Counting Down!

I definitely feel as if I am on the final countdown. I have had 2 days this week to start getting all of my so called ducks in a row.

I had a wonderful weekend in Gainesville! On Friday night we met my brother and sister-in-law for dinner at the Town of Tioga. As well as enjoying a wonderful meal, we got to see many beautiful lights.

Then, bright and early on Saturday morning, Becky and I were off to breakfast and then a day of shopping. It is amazing how much easier shopping is with someone to bounce ideas off of-as well as someone who understands technology and what some of the things the kids are asking for really are...and where to find them. Plus, for the things we couldn't find locally, she is a whiz at ordering online!

Once the list was pretty much checked off, she surprised me with a wine tasting at a wonderful gourmet shop and bakery. It was a lovely way to end the day...and then we went back to her house for this...and Hallmark movies-so many to watch, so little time!

I got home early Sunday afternoon and started the gift wrapping process. I have always enjoyed wrapping gifts so this is never a chore...just gather the supplies and watch another movie-or two! Lol My tree is definitely starting to look a little less lonely!

And then I took a deep breath and started a project that always makes me uncomfortable-flower arranging-sort of. Anything to do with putting artificial stems together always scares me. I am just really not good at it. But, that being said, I had it in my mind that I wanted a mailbox swag this year and, when I couldn't find one anywhere-seems like lots of people wanted mailbox swags this year-, I decided the next best thing was to buy a swag frame and do it myself.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a frame either so I did the next best thing-I jerry rigged this:

...into this:

It's simply amazing what miles of wire can do! Lol I'm not sure this will be around next year, but it fills the bill for a nice pop of color on the mailbox!

And just when I was looking at the house and feeling pretty proud of myself, I noticed about 5 single strings of icicle lights out-not a whole string, not even a half of a string-just about 5...which happen to be right at the point on the gable. I have been up and down the ladder more times than I care to admit to see if I can find a loose bulb or one that may be burned out-even though the rest are supposed to stay on-and, I just can't get them to work. I even tried the old tried and true method of popping them with a broom stick but NO luck. At this point, I am just going with the flow. Maybe when I take them down I will see if I can figure it out but for now, I'm going to pretend that I don't see them!

I have also managed to get some cookies baked-with varying forms of success. Seems as if the convection option on my oven has finally given up all together and the regular oven is back to working right on temp-ask me how I know that! After having to crank my thermostat up 20 degrees on the regular oven for many years, I just did that automatically when the convection died -only to completely burn 3 trays of cookies. Oh well, the other thing I'm really not good at is baking-there is always a story-meaning that I forgot an ingredient, used the wrong ingredient, etc.-when I am near the oven!!

Thought as long as you were here, I would throw in the last of the Christmas decor pictures. Not too many left. I still love the sign I made last year and with the pillow I found, I can just hear Santa calling to me every time I climb into bed!

 I enjoy decorating the guest rooms and bathrooms because they give me a place to use many of the Santas I have made over the years but don't use in the main parts of the house any more. I just can't somehow bring myself to say good-bye to them all just yet.

I just realized that there are no lights in the sunroom this year. Since it took me this long to realize it, I guess I can go with it!

My grand children wouldn't think it was Christmas at Nana's without the Angel Chimes. They love them as much as I always did as a child!

 I always like to add a few things to each of the girl's old rooms-which are now our 3 guest rooms-when they come for the holidays. I scatter around their Santa pictures from when they were young as well as a Santa or two and always a vase of fresh pine so their rooms smell as good as the rest of the house this time of year.

And, I still put out the Barbie tree that we bought when our first grand daughter just discovered how much she loved playing with these dolls. This very pink tree is in Jen's old room that now houses the bunk bed and trundles. Usually all of the girls will find a way to squeeze in here but this weekend they will probably all sleep in the family room in front of the tree and fire as they fall asleep to favorite Christmas movies!

So that is the tour this year-and I am finishing up just in time. Tomorrow grand daughter #3 arrives at my house straight from Flagler. She is going to spend the night and go to Harrison's All-Star (yes, there is ONE more football game) game with me. Then on Saturday morning the rest of our grand daughters will arrive for our Nutcracker weekend. This is a long standing tradition and I am so excited that we will have everyone here again this year-with their schedules these days, I'm never sure how many will actually be free but it seems as if they cherish it as much as I do and so far, we have always made it work.

Then on Sunday, daughter #2 and her two girls and I are off to St. Pete for daughter #1's Christmas Cookie Exchange. It will be a short but fun trip. And, as if that wasn't enough excitement, I will be back on my way to St. Pete on Thurs. with daughter #3 and her 3 children for a few more days of pre-Christmas fun! If there were only no jobs and school to factor in, we could all go down together and just stay-Lol.

By the time I return, I will be hustling to get everything pulled together for the big day. I will be going to church and having dinner with daughter #3 and her family on Christmas Eve. Then, Jen will host on Christmas day as everyone gathers here in town and we will do our big celebration at my house the next morning. I tell you, it takes a social secretary to co-ordinate all of the myriad schedules these days but I savor every time we can all be together no matter what the date says on the calendar!

I will be back soon because all of my future adventures will give me lots of photo ops. I hope everyone is enjoying all of the pre-holiday fun as much as I am. Stay tuned.

