In the Bleak Mid-winter

Snow.

It transforms an otherwise barren world into a thing of dazzling beauty,

especially at sunrise!

I slipped outside for a few minutes before the little people woke up to take some pictures.
Oh, that light!!

The quiet morning beauty was food for my soul.

And this little cutie wanted to join in the fun!

As much work as it is to get little people dressed up to go outside,

I'm deciding it's worth it.

Fresh air is one of the best tonics for the blues!
Even if there is a pile of wet clothes on the floor after we come back inside.

I'm one of the lucky ones.

I get to stay in my cozy house, and enjoy the beauty.

My farmer husband isn't quite so fortunate!

Somebody is waiting anxiously for a promised sled ride!

I'll admit, I wasn't too disappointed that I got out of pulling a sled! 

Although, admittedly, it is good exercise

especially when you're wearing your husband's boots 

because you have none that work in the snow.

Auntie Liz is her hero!

They went sledding and made snow angels!

In the meantime, I had some fun of my own.

Everything looks different with a blanket of snow covering it!

The cozy place we call HOME.

A sleigh would be perfect on these roads!

And since we love snow so much, we made some snowflakes for the wall.

Hadassah thought it was great fun to cut paper!

And I made the art because I needed the reminder

To live in the moment, and to trust.

I find beauty in the bleakness of winter 

and strength for the moment

if I can stop

&

rest.

Be still

And know that I am God. Ps 46:10

The Little Man

For the last few months, I feel like I've been playing "catch up".

After the holiday whirlwind,

and taking a mini vacation to NYC with my man (more on that another time),

my to-do list was growing rather than shrinking.

I've finally made some progress on the stack of bookwork,

and am starting to de-clutter all the stuff that's collecting around this home of mine.

Meanwhile, this little guy hit the 6 month mark...and just moved to 7 months, but who's counting?!

So here are a few of the pictures I snapped of him that are less-than-perfect,

but I think they capture his totally adorable sweet self!

And that's what counts, right?

I'm starting to become pretty vocal and can scream loud enough to make Mommy's ears ring!

I have a grin that can melt the coldest heart.

My eyes are the same beautiful blue as my papa's.

I'm alert, aka nosy - and don't want to miss a thing!

I'm a happy little guy unless I'm pushing teeth through. But then, who likes a toothache?

// Nicholas Edward's 6 month Stats //

Weight: 18 pounds

Progress: Sits well by himself & is almost crawling

Teeth: 2 and working on who-knows-how-many

Favorite Activity: jumping and swinging in his jonny jump-up

Food: Loves bananas, yogurt & avacodo with applesauce

Personality: persistent, alert, happy

Loves: bathtime & playtime with Hadassah

That's our little man...squishy, sweet and so precious!

We love you, Nicholas!

Magnolia Wreaths & Mantles

 

Wreaths are such a fun thing to create, especially at Christmas! I've been seeing all kinds of cool creations all over Blogland this year. And while I love a traditional evergreen wreath, I wanted to try something a bit different. I knew my in-laws had gathered magnolia leaves and sprayed them gold to use for a Thanksgiving tablescape, and thought they would make a beautiful wreath. Before I got my hands on them, another friend used them in her decor for a Christmas banquet! The third time is the charm, they say. I think I'd agree!

I used a straw form for the base, and covered it with strips of burlap I had on hand. 

I didn't realize how much of a mess this could be. When I removed the plastic, the straw went everywhere! It's pretty bad when your two-year-old daughter exclaims about how big a mess you're making! 

Then the fun began! I started to glue leaves around the wreath. I just eyeballed it to try to get the look I wanted. Keep adding leaves until there is no wreath showing. I wanted mine to be full.

Hadassah had a great time pulling the leaves out for me. She never turns down an opportunity to "help"! I just had to keep a close out for the hot glue gun, because she assumed that was fair game too.

More leafy goodness

Meet the Magnolia Wreath!
I'm thrilled with how it turned out!!
[I may or may not have done my share of gazing at it, with a cheesy little grin on my face]

It completes my Christmas mantle, and fits right in with that woodsy-ish feel I was going for.

Vintage Christmas cards and crocheted ornaments make a cute garland. 

The paper trees were last year's Christmas project! You can get the tutorial here.

The ornaments are styrofoam balls that I covered in lace and burlap.
The stamped wood oval is from my shop.

And that's my cozy woodland Christmas mantle!

What are you decorating with this year?

Come back next week to get some Christmas party tablescape inspiration!

I'm linking to

Christmas Shop

I am excited to introduce you to the fun hand-lettered signs that are now available in my Christmas Shop!

For a limited time, you can take 10% off the prices shown!!

Shipping is not included in the prices.

Happy Shopping!

Of the Changing of Seasons

Every year, the glory of autumn takes my breath away.

There is so much beauty I hardly know where to look!

Summer "leaves" in a blaze of glory! 

Cheesy, huh? Sorry, can't help it!

And with the cooler temps, I find my energy directed from the outdoors to the indoors.

There are woodland mantles to be styled...complete with the antlers of a deer my hubby killed. {which I had banned from the living room for years. hey, a girl's allowed to change her mind, right?!}

There are also two canvases I painted one afternoon when I was feeling particularly festive. Love 'em!

The mini pumpkins are gourds from my favorite produce stand.

White pumpkins add a perfect autumn touch to any room.

Stacked pumpkins are the star of my table...

Aren't they fun?

These pumpkins and gourds found their happy place on my porch. Yay for outdoor decor!

I feel like I could live in a world of autumn.

What's not to love about vibrant colors, crisp air & golden light?

Creation virtually shouts the glory of its Creator!  

And something inside of me rebels at the thought of brown leaves, barren trees and frozen ground.

But life is all about the changing of seasons, is it not?

The same God Who created the splendor of fall also created the quiet rest of winter.

And in it's own way, it is also beautiful.

{Somebody remind me of that in February! ha}

I want to embrace each season, of the year, and of my life.

I was discussing the joys & challenges of being a mommy with some friends this weekend,

and when I told them that I don't have a desire to go back to working

since I have my babies,

they smiled!

They remembered how worried I was that I would dislike my new role and feel imprisoned by it.

But this season has it's own special beauty!

I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

....

I am drinking in the last golden rays, the vibrant colors and the blue skies

of autumn.

But when winter arrives, I want to embrace that as well for what it was created for:

a season of rest.

Fall Bucket List: Take a Hike!

My [mental] fall bucket list looks something like this:

1. Take a hike in the woods

2. Bake pumpkin treats, until you are sick of them

3. Decorate mantel

4. Make an outdoor display (oops! maybe next year)

5. Eat an apple dumpling

6. Take way too many photos of leaves and trees and golden light

7. Throw a harvest party/brunch 

8. Work on sewing projects (scheduled!)

9.Forget there is such a thing as fall cleaning. (what is that, anyway?)

10. Go to a barn party (Anyone wanna throw one?!)

Since hiking was such a high priority,

and since Eddie loves me (;

we went on two! 

There is something so peaceful, yet invigorating, about a walk in the woods.

There are brilliant red leaves just begging to be picked up!

 And cute two-yr-old hikers that love to explore!

Skyline Drive is one of my favorite spots in the Shenandoah Valley.

The view is breathtaking!

Even better than the view? Time spent with my family!

What's on your fall bucket list?

Please don't say cleaning! (:

P.S. I just updated my portfolio and shop...go check it out!