ESCAPING CABIN FEVER & SOME DECORATING

Hi everyone!  I hope all of you are enjoying your weekend.  We have been in a deep freeze here but a little warm up is on the horizon, thank goodness.  And finally, finally, we got some snow on Friday.  I read that Chicago had set a record of 331 consecutive days without a snowfall.  It didn't amount to much and now today we are having just the twinges of what the weather people call an ice storm.  Little frozen pellets of rain are coming down...not too heavily, thankfully, my girls are working today and I don't like them driving in anything nasty. 

This was my street Friday morning.  I was quite a sight standing out there with my parka over my jammies which were shoved in my boots.  What I do to provide you with visual entertainment!  I hoped to make the most of my day though.  Emily and I met with the lady who manages events at the country club where we are having her wedding shower in March.  It's a very nice place, it reminds me of a ski lodge with pitched ceilings and beams.  Floor to ceiling windows look out at the green.  I've been there before for a few parties, The Husband's nephew did much of the woodwork and carpentry in the clubhouse.  When I mentioned this to the lady and she recognized the name, she gave us the room for 60% off!  Apparently this nephew of ours did her kitchen, too, and she just loves him to death!  YES!  The only glitch in this meeting was when we were discussing the lunch entrees (which had already been decided on) and Emily piped up and said, "I think I'd rather have a brunch."  I thought I was going to fall off my chair.  The menu clearly marked the price packages and the brunch was several more dollars per person, upping the total cost by a few hundred dollars.  Emily's eyes were dancing and the lady/manager's eyes were gleaming.  I did one of those, "We'll get back to you" numbers and we left.  I nearly spanked her in the parking lot.  And I can assure you, we are NOT having a brunch!

I mentioned in my last post that my nieces were in town, they live in southern Indiana, just over the river from Louisville.  It's been years since I've seen them so we made plans for lunch.  Abby had school so it was just Emily and I. Thursday came with the temps in the single digits.  We planned on a place near their hotel in downtown Chicago.  This is a picture of Lake Shore Drive that day with chilly Lake Michigan in the background.  I had on a sweater, a heavy coat with a hood, a scarf, warm boots and gloves.  Emily wore a silk shirt under a thin (flimsy) coat and had on flats with her jeans, no socks.  I gave her fair warning and after walking one of the four blocks, her teeth were chattering and I gave her everything I had on except my purse!

Here we are at the Grand Lux Cafe.  That is Mindy in the red sweater and Katy behind me.  We had a great time and it was such a treat to be out and about.  I even did my nails!

This was the dessert we shared, I can't remember the name of it but it was chocolate cake, a brownie, ice cream, whipped cream and hot fudge poured over all of it.  It was insanely delicious!

Now on to a little decorating news.  This chair is in my living room, you've probably seen it in pictures before.  There is another matching one by the fireplace.  The springs broke on one of them and it was covered under my warranty.  My big problem was that the fabric tore on both chairs (as you can see in this picture) and that wasn't covered.  So when I'm having the springs repaired, I am having both of them recovered.  They are like a dusty rose with a bit of green in those stripes you see there.

This is the sofa in the same room (Hi, Milo!).  I thought I might try to pull out some of the blue you see in the floral with some cream colored fabric with a light blue ticking stripe.  I think that will be pretty and give the room a more simplified look.  The wall that the fireplace is on is painted a light moss green and I have an area rug in that same mossy color (hate it!), but the walls are being painted next month and I think I am going to go back with the big, thick cream colored rug I had from Orvis a few years ago.  The store where we bought the furniture is actually the store where Emily is a designer/salesperson, although we bought this years and years ago.  I am popping in on Monday morning to look at the samples.  I'll get some pictures to share.  I'm really excited.  This is so going to update my living room!