Jingle All the Way

I am heading out of town for a few days tomorrow and as soon as I get back, I am going to be at a whirlwind pace getting ready for our Nutcracker weekend, cookie swap at daughter #1's house in St. Pete with daughter #2 and and grand daughter #3, back home for 2 days before heading back to St. Pete with daughter #3 and her kids for more fun. When I return from that trip, I will only have one full day to get ready for Christmas Eve with daughter #3 and then everyone arriving at my house on Christmas day. Whew! And somewhere in all of that I still need to shop (which will hopefully get done this weekend with daughter #2), wrap, write out cards, bake for our family Christmas and bake and package for the cookie swap...not to mention planning meals for all of the times I have someone here who just might feel the need to eat! It sounds super crazy when I put it on paper but I am so looking to forward to that "crazy". The holidays will be over soon enough and things will get back to normal (?) so I am going to savor every minute while I can. That being said, I am going to show you a bit more of this year's decor while I have a chance. And, in case you don't notice it for yourself, it looks like red and green have exploded all over these rooms as well!

You know that old saying, "you get what you pay for?". Well sometimes it is really true-although I didn't pay that much. My husband and I went to Mt. Dora many, many years on our anniversary-Dec. 27. We loved that little town and I was always giddy at the thought of picking up beautiful Christmas items on 50% off sales from some of my favorite boutiques. I also always checked a gorgeous florist shop while there. I almost always found something I loved but wouldn't ever pay the full asking price. This centerpiece is just one example. It is really not all that much my taste any more but the faux items used to make it were such good quality that I don't think they will ever lose their needles or look tired. And so, I use it every year. You can't tell from this picture but the taper candles in the piece are the thickest tapers I have ever seen...and, I have never seen any like them since. It is a good thing that I grabbed up extras the day that I bought this. I should have enough to burn during Christmas dinners for years to come.

So that is the dining room for this year. On to the family room.

As you can see, nary a gift under that tree. Definite need to get shopping! At least you can get a better look at the tree skirt while the tree is empty. My mom made that for us many, many years ago-probably before our tree stand had to be so big. The skirt is a bit off in proportion these days but I couldn't think of a Christmas without it!

I ended up using almost all of the new Luminara candles on this mantle and in the sconces and lanterns in this room. This spot is so pretty when all of the candles click on around dusk. It is right in my line of sight from my cozy spot and I find myself mesmerized by the shadows created every night! And, I just realized that with Valentines being the next holiday I will be decorating for, all of these red and white candles can stay just where they are-yay!

We are now through much of the house-just a bit more to show you. I'm off to get ready for an afternoon with grand daughter #5. Seems she is home from school with a head cold today and Mom has a client meeting so Presley and I get to cozy in and enjoy the colors of the holiday. I hope you're finding time to enjoy the little things as well. Yesterday I had an impromptu invite to daughter #3's for a glass of wine and to go over the kids' lists. And then later tonight, I am off to see my oldest grandson play volleyball for his school. Even with the ever growing list of to-dos, there is always time for family. Stay tuned.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Waiting for a repairman is a lot like watching paint dry so I figured maybe I could fit in a post to help wile away the time!

Let's move into the kitchen.

This part of the kitchen smells exceptionally good today. That little red vase has a few sprigs of tea olive branch. The smell from those blooms is simply intoxicating! Ever since I first encountered these bushes on a visit to the nearby home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, I have been at their mercy. I literally tracked down a nursery that carried them back then and bought about 20. They are scattered around my entire back yard. They bloom about 3 times a year and when they are in bloom, just driving into the front driveway will fill your senses with their beautiful aroma. Those few little cuttings bring me so much joy. I usually cut way more, but right now I have out lots of fresh pine and I don't want the two fragrances fighting each other-pine says Christmas to me, so pine it is right now. Lol

I'm remembering back a few years ago when making Bingo cards embellished with ephemera was all the rage. I think I made one for every holiday. This guy seems to have stood the test of time.

Talk about receiving joy from little things-my heart is always happy when I decorate this space. I've shown you this before but that little pinecone man is from the Christmas trees I always had in my room when I was a little girl. I can distinctly remember buying it in a small 5 & 10 when I was probably 9 or 10. Can you ever believe that is how they used to mark prices let alone WHAT the price was! I feel old! I also bought a little angel and carved out her bottom so she could sit on the top of my tree. I still have the angel as well and she is on my "toy" wreath in the family room.

The little angel has pipe cleaner arms and was stuffed with saw dust. She brings back so many memories. I remember how much I loved decorating my "nest" for the holiday even way back then!

 
The small Santa salt & pepper shakers and the hand made sleigh were gifts from my mom. She was never one for "antiquing" but somehow stumbled across these somewhere and knowing how much I love chippy, old things, she bought them for me as my gift that year. And, she was right, they have become special treasures to me.

Every year I think I might join the crowd and change up my decor. This year I really thought I might like to go all farm "housy"-at least in one room-and stay with the whites, browns and grays. But, try as I might, I couldn't stop from adding pops of color with my old favorites and, before I knew it, I was back to my traditional red and green. Guess you really can't teach an old dog new tricks.

As I looked at this picture, I realized that I usually switch my pens to a Christmas holder-need to get on that. Lol

Here is this year's hot chocolate bar. Before I know it, the munchkins will be here to see how I did! I've got chocolate stir spoons, fancy marshmallows, cookies and lollipops. They love their hot chocolate. Wish I could say that I always whip it up from scratch but lately, they're lucky if I do more than brew it through the Keurig. Maybe I can do better this year.

So that's it for this year's kitchen. I did want to show you an update before I leave. Don't you think the mailbox looks better now that it has a letter to Santa and some greenery? Stay tuned.