Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

     For some reason, I always think that I am going to get a lot of blogging done when I'm on vacation. I never do. I really should just hang out the "be back soon" sign and forget about it. So, today as I try to get back to some form of "normal" at my house...I thought I'd take a minute to let you know that I'm still here!

     I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and a safe and happy start to 2012. We headed to Florida on the 17th, arriving on the 18th. My dad came over from Sarasota to meet us for a few days before we put him on a plane on the 22nd and sent him back to Illinois to spend Christmas with my sister and her family and my son. We stayed in Florida and celebrated with our daughter, getting home on the 28th. It was our 5th Christmas in Florida and we had the best weather we have ever had with temperatures in the mid 80's the entire time. It was gorgeous! Of course, I caught a horrible cold almost immediately (do you think the 60 degree temp change did it) which I then passed on to my daughter and my husband. I didn't feel great, but believe me it is much easier to have a cold when it is 85 than when it is cold and gray!

     We drove home once again on our wedding anniversary! We celebrated 37 years, riding in the car. Our son called the morning of our anniversary as we were leaving our hotel in Alabama, to tell us he was headed to the ER with chest pains...so, it was a long drive home, a stop to pick up the dogs at the puppy hotel and we went straight to the hospital. By the time we got there, they had decided he was suffering from stress related chest pain, they kept him overnight and told him to eat healthier and sleep more. He has 2 jobs and lives on chips and beef jerky...we hope he listens to the doctors. We picked up Steak and Shake and had a romantic anniversary dinner (haha) while unloading the car and doing laundry.

     My dad arrived at our house the next day and was here until yesterday afternoon. Somehow, I did get the Christmas decorations taken down, but very little else got done. My husband was off work until today and between the 2 guys and the massive amount of football games on television...I have spent the last several days feeding the men and trying to make some progress on the laundry from the trip. Dad is flying back to Florida today, my husband went back to work this morning and while it was a really nice holiday, I'm ready to get back on some kind of schedule. So, I will be trying to finish all that laundry today, trying to find the top of my desk and hopefully get back to regular blogging.

     So, what's new with you??



A Gift from the Heavens

     We were in the car at sunrise this morning. Everything was frost covered and quiet. The sky was clear with a hint of pink. As we got on the interstate, we saw the most beautiful sight. Lucky for me, my camera was within reach. The picture was taken from our moving car and has not been altered in any way.

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

    

     When I saw these Royal Stafford plates at HomeGoods in October, I fell in love with them. I didn't just want to set the table with them, I wanted to live in that house with the wreath on the door. I always love black and white dishes. The subtle hints of red and green really make this pattern special.

 

     I paired them with red and white Pottery by Santa large dinner plates/chargers and simple black plates from Walmart. Charcoal flatware and black with silver placemats finish the look. I tied red napkins into a Christmas bow for an unexpected (and easy) look.

     The centerpiece starts with a feather wreath surrounding a sparkling tree and crystal candlesticks at various heights. A strand of tiny LED lights and my silver and white shell balls fill in the spaces.

A favorite Christmas platter, an angel and

a sprinkling of snow and the table is done!

It is always nice to send your guests home with a little treat.

Every holiday table needs a silver sea urchin, don't you think?

I hope you are all enjoying the season and taking time to stop and appreciate all the sights and sounds. It is so easy to get lost in the rush and stress. I really think time speeds up in December!

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

A Little Old, A Little New

     With two library tables in my living/great room, I always have a space to put favorite seasonal decorations. This is the library table that sits behind our loveseat and you see it as you walk in our front door. This table belonged to my paternal grandmother.

 

     I didn't change much on the spool cabinet that we brought home from my in-law's house. A simple reindeer and a hint of aqua ribbon is all that was necessary.

     The coffee table got a bit of bling in the form of jewel tone "disco ball" ornaments. There was an unexpected surprise from these new Hobby Lobby ornaments. On the days when we have sunshine (which have been few), the entire room lights up with brilliant color for a short while. It is magical.

 

The Jolly Old Santa Claus book is a favorite treasure of mine.

     It was published in 1958 by Ideals Publishing and it was such a treat when I was a child and this book came out of hiding for the year. I was always fascinated by the two pages that showed the elves making the glass ornaments in the big fireplaces. The rich colors and details impressed me as a toddler and still take my breath away today. I recently found out that this book  has become valuable, but I'd never part with mine.

I am joining Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

and

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Please visit our hostesses today!

Crafting and Concerting!

     I think that most of you that read my blog on a regular basis know that I don't "craft". I work with florals, I cook and on rare occasions I attempt a bit more...but, I'm not very good at it. So, for me to actually make something is a big deal! When we were in St. Charles, MO I saw something in a shop that I liked. I just wasn't willing to pay the price that was being asked, so I decided to attempt to make something similar. I didn't take any pictures of their version, but I'm happy with mine. It is probably better that I can't see what the original looked like!

     It starts with an old book. I bought mine at Goodwill and I looked for one with rough edges on the pages. I brushed a little tea along the pages to darken them and make them look more worn.

The little mouse I bought for $6.99. I loved it that he was

reading The Night Before Christmas!

     I couldn't find any wrapping paper that looked like old Christmas paper, so I bought a large gift bag and cut it to make a book cover. I left the long edge exposed, and folded the paper at the top and bottom edges of the book as if I were wrapping a gift. A touch of the glue gun held the paper in place. Brown kraft paper was burned around the edges (do this over the sink, I had to turn on the water to put out a couple of fires) and the beginning  words of The Night Before Christmas were printed on it before attaching it to the covered book with Mod Podge. After attaching the wording, go over the entire front of the book with Mod Podge and add a hint of glitter if you want to.

I tied a bit of twine around the book and added the mouse

to the top with a drop of hot glue. Easy!

     Saturday night we went to see Lee Greenwood's Christmas Concert at our local theater. Over the years I've enjoyed a few Lee Greenwood songs, but I think in recent years he has mostly been known for singing God Bless the USA at various important events. Knowing that he sang it right after 9/11 for the firefighters and police made it even more of an honor to be in the same room with him when he sang it. The entire audience (sold out theater) stood during the song. It is certainly no wonder that Lee has won many awards, his voice is like velvet.

     He has a new Christmas album and one of my favorite songs was Til The Season Comes Around Again. Click here if you'd like to hear it. If you get a chance to see him in concert, I highly recommend it.