Christmas

I know Christmas is over but since I am finishing up packing all my decorations I thought I would post some of my pictures that didn't get posted earlier.

This is the centerpiece on my table in the kitchen.

This is a plate my mom bought me that sits on top of my fridge.

This sits in my kitchen window over my sink. The picture is of my nephew Jackson. Isn't he adorable!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas rush!

I only have to work today and half a day tomorrow and then I am off for FIVE WHOLE DAYS! Although I am off from work, I don't actually get to lay around and rest. After I get off work today I have to head to Tuscaloosa with Buck to finish up his Christmas shopping. He always waits until the last possible minute to finish his shopping. Tomorrow after I get off at lunch I have to run a few errands and then Buck, my brother and myself are headed to my dad's for our Christmas supper with him. Wednesday is Christmas eve and we always spend most of the day with my mom and stepdad. Then Christmas day we spend the day with my husband's family. Basically the next few days will be a blur of presents, ham, turkey, dressing, etc!

Christmas Candy

Two posts in one day! I had to make Christmas candy tonight even though I am exhausted. We always send candy to the Stockyard where my husband works. I send little packages to each family and then to the single men. I was a little lazy this year though because I only made one kind of candy. I usually make peppermint bark and fudge but this year I only made the peppermint bark. I used some Martha Stewart packages this year for my candy. They turned out really cute!

I survived...barely!

We made it through our family Christmas on my mom's side. It is probably the biggest gathering that we have every year and it also is the first of every season and kicks off about two weeks of marathon Christmas parties!

I did decide to do a wreath in my guest bathroom. I made it using travel sized shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc and decided to keep it all green with green Christmas balls and ribbon. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Time flies!

It has been a few days since I last posted but I have been so busy around the house and at work. My mom's side of the family's Christmas is this Sunday. She and my aunt (mom's sister) take turns hosting and since it is mom's turn to host and they are still in the trailer while waiting to build their house, we are actually having it at my house. I will have approximately 33 people at my house on Sunday. Nine of those are under 10 years old! It is always crazy and hectic but so much fun!

I have finished all of my inside Christmas decorating except for the guest bathroom. I can't quite decide what I want to do in there. I have seen a few pictures where they hang wreaths on the inside of the house over a window and I really like that idea. It is simple but still pretty. I may work on a wreath for that tonight. Buck and I worked on the front porch last night and I am almost finished with it. I just have to finish the wreath that hangs on a double window on my porch (like the fall one in the pictures of the fall decor). I started on it last night and have everything planned out and put where I want it so tonight I just have to glue everything in. I also have to buy some garland to hang around the door when I go shopping tomorrow. I had garland previously but I changed all of my decor that had lights from color lights to white lights.

I am hoping to finish those projects and get most of the house cleaned tonight. I am not doing floors (sweeping, moping, etc) until Saturday because the weather has been wet and nasty and with a husband and two dogs, I would just have to do it twice. I can at least get the bathrooms cleaned, rugs washed and everything dusted tonight so I can begin baking when I get finished shopping tomorrow.

I am working on my lists now for everything to be finished by tomorrow and then my list for shopping so maybe I can stay on track and not be rushed! If all goes as planned then Saturday should be just simply finishing up food items and setting up all the tables and chairs and all the little things like that.

I hope to finish up a couple rooms and take some pictures tonight so I will post more when I get another break!

Kurdt

I already showed a picture of Kurdt's stocking so here are some pictures of his ornaments! I don't want him to feel left out! I have his new one for this year but I still have to paint his name on it.

Fa la la la la!

These are some of the individual ornaments from the tree in our den. We have a total of 110 ornaments on there this year. Yes, I counted the ornaments as I put them on the tree. Why? Because apparently I am that big of a dork!

This is our cowboy snowman. Isn't he a cutie!

This is our summer time Santa. Buck and I got him on our

first trip to the beach together!

This is a cowbell. These were the favors at our wedding last year and I kept one and made it into an ornament.
These are just some of the colored ball ornaments on the tree. Last year I retired all the ones that we had that were hand-me-downs and bought all new on Black Friday. I have pink, green, blue and red. I love the new vibrant colors vs. the older traditional colors.
This is probably one of my favorites! My mom bought it for me several years ago.

How do I love my husband...let me count the ways...

Sometimes my husband can drive me completely insane. It seems that every time he is about to drive me crazy he does something really sweet and I instantly forgive him for everything he has ever done. Today we had our Christmas Open House at the flower shop and a friend of my mom's came in with a really cute purse. It looked almost just like the one I had been wanting from Fossil. Only thing is, the one from Fossil cost over $300 and being as we are like the rest of America and broke I knew that purse was out of the question. But anyway, she said there was another one just like it left at the store and it was waaaaaaaaay cheaper than the Fossil purse AND 20% off! Well since the hubby was up there with us at the Open House I told him he should go get it because it would make a really nice Christmas gift for me. Of course he said no and so I decided since the price was so good that I would just go get it for myself later when I got off. After the Open House, my mom and I closed up and got in the car and headed up there. When we went in mom started looking around and I went straight for the purses. It was gone. The girl at the counter told me they had just sold it. I was so upset and mad that Buck didn't go get it. Well after shopping around for a while I headed home and had to run in and change because we were supposed to head to his sister's house for a late Thanksgiving dinner. When I got to the bedroom (after storming through the house and not speaking to the hubby!) this brown bag was on the bed and the purse was inside it! Some how he had snuck out of the shop and gone and bought it and had it waiting for me at home. Of course he didn't make me wait until Christmas to start using it. I absolutely love it (and him)!!!

Isn't it pretty?!?!?!?!

These are a few of my favorite things!

These are some close up shots of the Christmas decor on our mantle. This ornament was given to me by my mother several years ago. It is one of my favorite pieces to put out at Christmas.

These are our stockings. I love the colors. Mine is the white/pink one and Buck's is the red/brown one. I found them at Old Navy a few years back. The cute one in the shape of a paw is Kurdt's stocking! (Yes, Santa brings presents to canines too!)

Oh Christmas Tree!

Here is our Christmas tree that is in the den. This is my favorite tree because it holds all of mine and Buck's ornaments that we have collected from when we were children on up until we were married. We add a new ornament each year for each of us and for Kurdt, our dog. I put a bow at the top of the tree and like change the ribbon just about every year. The colors in our den are all shades of brown and then accented with a turquoise blue color. The close up picture shows the ribbon I used this year. This is my favorite room because of our fireplace. I love snuggling on the couch and watching TV (which is hidden in the armoire) and lighting up the gas logs in our fireplace. There is nothing more relaxing!

Gone With the Wind...Christmas style!

I thought I would show this tree first. I collect Gone With the Wind memorabilia. I love the movie and I love Scarlett O'Hara. But then again, what girl raised in the South doesn't dream of being Miss Katie Scarlett? I have been collecting GWTW ornaments for a long as I can remember and this year decided that I wanted to move them from the main tree in our den to a tree of their very own. I put it up in the guestroom for two reasons. One, I have my GWTW movie poster hung in there and all of my collectibles are in the armoire you see in the picture below. Two, this room is closed off so I don't have to worry about the dogs or small hands getting to close to the tree and breaking any of the ornaments! I counted as I was hanging and currently I have 46 ornaments. I went with the gold shear bow on top because any color ribbon I tried to use took away from the pretty colors in the ornaments.