Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Ball, 1978, New York Times

Happy New Year to all my friends, both old and new.   I so appreciate how you have enriched my life.  Thank you...

  In 2010, I wish for you, loving friends and family, the gift of time to stop and enjoy all the beauty around you, a wonderful sense of humor, a deeper faith in God, and a greater sense of self-empowerment.  Make 2010, your year...

Glimpses of Christmas Past

Every year, the Saturday before Christmas, I like to take drag my family to The Landing.  The Landing is living history museum representing the life and times of people living in the MN River Valley 150 years ago.  I love to get away from all the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas and take this journey back in time.  Here are some photos from our day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you Ready???

Are you ready???  I certainly am not!

  I was able to make a few cookies for Santa...

And wrap a few presents...

(Thank you to the lovely Linda from Robin's Egg Blue for the inspiration... Visit her here for lovely pics!)

The tree's are all done...

The rest of the decorations are out.

The glasses are all decorated...

But I need to take the time to say...

Happy Birthday to Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas!

Wonderous Christmas Gifts!

I got a couple boxes in the mail recently that I want to share with you.

First off, from a swap partner, Cathy, I got a surprise package containing these sweet towels.

The red one has a total vintage feel, I love them so much!  Makes my kitchen just sparkle with Christmas goodness!  Thanks Cathy!

And then I also got this baby...

I won a giveaway from Cheryl at  Zany-Mayd.  Check her site out here.  It contained the most wonderful surprises!  I just love everything in it, and wow, did it contain a ton of fun new treasures!

Thanks to both of you, I am so thankful I got to know you and have such sweet new friends!

My Fav Gift I'm Giving...

(A quick note to my other sister, Rachael...  Don't read any further....) 

Many of you know my little nephew, Bo.  Don't let this sweet picture fool you, we affectionately call him,  "Little Monster."  This Christmas, I am going to try and help my sister out...  (Don't have a clue as to why, I really should pay her back for all those obnoxious toys she gave my kids.  Let's just think a dancing, and singing James Brown doll here...)  I am going to try and turn Little Monster, into a good guy with this...

(Rachael- I know you are reading...  Don't look any further, I don't want you to see what I am getting Isaiah for Christmas!)

 

A cape, that I bought at Cracker Barrel.  Every boy needs a cape.  And to go with the cape...

(Rachael, I know you are still reading...)

A mask.

(Rachael, I know you are STILL READING!!!)

 When I am talking on the phone with my sister, inevitably I hear a loud crash in the background, followed by "What did Bo do now?"

Now when I talk on the phone with Lib, I will hear a loud thump in the background, and hopefully the little guy will not have broken any bones while trying to fly.

(Rachael, I KNOW YOU ARE STILL READING!  You might as well leave me a comment!)

More Christmas

Here's a few more Christmas pictures, these are from my pink family room.  (More on that story at a later date...)

 

I saw this mirrored desk at Target last year, and stalked it until it went on clearance.  (Yes, I actually stalked the desk.   I had to have it, but didn't want to pay full price for something that I know would go on clearance at Target...)  In the end, my patience was rewarded, and I now have many new friends who work at Target.

 

That fluffy pink nest is actually yarn.  I saw it at a sweet little yarn store.  And no, I totally don't know how to knit...

I was also able to add a much needed pantry.  We live out in the middle of nowhere,and I buy food in bulk. With four very hungry kids, I needed a cute place to put all that food.  The pantry is silver with a pink ceiling.  It's my favorite room in the house, I call it my little playroom.

I didn't know I was buying a black tree for that room.  I thought it was green, I opened the box and was too lazy to take it back.  I have grown used to having a black tree.

I know the green and red don't match, but it still looks cute on the counter.  Next year I will remember to buy pink candy!

Thanks for stopping by!  I love looking pictures of your homes all decked out for Christmas.

Christmas in our Home

Here are a couple glimpses of Christmas in our home. This year, a late fall bonfire inspired my decorating.  As I was cleaning up after the bonfire the next day, I was caught by the simple beauty of the stacked wood.  It got me thinking...

Now the wood is stacked under my sideboard in the dining room, all covered in snow.

Nature played a big roll this year...

 I made an effort to use what I already own instead of making new purchases. It was easier than I thought it would be.

I got this bucket at a wedding.  (Thank you Marcia, I use it all the time.)  Friends had a beautiful outdoor wedding and these buckets were hanging off white chairs in the aisle.  Beautiful.

Modern Country really inspired me to use greens through out the house!  Go check out her beautiful blog, found here...

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the Christmas day!

Time for Christmas Crafting!

I am finally able to take a few minutes here and there to get a few Christmas crafts done.  I fell in love with a wreath that sweet Heather, of Pretty Petals, had for sale, and here are my results! 
(The tutorial can be found here.)

I made it for my pink family room.   Here's a better pic of the colors.  (And I went back and moved the wreath up a tiny bit so it isn't hanging quite so low. Those teensy details drive me crazy... Too lazy to take more pictures though!)

Here's another one without the doves and the garland.  Didn't have room for the garland where I wanted this one.  Go check out her post about the wreath, Heather has the sweetest background information with this project.  And she called it "Sweet Messengers of Christmas Garland."  The name alone got me!

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas!

Now that the house is shiny clean, it's finally beginning to look like Christmas around here.  Here's a quick peak at the outside of our home.  With the fresh snowfall, I feel like God did the outside decorating for me.

 

Wishing you a snow-filled day!

A Trip to Anthropologie...

A trip to Anthro and this is what just might end up in your family room!

I fell in love with their display of an old bike covered in snow.  It got me thinking. (Which is not always a good thing...)  When I got home, I ran down to my shed and dragged this baby out of storage.  During the summer months, it usually ends up in one of my gardens.  Now it has a nice, warm and comfy home in the family room for Christmas.

I always plant flowers in the basket for summer, I thought about presents in the basket, but those Swedish blogs influenced me.  I love the green of the tree tops and moss.

Every time I walk into that room, my bike makes me smile.  And you have to give the hubby credit, he is not overly fond of this bike as I have to store it for the winter.  Not a peep out of him when he spied it inside.  After all these years, I think he is finally getting used to my crazy ideas...