Our Christmas Card

This Christmas was as hectic as ever. Possibly more so, since my daughter "gets it" for the first time. Last year, she knew what presents were, but this year - there was a wish list. Her list was simple. A bike. A big girl bike. Santa always delivers, doesn't he? Santa brought my son a new laptop, too.

Yes, Santa is very good to my kids. I think Santa knew I was also feeling very grateful - even more than usual - that my kids are healthy.

The Sandy Hook travesty took a toll on more than just my husband and myself. You assume that parents are horrified. But my son was very distraught, too. Enough that his teacher called to let me know how upset he was. More than the rest of his classmates - at how senseless and unexplainable it all was.

He has little empathy for his little sister, but when it comes to the world - he wants to fix it. He cried and told me that he wanted to invent a time machine to go back to Thursday and warn everyone - to stop it from happening. Not that he wanted "someone" to do that - he wanted to do it himself. That's a lot of weight on a little man's shoulders.

I received the Christmas cards I ordered 2 days after - and all I could think about was how one of those mothers may have gotten their Christmas cards that day, too. With photos of their child smiling.

I planned on starting to address my cards that morning, but found myself reading news articles and crying instead. For several hours I thought that sending Christmas cards seemed so trivial and insignificant. But then I realized that I love receiving them and seeing all the beautiful faces of my family, friends - and more than anything the children. So I got my act together and mailed them in case someone else was having a rough day and my children's faces can brighten it just a little.

From my family to yours... a belated, but heartfelt... Merry Christmas!!! 

And Warmest Wishes for a wonderful New Year!

Please note: These images are from Tiny Prints, Inc.

Getting in the spirit

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my home! Not outside, however. Cold and very, very grey! Not excellent photo opportunities so some of these images will be a bit grainy since I had to brighten them up.

This is a small vignette in my entry. I moved my little desk to another wall to make way for the "fancy" Christmas tree. This is my White Christmas area. Our family tree, in all its color-filled glory, is in the family room. Guess that's a bit redundant.

Somehow we ended up with two trees 10 years ago, and I decided the tree in the foyer would be all decked out in white and silver. I'm still loving it a decade later. My husband and kids love very colorful Christmas decor. And I agree - a family tree should be as fun as possible. So it was a great compromise.

This little fella is from Kirklands. I liked his neutral colors, the book pages peaking through and his dusting of snow. Oh, and 50% off doesn't hurt at all. :)

One of my favorite garage sales finds of the summer was 2 boxes of vintage silver glass ball ornaments. Still in their boxes, no less. I think I paid a dollar for them. Gasp! The patina is gorgeous. I wish it were more obvious in the photos, but as I mentioned, grey, grey, grey skies around here.

I added a few bottle brush trees under a bell jar. Then sprinkled them with coarse kosher salt. Isn't it the cutest? Glass bell jars and teeny tiny trees - honestly this little piece makes me smile inside and out.

I have an old silver sleigh - don't even remember where I got this one. I filled it with a bag of pinecones I got at Goodwill for 50 cents. I was really happy to find them, because the scented pinecones at stores are so potent they give me a headache. And make my husband sneeze. These were completely odorless and crazy cheap to boot!

Pinecones are such an easy way to add texture to any setting. I got 3 large sugar cones from Home Goods that I so badly wanted to add to my Christmas decor. Unfortunately, when I got home, realized they were scented - and not cinnamon - something like heavy floral soap. They would be perfect in a basket in a bathroom, or tied with ribbon hanging in front of a window. But just opening the bag made me itch like crazy. Super sensitive to perfumes around here. Boo hoo...

So that's my peak at my entry table. Hopefully I will have time (and natural light) to post more soon. I have photos to upload of my fancy tree and want to do a post about handmade ornaments. And of course, my treasured childhood ornaments.

Are you getting in the Christmas spirit, too? Or has the bug not bit you yet?

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Atkinson Drive, Be Different Act Normal,Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, The Chicken Chick, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Fresh Eggs Daily, Ginger Snap Crafts, Happy Hour Projects, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, Hubby Made Me, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Project Inspire, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Rooted in Thyme, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Timewashed, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, Western Warmth, ...