santa claus came to town...

I can't let the season slip past without welcoming you into my parent's home. My mom has quite the collection of vintage Santas. With well over 100 in her collection she still has a weakness for them and each year her collection grows...

Christmas time is the time...

for family, family, family! We are so excited to be home for Christmas and feel even more blessed to be home for the month of January too. It is a much needed family-time-marathon!

Christmas morning brought many blessings, a few surprises, and some really special gifts! First off, hubby and I feel so blessed to be able to spend Christmas Day with both of our families. We squeeze everyone in to one FULL day and haven't had to change either of our family's traditions.

Good morning Christmas! { at home with my family }

{ I love this picture! } All morning Dallas had determined that he "knew" every present...this one he didn't!

lovely love!

Christmas mid-morning at hubby's parents

Hubby and his dad

lunch at the c grands

time together!

Christmas dinner...YUM!

When hubby heard the Christmas dinner menu he was determined that it needed to include my grandmother's cheese potatoes...so he made them! { too sweet! }

Dad carving the turkey and hubby playing with fire over the sweet potato creme brulee

Mom's beautiful table setting

One of our favorite traditions is the Christmas boxes that Mom made many years ago. They are at our placesetting and filled with a sweet gift. This year mine was this bracelet...

a wonderful meal together in celebration of a very special day!

o come all ye faithful!

hello faithful readers! I am so sorry to have disappeared for over a week! I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas with those you love! We landed in Texas {with 2 yorkie boys} last week after a delayed flight and I found myself cripled with a migrane for several days. We had a wonderful Christmas with our families and have been enjoying all the munchies and laughs! I hope to pop back in soon and at least share some pictures! Until then...may you all have the loveliest new year too!

recover, repair, repaint, redecorate...

{ Recover... } Do you remember last month when hubby and I recovered this antique buffet table off the side of the road? {If not, see here... the recovering was a story in its self!} Well...the damage of the hail, rain, and snow left the buffet needing to be completely re-done. We didn't care for the finish on it anyway...so this wasn't a surprise. Well... my precious husband insisted on repairing, repainting, and completely re-doing the buffet table this weekend for me! He spent all weekend making sure it was just perfect and just the way I wanted it...I just love him! Take a look at the transformation! ...

{ Repair... } He completely sanded down all of the old finish to reveal the bare bones and the different woods it is made of.

{ Repaint... } He then primed the whole piece...this step is important too to make an even surface for the paint to adhere to...especially since the woods are different and soak up the paint differently.
{ Re-color? } ...this is where hubby's patience came in as he wanted to make sure that he only had to paint the table once! We tossed around white...not a good color for us and our moves, red would be too much with all the red accents I use...black it was...as originally thought!
{ Redone... } We both are so impressed by how well this "thrown-away" piece now looks lovable and wanted! It turned out wonderfully! Hubby did a fabulous job and gave me such a special early Christmas present!
{ Redecorate... } It looks so good in our apartment! It goes great in the entryway along the striped wall. I now too have the perfect spot for the twin vintage lamps that have always had to "live" on separate tables! If only I was patient enough for it to "cure"! As soon as hubby determines it is "cured" and dry I will upload a pic of it fully decorated in its new home! How sweet of a husband do I have to spend his entire weekend on a special something for me!!!

new fallen snow...

"Blizzard-like conditions"...they weren't kidding!
We got at least 3 inches of snow TODAY!
This is our biggest snow hit this season {thus far}
{ All of these pictures were taken from inside...this Southern gal was not about to head outside...even for pictures. }

Stanley was so curious about the snow falling...he decided to head over and check it out for himself...this is his favorite spot on the couch!

lovely made...

may another set of newlyweds enjoy their wedding invitation on my signature plates!

little elf...

Oh Stanley! Not sure if he thought he was helping or not! I was working on some Christmas gifts and wondered why he wasn't whining at my feet to be held ... he was busy of course unraveling a ball of trim!

vintage christmas...

