Welcome Christmas

Even though I have been listening to Christmas music since the beginning of November, now that it is December Christmas feels very close!  The house and the tree are decorated, shopping is almost done, Christmas cards have started to arrive and it's about time to start baking!  Oh, and I can't wait to do the gift wrapping!
Here are some of the things that make our home feel worm and festive, ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord!

The Tree!

It has to be in the corner this year.  We rearranged our living room a few months ago and this is the only place for it without moving every piece of furniture.  It's actually kind of nice to have it less accessible to Kinslie.  We will just pull the chair on the right away for Christmas day.

The kids really had fun getting out ornaments from the past few years!  I love how sweet and sentimental Lucas gets about this kid of thing.  He's such a sweetheart.

Oh my lovely stockings from Pottery Barn.  I have been waiting for these for years.  Last year Brian let me get one for Ella and Lucas and this year before I had even given it a lot of thought he took me to the store in the mall and said we could pick Kinslie's!  (They are still waiting to have names sewn on them.  I hope to get that done before Christmas arrives.)  Maybe next year we can get the matching ones for Brian and I.

It the small touches are special.  Some Christmas cheer on the window sill over the kitchen sink.  And one of my favorite Antique store finds...  I think it is a couple of buckets from an old grin elevator.  Each season I ad something new to dress it up. 

My Favorite...  The Nativity scene!  In a perfect place, on my favorite piece of furniture, my blue china hutch.   (it's a dumpster find from about 6 years ago!  SCORE!  I'll have to post a picture of the full piece sometime.)

As a child I remember how special it was unwrapping each piece of the Nativity.  It was a pearly blue, ceramic set that my Grandma had made.  And my most favorite part of decorating!  Sweet memories!  I love that we are creating that kind of memories for my own kids now!

I hope your home is feeling Merry and Bright!  Happy Christmas Season!

Fall Fun!

I just found this post saved as a draft waiting to be posted.  oops!  I'm slacking!
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Fall is my FAVORITE time of the year.  I love when the air starts to feel...  cool.  It doesn't happen early enough or last long enough here in Florida but I'll take whatever I can get.  One of my favorite parts of fall is the Beautiful, Colorful leaves.  I haven't gotten to see true fall leave in years but I still love that somewhere I know they are changing!
We have had a lovely fall so far this year...

~ First,  To the Pumpkin Patch!! ~

SO excited to pick pumpkins!

 

"Look at this one I found!!!  It looks like a tulip...  and smells like one too!"

Following Daddy on the hunt for the perfect pumpkins!

Little Kinslie exploring the big pumpkins!

Pumpkin hoping!

 I guess I didn't get a picture of the pumpkins we picked but we each found one, just the right size!

The Fall Loving, Pumpkin Picking, Bare Family

~ Then Painting and Carving Pumpkins ~

 Nana gave Ella a Pinkalicious book about pink pumpkins at the pumpkin patch so of course she had to try it and Lucas wanted his to be blue!

Here in Florida we have to wait till the day before we want to display our pumpkins to carve them or they will rot...  We were so please with how they turned out!  Daddy and Mommy did all the carving.  It harder work than I expected.

A mid-carving snack.  Peanut butter cup brownies and milk.  Yumm!!!

 Finished!  Left to right: Ella's - Hello Kitty.  Brian's - Mario.  Krissie's - Princess Peach.  Lucas' - Woody.

~ Then The Harvest Festival at Church ~

Lucas is Woody and Ella is Pikachu.  Kinslie is just our little pumpkin. -cute

Kinslie wanted to play games too and dress up like Woody.

Lots of fun, Lots of candy = happy kiddos

Hope you are having a Lovely Fall Season!

the Result...

a LITTLE bit of organization...

I got rid of quite a bit from my closet!  It was sad to let go of some clothes that I've had since high school but really... even if I could fit into them, they really aren't my style now.  So away they went along with lots of other junk.  Other things have just been relocated.  I'm happy with the result!!!

My lovely closet...  look! there's even an empty spot on the shelf!  woohoo!

my favorite: my new shoe rack!  You can never have to many flats!

a new "crafting corner".  It's quite tiny but since I'm not currently working on a scrapbook it's okay for now. The drawers still need organized but everything is out of the way for now.

I definitely enjoy being able to see all my clothes and finding things without digging! 

What shall my next mission be?...

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