Come What May...part 2

I'm Baaack!! I'm also tired, stiff from driving, overwhelmed (at the thought of unpacking), tired of answering my children's questions, ready for the excesses of the season to subside, shopped out, intimidated by all the decorations I have to put away, but that's just the negative. I'm also thankful for family, friends and getting home safely; excited about an upcoming trip, happy to be home and near the fire...watching the return of the snow that we had all but lost... rejuvenated by the "girl's day" I had on the 27th (and for all the Seasons of Cannon Falls decorations I got for 50% off!!), and looking forward to spending tomorrow catching up with friends, newspapers, my favourite blogs, reading one of the books I had put on hold until quieter times, and making a home-cooked meal while MORE snow comes down. Life is good, not perfect...just like us all, and I am ready for what the new year will bring to our lives. I am ready to take on challenges and continue to nurture relationships that mean the most to me, and release that which brings me stress and holds me back. Basically, I am thankful for all that this year was and anticipating what next year will be...

Warm wishes, where to put the dishes, and trees # 10, 11 and twelve!!

Well, yesterday didn't quite go as planned, but sometimes that is perfectly okay! We went to church in the morning and when we got home, I get a plaintive request from a former client to PLEASE come and help them move into their new home. Technically they were in, but they desperately wanted some help deciding where to place their furniture and other key pieces in the home. Although it was short notice and despite it being Sunday, December 23rd, in the spirit of the season, I hopped into my car and headed on down the road.

Well, I can honestly say I have now discovered THE most beautiful home ever built in my area!!! I can even say I have now been in the most beautiful home in the area on the most beautiful piece of property. As I drove down the long lane to their home, my mouth literally dropped open at the pristine beauty of the land on which this gorgeous home was situated on. Heaven on earth is all I can liken it to, and the inside didn't disappoint either!! I then proceeded to spend the most enjoyable afternoon setting up house in this stunning home and helping a family get their home ready to be enjoyed and lived in...and thoughts of Christmas were the farthest thing from my mind. Quite honestly, it was nice to take a break from all things Christmas and just work some Christmas magic instead and do as much as I could in an afternoon to get the home more comfortable and organized and decorated for the family to enjoy. I definitely now have a touch of house envy, which I don't often get anymore now that I am committed to my home and content with what I have instead of pining for bigger and better. That house, though, certainly had me dreaming of rebuilding again...although I am getting pretty good at giving my head a good shake!! Anyway, I have been asked to come back in the New Year and help with more of the decorating process, which of course, I am more than happy to do!

My unplanned work assignment left hubby to do much of the food prep for Christmas Eve. He made the seafood chowder that we always have on Christmas Eve and even made the cake component of the Yule Log that is a must for dessert following Chistmas dinner. All that was left for me was to make the vegetarian lasagna swirls that I make each year for those (me) who do not like seafood chowder. We also serve subs for the kids (they make their own from the provided sub fillers) and a friend is bringing a dessert, so we are good to go. I changed everyone's sheets so that they will get into a nice, fresh bed while wearing their new jammies. I remember doing that as a child and there is honestly no better feeling...

Some tired little critters... I hope to sleep in a bit this morning, have a nice tub, and after having a big mug of tea, get the kids into some festive attire for the big day. They actually dress up more for Christmas Eve than the actual Big Day, instead opting to wear some of their new clothing items we have bought for them. We attend a candle light service at out church at 7pm and then we are off to a friend's house for a drop-in. We aim to be back home in time to let the kids open their gifts from each other and their new jammies, take a picture under the tree and read The Night Before Christmas (which the boys will undoubtedly roll their eyes at) and get them off to bed. Thankfully, I am done my wrapping and therefore might even get a chance to have a glass of wine before we call it a night. Christmas is truly a time of hustle and bustle, but that's just how it is....and I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Some pretty packages...

Soooo, Merry Christmas to you all...and I wish you a safe and happy holiday with family and friends....and I hope it will be all that you wish it to be. Enjoy the blessings in your life and take time to relax and enjoy those that you love.

Oh, before I forget, here is the last of the trees. I'll see you all in a week or so!!

Here is my Rudolph movie tree: Tree # 10

This is Tree # 11: It is called a candy cane tree. I guess you're supposed to hang candy canes on it, but I got lazy and slapped these little felt ornaments on it instead...

Our main tree (in the living room): Tree # 12

I love these Seagull Pewter ornaments. They have a bit of a Toile effect:
This is a great motto... A nod to my "handy-man" husband...

Another nod to hubby, and his former Jeep days... Like the sap that I am, I always get an ornament for us...

Aren't we cute?? We're always going out like that!! Can't you picture it??

Trees # 8 and # 9...

This little tree lights up our main bathroom. I placed some of the sand dollars we have collected at our nearby beaches its branches. The little penguin I just had to have...given that he is on skates, and dusted with glitter!

Next up is Sophie's pink tree...perfect for such a girly-girl...and she is very proud of it and her collection of pretty, feminine ornaments!
This is the candy garland that adorns her window. I have had it for ages, but still love it!