I just love this wreath. I enjoy bringing it out every year! Mom made it our first Thanksgiving married so it has hung in our home every Christmas!

I love sitting and staring at it... it has some of the sweetest ornaments! Here is Santa in his vintage sleigh...and away they flew!
Then one of my favorites...this precious little cloches has the manger scene complete with 3 other matching cloches...one for each wise man!
This little guy has to be just about one of the most precious sweet faced reindeer I have seen...complete with a little velvet bowtie!

merry christmas...new zealand!

I sent a T&T package off to New Zealand this week. Too cool that New Zealanders know about T&T! I hope some little precious kiddos love all the board games that are coming their way...all the way from Ohio, across the ocean, a little jump from Australia, and under their tree on Christmas morning!
This got me to thinking...what is Christmas like in other countries. I remember learning about it in 4th grade, but quite a lot in my world has happened since then, that I do apologize, but I can't recall the differences... So I took a quick search on google...

New Zealand...Christmas is based liked ours, but much different than ours in weather... it coincides with summer break so "when are we headed to the beach" is also on their minds! Many of them have Christmas Dinner celebrations over BBQ as of late! Meri Kirihimete!

Then in Bethlehem where it all began...Christmas Eve is celebrated with an annual procession..."galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed." Many others follow and they solemnly end up at the church. Down winding stairs at the church can be found a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus.

If you'd like to find out more about how other countries celebrate Christmas check out here ...and here ... {unless of course YOU remember it still from 4th grade!}

{ image borrowed from newzealand.com }

Blueprint no more...

Martha Stewart announced today the fold of the newly designed Blueprint magazine. I really did like this magazine! I loved the layouts and design elements!!! I really enjoyed the photography, got inspiration from their use of clean color, and really liked their fonts. I wasn't crazy about the fact that it didn't seem to arrive in my mailbox consistently and was late most of the time and I wasn't very crazy about this Christmas issue...just wasn't very "holiday-ish", BUT not kidding...I really did like this mag! Their last issue will be the January/February 2008 edition. A fair end to a rough day!
Here are some of my favorites from the last issue...well...next to forever last I suppose!

{ great shot!...fab skirt! }

{ the dresses...yummy! }

{ all images borrowed from Blueprint online }

anthropologie...just lovely!...again!

Ever since the first time I stepped into Anthropologie that winter's day in New York City I was smitten! I just love this store. The clothes are beautiful...but pricey, I know. However, oddly that wasn't my favorite part. I have always been drawn to their visuals...the texture, colors, design mediums...I love their merchandising! I confess...I order their catalog for eye candy. I have not been impressed as of late...the lack of colors, "messiness", and bland feel has left me not looking forward to it arriving in the mail.UNTIL...this little beauty landed in my mail box. First off...how can you not love the front...the style, the color palette, and the precious sweater. The inside is full of color, design layering, and cute clothes! I was gaining respect again! Then when the next one popped in my mailbox I was "wowed"! I was so impressed with the front and the whole way through...I love the fresh flowers! Just lovely!They have precious coats this season...too bad I can only wear one at a time...at least my $50 gift card that I have been holding onto would make a small dent in the cost! If only I could decided on just one!
{ images borrowed from anthropologie.com }

"born in my heart..."

Some of our very dear friends recently got back from China with the newest addition to their family...Miss Avery! She is just precious and her personality is shown in all her pictures. We are so looking forward to meeting this bundle of miracles when we are home for Christmas! We feel so blessed to have been standing on the inside watching our friends go through this amazing journey for a 2nd time. The prayers, the tears, the waiting, the waiting, the waiting...now little Avery is finally home where she was meant to be all along!I came across this song by Third Day this week and soon thought of Avery's journey...and the longing of her by her sweet sweet mother...who finally on this Christmas Day she will be in the arms of!

Check out this moving and amazing video here...

jolly dish!