Well, it's still ice pelleting outside.  We had a quiet weekend...never went to Cedarburg.  The Husband wanted to go to the annual Outdoor & Recreational Show and he did, with his brother.  Seems the fishing boat he found on Craigslist last summer is much too small for our big lake, he nearly capsized a few times and never told me.  So he's looking at heavier, bigger boats and will try to get one on Craigslist again.  I had a bad feeling about that boat, but he truly enjoyed his down time out there fishing so I'm all for him finding another.

  The Husband wasn't feeling well when he got home and I thought maybe he exerted himself.  We had a simple dinner and then laid in bed reading the Sunday paper together, lights out at 10:00.  Today he is weak, tired and aching.  He took a nap in the late morning, I found him in bed with his bathrobe over his clothes and under about four quilts.  Emily made him eggs and toast for breakfast which he didn't touch.  We had soup for lunch and he did eat that.  He is back in bed now.  The house felt so drafty, for some reason we never ordered a load of firewood in the fall.  So I ran out to the store before I started writing my post and bought some of those Duraflame logs and made a fire.  They work quite well.  I have a roast cooking in the oven and I'm going to start boiling some potatoes when I'm finished here.  

Another busy week ahead...a dermatology appointment for the chronic rash on my legs, stopping to pick out that fabric after, a hair appointment, and the dogs yearly check up with the vet.  And then next weekend is my birthday!  Yay!  Another year older and hopefully wiser!  See you soon! :)

WINTER HAPPENINGS

Brrrrr...it is so cold here in the upper Midwest, but I know it's cold everywhere so I won't complain too loudly.  I've had to run out for one thing or another every day this week so far and it's just a matter of warming up your car and wearing lots of layers.  Thankfully, I have no where to be today and I'm still in my PJ's, ready to jump in the shower.  I'm making stew for dinner and then I'm going to chill.  Some more.

I hung on to some evergreen from Christmas and thought it would give a wintry little feeling in this pitcher.  And yes, this is in my bathroom!

So many people are sick this year...it's all over the news.  My little niece caught two different types of flu at once and had to be hospitalized for dehydration.  Sunday I baked up some cupcakes to bring to her when she came home.  Before we were ready to leave, Abby didn't feel too well so we postponed it until last night.  Of course the cupcakes disappeared (I plead guilty), so yesterday I baked up a batch of sugar cookies.  We were literally walking up my sister-in-laws driveway when we got a text that the baby now had the flu.  Needless to say, we set the plate of cookies down and made a fast exit.

The cupcakes were delicious...vanilla with a dollop of chocolate in the middle.  I'm trying to get a handle on my sweet cravings, moderation has never been my strong point!  Every once in awhile I make a clean sweep of the cupboards and I'm good, but it always manages to sneak back into the house.  The Husband has been going to a little market nearby for his favorite baked rice pudding, which thankfully, I don't share a fondness for.  But they have a fantastic bakery and he always comes back with a few days worth of cakes, pies, cookies, eclairs, streudel, you name it.  Why can't I be strong?  I have to renew my membership to the gym at the end of the month, it's been weeks.  It's hard to admit that I needed The Husband to give me that nudge out the door when we were going together.  But it's the right thing to do and sometimes the hardest thing to do is very much the right thing.  Always actually.

I mentioned that we are getting the kitchen painted next month.  The busy wallpaper border is going and so I am trying to get more of a cohesive feeling in there.  I can't tell you what style my kitchen is...just a mix of things I love.  Anyway, I was on the hunt for a traditional rug to warm it up.  Years ago, The Husband and I spent a weekend at a B&B in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in a big Victorian mansion.  The old wood floors creaked under the heavy wool rugs in every room, even the bathrooms.  I loved how timeless they were, how cozy and comfortable they made the spaces.  So I invested in this one and I am really happy with it.  It's definitely not going to get babied around here and soon, I hope, it will be worn and as well loved as those in that B&B.

Layla clearly loves it!  So...I think I am going to try to stick with a warm cream color palette in the kitchen and take it from there.  I'll keep you posted.

