Ho Ho Ho!

Christmas was just wonderful... the first time in 4 years that all four children were together! A full day of fun, food and "togetherness". As Holly and her family were heading over to our house on Christmas morning, Ben said, "Too bad we don't have Santa hats." "Santa hats," I said, "Ben I have a whole Santa suit!" (I had snagged it for 75% off several years ago at Target.) So Ben quickly slipped it on and greeted Jack upon his arrival. Jack never made eye contact with Santa!


The entire event lasted no more than a couple of minutes. Jack definitely didn't recognize Ben and was a little tentative, but was very brave with the unexpected visitor.

Before we opened family gifts Ed introduced a new family tradition where we each shared our prayer request for the upcoming year. By the time it got around to me, I was in tears, so deeply thankful for my children and their relationships with the Lord.

After church on Christmas Eve, we revisited our old tradition of eating dinner at Kobe. Jack arrived wearing an elf hat!



Every Christmas I ask myself why I didn't take more pictures??? Well this year I spent way too much time Christmas Day in the kitchen, but here are a couple~

Pop and Jack enjoyed the Wonder Pets Sticker book~"The phone, the phone is ringing!"

Regina and her family stopped by for a visit.
She'll always be family :)

As soon as Christmas is over, I'm ready to clean up and clear out. Yesterday and today, I cleaned out closets, sock drawers, and a couple of cabinets. It is so cold and windy, I just love being at home, nesting. Tomorrow I am tackling my sewing area.

Cottage Christmas Time

Whenever I visit The Cottage, I am always so inspired! Ann and Linda are both so gifted as "pickers" and decorators! I just love all the cute vignettes.... everywhere you look, there is something old, loved and beautiful. I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took earlier in the month.

I bought this little red sleigh to add to my vintage sleigh collection!

This mantel inspired me to decorate with silver candlesticks this Christmas. I already had some, but I'm still searching for a few more.

Ann and Linda made several wonderful wreaths using vintage ornaments and trinkets. They sold quickly!

This miniature wicker chair makes my heart sing... so very sweet!

If I had a place for this dresser, it would have been loaded in my car. Love the color and carved drawer pulls.

I think my printed postcard pillows turned out really well. It's so much fun seeing those sweet old images on fabric! And this little cement girl fascinates me. I'm looking for a place where she could live this winter!

Happy Decorating!

Oh We Need a LIttle Christmas....

Last week Holly and I were in Wegmans and bought the new GLEE cd for Ed- He's a big big GLEE fan, just loves the music! It really is a fabulous CD- sounds very Broadway like and We Need a Little Christmas is the first song it plays. It peps me up, gets me going.... decorating and cleaning....sorting and shifting and stuffing (my many piles around the house)...wrapping and sewing and wining ...about having so much to do. Pepping me up is good, but what I really need is Silent Night! I need desperately to be still and remember God's precious gift to us.

Last night I went to hear The Chalk Guy. I sat still.. so still my legs were restless. Ben's message and talent were phenomenal! I took away a lot. What really resonates was this, "When we say Merry Christmas we are actually saying CELEBRATE CHRIST." But not just at Christmas, God has called us who have received his gift to celebrate Christ each and every day. I am planning to work less on my piles and more on my heart this season. To be still and silent and hear from God.

Thankful

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the exception of eating too much food. Isn't that ridiculous.. too much food? We are truly blessed beyond measure and not often enough do I slow down and reflect on just how much God has blessed me with. I am so thankful.

Having all the children together was great fun and old time confusion. The best part of the day? Well I didn't have to clean up a thing after dinner! I just sat, looked through the ads and wondered why people would get up and be at Khol's at 3:00 a.m. (I know.. all toys are 50% off!)
Ed made us a cozy fire and we ALL just relaxed.



Happy and needing a haircut... or something! Girls.... You need to let me know when I am looking like this!The Caccia's came over for dessert and Margy brought her yummie famous pumpkin cheesecake! The kids had a great time catching up with each other.

Yep... we are truly blessed!

Engaged!!!

Betsy and Stephen arrived home last night to celebrate Thanksgiving and.......
THEIR ENGAGEMENT!!
We're SO EXCITED!! We love Stephen!

We were ready for a little celebration...including a little "engagement present".

Sunggies seemed like an appropriate gift! (Kind of a family joke!)

Bets asked her "little sister" to be her Maid of honor!

Happy Family!!... Holly and family were home kinda sick so we'll celebrate today with them :)

Lindsay and Ryan came over to congratulate Betsy and Stephen and begin looking at reception sites.

OK... so that's out BIG NEWS...gotta get back to the kitchen. I've got Thanksgiving here in 4 hours!!

"This Guy Needs a Helmet!"

Well forget the vintage Fisher Price "Little People". I think they kept Jack's interest for about a month until he discovered Uncle Ben's old "starting lineup" football guys. Now he can't get enough of them!
Several weeks ago as I was driving him home from the sitter's house he said, "Mimi, Dick Butkus needs a helmet." I said, "What?" He repeated, "Dick Butkus needs a helmet!" I heard this barely 2 year old correctly! How does he know he was holding Dick Butkus?? Since that day, he now identifies almost all of them.... Jim Harbaugh, John Elway, Emmitt Smith, Simeon Rice....
So last night, we gave Jack his own helmet. I get the feeling this is just the beginning.

BIG weekend!

Once again, it's been too long since I posted! I have been busy with school and my finger is getting much better after crushing it in a movable classroom wall. The injury definitely slowed me down for about a week and 1/2...luckily it is on my left hand and it is not broken, but I still lack feeling in it after 2 weeks. I am thankful- it could have been much worse, but it hasn't been fun! I was able to almost finish Jack's birthday gift- an "eye spy" quilt. It was my first time machine quilting (which has always been against my religion), but I quilted it in less than an hour. I could get used to that!

Jack's birthday this weekend was a big family event! His gm and ggm and great aunt came from IL! The day was just beautiful and Holly did an excellent job planning the details. He was just so precious. I never knew I would love him so much! What did we ever do without him?

The Party had a circus theme! This old clown had always been in my basement when I was a little girl. And Holly asked me to make his little circus tent appliqued shirt. He was so excited :)



The "big hit" gifts were a fish!!... from the Hussa family and a drum set from our neighbor, Karen!I just LOVED having all the girls together.. Uncle Ben, we missed you!

And some boyfriends came along!

On Sunday, Nathan ran and FINISHED the Marine Corps Marathon! We were all so very proud of him. It still seems unbelievable that he was able to run 26.2 miles! It would have been his dad's 57th birthday (I believe). It was was an emotional day for us all.

We finished the day with a chili dinner and trick or treating. Is he the cutest little monkey you've ever seen?

I LOVE WEEKENDS!!

Especially 3 days weekends! Here in Northern VA we have Columbus Day as a school holiday so I actually enjoyed a three day weekend with beautiful fall weather, good sleep and some serious sewing and thrifting time too! I stopped by the cottage this afternoon to drop off some pillows and took these pictures.



The cottage was filled with lots of new treasures. Love these stacks of vintage goodies!

And the tallest cubboard I think I've ever seen!

I love the change of seasons in the decor. I think this is the funniest picture.. the contrast of this delicate wild flower daisy with a pumpkin that is covered with warts!

And although I enjoy the warm colors of fall, I still prefer the soft sweet pastels... really all year long. My eye is just drawn to them! Earlier this month I made these little sachets from vintage linens, filled with French lavender.


And these yummie soft ribbons in the green cubbie that I look at more seriously every time I go in to the cottage. If is it still there next time, it may just come home with me!