Niagara Falls...slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch....

(Oh gosh, remember that? Three Stooges. Funny how the brain can go back and pull out something 50 years old but you can't remember where the heck you put your glasses down 5 minutes ago.)

Alright, I know you've been patiently waiting for the big announcement....brace yourselves......the shower......
still leaks!

Yesterday was the day I finally came unglued about it. I've been trying to do such a good job of holding it all together, but it just sent me over the edge. It was an extra dirty,  two-martini evening, with a trip out to dinner.

Saturday, I took the first shower after the plumber had sealed the faucet plate. I was so sure that was the problem and it had been resolved. I come downstairs like a kid on Christmas morning only to see the paper towel I had placed strategically on the counter below the gaping hole in the kitchen ceiling is soaking wet. Talk about disheartened. Then the hubs, who is sitting at the counter doing Sunday's crosssword on Saturday (I know, shoot him),  smiles and admits to having wet the paper towel, just for fun. Phew! (and good thing we don't own any guns)

So he goes to take a shower, and cynic that I am, I place a new dry paper towel down. When he's done, it's wet. Lovely. Let's just go out and shop for the rest of the afternoon and I will try to not let it ruin my weekend.

On Monday, my hero plumber has some new ideas up his sleeve. Remember, he has said that this is not his problem, as it is not a leak, but he has a couple of suggestions, the least invasive of which is that I go out and pick up a plastic tarp, cover one of the tile walls and  commence to shower. So, last night at 2:00 a.m., I am putting on the finishing touches of duct tape to tile and laying out yet another litmus (paper towel) test.

This morning, hubs showers...I fly out of bed, run down the stairs, look at the paper towel...dry! Eureka!  But I also consider that he's also freaked by the fact that it's like he's showering at the dry cleaners with the plastic, so he's only taken a 5 minute shower instead of his usual 10-15. Taking one for the team, I go up and wash my hair yet again and stand there for 10 solid minutes to allow mass quantities of water to flow. Paper towel is dry. No leak. Yaay!!!!! Thank you Mr. Super Plumber.

Now all that's left to do is duke it out with the tile company, who will be here Thursday (2 more mornings of showering in a Ziploc bag) and we'll see if they step up and fix it without me having to mortgage the house (geez, considering what they charged to caulk, I'd have to kidnap a newborn heir to some oil-rich throne to cover this). Well, at least we know what has caused the leak, so we can fix it.
In celebration of having a huge weight lifted from my chest, while out merchandising this evening I popped into TJ Maxx and found something I've been looking for for a very long time:

Ribboned cake plates!

Ten years or so ago, I used to sell Southern Living at Home (or slah! (like blah!) as we reps fondly referred to this little home party endeavor)  and they made this plate (and mirror) called 'dress me up'. You could thread seasonal ribbon through it to give it a nice, festive look, changeable for occasion or season. All the cool reps had one in their kit (you had to buy it extra and it was not cheap) and would demonstrate by removing the ribbon and rethreading with something festive in the hostess' living room, while the ladies oohed and aahed.  I was too cheap to buy one for my kit--I had this strange policy that I had to earn money before I could spend it. I didn't buy a lot, if you catch my drift. And I have lived to regret that isolated incident of frugality.

I've just discovered pedestal cake plates (I'm a little behind---I just got my first trifle dish last year, which I don't think I've used yet), so I was hoping I'd find one that had some cutwork that I could turn into my very own Dress me Up Pedestal Cak Plate (at the backa of the photo you'll see the cake plate I bought this summer--this is as close as I have come..until tonight).

Imagine my ecstasy when I wander past the endcap and find not one, but two 'dress me up' pedestal cake plates threaded with one of my favorite ribbons....red polka dot. Happy happy, joy joy!. One regular size, one a tad smaller--O-M-G! they're STACKABLE!!!!! I almost had a nervous breakdown in between the painted wine glasses and the Polish Pottery. (I told you, this leak thing has definitely taken it's toll on me.)
 
I can just see them stacked, one atop the other, to display an arrangement of sugared fruits, cookies, pretty cupcakes, colorful kugel ornaments...whatever my heart desires. I have found Nirvana in a couple of cake plates.

Here I am in the back of TJ Maxx, holding a huge box (something I picked up for the snowman tree--you'll see later), a couple of wild and crazy dog toys (one that has, no lie, 18 squeakers in it), a little gift for my daughter (shh!) and I'm trying to also balance these two plates, one atop the other, WITH MY LEFT HAND, no less. I am an accident waiting to happen.

Fortunately, an angel of mercy, disguised as a TJ Maxx stock gentleman (who looked strangely like Guillermo from the Jimmy Kimmel show), takes pity, empties his cart of dishware he's stocking and wheels to my rescue, carefully transferring my prizes to said cart. Such service!

The perfect end to the day...figured out the leak, picked up a couple Christams gifts, got a lot of this week's merchandising done, and found some plates I didn't really need but wanted. Now, let's not think about where the heck we shall store them when they aren't in use. I think we shall save that ugly thought for after the shower has been totally repaired.

Tomorrow evening my new notebook computer is scheduled to be dropped off and I can install my embroidery software and give my machine a whirl before Saturday's all day Bernina Guide Classes. Ooohhhh! It's Christmas all over again tomorrow. Woo hoo! Things are definitely looking up.