the one about the six pesky gnomes and how they came to stay...

okay okay...you've got me, i admit that those little pesky gnomes made it on to my doorstep with a little help from me...
you see dear readers, having to be out of my carefully staged house for five hours (due to inspection being preformed) meant i was forced to hang around shops.

now usually this would not have been a chore in the least especially as i needed to get cracking with some christmas shopping but i am lacking one thing at the moment and have been since before Thanksgiving...the one thing that Mother Christmas can not be without this time of year...(no, not Johnny Depp, silly)...my credit card......................i paused a long while for you to recover, yes it is a horror story...the night before thanksgiving i am advised by those 'advisers' from the very important world of financing that someone is having a good time in Texas courtesy of me and my man.

not good, not good at all...and even more 'not good' i was informed it would take over ten business days to get a new card. well my little heart was thumping with the horror of it all, and more to the point i had planned to hit the Anthro sale the day after thanksgiving with my trusty credit card by my side...i let out a wail of despair and then i sat down with a bottle of my new found love to think it over.

after a while it seemed quite clear what i must do at this desperate time...i would raid my childrens piggy banks...our #1 was useless, she had spent all her money...our #2 wasn't any help either, hers is all safely tucked up in a bank account....our#4 was not even worth asking as money runs through his hands like water...so it was down to our #3, i knew he wouldn't fail me, he ferrets his money away and watches it grow under the mattress.

"i need any money you have and i need it now" (no time for politeness here)

"what for?" he asks

"the anthropologie sale"...

"ummm, (he knows his mother's weakness is the anthro sale tables) okay but it will cost you, i am thinking i will charge you five dollars...so you will have to pay me back the full amount plus another five"

"you're on"...

and so dear readers that is how Tif got her six red plates on the sale table the day after thanksgiving...which leads me to tell you that yesterday after days of checking on line, anthro at last dropped their prices on the red plates i required to make the number up to ten in my cupboard. "fantastic" i hear you cry...that is what one would think but it was not "fantastic" because i had no credit card to purchase them...as luck would have it, my man's card turned up two days ago. i phoned him at work in a panic, "quick quick, you must come home, anthro have discounted the plates...i must buy them now before someone else gets my lovely 'bargain' plates"...to which he replied "do we really need these plates" words fail me at times like these...

back to the gnomes...

i made it over to the store 'World Market' simply because they sell cadbury's chocolate bars and i was feeling the need for some light refreshment whilst crocheting 'popcorn garlands' in the car with my friend, used dog.
as i was paying for my chocolate bar, (carefully counting out my pennies) a little voice said "oi, over here" and it was little pesky gnome #1...before i knew it all six had jumped into my shopping cart and insisted on coming home with me.

"i'm not sure i can afford you, i only have six dollars on me and i really really need my chocolate"

"don't worry" he said "we are on sale" (oh magic words to my ears)

when we arrived home, they were not best pleased i made them stand out on the doormat and ring the bell so i could get a good story...part of their displeasure was to do with reaching the doorbell, even with standing on each others shoulders they informed me a long stick would be required...

when i awoke this morning there was some telling evidence in my house...

she's thinking they may be making more trouble in days to come ~ Tif

the one about a gracious host...

when used dog and i returned late yesterday after spending most of the day out of the house because of the inspection, i was just sitting down with a cup of tea and the door bell rang.

i hopped up and answered it but no one was there...mumbling to myself i returned to my sofa, (please note crochet throw from my thrifting the other day) to work on my final popcorn garland and drink my tea...a few seconds later the bell rang again.

once again i couldn't see anyone there and just as i was closing the door i heard a little

"excuse me"...

well dear readers, what are the chances of passing strangers (albeit of the gnome variety) coming to my door looking for some christmas cheer (thank goodness i did not buy the blue plates...)

trying to be a gracious host, i got a little closer...

"we are six little pesky christmas gnomes from Norway and have lost our way"...

"oh really" says i "then why do you have a 'made in Taiwan' label on your backs?"

ignoring my question the leader of the dubious bunch continued "please can we come into your lovely warm home, we saw your christmas tree and popcorn garland through the window and we wish to rest our weary tiny feet a while"

"ummm" i said...

"we promise not to be any trouble"...

from past experience with gnomes i do not believe it one bit, but i didn't want to hurt their tiny feelings so i invited them in...

and so dear readers i am now entertaining a bunch of little 'naughty looking' gnomes for christmas, they have taken up residence on my coffee table and by the looks of it, have a new furry best friend...not sure if there will be six of them for long...

i think she's going a bit loopy with the trials of house selling ~ Tif

in the past three days...

1. i have woken up to snow...

2. had a power outage...

3. seen Santa walking down the street whilst buying fire wood because of power outage. (not fake beardy santa but the real thing, he smiled and waved straight at little old me and my wood pile).

4. had an even bigger dump of snow

5. discovered microwave popcorn is not the same as popcorn of old...it does not like to be strung as a garland.

6. created own popcorn garland for tree with the magic of crochet

7. eaten delicious pink owls cookies courtesy of our #2

8. jazzed up old thrift store coat with a handcrafted brooch...and decided to make more for presies. ("and when might that be, oh 'Tif of little time' ")

9. huge amounts of rain and wind pelting around the place.

10. have signed contracts with a buyer for our house...it's been a hell of a few weeks negotiating and until we get past inspection i am not celebrating...but if all goes according to plan we will be moving just after Christmas...("thank you up above")

phew ~ Tif

footnote : please do not uncross fingers or toes dear readers, until i give you the all clear...thank you :)