In the spirit of Christmas, some lovely ladies have awarded me some blog awards, which I will dole out to others in the New Year...along with the others I have received in the past (I am a tad tardy on sharing the honours...!!!).

The following two awards were given to me by Manuela at The Feathered Nest. Manuela is a sweetie and has the most beautiful home and has a real flair for showcasing toile in her home.

Andrea, of True Southern Heart, is another of my favourite spots to visit. She has a lovely writing style and her home is full of warmth...both in family and style.

This final award was given to me by one of my favourite funny girls, Martha at Elizabeth Hill Cottage. She's so funny, you'll be snorting milk through your nose...but hopefully only if you're drinking it..!! I always feel happier after reading Martha's posts!

Christmas Cards...

Christmas cards...some consider them a love/hate part of Christmas: love to get them, hate to do them. Picking out the perfect card is often the easy part, but addressing them, writing a personal note (if you still do that), and then actually getting to the post office to fork over the money to mail them can put dread in our hearts. Me, I love to get cards in the mail. I especially love when they are picked to reflect the giver's personality or selected with me in mind. I am a bit of a card snob. I have spoke before of my love of getting a few laughs in the card aisle. I take my time when choosing any card and I figure if I'm going to spend the ridiculous price they charge, it is going to have to mean something to me or the recipient. I remember getting very insulted when I came upon my husband tossing a card I gave him into the trash. I mean really, how ungrateful!! He laughingly reassured me that it was not because he didn't appreciate the sentiment, but he didn't feel the need to keep what would become "clutter" (gross irony coming from him: Mr. Tornado). He then spoke those fateful words: "I'm just not that into cards" Gasp!! The truth was out. The same fellow who kept every letter I sent him when we were dating no longer felt the need to have cards given to him! Well, I could have taken it personally, but since he is a big sap in many other ways, I relented, and no longer buy him cards, unless the occasion is very special. He is not off the hook with me, though. He still buys me very carefully selected cards and always writes a sweet note in them. He knows what is good for him....

Anyhow, I digress as usual, so back to the topic at hand. I have always sent Christmas cards. I may not send as many as I did in years past, but I figure, if I don't make the effort to keep in touch with someone during the rest of the year, then sending the perfunctory Christmas card seems rather silly. For the record, my cards always include a picture of my children. Unlike me, they always look cute in pictures and I figure the people I send my cards to will surely enjoy seeing how they grow. Like every besotted mother, I believe this whole-heartedly. That is why I love to get cards that include pics of my friends' and family's children. Cards with kids are the best, and quite frankly, make all others seem rather dull in comparison. So, my advice is to take the time, make the effort to take a good holiday photo of your kids and stick it into your cards. It is a Christmas task that will be appreciated by most, and you will have a lovely "snapshot in time" to look back upon and ooh and aah over when they are older... and not so cute!!

My annual "photo shoot" is more Griswald than Rockwell. Two grumpy boys shuffling begrudgingly outside to stand against my carefully staged (of course) backdrop, my girlie posing and running around pretending she is a fashion model; and later,repeated whining by those lovely children to "hurry up" and "that's good enough" followed by a bit of pushing and shoving from one to the other and blaming one another for screwing up this shot or that. Christmasy it is not...Throw in me yelling at the culprit of the moment alternated with pleading with them to cooperate, and we look like "funky family" of the year. More festivus than festive!! That said, we always end up with a photo that makes me swoon over their cuteness... and a couple of candy canes later coupled with a return to "normal" clothes, and all is forgotten!! And, I have a great keepsake of a moment in time that I can scrapbook and pretend that they are always lovely, and me serene...

Here are a few of our past Christmas card photos. Aren't they adorable? See?? It's worth the trials and tribulations of it all!! This one is my all-time favourite: My sons were three and five at the time...

Oh, I know you've seen this one before, but it bears repeating for me...Triple Dog Dare!!

Here is a great Christmas shot of Lani's daughter ( from The Wooden Porch blog...one of my favourites...!!) and a little friend posing by a vintage truck...perfection!!

Kiana Griffin photography, courtesy: The Wooden Porch blog

And, (drumroll please), here is the end result of our annual Christmas photography shoot (by me), and the photo that I turned into a card with the following caption:

Listening (?) to The Night Before Christmas

(note the ipod in one son's ears...and my other son looking at a basketball mag!). Even with the props, Sophie still did not get the sarcasm of the shot!!

So, consider this my Christmas card to you. If you peek inside my card, it gets really corny:

Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!!

My vintage style tree...tree # 7

This tree is my newest. I purchased it at an after Christmas sale at a little shop, near my mum's house, called Country Treasures. I forget what I paid for it, but my mother (who is normally reining me in) vehemently felt I should buy it...so it must have been a good price. I remember hesitating because firstly, I did not have the room in our car for it, and I did not want to stress my poor hubby out with yet another tree!! So, I discreetly smuggled it into my mother's house, and she brought it down to my place at a later date (where we smuggled it into my house!). This year, when I pulled it out, hubby was blissfully clueless that it was indeed new, and wasn't that the kindest way to go about it all?? No sense stressing him out unnecessarily...