I am gearing up for a few days of busyness.  Tomorrow Emily and I are meeting up with my brother's two daughters that are in town from southern Indiana.  It has been years since we've seen them.  We're having lunch at the Grand Luxe Cafe on Michigan Ave. downtown.  It's a huge, crowded sort of eclectic restaurant that I have always loved.  I think my nieces are going to love it, too.  Since our temps are in the teens, I doubt there will be any retail therapy involved!  Can't wait to see you Mindy and Katy!  Friday, Emily and I meet with the wedding shower planner at the country club we decided on, and Saturday The Husband and I are escaping to Cedarburg, Wi., again for a a little winter respite at that little inn we found in November.  If it's not too frigid, maybe we will get that carriage ride in!

Well, I'm looking out my window and it has started to snow.  It's so pretty, I hope it sticks.  I hope all of you are having a good week.  See you soon! :)

Joining Claudia at her Favorite Things party.  Visit Mockingbird Hill Cottage on Saturday and join in on the fun!

SATURDAY RAMBLES

In keeping with my promise to myself to post more often, I snapped a few pictures with my phone camera as I went about my business today to give you some visual entertainment while I blathered on about what's been happening around here.  Here's what's left of that pretty bouquet I showed you last week, it keeps me feeling a little more perky in spite of the cold gray skies outside my windows.  Actually, it has warmed up to 46 degrees today which is balmy compared to this past week of 20's and 30's.  I went grocery shopping in the late afternoon yesterday and when I came out it was so dark and cold and windy, I thought the cart and I were going to blow over.  Invigorating to say the least.  The Husband had picked up some fried chicken and we had a cozy night in and went to sleep early.

So today we were up early and I made an early lunch of BLT's which Abby and The Husband ate at the coffee table while watching Unsolved Mysteries.  They really love that show...the ominous music alone gives me the chills.  Ignore Mrs. Hibiscus in that big old pot, I can't wait to bring these back to the lake!

Then I started on what will be an entire day of laundry.  At least we'll start the week off right.  Did I mention I hit a ton of white sales this month?  I found bath towels at JC Penney marked down to $3.00 a piece!  Boy, did I stock up.  I have to get to work ripping up some old ones to use as rags for cleaning.  Do you do that?  Another great thing I have found is to go to the automotive department at Target or Walmart and buy the packages of rags used for car washing.  What a deal and they last forever.

I also planted my amaryllis bulbs today, doesn't look like they are going to get much sun though.  Maybe they will bloom in time for my birthday which is just 3 weeks away.  The Husband asked what I wanted to do to celebrate.  We usually all go out to dinner but I told him that this year I'd like to go to a bar.  Yes, a bar.  For drinks and appetizers and to play the jute box and get silly.  And I'm going to tell the whole extended family to join us.  I am getting old!!!!  I want to celebrate like this before I start getting the senior citizens discounts!

Wedding Update:  We all got together Thursday evening, Emily and Mike and his mother and I to square away some of the details for the wedding shower.  We narrowed down the location to two country clubs in the area.  As we finaggled over the menu's, all of them pretty mundane, Emily just got a sad look on her face and said, "You know, what I really want is just a pretty afternoon tea, with finger sandwiches and macarons and fancy pastries, maybe in a garden with everyone in floral dresses..."  The mother in me just melted and I thought, there must be a way, but it's just not feasible.  If it were a small shower I think we could swing it, but it's not. I am however, going to work my rear end off to make this shower something she remembers.  We have the tables planned and we have to talked to the florist about flowers, I'm rounding up tea light candles and looking at pretty garlands for the gift table.  We found some gorgeous fabric to make table runners with to go over the white tablecloths, and we did come up with a very sweet and original idea for favors which I will share with you later.  Thanks for all of your suggestions and ideas by the way, they were all wonderful and so appreciated.  Anyway, the picture above is of the tags Emily made for the wedding which will have the guests names and table number on.  She really put a lot of time in these and I think they came out beautiful.