Its no secret...if you know the girls in my family you know that we love {...ok, we are obsessed} with dishes. My mother taught us well...I already have at least 4 full sets of dishes {including the set back home under my brother's bed}...5 if you count my china. This is FULL sets mind you. My sister loves the dessert sets...cute sets of 4 in all different flavors and patterns...we lost count on how many sets of these she has. {This makes her the perfect hostess for tea parties} My mom...well...I think I lost count because there is no telling how many she has "acquired" since we moved away.
I have simply been smitten with this set since I laid eyes on it! I would be more than happy to have a new plate for all 12 days of Christmas...it would be worth the patience to have the entire set by the end.

I was headed over to their website to look at the set again...and came across these! Oh my! They are right up my mom's alley! They are the cutest and I WANT them! Don't tell hubby...he thought one set of dishes was enough!

should be, would be...I don't wanna!

In creating this blog I wanted to give a little insight into the inter workings of running a business, not just share my love of pictures and great web finds... I have realized that I haven't yet shared that part of me... here's a glimpse! ...

On a daily basis I love my little web boutique and on a daily basis I feel drained by it. It is my creative outlet and my drain of energy. It is my passion and my exhaustion. A bundle of love!

In knew going in that it wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be guaranteed, but I knew I didn't want to NOT give it a try. Its days like today though...when I am exhausted, drained, and stressed out that I wish it was an "optional" task in my day. I should be designing the Christmas blurb for ship times...it would be helpful to my customers. I should also be sending out updated shipping emails, following up with designers, calling and verifying shipments, and calling back my credit card host to add amex to the payment options...instead I am on the couch in my pjs with White Christmas playing while contemplating how early is too early to go to bed on a Friday night and wishing I was soaking in the tub!

I think too often a "business of your very own" looks attractive by most. It looks "cool" to be the buyer, the designer, the manager, the money, the boss! But...how often do you see and think how "cool" to be...
-the one who decides and stresses over inventory of 15 or 30 of that item? Will it be popular or a flop?
-the one who spends hour after hour working for what ends up being 2 great layouts when time was spent on 6!
-the one who wishes there was a manager to manage them in order to get more accomplished in just one day.
-the money bags!
-the one who wishes there was a boss to blame the late shipment or the backordered item on...wishing like anything you weren't the one to disappoint!

Don't read me wrong...I love my little boutique it is my "baby"...my firstborn and because I am uptight I wouldn't want anyone else doing the above! I am the first one to stand up for anyone with a dream of owning their own little "something" and helping them through, but I will also be the one to stand up first to warn of the "non-glamourous" tasks in hopes that no one goes in with designer sunglasses on and instead steps foot with all eyes bright!

I don't discourage it...no. I most definitely encourage entrepreneurial leaps! It was a leap I personally and professionally will never regret and daily look back and realize how glad I jumped even when I wasn't comfortable with leaping into the unknown. The day you realize it "will work"...thats the day you are more than exstatic to be the the buyer, the designer, the manager, the money, the boss! ...for it is then that God gives the pat on the back and you realize those sweat, tears, and lack of sleep is all for something. I better at least get working on a few things on my to-list...after my bath!

beautiful baubles!

I have forever and always adored Jen's designs! I feel so fortunate to have come across them and grow a friendship with her through our little boutiques. I offer her mommy cards and beautiful baubles at T&T...however, all good things must come to an end...even really good things! I was so sad when Jen told me she is closing her shop...meaning her designs of beautiful baubles were coming to an end.
So...as of December 20th Juniper Design & Ink will be closed. Head on over to her website and check out her beauties at sale prices! They are one of a kind...so when they are gone...they are gone! {and I am so sad that they are going to be gone!}
I know Jen can't hold up her creative juices so I am anxious to see what design medium she will be using next. This creative gal has many talents!!!

this week in pictures...

{ sunday : mirror mirror on the wall, who's the cleanest closest of all...for today anyway! }

{ monday : T&T's best christmas elf headed to the post office...for 45 minutes! }


{ tuesday : holding onto fall as winter blows in }


{ wednesday : her maiden voyage through the snow and unsalted streets }