I decided it would be the perfect tree to display my collection of real vintage and vintage style ornaments, which had previously gone undisplayed due to a lack of a suitable tree for them. Some are quite heavy, such as the little girls and boys below, and others are downright fragile...those being the collection of vintage balls that I "inherited" from a previous home purchase. I love this tree, and it resides in my dining area where I can see it as soon as I come in my front door. It makes me happy every time...

I love the handpainted balls...this one is a poinsettia, of course.

This little guy I received from my mum, quite a while ago...

The following little boys and girls I picked up at Zellers a few years ago. I could not believe my luck! I am telling you, you really need to check it out at Christmastime if you have the chance...

For some reason, the boys are my favourites...just look at that lunchbox!!
...and that little robot...
...and this little "cowboy" is my all-time favourite! He even has a glittered cowboy hat!!

Isn't this girl so pretty?

Here are a couple more, along with a sweet little snowman ornament I got from Seasons of Cannon Falls...and another painted ball: this one says Merry Christmas!

I love this little, "old" sock that has been tea-dyed to look old and worn.

Finally, this collection lies beneath the tree. My mum got me the postal delivery man from the Kris Kringle holiday movie...I love that movie! My little pink kitchen I picked up at a local place that sells all kinds of vintage treasures. I usually can't afford anything there, but I decided to splurge on the kitchen...it was crying out to me! What is a girl to do...??!! Oh, and note the bottle brush candy striped garland...another after Christmas holiday purchase from Country Treasures. I always find one exceptional treasure there. It is where I got the miniature yellow-ware bowls on my kitchen tree, and the glittery snowman on a bike comes from there, too. I can't wait to see what I'll find this year. It is one of my favourite stops on the Boxing Day shopping trip that I go on with the women in my family each year. We head out by 7 a.m. and hit all the fun spots, and top it all off with a nice lunch somewhere. It is a long, tiring day but, as serious shoppers determined to find bargains, we are up to the task!! It is one of my favourite holiday traditions.

Only one more week until the big day!!!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!

I just had the nicest weekend that I've had in a long time. It was strictly centered around family and friends and it did so much to put us all in the Christmas spirit! On Saturday, we had a lazy morning...staying in our p.j.'s longer than we should, the kids piling into their snowsuits to play in the snow, my husband and I had several cups of tea, and then a good friend stopped by and gave me the nicest gifts. You know the type, the kind where you realize that someone really knows you and cares about giving you something that you will truly love. To me, they are the best kind of gifts to give and receive! I have been very fortunate to receive quite a few this season that fit that category from my closest friends and family.

Later in the day, my daughter and I attended a cookie party and it was so nice to sit around with a great group of girls chatting, sampling the most delicious baked goods (that I would likely never get around to making myself)...Even the freezing temperatures and blowing snow just added to that Christmasy feeling that I seem to have bubbling over inside of me lately! We left the party and I was dreading a little the thought of starting supper so late (to us!), when lo and behold, I walked into my house and was greeted by the delicious smell of smothered chicken cooking, prepared by my dear hubby. I don't know what it is about having a meal cooked for me, but it brings me back to being a little girl who can just pull up a chair to the table and happily await supper being placed before her! I love that feeling, and I so appreciate it when anyone cooks for me, as I am normally chief cook in my house! After dinner, I ran out to get a few final stocking stuffers and returned home to my fizzy wine and watched Saturday Night Live's "best of" shows. I don't know if it was the wine or just the sheer hilarity of it, but I positively roared at the skit with Parrick Swayze and Chris Farley auditioning to be male strippers!! Sometimes you just need a good laugh...!!!

On Sunday, we attended church and the Sunday school put on their concert which was so well done. My eldest son was Joseph, and his brother was a shepherd...they were good sports about it despite being the only boys their age in the concert. Our little girl wouldn't participate as she seems to have an aversion to going down to Sunday school, and would rather remain with us during the normal service. She loves singing along to the hymns (although she has no idea what the words are) and I'm sure some would disapprove, but as communion was passed out, she helped herself to a piece of bread and wanted to share her father's grape juice! It was so sweet and innocent, although my husband chuckled that she would probably have a few old timers clucking their tongues!! After church we visited with our good friends where I got my baby fix with their most adorable 10 month old, and topped off the day with supper at another friends house who we used to live opposite to, and they have been like surrogate grandparents to our kids. After dinner, we bundled up against the storm, piled into the truck, and Sophie piped up from the back that couldn't we all sing Jingle Bells together?! Well, I think her eldest brother just about rolled his eyes into the back of his head at the hokiness of it all...but that just fueled us on all the more, as there is nothing as fun as torturing a teenager who figures he is too cool for words. Of course, Sophie thought we were just being authentic and festive and could not have been more pleased with herself...!!! She is yet to tune into just how sadistic her parents can be after enduring months of "You're embarrassing" !! All in all, it was the most relaxing weekend and served to make us all feel so Christmasy...even said teenager admitted that he was "feeling it"!!

Tree # 6...a partridge in a pear tree...