What a Year!

Like all of you, I love a "Year in Review", "Best DIY Projects" or "Favorites" post, but when thinking back over this last year I didn't feel like I'd been very creative or productive. This last year has been one of the hardest, most demanding of my life. A year ago, we made the decision after much prayer, to begin the process of what I thought would be a major downsizing. We leased a small house and moved out of our larger home of 11 years, taking only what we had room for...the essentials. Then spent the next 6 months, selling, purging, giving away, packing, moving, and renovating. We then put our home, having had a wonderful "facelift", on the market, all the time praying for God's direction. 

Temporary lease house, was God's real blessing.

It's the little things that make Christmas memories...

Wishing you all Happiness and Joy

 this Christmas!

xoxo,

A little more Christmas around the house...

I had promised myself that I wouldn't get out this week. I thought I had everything done, then I remembered my older daughter's favorite chicken salad at HoneyBaked Ham, and I was short one Christmas gift bag, and a present I had been waiting for, was back ordered so I ran to the mall to pick it up, instead. Never fails. I hate the traffic this time of year, it seems there are more crazies out and about, preoccupied and in a hurry. Not that I could put myself in that same category or anything...

So now that all that's done and the last present is wrapped and bagged, I still have a few more Christmas pics to share with you. This is "my" chair since moving out of the old house. It had always been in the master bedroom, a place where I stacked pillows and threw the occasional piece of clothing or laundry. Now it's getting a workout. I love the two kinds of fabric; I'm a nut for fruity fabrics and this happens to be in a yummy taupe-y brown. I'd love to find a stash for sale to make co-ordinating throw pillows, but it's over 10 years old. If you know what the design and fabric maker is, I'd love to hear from you.

This spot is hard to photograph because of the light through this window. It always throws everything else off to be too dark. And you can't see my sweet Robin pillow well because of it. This precious Christmas Wreath with Robin Pillow is from Elliott-Heath Designs. Heather has some of the most beautiful and fun designs. If you have a minute run by and check out her store. No matter what the occasion, she has a pillow just for it!

This is my little LED "Winter Tree", but I had it out last Fall, and I think it will get some flowering buds when it's close to Spring. I think I'll just leave it our all year.

I always have a Nativity set out at Christmas. That is the real meaning of Christmas, and I don't want to forget that...ever.

How about you... are you wrapped, bagged, and baked out?

I'm trying not too make too many goodies,

 even though I will certainly indulge on Christmas.

 If I bake it, I will eat it...plain and simple. 

Hope you're having a wonderful week, 

sending Christmas Blessings and a Hug

to each of you. 

joining in for these parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Christmas Entry

Hi Everyone! I know most of us are having a busy weekend, between last minute shopping, runs to the grocery, and baking up a storm...but I wanted to share a few pics from my Entry, inside and out.

Looks pretty familiar right?

I'm using a lot of the same elements here, as I did at the old house.

Oustside, we just kept it simple this year, as I haven't been able to decide how to decorate the narrow front porch. It's not big enough for much of a bench, but I have a few things in mind for this Spring. I'm just using my Christmas topiaries that are lit up at night and I kept my basket on the door; just added in some evergreens and used some of the plaid ribbon, that I've used inside.

A family vintage sled decorated, at least gives a little bit of Christmas.

With this ribbon, 

I'll be able to keep this basket arrangement for a little while.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

I'm still waiting for Santa to deliver a few presents,

and then I need to get busy wrapping.

Even the fur girls send out a 

Merry Christmas!

joining in on these Christmas parties:

A Stroll Thru Life
Stone Gable
Coastal Charm
Cozy Little House

xoxo,

Christmas Milk Carrier Centerpiece

I had a lot of fun decorating the kitchen and adjoining sitting and kitchen dining area this year. I still have Christmas decor I haven't located, so I tried to make use of the things that I could find. I brought out one of my old milk carriers to hold a Christmas Kitchen table centerpiece. I'm a sucker for any kind of carrier, tote, basket, especially when they're filled with seasonal kitchen goodies. So I grabbed some red transferware, a red Holly tea towel, a candle, a tiny ironstone pitcher with boxwood, and a faux paperwhite... instant centerpiece!

I needed to get the "feel" of what Christmas could be like in here. Having just moved a little over two months ago, I'm still trying to decide how to decorate this space. I added one of my kitchen valences to the window for a little color, and so RED and some PLAID seemed the way to go. I still don't have prints up or any wall decor. I have a ton of boxes labeld "prints" and "mirrors", so I need to wait to get them all unpacked before I start hanging things up. I don't think I've lived with bare walls this long, ever.

My Toile pillow, some Tartan wool throws, French ticking pillows, and a PB pillow dress up the white wicker and add to the Christmas color.

My Sheep Head and my French Country frame are on The Chippy Old Door in the corner. I wanted to add some color in, so I choose a French Country fruit wallpaper design to use as a backing. It adds just the right amount of Christmas reds and greens. Click HERE to see what I did last Spring and HERE, this Summer with these two.

My chandy with the vintage Shiney Brites, garland, 

and a birdnest. I did this specifically to drive the kitties crazy...

Let's just say the bird's nest was found on the floor a few days ago.

hmmmm....

just sayin'...

I'm so glad my "Sunporch" baker's rack and wicker set are in a warm spot at this house. The sunporch at the old house was just too cold this time of year to enjoy, other than looking at it...brrrrrr....

Even the vintage pitchfork got a little "Christmas"!

Extra ornaments found a basket for display...

If you missed the China Cabinet fun, Click Here

I added a Christmas Home Tour of this year and the Christmas Home Tour from 2013 links to the "Pages" section under my new Christmas Header. See what was going on last year if you have a minute. Those pics are a sweet memory, but I'm glad to be here, at our new home. Just wish I could find my spatterware coffeepot and Santa Mug!

Have a great weekend,

Hubbs and I have a grocery shopping marathon to attend.

joining in with these party places:

Shabby Art Boutique

French Country Cottage

Common Ground for Come as You Are Linky

xoxo,