Thank you for finding That Old House amidst the chaos of the Internet. We are delighted that you are here.

Friday, October 19, 2012

The TBDBT List, and Too Much of a Good Thing


Now, I am not complaining.

But . . . 
I am getting a little tired of living
in the midst of a roadside flea market. 


This situation is entirely my own fault.
I'm pretty good at finding lovely old bits of furniture and smalls
at auctions, estate sales, thrift shops, and on Craigslist.
Sometimes, too good.
 Oddball, orphaned tables, chairs, chests, rockers, and beds,

along with clocks and china and mirrors and artwork,
are squatting all over the house.  Not even paying rent.

Sofas?  We have three needing new homes!




I'm covered in sadness.
No, I am not.  You catch me fibbing.
I'm covered in thankfulness.
How lucky, how amazing, to have the problem of abundance.
**********************************
Although speaking of abundance,
Thanksgiving is a terrifying mere 34 days away.

I can't put a big table full of relatives in the dining room

if I still have it full of these interlopers.
 Time to get serious.
**********************************
It's time for the annual T.B.D.B.T. List,
or,
the To Be Done By Thanksgiving List.

I have been making one of these monsters for years.  And years.
"Wishes" about sums up the TBDBT.
My list is probably quite similar to the one penned by the hardy
souls who landed at Plymouth Rock back in 16-something-or-other.



1)  Don't thee die.
2)   Make thee friends with the locals.
3)  Invite thy new friends in for a nice cuppa.
4)  (Should be #2-1/2) Build thee a house to invite them into.

*********************************
Okay, so my TBDBT Lists are a little less ambitious than this,
although one year I included "Build A Garage," but crossed it out
before my husband could see it and get his hopes up.

2010 - Howard & Turkey Shirt
2011 - Howard & Turkey Shirt

I am way, way behind this year.
August and September were not my most productive months,
so I have streamlined my list.

Here it is, the slimmed-down 2012
To Be Done By Thanksgiving List.

1.  Send the orphaned furniture on its way, even if that means to a storage unit.
2.  Finish sewing the new draperies for the dining room, with the fabric bought during the TBDBT craze of 2010.  (Not fibbing.)
3.  Install the rest of the matchstick blinds in the Study, which includes trimming 4 of them.  
4.  Call Dave the Plumber and say Yes to a new upstairs bathtub, and also a new powder room faucet.  Ask him if a food disposal is possible in the kitchen.  Or, just outright buy his 4 kids all their Christmas presents, and his wife a nice warm mink.
5.  Touch up paint - kitchen, study, upstairs hall bath.
6.  Relax and realize that Thanksgiving will come, regardless of whether there are new draperies in the dining room, and everyone will be gently stuffed with good food.  Which brings me to my last make-sure-to-do point:
7)  Don't poison anyone.
A beautiful turkey with a cleverly disguised
ICBM strapped to its back.
The Commies will never see this one coming!
(A little joke there for us Cold War kids.)
*************************************
Adorable graphics courtesy of Karen, The Graphics Fairy.  Visit her amazing blog here!
*************************************

Link Parties!
At My Romantic Home, it's Show And Tell Friday Click here!
Feathered Nest Friday makes its home at French Country Cottage.  Click here!
The Charm of Home features Home Sweet Home on Fridays.  Click here!
It's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground.  Click here!
Miss Mustard Seed hosts the Furniture Friday Feature.  It's a must visit -- Click here!


We may or may not head East to the beach house.
I'm thinking That Old House is insisting we stay home,
and tend to her needs.  She's such a boss.  -- Cass


15 comments:

  1. You are too funny. I remember your curtain fabric from 2010 well. I hear curtains will be a thing of the past in a few years, so why bother? Don't forget to put washing and ironing Howard's turkey shirt on the list. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I completely forgot about the curtain fabric ... and I'm right there with you with all the 'bargains' that are to be had if we just look their way. Nice stuff, too, that's really hard to pass us. I promised my dear husband that I WOULD pass it up for now, until I clear out some space in the game/furniture storage room in the basement.

    That poster bed it wonderful!!

    I plan to be sewing curtains right there with you. Have samples taped to the window casing as we speak, and I love the fabric more and more every day. Waiting till it goes on half-off sale, though ... then I will use my dear husband's newly minted Senior-Citizen-Discount status to knock another 15% off of it. When I told him this, he just smiled. :)

    TBDBT ... I like the concept.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your collection! You have some wonderful pieces. Just cover it all in tablecloths and don't worry about it! It will be the cafe seating Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would love to have your head and foot boards...I would like to have them to go in my bedroom...they would be perfect. I have so many things I need to catch up as well and I'm working my way. I finally got my dresser and cabinet painted and just have the drawers to finish. I love all you wonderful things...and I'm changing the living room..and for some silly reason can't locate my other curtains....lovey funny cute post...and yes Thanksgiving will be here shortly...Happy Weekend with love Janice

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, the old TBDBT list! Seems doable to me. And yes, you need to put "iron Howard's Turkey Shirt" on the list! And his garage! Then you could put ALL that stuff in it (and he'd still be parking outside!) (Just ask Jim!!!)