The Husband and I are getting on the ball making lists of all the things we have to get done around the house to spiff it up.  The bridal party will be getting ready here and the photographer as well as a videographer will be here to capture it all.  I can't have dust bunnies or clutter showing up in the pictures!  Next month we are having the living room and kitchen painted (they are open to one another).  And this old awful wallpaper in the kitchen above the cabinets is finally going to go.  Yay!  I have to have the curtains cleaned and we are finally going to break down and get a new sink and vanity in the main bath.  Sometimes it takes a big occasion to get you moving.  At least the spring cleaning will get done early!  Oh, and I made a whopping mistake in my last post saying the wedding was 192 days away, it's 111.  And counting.

On a totally different note, there has been something going on here that has me totally stressed out and I thought I would share it with you as so many of you are animal lovers (and I can stress you out, too!).  Someone keeps opening the gate to our backyard and leaving it open.  It's happened about 6-7 times in the last few months.  Everyone knows we have two little dogs, it seems like a horrid little prank and it has me so rattled.  It's like they purposely want my dogs to get loose.  My God, that's animal cruelty.  Milo weighs 25 pounds and Layla only 8...they wouldn't survive an hour in this freezing cold if the got out and lost.  And they are afraid of strangers so they would never be found and taken in.  I am just sick.  I am going to Home Depot to get a chain and padlock for the gate.  The Husband thinks we should get a motion sensor camera to catch the idiot(s) doing this, but what could they be charged with?  Opening a gate?  We live in a great neighborhood, I just can't imagine who or why someone would want to do this to our pets.  I am just sick over it.

So, I'll just end  this on a positive, happy note and then go on about my Saturday afternoon.  This is the Christmas tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas!  See Linus's little raggedy blanket?  I saw it at Kohl's and then bought it after it was marked half off after Christmas and I just couldn't wait til December to show you!  I can't even bear to pack it away, it's so precious!

I hope all of you are off to a great weekend.  I'm going to get back to my laundry, make a simple and quick dinner, and then settle down with my book for the evening.  See you soon (I hope!). :)

JANUARY DECORATING AND ORGANIZING

I was hoping to get a post out sooner...one of my New Year goals: Post More Often!  But, my router died on me and we finally got a new one installed today.  During my down time I got a few things done...mainly I did my mantel and generally put rooms back in order for the winter.  You can see why my mantel is such a challenge for me.  First, it's a monster, just a little off balance with the room.  Small objects get lost on it and large objects don't go with the style of my room.  Oh well, I think I got it.

I left this little wreath up that I have had for years, to give a wintry feeling, as with the mercury glass.  I thought the tea set seemed appropriate as well as the candles.  It looks very pretty at night.  I have a picture of Emily and Abigail here, too...

I don't really have a lot of family pictures framed and around my house but this is one of the girls when Emily was about three and Abby, one.  I think it's precious and I believe this was before they sort of turned into oil and vinegar (if you know what I mean)!  So...with the mantel finished I proceeded on to...

...the coffee table, which is also used as a desk and a place to eat by the kids.  I would have loved to have placed some of my home decorating books under that bowl but I'm afraid something would spill on them.  I didn't childproof this much when they were toddlers!  Little did I know that with guys, everything must be done in front of a television, preferably with sports or CNN on.

Ever resourceful, my lavender came from Greece via eBay and is still holding up well.  I get all sorts of dried herbs and flowers that way and they're really handy for making pretty crafts or just displaying.

