Our Christmas 2013

Well hello... did you think I had fallen off the planet?

Sorry for the radio silence around here, but I did enjoy the little blog break! Since I just know that you missed me so much, I'm going to share all about our Christmas. It was a quiet, subdued Christmas which was actually nice! I was quite bummed that we would miss out on going up to the mountains to be with my grandparents and cousins, but we made the best of it and enjoyed a Texas Christmas. 

First things first was to take our family friend who was visiting from Canada to the Christmas capital of Texas (otherwise known as Downtown Grapevine)

Every year, it's all decked out for the holidays and is actually pretty breathtaking!

My mom and Cate (the Canadian) had fun and I was the impromptu photographer for the evening. 

I should also note that we were freezing our tails off (even the Canadian said it was cold... now that's saying something!)

Then, Christmas eve, we had my brother and his wife over for our traditional festivities. Since they were going out of town to be with her family on Christmas day, they got to open all their presents on Christmas eve! It was fun getting to see them open their gifts, but it also made me want to open mine! 

Luckily, as our tradition goes, we all get to open one present on Christmas eve. And in all my 20 years, it has always been the same: new pajamas!

After we posed for some interesting pictures, we all hopped in the car with our hot chocolate and went Christmas light looking! This is something we've been doing since as long as I can remember. We all pile in the car, sometimes with some hot chocolate, and drive to a bunch of different neighborhoods to look at the lights. 

Here are some pretty ones we saw:

Of course we have to visit The Tree.  Now, if you are from around here (which most of you aren't) then you know about the tree.  Now, I kid you not, the tree is the most beautiful thing on this planet.
The tree is out in the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from miles away.

Now, the tree is almost virtually impossible to take pictures of and the pictures you do get hardly do it justice. 

But in the middle of nowhere is the most beautiful oak tree with I swear every darn branch is filled with lights. It literally is the most stunning thing anyone has ever seen. 

Again, pictures do not do the tree justice. 

Christmas morning came and it's so funny because I remember being little and it was literally a race to see who could wake up faster. My brothers and I would wake up around 5 am and go get my parents, only for them to tell us that we have to wait for the sun to come up. 

(Our tree this year!)

Now it's so different as we have gotten older. We all woke up around 9ish and didn't even begin opening gifts until 11. I swear adult life stinks! 

For the rest of the day, we watched all the obligatory movies (Elf, Christmas with the Kranks, A Christmas Story, etc) and then enjoyed another feast (complete with my mom's famous 5 cheese mac & cheese)

 Good thing the holidays are almost over, I think my scale might break!

Of course we ended the night watching my favorite movie ever, Christmas Vacation. Tis the season to be merry! (well that's my name!)


I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and an even better New Year.

Auld Lang Syne!

My Book Tree

By now it should be no surprise that I kinda like Christmas. 

in fact, just the other day, I showed you my room/house decorated for the season.

However, in that post, I kinda skipped out on you.

I didn't show you probably the coolest aspect of my decor.

My book tree:

So, I am a bookaholic.

I even have a whole board on pinterest dedicated to books.

Knowing this, you can probably understand that when I saw this pin:

                                                      Source: Uploaded by user via Amber on Pinterest

I knew I had to make my own.

It worked out perfectly.

I used books that I use for "decor" 

(old reader's digest and double copies)

that way, if they became to bent, I wouldn't ruin one of my favorites.

See, bookaholic.

It was so simple. I just stacked them up according to size.

Then, I purchased this tiny star at target for $1.

I had a hard time getting it to balance on top,

so I just tacked it in to a cork lid I had lying around.

Oh, by the way...

see the book on top

"shakespeare on love"

I bought it at Shakespeare's house in Stratford-Upon-Avon two summers ago.

It is one of my favorites,

and I had to use it for the top because it is the smallest one I have.

(hopefully it doesn't bend to badly)

Oh, on a totally different note:

go read shakespeare's 116 sonnet.

it's my favorite

:)

anyway, back to the tree

It's tiny, but I love it.

It is totally, 100% me.

and the best part?

the total project took me 20 minutes max 

and only cost $1.

                           Source: nicoleolea.com via Amber on Pinterest

So true. 

