The unpacking continues... guests arrive in 24 hours or less

My household goods (so many crates of it) was delivered 2 weeks and 3 days ago.  I have worked hard on unpacking the many boxes and hauling stuff either up or downstairs.   Of course, I am limited in my unpacking because I still have to work and there is only one person:  ME to do the unpacking!

To give you an example...   This is how much paper was in a big box (almost to my chest) and when I get to the bottom area of the box... I do have to tilt the box forward and lean my head deep down inside because I am not tall enough nor are my arms long enough to reach to the bottom foot of the box!

But this is how much was in the big box... (well, most of the items were found in this box).   I finally found:  PLATES!!   I was beginning to wonder when I'd ever get to eat off of real plates again!   I had even bought some new  'paper plates' with holiday designs on them 'just in case' I never found the plates before my company from Germany arrived this weekend.

Here's a close up of some of the Polish Pottery plates and mugs.   The white mugs are from the German Porcelain Factory/Store that was in a nearby town near to where I used to live.  I was able to buy white bowls and serving platters from them to go with my varied assortment of 'mix and match' dishes that I have.

The last time that I was able to go to Poland for POLISH POTTERY DISH SHOPPING... one store had these adorable chicken designs.  I had enough money (last store our group stopped at) to buy 6 plates, 6 bowls, and one casserole dish.  I thought that they'd be cute breakfast dishes!   Or anytime actually!

If you look closely to the left hand side of the 'green baker's rack' you'll notice some ceramic hand painted CHICKENS in the floor!   I bought those from 1998-2000 when I lived in Italy the first time.   They are from various towns in northern Italy.   Each town has it's own designs that they paint on the chicken pitchers.   So, you can now see why I was lured in by the 'chicken designs' on the Polish Pottery plates?

Ok, my friends will be here soon... and I need to start putting away ANYTHING that doesn't already have a home, cleaning up, making the beds with the clean linens, washing clothing, and hauling empty boxes and endless papers that were used to wrap items in the boxes to the garage, and find lampshades and the light bulbs and put those items together in rooms.   Right now, I have only managed to put together all the parts for 3 lamps.

At least, I do have rugs down in the floors and at bedsides... the marble floors in this house are nice... but, in the mornings one needs something warm under your feet!   So, I must get busy and continue this last minute effort to make it look like SOMEONE LIVES IN THIS HOUSE and is ready FOR COMPANY TO VISIT!!