With Abby on her last week of Christmas break and her boyfriend back up in Michigan at school, her inner Domestic Diva came out to play and we hung out quite a bit.  One day we went to Marshall's and then a new/used bookstore.  At the bookstore she had me on the floor laughing...she told me that she needed to start a library since she is going to be teaching high school English.  She said, "I need to start collecting some of the classics, you know, like How To Kill A Mockingbird"!!!!!  Oh, she had better buckle down this last year of school! ;-D  We also went grocery shopping together and she got the bright idea of having a Family Fajita Night.  So we bought what we needed and she texted everyone and we had a little party Thursday evening.  This was her baby and I refused to leave my chair (I did offer to do the clean up).  It was crazy from the start.  Everyone was complaining they were hungry while Emily was still working on the salsa.  Abby was trying to cook the veggies, chicken and beef in separate pans instead of one while also trying to get the side dishes out.  Finally Emily stepped in to help and once I hid the knives I felt it might just work out.  Maybe not so oil and vinegar as I thought.  We did forget the sangria though.

Wedding Alert:  We are 191 days away from the big event.  The invitations have been ordered and they are gorgeous...maybe Em will let me show you one.  She made one last trip to the florist and the sweet lady gave her these flowers to bring home.  I love this vase, it looks like a shopping bag. :)  Thursday night I am meeting with Mike's mom (Mother Of The Groom) and we are planning the wedding shower.  I've never done this before and Maureen already has two married sons so she is going to lead the way.  So far I am in charge of table decor and favors.  For the tables I was leaning towards a small floral centerpiece, tea light candles and maybe some strands of silver colored pearls strewn around.  And I think I can get a lot of ideas for favors on Etsy.  Have any of you been to a wedding shower recently?  Have you seen any good ideas for favors that you might pass on?  She is having what she calls an "Organic Wedding", I thought incorporating packages of flower seeds into the favors would be kind of cool.  And...(ominous music playing) I have to start looking for a dress!  Enough said!

We are all organizing, I know, I think I am ahead of the game and then I read about a blogger that is organizing a pantry and suddenly I think of my messy cabinets.  Well, I took care of those and was really proud that I cleaned out the coat closet and parted with some things I really loved but didn't need.  I cleaned out my cookbook shelves a few years ago and I can honestly say I had over 100 books.  I was super into collecting them.  So I probably have it narrowed down to 75, but  with using websites, blogs and magazines, it seems I am just using up a lot of valuable real estate with these books.  So, I am going to let Emily and Mary Clare choose some for themselves and narrow it down a bit more.  And then I had a stack of loose recipes pulled from magazines and newspapers and jotted down from blogs, so I found this nifty recipe binder by Susan Branch, who I know we all love and want to be, and I started cutting and gluing today.  It's a nice rainy day project.  Although it's not raining...or snowing...or anything except freezing!  Today we finally hit 30 after being in the 20's all weekend!  Brrrrrr!  I sure hope it's warmer where you are and that your week has started off good  See you soon! :)

FIRST PROJECT OF THE YEAR & SOME MUSINGS

First of all, I have to apologize that I had to take all the pictures for this post with my phone camera.  The battery on my camera needed recharging, I couldn't find my smaller camera I keep in my purse and I even had to charge my phone for awhile.  Nothing comes easy for me!  Anyway, I started a little project today and was quite proud of myself considering I am sorely lacking the creative gene.  And, I was on a mission.  When we bought our Christmas tree at the nursery in early December, I was appalled at the prices of live wreaths.  I dug my heels in and refused to buy one.  I then perused catalogs and the internet and couldn't find anything artificial that I liked.  So, we were wreathless this past Christmas.  I began to toy with the idea of making my own and I had this old grapevine wreath with yellow flowers on it that had seen better days so I dismantled it.  I picked up some decorative picks at Michael's and this is what I made...

