It's been all about SNOW and SOCHI!

I love the OLYMPICS!  I always have.  Growing up we would gather around the TV every night as a family and cheer on the USA.  It was so much easier when it was on one channel and there was no social media for distractions and opinions.  Those were the good old days.  Don't get me wrong, I love that it is on multiple cable channels and I can tweet and Facebook all about the Sochi games but there was just something magical about a simpler time when everyone watched the Olympic games because there wasn't much else on the other channels before cable.

I live in the Chicago area which can be described with one word as of late... SNOW!  We have been getting snowstorm after snowstorm and keeping up with the shoveling has been quite the task.  We are currently at the 5th snowiest winters here and it is nowhere close to being over.  There is seriously nowhere to put it anymore.  I have this mountain of snow at my front door that I think will melt by May if I'm lucky!

But like they say, when life give you lemons, make lemonade.  So I took advantage of our latest 6" of snow and marched out a big USA as a shout out to our athletes and troops overseas.

The rings on the house were made by my Dad for the Olympics back in 1984 and they have been displayed during every Olympiad since - summer and winter - spotlighted at night.  I love them.

The Olympic swag is getting more and more expensive since Ralph Lauren has become the official outfitter of Team USA.  I did get a pair of the GO USA mittens as shown above.  But as I was turning them inside out to dry after a shoveling episode, I saw the tag shows they were MADE IN CHINA!  Wha?????  Seriously?  If you recall during the past Olympic that Ralph Lauren designed for, his brand was lambasted because the uniforms for the American athletes were not made in the USA.  And yet, the Team USA mittens from the USOC were Made in China.  I don't get it.  But they are cute so I have been wearing them since I received them as a gift in December.

With regards to the quite unpopular Ralph Lauren Opening Ceremony Cardigan sweater, I LOVE IT.  I think the story of how it was made and all of the thought and hand crafting that went into it, I think it was spectacular.  And if you doubted it, how can you argue with the way that TEAM USA looked walking into the Opening Ceremonies awash in a sea of stars and stripes.  Bravo Mr. Lauren!

I am also quite the fan of the flag crew sweater by Ralph Lauren.  This would look great under a vest with the Olympic patch on the sleeve.  I only wish they weren't so pricey.  I will hunt these down on Ebay for years to come.

This sweater by Ralph Lauren for the closing ceremonies is my favorite.  The Olympic rings on the back are perfect and the front with the traditional reindeer and snowflake motif is quintessential Ralph.

The price of the TEAM USA cardigan was $598 and I was shocked to find out it had sold out completely online.  But then hearing there were only 324 available, I understood.  SO many people hated them and claimed they looked like a 3rd grade teacher's sweater, an ugly Christmas sweater, or a cardigan your grandmother would wear.  But I don't agree.  I think they are quite awesome and hope to own one someday.  Although, to see them going for almost $3,000 on Ebay .... well, that is a tad ridiculous.

So, I am looking forward to Spring - especially spray painting weather.  I have a few projects in the works - trying to give my ugly fridge a cheap makeover so hopefully I will be posting that in the next week.  The weather hasn't been my friend trying to bring molding in from the garage in 10 inches of snow.  Once the weather finally breaks, hopefully my lazy streak will as well.  Althought, the temperature is supposed to be back down to 3 next week.  I hope the Easter Bunny has a snowmobile!