Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Record Setting

With five days till Christmas, everyone on my list has a wrapped gift under the tree! That's not to say I'm done shopping.  There's still a few things I would like to get but if I don't no big deal.  It feels so good to not have to worry about gifts and just focus on the season.

Day 352

Monday, December 19, 2011

You serious Clark?

Patrick and I enjoyed a little date night tonight at the Alabama Theatre.  This place is absolutely beautiful.  You can check out photos of the inside from my post last year HERE.  We saw Christmas Vacation.  It's one of my favorite movies ever.  I love it.  The place was packed and I laughed because I know the movie is older than most of the kids that were in attendance. 




Day 351

4th Annual Gingerbread House Competition

Saturday night we all met at Mom & Dad's for the 4th annual gingerbread house competition.  This year the boys decided to get in on the action (they quickly realized it's not as easy as it looks).  This has become one of my favorite traditions!
Porter was so excited!

Harper just wanted to eat the candy!

Ava

Porter with his finished house.

We decided to give my parents their present early.  Their tv stopped working about a month ago and they've been watching a 19" all this time.  So we surprised them with a new tv.  They were thrilled. 

John and Hope working hard.

Drew was taking a break.
I think Elizabeth was praying for inspiration. 


The new tv.
Mom's new ornament.  Hallmark was starting a new 12 days of Christmas series this year so my sister got mom the first one.
My parents decided to add a level of difficulty to the competition this year.  We were given a bag with a coffee filter, a wine cork, a plastic spork or fork and and weird paper clip thing that we had to incorporate in our design.  It was tough. 
My design.  I was so excited with how it turned out. 

Ava's house with a pool!

My big brother gave up.

Drew's Christmas Luxury House.

Elizabeth's Christmas Campout.  Somehow she always manages to have an awesome house when she comes with no plan. 
John's 1997 Z17 Stepside.  His was really good!


Kristen's Santa Claus is coming to Town

Leslie's design called Porter's Chicken farm.

Drew and Porter's.  Porter had already started eating the candy off of his.

Clay's President's Mansion.


Hope's White Christmas in Dixie

Harper watching us play Wii

Patrick and Leslie and Hosea were exhausted.

It was such a fun night!  I always enjoy spending time with my family.  It's becoming harder and harder the older we get but I hope that we always make a point to spend this time together each year.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The gift that keeps on giving...

We decided to go ahead and give Mom and Dad their Christmas present last night.  This was the tag I made for the package.  I was almost as excited about the tag as I was for the actual present. (Which you'll see when I finish my 4th Annual Gingerbread House Competition post!)
Day 350

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Redneck Yacht Club

Or Riverboat Gambler, I couldn't decide which name I liked best.



Day 349

Friday, December 16, 2011

The most Wonderful Time of the Year

I haven't linked up in a while so I love Christmas decor so I decided to link up with Kelly's Korner for Show Us Your Life: Christmas Home Tours. So if you're visiting form there, Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoy!

I think I'm finally finished decorating for the season.  I love our home decorated for Christmas.  I love the way the lights make the living room feel so warm and cozy.  I love looking at our tree and remembering all the places we've been and all the special memories each ornament holds.  Not much has changed from our decor last year.  But here it is...
The mantle had to change a little bit this year due to the TV being on the wall now.  I love the TV there so I didn't mind working around it.  As my sister so eloquently put it, It looks like pinterest threw up in my home.  I loved the burlap stockings so much, so I added those this year. 

Also new on the mantle this year the apothecary jars with the ornaments. I love the way it looks. As always the photo of us Christmas morning the first Christmas we were married and then a photo of us from our trip to see Santa last year.
This nativity normally sits in the middle of the mantle but I decided to move it to the shelf beside the fireplace due to the TV.  I think it's so pretty.

On the coffee table sits a mercury glass bowl with a few ornaments, our Christmas memories book and the cards we've received in years past.  I saw this idea on pinterest and I loved it.  It's been a conversational piece for all our guests.

Our card for the year framed on the hearth.
I also love these oversized ornaments hanging from the fireplace tools.

Our traditional tree. I added the ribbon this year and I think I like it.  You can't see but this is where the tree skirt I made is.
I went a little crazy with the yarn trees this year.  They were so easy to make and I loved how they turned out.  Here are a few on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
The window over the sink with a few more yarn trees, a small nativity and my lenox ornament wine stopper.
The card tree in the foyer.  I added this last year and I love it.  Last year I used clothes pins and pinned the cards to the ribbon.  This year I decided to just sit the cards in the tree.  So far it's working well.
I little Christmas cheer on the end table with the Southern Living December issue and and sweet little candy dish.
I have these cute little hand towels in the hall bath.  I want to get a little tree or something to sit on the counter in here.  Maybe next year.
The ledge going to the man room.  See what I mean with the yarn trees.  I just loved them.  I bought the stocking hangers last year for the dog's stockings.  I found the cute little cable knit stockings at Target and I added the glitter letters.  There's one for Ally, Sam and Gracie.  This is one of my favorite little spaces this year.
A close up of the trees.
and the stockings.
The "House Divided" tree in the man room.  It's pretty much the same as last year.  I did move it to another corner and I'm not sure I like it there.
I had this table runner on my table upstairs last year.  It didn't really go with the new curtains since I mostly got rid of the black so I used it on this table.
Here's a closer look at the Christmas Memories book.  I'm so happy I started this. It's been fun to look back at each year. 

One side has photos from that Christmas, the other side has a little pre-made prompt to write about the holiday.  The prompts are
Christmas Eve- Where you went? Who was there?
Christmas Day- Where you went? Who was there?
Special Memories?
I also add our card from the year in the book and I write on the back of the card a few favorite memories from the year.
The little tree in the guest room. I also have holiday sheets I put on this bed.  Not that I have a lot of guests.

One last look at the living room.  I love how it turned out this year!

Day 348
And the tree in the mirror over the sofa. 

Merry Christmas!