I'm so sorry about the quality of the pictures...it did turn out cute though.  I just poked the picks in and glue gunned them (I also glued the cord of the glue gun to the counter!).  And I used a long strip of the endless supply I have of bleached burlap to make a tie for it to hang.  When Emily and I were foraging through the clearance bins at Michael's (the picks were .25 cents a piece.  I Made this wreath for about $2.00), she looked at my little pile and said, "Do you even have a plan???"  I kept smiling but inside I was like, do I need a plan?  Am I supposed to have a plan??  Meanwhile, Emily (The Planner) was going through the bins.  Let me add that this girl of mine is not married yet, has no house yet, but she has two Christmas trees planned for this year.  One traditional and one done in silver and gold.  Yep, she's a planner.  She has a huge plastic bin with ornaments and decorations that she has been collecting, for which I am grateful because she was hungrily eying some of my things this Christmas.  And I just can't say no to her.  So...I made my wreath this morning and kissed it goodbye until next year.

This is the last of it.  Saturday night when I was snuggled in bed with a book, The Planner popped in my room and said, "Let's take Christmas down, I'll help."  I honestly tried to worm my way out of it.  Even though the tree was so dead, the ornaments were dropping on the floor, and I had brought all the empty boxes upstairs days before, I had "plans" to just chill all night.  And I was willing to turn down help!  But she won and I took the ornaments off the tree while she wrapped and boxed up the decorations.  She swept and vacuumed while I carried the boxes and bins downstairs.  And then I woke up Sunday morning with a pulled muscle in my neck and left shoulder.  Only me!  I've been living on Tylenol and trying not to turn my head suddenly.  But you know, I am sucking it up because next year Emily will have her own home and she won't be here to help me put it up and take it down.  I won't have her enthusiasm getting me off my bum and motivating me.  I refuse to be an old lady that says, "This is getting to be too much for me!", and end up with an artificial tree on a table.  Wake up call, Jane!

I think we are being robbed.  All of us.  While I love a good deal and love to brag about it more, I was appalled to find these amaryllis bulbs marked down to $2.50 at my grocery store from, $19.99.  And there was a live wreath at the front of the store for $1.50.  Of course I have hit a lot of online holiday clearance sales and I'm working my way through the white sales at a steady pace, but why are we paying so much for things in season to begin with?  I guess I could go on to a long tirade about this but I won't.  This is going to be a positive, glass half full year for me.  I just feel bad for people (like me) that had to go through the holidays without a wreath because people are making a ton of money off of Mother Nature.  And I applaud all of you Do It Yourself ladies out there that learned this lesson a long time ago.  

Day 8 of the New Year.  The Husband started back at work yesterday, just a few days a week and only 4 hours at a time.  He is also parking in the garage in his building so he won't have that long walk.  He's still very sore from the surgery but soldiers on and only takes a pain pill if he is too uncomfortable to sleep.  Abby has one more week off school, Emily has 3 days off from work per week as she works some 12 hour days, Kevin is off work since the golf season ended and Jeff, who works from home, now works from my home, my coffee table is his desk and I run the cafeteria.  Today I woke up at nine and the house was incredibly quiet.  I thought they had all gone out to breakfast without me again.  Nope, just no one here but me and the dogs and strangely, the TV wasn't blaring.  I blogged through a pot of coffee and got used to what real peace and quiet is all about! lol!  It didn't last long but it was quite fun while it did! :)

I'm joining Claudia from Mockingbird Hill Cottage for Favorite Things Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2012 PART 2

I left off my last post with a mini bathroom redo at the lakehouse, so I thought I'd start off Part 2 with a little redo of our house here in the city.  With a neutral background I can change things out fast and easy.  I fell in love with a shower curtain at Target and added a new rug, towels and accessories.  A whole new look for under $50.00!

We sadly ended what was many regular trips to the lakehouse as fall approached.  We continued to go up sporadically, Michigan is gorgeous in the fall.  But the hot summer days that seemed to stretch out forever in front of us were pretty much over.

I said goodbye to the little Summerhouse that I spent so much time reading in and the screens were covered until next year.  

We brought home several large plants with us to take care of over the winter.  Even though they take up a lot of room, it's such a delight when I get a blossom even if it's 25 degrees out!

