The Eve Before Christmas Eve

The house is very peaceful today. Tomorrow there will be others occupying our space. Our children are planning and doing the holiday meal. We get to enjoy Christmas Eve without the stress of food preparations for a large group. A few more snippets of home at Christmastime.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It's So Close

With Texas family here Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the days before Christmas have really flown by. We squeezed in Starbucks, Abandoned Antiques, and Five Below on Friday afternoon. Saturday was a pizza party and Dirty Santa fun time. 

Tallulah and Etta loved the attention from Aunt Pennee and Uncle Lester.

Kiera and Chloe were so good with their little cousins.

Etta was fun of energy after a nap with Uncle Lester.

We even managed a family photo in front of the fireplace.

Festive Touches Here and There

Placing bits of Christmas decor here and there around the house is very satisfying to me. It probably drives my husband crazy.

loving copper and green combination

a favorite Hobby Lobby ornament from last year 

vintage tinsel 

a windowsill tradition for red Christmas balls

perfect spot for another ornament 

 

 feather tree with very old tiny ornaments

Marg's angel on the wall

first presents under the tree

Familiar Things

 It's been fun to pull out dear familiar objects from the Christmas boxes. Decorating this time of the year is especially pleasurable. 

Old postcards, Christmas cards, flower frogs, ribbon, and ornaments have helped me with my decorating. If I had more spaces I would probably still be decorating.

Hoping to hop on here one more time before Christmas with a few more pictures and thoughts...

 

Where Has the Time Gone?

 Yipes! I didn't realize how I've been neglecting my blog during December. I didn't get my trees up until several days after Thanksgiving and have been playing catchup with decorating. This year it was our oldest son Jo who came to our rescue. He climbed up into the attic to bring the tree containers down. Then he assembled both trees for me. He returned later with his son Lucas to help with stringing the lights and attaching the Hallmark ornaments that move. Corkey has had health issues recently and was unable to assist this time around. If not for others pitching in every year I would not have these lovely trees.

 I do like the trees when they are not lit. You can see all the many ornaments so much better when the lights are off. 

Well, here's to my first December post. More to come...hopefully.

Autumn's Beauty

"Autumn. the year's last, loveliest smile."

                             -William Cullen Bryant

"As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas, and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see..."

                  -Vincent van Gogh

I made my way through Memphis streets in the misty rain Friday morning and admired the lovely lawns covered in golden leaves. There was a sweet Thanksgiving program and lunch at Tallulah's school. 

It will soon be Thanksgiving in homes across America. We should appreciate all our blessings.

November Notes

I was not ready to let October go. But here it is November, and days keep slipping off the calendar. This month is special to me because of three birthdays -  son Ryan's(11-2), my late mother's(11-21), and my own(11-29). I mailed Ryan a card, a letter, and a journal type notebook.

I don't think he would mind my sharing this first page of the letter so I could show you the style of the journal.

Here's what the SMASH book from Goodwill looks like.

This flyer inside the book explains its purpose.

These were the only two pages someone had made drawings on.

This notebook has many colorful pages, some with headings, some without. 

Below are four other pages.

I have really enjoyed pasting all sorts of bits inside this notebook.