Christmas House Tour Part Three: Front Entry

Part One and Part Two

Today, I am showing you our front door area!

We actually don't use this door as often as our back, because our back door leads to the main street and where we park our cars. 

But the front door couldn't be left out of this Christmas...

So, here is an overview of the space:

Sorry about the awful picture.

It was so difficult to photograph the entire space because the hallway is so narrow.

But, I think you get the idea.

The wreath is from hobby lobby.

The mat is from target. Recently, I've been loving turquoise and red together.

So, you can probably guess why I love this rug.

(Plus, I love birds!)

and it ties in with the cranberry wreath!

This little gnome came from a garage sale for $3.

and his buddy, the snowman, also came from a yard sale, although I don't remember for how much.

and I agree with him.

Let it Snow!

I'm ready.

No, seriously. 

Hints of Christmas (House Tour: Part Two)

First and Foremost, I again want to say that my prayers are with the families who lost sweet little loved ones on Friday. I cannot imagine what they must be going through, and it pains me to think that I am writing about my christmas decor, when Christmas will always be a time of pain for these families and loved ones. 

*******************************************************************

If you remember from Part One, my family really had to scale down Christmas this year.

While I'm sure my mom and brother would've been fine putting up no decorations at all, I had to at least have something. Nothing big, because we certainly have done big before, but just hints. 

So, here are our "hints" of Christmas. 

Okay, I also have to admit that the majority of this "house" tour is actually my bedroom.

Like I said, my mom and brother were being scrooges, so I decorated my room and let them be humbugs.

Here is an overview of my bed!

I added lights and lots of Christmas pillows.

Both the white tree pillow and the striped tree one (down below) came from goodwill.

This one is my favorite!

This darling lamb came from a craft show. 

She is made up of little scraps of christmas fabric. It is just adorable.

Moving to above my bed...

The mirror was a curbside find and the garland came from a yard sale for $1

Next, is my bedside table.

The tree came from goodwill for 50 cents and the cute little snowman was my grandmothers (Thanks Nana!)

Even my mannequin got some winter love!

Everything she is wearing came from either a yard sale or goodwill

and next to her is my dresser.

I added this amazing find from goodwill for 50 cents.

I love how the three trees are all different sizes.

and the last thing in my room to get some Christmas love was my bookshelf:

This plaque came from homegoods for less than $5.

(it's my favorite Christmas song!)

and below that I added these cute little guys from Pier one a few years ago.

and I also brought out this book my mom gave me when I was little. 

I love to re-read it every winter.

and now on to our living space!

You've already seen our tree.

and our snow globes

but see that little guy peeking on the left?

Here he is up close!

We got him at homegoods a few years ago.

and finally, our back door.

We purchased the candy cane last year on the day after Christmas, at our local Kroger.

They were trying to get rid of it and we scored it for $3!

I'll show you our front door tomorrow (god-willing)

Until then enjoy your monday!

Christmas House Tour Part One: Oh, Christmas Tree!

So you know I love christmas right?

Well, I really, really do.

So much so that our one car garage is stacked floor to ceiling with just Christmas decor.

Even though we have so many decorations, we aren't putting them up this year.

You see, we literally just moved in November.

We hardly have our house put together, and just the thought of bringing more boxes in makes me dizzy.

But....

It wouldn't be christmas without a tree. 

So, we picked the smallest out of the 3(!!!) trees we own and put it up. 

{1 is for all our childhood ornaments and is over 15 feet tall, and the other two are just decorative, smaller ones.}

It  was simple.

It was pre-lit, and all of it's ornaments were in its own container.

It took my mom and I about an hour to throw together.

and I love it.

Christmas just wouldn't feel right without a tree. 

So, without further adieu,

I introduce,

Our Family Christmas tree for 2012:

So, what do you think?

We purchased the tree, ornaments and ribbon all from hobby lobby years ago. The tree skirt was given to us.

And obviously, we haven't done hardly any christmas shopping, if you can't tell from the lack of presents under the tree

...next weekend hopefully!

By the way, with the tree up, a few decorations out, and the 20*temps (Highly unusual for Texas), it's finally beginning to feel like Christmas!

So, this week, I am going to share more christmas posts.

(think more house tour and some DIY decorations)