Fall arrived very slowly, at least the turning of the leaves part.  It didn't surprise me as the weather in the upper Midwest has been really wonky for over a year.

This was the first year I gave up on having pumpkins as the squirrels just have a feast with them.  A blogger (can't remember who) advised me to cover them with some furniture polish...I am going to try that next year.  Our little old porch just didn't look as festive!

I decorated the mantel in a simple way...

...and made some fall inspired cupcakes.

I found some cute dishes at Target that gave my table a festive fall feeling.

Thanksgiving came and went so fast, but we truly had a wonderful day with family and friends.  And the perfect time to count all of my blessings!

The Husband and I took our annual anniversary trip up to Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  We loved the cute little town and seriously cannot wait to go back, hopefully this summer.  When I chose this town for our trip; did the research, found the inn, booked the room, The Husband constantly teased me that I was taking him on a wild goose chase that would turn out all wrong.  He was eating his words!  He claims he has never had a better 3 day trip!

The shops were dressed for the holidays and so cute!  I did a little Christmas shopping and we had many memorable meals.  Loved it!

December came upon us quickly and I got into the baking groove.  Lots of cakes, cookies and cupcakes!

I swapped out some of the lighter quilts in our bedroom for more colorful curtains, throws and pillows.  It feels so much cozier.

I mentioned in a post that this was my favorite reading chair in the family room.  I didn't get much of a chance to do that with the hustle and bustle of the holidays but I really do plan on it now!

A little spiffing up of my winter wardrobe netted me some great compliments on these boots...

...and I treated myself to a classy pair of flats.

And while we are on the subject of shoes, I pulled these out and dusted them off when The Husband and I joined a gym at the nearby university.  Although it can be a love/hate activity, I feel good about myself and what my body can now do.  My New Year's goal is to keep it up!

So...Christmas came fast and I was cooking and baking like a crazy woman.  This was a very unusual year for us as The Husband had surgery and was recovering over the holidays.  But we carried on with the same traditions with hardly a blip and if it were possible that my little family could grow any closer or loving, it did.  And I thank all of you ladies for your prayers.

Shhhh...I have a secret!  My brain had become so addled that I had to peek back at last year's Christmas post to get ideas for how to arrange my decorations!  And I did it all myself as Emily was in Aruba and Abby had finals.  This was also the year that Abby did all of the gift wrapping and Emily helped The Husband shop for gifts for moi!  I received scarves and perfume and all things girly and I gave him a sweater and the new Thomas Jefferson book that he has rarely put down.  I gave Jeff a big plush sweatshirt from Orvis, as well as a scarf, Emily received a pair of ridiculously expensive pair of shoes from her brother Jeff, and Abby a designer watch.  But it was with a tear in my eye when Kevin opened his gifts.  He had stopped by weeks ago when it had just gotten cold and I asked him where his winter coat was...all he had on was a fleece.  Well, he didn't own one!  Kevin is very sweet and unassuming and always places others before him.  So, for Christmas I surprised him with a beautiful wool coat, scarf and leather gloves.  He was speechless, but he knows this is what a mother does...forever it seems!

So...Christmas came together and was over in a blink of an eye.  We celebrated with family over a 3 day period and then savored some quiet days reflecting on the best year ever, even with it's ups and downs.

Now it's the second day of the new year.  My living room still looks much like this but I think it's time for Mr. Douglas Firbanks, Jr. to head down to the curb and the old chipper.  Emily has been shopping for Christmas decor on clearance to have for her new home (wherever that may be) next year when she is married.  The sweet thing picked up several things for me, too.  And I did a little online shopping at Kohls and West Elm for things to set aside for next Christmas.  And, don't get me started on white sales!!

Thanks so much for following along on this year long journey.  The "Word" I chose for 2013 is Joy.  Joy in my heart and giving it to others.  Finding it in the most simple places and sharing it with those I love.  I have them to thank for the memories.  

XO,

Jane