Ho ho ho...

"...And a bottle of rum?" I don't think that's how the phrase goes. But it's what the contestant thought the puzzle was on Wheel of Fortune Tuesday night. Then Pat Sajak chimes in with, "Wow, Santa's been throwin' em back huh?" The correct phrase was "Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum." We like Wheel of Fortune at our house.

Side note, still no word from John Tesh, but I'm eagerly awaiting a reply.

The holiday season is upon us, and I'm sure many of you ladies have tons of holiday parties to go to. If you're like me, you like to wear something different to each party. Since I don't have the time or money to buy 6 new holiday outfits, I gravitate to jewelry. I have this black velvet outfit that I love to wear at Christmas time. I wore it last year, and I'll probably wear it this year. (If you celebrate Christmas with me, don't be surprised.) The great thing about this outfit is that it's plain, and I can use jewelry to change up the look.

Think about what you have in your closet. Maybe you can use great jewelry to change up or spice up your holiday outfit.

These are just as beautiful and shiny in person. Faux turquoise and rhinestone dangle earrings. Perfect for any holiday.

These bracelets are great to stack. Stacking bangles, cuffs, and bracelets make such a great statement. The "equestrian" bracelet is gold plate. The silver chain bracelet is sterling.

These are great clip earrings called "cascading clips." They are gorgeous and comfortable on. Great for Christmas or New Years parties.

I love bud vases! These, like my mint julep cups, make me happy. (Not for sale.)

Merry Christmas from the Lee's.

Intelligence for Your Life

I just emailed John Tesh. I'm serious and entirely too excited about it.

Wondering why I might do such a thing? Well Andrew and I love when we happen upon the John Tesh radio program, so for his birthday, I got him the book "Intelligence for Your Life" by John Tesh. Last Sunday, we were driving home from church, and I couldn't stand it. I had to give him his two birthday presents even though his birthday isn't until the 27th. (We're obviously on a budget this year with a whopping two gifts I could buy for him.) So we got home, I made hot chocolate, put on Christmas music, lit my Thymes Frasier fir candle, made Andrew sit in front of our 5 foot tree, and he opened his gifts. I gave Andrew a "Scranton : Dunder-Mifflin" t-shirt, and the book.

He loved it! I wish I had pictures of him opening it. Oh well. But what's sweeter than that is we laid on the sofa and read a few chapters of the book together! What a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon. (Now Andrew's embarrassed that I told people that we read "Intelligence for Your Life" together. It's not Elizabeth Barrett Browning poetry, guys.) Well it didn't last long, but I enjoyed it.

If you know me, you know that I have all of my Christmas shopping done. I've had it done since September. But my dad's birthday is January 5, and that always creeps up on me. I thought getting "Intelligence for Your Life" on audio CD would be the perfect gift for him. Only thing is, I can't find it. Therefore, I emailed John Tesh. I asked him about the audio tape, and of course I gave him my warm regards for such a wonderful book and inspiring message. I got a lovely reply:

"Dear Whitney,

Thanks for writing to us here at The John Tesh Radio Show. Please accept our apologies for this auto response. We greatly appreciate you contacting us with your questions and suggestions and will respond just as soon as we can.

If you have written to John to say thank you, or to let him know how the show has impacted your life, rest assured that we forward each of these letters to him directly. Although he can't read every letter on the air, he does in fact read each and every one.

A Frequently Asked Questions Page has been added to the website at http://tesh.com/home/subjectcategories/radioshow/frequentlyaskedquestionsto answer some of the most commonly asked questions.

We'd also like to invite you to subscribe to the Tesh.comwebsite. The Website provides extensive information about all the subjects you hear on the show. Go to http://tesh.com/ittrium/home/subscribeand sign up now.

Once again, we truly appreciate you tuning-in.

Best Regards,

THE TESH.COM WEBTEAM

So if you're driving around listening to the John Tesh radio program, let me know if he gives me a shout-out. It would make my year.

Dare to be different: Asian edition

I usually don't gravitate to Asian influence in my decorating or jewelry accessories. Typically, I like French or English inspired antiques with a hint of modern flair. But as I've been setting up for Cherche' parties, I've noticed all of the accessories I carry are Asian inspired! You may remember this onyx piece and this Chinese shoe scrapper. (Please note: To be politically correct, I should probably be using the term "Indian" instead of Asian, right? Hope you're not offended. All this PC stuff is so ridiculous anyway.)

Moving on. I find the more I shop, the more eclectic my taste becomes. It's interesting that way. Just like antiques are: interesting. I like primitive and modern. French and Asian. I like to mix it all up.

If you like to mix it all up too, here's some ideas for you:

This is a brilliant jade pendant. My cousin's sweet, wonderful gorgeous fiancee', Nicola, told me a little about jade that her grandmother taught her. She told me that jade is thought to bring good luck to those who wear it. Supposedly, if the jade breaks, a bad accident was supposed to happen to you, but the jade protected you. I think that's so interesting to know about, but I take these theories with a grain of salt. I already know where my protection and help come from.

I just love these wooden, Asian-inspired carvings. An interesting way to decorate!

There's plenty more accessories that I have to share with you. Maybe I'll start looking for French antiques next.

Always Do Right

"Always do right- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."

Mark Twain

So Andrew suggested that I take down my previous post because it sounded "mean." I was just pointing out that it's endearing to copy your momma's, Ms. Glenda's of the world, or the great Coco Chanel, but I don't think it's very classy to copy someone's business plan. It's just not right.

Oh whatever, it's a free country, but just know that I won't be outdone by anyone trying to excel with my idea.

Having said that, I had a wonderfully successful show in Thibodaux thanks to my best friend, Beth! Many of you spoke of how you couldn't make it to Sugar Boutique that night but really were interested in joining us for a fun party. Good news! Beth and I talked about having another show in a few months. I will certainly inform you of a date if we decide to set one.

My set up at Sugar Boutique

Whit and Beth :: Friends since 4th grade

Thank you so much, Beth, for being such a great, generous friend! I had an amazing time!