with a coupon code DOR127 where I got $30 off my total order--which of course included this little Twelfth St By Cynthia Vincent dress for me ; )

4th row left: Kevia gold bangle with leaf via Blufly $45

4th row right: Part of a large gift basket for my scent obsessed friend, a Mistral Lychee Rose scented glass candle. $22. How pretty is their packaging?!!??

Bottom left: 12 card collection presented in an elegant box of birthday cards, thank you cards, get well, with love and miss you cards from Cecily Ink $25

Bottom Right: Gorgeous calendar from Cecily Ink $14

Top Left: Citizen Nighthawk watch for my hubby. It retails for $450, and I got a great deal with free shipping at EWatches.

Top right: Mom and floral diamond charm necklace from Helen Ficalora

Second row left: My 'go to gift' for guys, Skin Supplies for Men from Clinique. Guys love this stuff and I get a nice discount at 'the day job'.

Second row right: I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and how beautiful is this? A lovely rose scented reed diffuser from Fresh Body Boutique $32.99 I'm tempted to keep this one for me ; )

Third row left: I ordered the 'The Bin' container in this beautiful damask pattern from the Macbeth Collection to use as a gift box which will hold the rest of the items pictured ...Orange blossoms room spray $16 from Fresh Body Boutique; A beautifully packaged mimosa, white musk and cedarwood milk protein soap $7 from Mistral; Blackberry scented sugar body scrub $24 also from Mistral; and a French Lavender scented reed diffuser from Fresh Body Boutique $32

PHEW!!