A few weeks ago, Ella and I were out shopping and she spotted this Hello Kitty "gingerbread" house. My plan for this season had been to decorate a few waffle cones with green icing and call it a day. I thought we could make a group of trees and use them to add a little cheer in the kitchen, but she was obsessed with this pink house. I didn't buy it that day, but she didn't stop talking about it. On Friday night, the girls spent the night with Josh's parents so that we could wrap up our Christmas shopping and spend Saturday wrapping gifts and finishing up a few projects around the house, child-free. When they got home later that afternoon, they were tickled pink to see that Scout had delivered the coveted pink cookie house and we got right to work. We used what came in the box, with the ...
Christmas | Around the House
wanna know what our house looks like this week? my favorite slippers/socks & new holiday pjs from Target this year's advent calendar | our PB stockings & a cardboard tree a close up of our advent calendar from Naptime Diaries a stash of Christmas books that the girls cannot get enough of my fav paper from TOMS, washi tape & tree stickers from Paper Source more pretty packages with birch print paper from TJ Maxx glitter ribbon, polka dots and a little Roll Tide action on our tree our pretty tree, ruffle tree skirt & last year's holiday cards homemade swags from fir clippings, magnolia, boxwood & nandina Sophie's nativity scene from last week's Sunday school class our archway garland & the fiddle trees I've managed to keep alive more fresh clippings in ...
Ella’s Last Christmas
Months ago, Ella's class started preparing for their Christmas program. She talked to me about what songs they were singing and that there would be tryouts for some solos. We laughed because they were singing The Chipmunk Song and Last Christmas, both of which she knew by heart because we are holiday music obsessed over here. She even talked about trying out, but I wasn't sure she would go through with it. We all know she loves to perform on stage, but singing is a little different. She can be shy when she wants to and I thought her nerves would win out. Well imagine my surprise when she came home to tell me she was singing a verse of Last Christmas all by herself! Of course, we whipped out the original version by Wham and she said, "No, mom. Taylor Swift sings it!" Well, ok. No wonder she ...
The Big Guy
Sunday after church, we drove into town to meet up with the Big Guy himself. My girls had been talking about it all week and couldn't wait to tell him all about what they wanted {Ella asked for a guitar and Sophie wants a pink bicycle}. Taz was mostly concerned about seeing Mrs. Claus. She's been asking about how old she is and if she would be there and where the North Pole is and if we could visit. She was a little bummed not to be able to "love on her", but Santa did tell us that she was back home baking him some yummy cookies and Taz seemed satisfied with that. We actually waited in line for almost two hours (thank goodness there were enough adults around to take shifts), but all three of our littles did just perfect! Of course I was sad we didn't have any screamers this year, but I'm ...
The Big Top
No, not that striped tent. The other one. For as long as I can remember (post-childhood), I've picked out a Frasier Fir tree under a striped tent on the side of the road. It's a family from North Carolina who packs up their tent and an RV and brings them down south from Thanksgiving week almost until Christmas. I'm sure there are more economical places to purchase a tree. And I know there are reasons to vote for an artificial one, but I'm just not there yet. Usually on the Friday before Thanksgiving they start building the outdoor structure and stringing lights. By Tuesday, the tent is up and the trees start appearing. The morning after Thanksgiving we are all giddy and listening to Christmas music en route. It's the first day the girls wear holiday clothes and the first official day of ...
5 on Friday | Week 48
Y'all. Why is it that after a short work week and a wonderful holiday weekend, that getting back in the swing of things has to be SO hard? I have to-do lists a mile long on my desk at work. And on those lists are more lists to make and things like "call your best friend whom you haven't spoken to in thirty days" because I can't seem to get the simplest tasks done without a reminder. At least I'm nearing the end of my holiday shopping and our house is looking merrier by the day. I'm hoping that by Monday morning most of my lists are in the trash and we're coasting through a wonderful month filled with crazy, fun things to do! Let's talk 5 on Friday. ONE | I got an Influenster #voxbox in the mail a little over a week ago and we love pretty much everything in it. It was full of Suave Family ...
Waiting
I love this season. Days of decorating. Piles of presents to be wrapped. Cookies to be baked. Family. The anticipation. Waiting for Christmas. Waiting for Christ. My small group has been reading David Platt's "Follow Me" for the last few weeks. It's our last book together before we take a break for the holidays. We talked through several chapters together last night and one of my favorite passages was this: "For centuries, all creation longed for a coming King who would conquer all of these things [sin, suffering and death]. That King came in the person of Jesus Christ. During his time on earth, he healed the hurting, delivered the demon possessed, gave sight to the blind, called the lame to walk, and caused the dead to live again. Then he did what no one else in history has done or ...
My Ruffle Tree Skirt
I posted this picture on Instagram a few days ago and I've had quite a few emails and text messages about my tree skirt and how I made it. I swear I thought I did a tutorial post, but the only thing I could find in the archives was this post about how much I loved it! I couldn't even find proper "in progress" shots. I made my skirt the week of Thanksgiving 2011 and it's held up surprisingly well. I'm sure I could have sewn it or hemmed it or done something a little fancier, but the homespun look is exactly what our little rock house needs. I remember being so worried that I was going to spend a ridiculous amount of time on it and it wouldn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, but in all honestly, I could not be any happier. My fascination with a ruffled tree skirt started with this post ...