    Sometimes I think curtains are overrated! But if I remember the fabric, it is nice! And you do have a new machine, don't you?

    But remember Thanksgiving is still a month away and a month can be an eon!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh boy, it's that time of year again.


    Good Luck.

    M :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Our Thanksgiving is over and done with - I had to put furniture in my bedroom for the evening lol - I SO get this!
    Good luck
    On another note - your home looks soooo gorgeous!
    Hugs,
    Suzan

    ReplyDelete
  8. You have a good excuse as you buy for your business. My "To Do" list is so long and has been put on the "back burner " for so long, there is no way I could meet a Thanksgiving deadline. :/
    Enjoy your weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 1) Your TBDBT lists make me a NERVOUS WRECK for you. I would never make it.

    2) Curtain sewing for your TBDBT list AGAIN????? This is where I FIRST came in on you and your little ole blog - - - you were trying to finish a jazillion curtains by TGD and I was a nervous wreck for you way back then.

    3) I didn't meet the hungry ghosts until a bit later.

    4) I LOVE Howard in his turkey shirt. That cute little turkey.

    5) HAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'm old enough to actually GET and LAUGH over the turkey with the ICBM on his back.

    6) You are and always will be one clever chick.

    7) The bedhead and footer are ALMOST what I'm looking for to finish off my bedroom. ALMOST. A bit too chunky for my taste and I don't like that whole "scrubbed" "scratched" "distressed" area right down the middle of the footer or header or whatever is on top in that photo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, if you are willing to come to New Jersey and pick up the old head-and-foot boards, you can have them! They really aren't "distressed," they just look that way in the picture because 1) they are genuine OLD pieces, nearly 200 years old, and 2) they need a spa treatment of color-matched scratch cover and good beeswax.

      The bed is gorgeous -- yes, it is "chunky" but not clunky. Really strong, great lines. Can you tell I am a complete furniture geek?

      I still am not sure if I'm going to sell this bed, or try and make it fit in the smallest of our guest rooms.
      Eh, who needs room for actual guests?
      Happy Halloween, toots!
      Cass

      Delete
  10. Cass.....you make me laugh. If we were neighbors, I'd have a hard time trying to get my own TBDBT not to mention TBDBC!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You think you have problems with your TBDBT........we go over to the other house on WEDNESDAY to meet with the contractors because after almost a year and a half we decide it finally needs to be sold....it's been a cheap storage unit and if we had stayed there for another 6 months we would be being featured on "Hoarders"....the Boss makes the deal to re-hab the house and the guy will also buy all the contents we don't want.....so on the spot He tells me...get all your stuff out now....26 years of saving stuff and he gave me 2 days to go through it all and pack and move it...thought I was going to die.....yesterday as the last item my beloved Moose Head got loaded into the contractors truck (he was kind enough to deliver it to us) I ask the boss,,,"where is the big ship print"....to which he replies..."I gave it to Jim" thinking Jim was delivering it to us with the moose...NO....he GAVE it to Jim.....what he didn't remember was I gave it to him as a wedding gift.....42 years ago I shouldn't be surprised that he forgot...after all someone asked him the other day where we live to which he replied..."Woodstock"......we live in Kennesaw.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my sweet goodness. I loved this post. YOU'RE HILARIOUS!!! I certainly have my own TBDBT list...and it isn't getting done at breakneck speed either!
    So...what's a girl to do? I'm going to become your newest follower...hopefully, we can sleep on it and I can come back tomorrow and we'll have this figured out!
    Seriously...needing some help.

    Pat, via FNF!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Don't know where I'll be spending Thanksgiving, but it will happen whether I'm away from home or not. ;0)
    I remember the drape fabric and the different prints you put up for us to rate. Some were hard to choose between. Post a pic when you finish them. (((hugs)))Pat

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Cassie! Now if I lived close by, I'm sure I could take a few of those pieces off your most tiny hands! You sound like me, I always let things pile up and a little holiday or company will get me going. Your home is so beautiful and I'm sure your guests won't notice you don't have the new drapes up. Take a good multi viti and go to town! :)
    About that procedure, I was only 10 years late in getting it done. Piece of cake, except drinking the gallon of yuck! :)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting That Old House; it's always exciting to find new comments -- they are treasured! Because of increasing spam, I have reluctantly eliminated "Anonymous" commenting. Legitimate anonymous commenters, please forgive me! You might try using "Open ID" instead. Blogger's spam software worked for a good long time, but, sadly, no longer.