It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!





Just sharing a glimpse of my diningroom redo for Christmas. I still have a few ideas that I haven't tried out, so don't be surprised if the table looks different next week. I still have my regular everyday tablecloth on the table (I brought it last year for my Christmas table). I have an older tablecloth from many Christmas before, just not sure if I want to use it this year. Its very traditional which was my plan for this year, but I'm hoping to find another choice within the new two weeks (before our Christmas dinner). The Christmas plates were a gift many years ago (the red charges are a gift from my husband who got them in gold and red a few years ago for $8.00 for a box of 8. He brought so many boxes I gave some as gifts and still had enough that I use them at weddings). I actually brought a new set last year but because our ministry schedule has been so crazy I haven't had time to get the decorations down out of the attic. I still have to decorate the two trees that are up, and I have two more trees to put up next week! I'm getting tired just thinking about it. The napkins are from the dollar store. I saw this idea on "Between Naps on the Porch" and now every time I go into the dollar store I grab a bunch of dishcloths.

Details






As an event planner I'm all about the details. This weekend Marc and I attended the 25th Wedding Anniversary Celebration of our friends Peggy and Willie. We had a great time. The entertainment was awesome, the company we kept was great and they had the most beautiful decorations I have seen in a long time. The event planner in me couldn't help but take a few pictures of some of the details. To me its all about the details. I set next to one of my girlfriends husbands who is a photographer and he did very good just being a guest at the event. He did tell me how hard it was to just sit (he even left his camera at home on purpose. Well, except when he took my camera to take pictures of Marc and I for our Christmas cards...LOL). I understood exactly what he was thinking. My mind wondered to what I would do if I was in charge. Instead I sat on my hands (except when I got up to take pictures of the "details"....lol)and enjoyed the party.

Fall Decor

Can you believe we are soo close to Christmas? Next week the fall decor will come down and I will start pulling out the Christmas stuff. I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year. Last year changed a lot of stuff for me (Marc and I went shopping after Christmas for our personal gifts). Not having to do a long list of Christmas gifts now that the children are grown has really changed my perspective and this year I'm excited about just hanging out with my family for the day and just enjoying the birthday of Christ. So before I take them down I just thought I would share my fall stuff (I add something new each year).



Our diningroom is going through major changes. Next spring I plan to paint the diningroom walls a sage green, and my beloved blue curtains will come down. They have been up for 15 years so its about time.

This is the mantle over our fireplace which also needs some paint. I saw these pumpkins at Sam's a few months ago but I wasn't willing to pay $30.00 for them. My lovely husband kept and eye on them and found the last box a few weeks ago for $10.00!

My kitchen is going through a transformation also. I'm going for a more neutral background so that I can easily change the colors on my kitchen table without them clashing with main colors of the kitchen. I started decorating our tables way back during my days in Germany when Marc was in the military. Of course I have always been a decorating junkie (sort of the same way I was about disney, scrapboking and now our ministry). Speaking of ministry...my life has been crazy busy. Marc just celebrated his 1st year as pastor at WABC and most of my time is spent working with the Youth and Women's Ministry. I would love to see your decorations, and if you would like to see more tablescapes you should visit here.

I'm in a Creative Mood

I have been in a creative mood. It might have something to do with the weather changing. I finished a centerpiece for my dining table yesterday and now I need to figure out what to do with the glass globes. Any ideas?

New Toy

OMG! We have a new SLR camera in the house (a Pentax). And can I just say....we are never going back. Of course I will have to take a class just to figure out how to use this thing! But I repeat...we are never going back! By the way do you like my hair?

Hello, is there anyone out there? I can't believe its been this long since I posted here! Life is good. We have been going through some major changes but all and all its ok. I have had this urge in the last couple of weeks to clean out my scraproom (its been so neglected) and do a bit of scrapping. I'm really hoping I haven't lost the gift.

I had to come over and share with (whoever is still listening) the latest exciting news in our crazy, busy life. Nicki was an extra in a movie last year and this month they announced that it would be released. This Friday we get to see a sneak peak of it at my daughters church. If you want to see the trailer just go here. If you look real close you might just see Nicki!

By the way if you want to see what we have been up to that has kept me from my favorite hobby then just click here.

Happy Birthday To Me

Several of the ladies from church surprised me with a birthday party today. As you can see by the look on my face I was very surprised. They got me good.

Whirlwind Easter Weekend

Nicki and I singing at our adopted church with the choir at their Easter Service on Saturday Night.

The cutest Easter baskets ever. They were given out at our Easter Eggstravaganza held today at church.

The "Official" Easter Sunday photo (minus TJ). Of course Nicki is posing as if she is auditioning for America's Next Top Model! LOL.

Girl's Night Out

Good grief its been forever! I so fell off the wagon. But I have a good reason. Its called Life! And frankly at this point I'm not sure I can keep up anymore, but I love sharing my pictures so from now on I'm just going to post some random ones as life happens. Hope you don't mind.

The picture of me and the girls was taken last week at our church's "Girl's Night Out" event. We had nearly 31 women and girls show up for dinner. It was awesome. At the end of the evening each of the women recieved a rose. We had a great time and last month one of my really good friends and her husband joined our staff so now I am enjoying it even more because my bestfriend is there with me. Yep, right now life is pretty good.

Scrap Etc 2009

For a chance to win a Free Space at the Scrap Etc event please go here for more info. Honestly, its not a April Fools joke.

Happy St. Patty's Day

Every time I see this picture I think about my crazy Scrap Etc girls. Happy St. Patrick's Day Ladies!

Packing Tape (who would have thought it)!

The pictures are coming but I had to share this. Have you seen the find that Stacy J posted about? This tape is so cool, and I see all kind of uses for it besides just scrapping. I would love to get a roll just to label stuff in the house. Maybe wrap it around some pretty glass and put some candles inside. I think its wasted on packing (lol).

Project 365

Playing catch up today. Our schedule has just been plain crazy this week!

March 6th
My pics are out of order because I deleted this picture by accident while editing (and frankly I'm to lazy to go back and change it). My poor pocketbook is overflowing with "stuff". That is how busy my life feels at this moment.

March 7th

Marc told me I had a choice between getting my nails done or picking up the additional chairs for my backyard (that I should have gotten last year). You see what I chose (lol). I can get nails anytime. But if I wait on the chairs they may not have them in stock at Sam's the next time. I can't believe they actually had the same chairs anyway.

Thursday March 5th

My bathroom. I have been thinking about going more modern like I did in the kids bathroom , but I love my look so I may keep it.

Wednesday March 4th

I finally took down the Valentines stuff, just in time for a spring tablescape.

March 3rd

I needed a photo of a clock for our church website. Since I can't afford stock photos I use a lot of pictures from my personal files. So far it has worked out pretty good. By the way, don't forget to move those clocks forward one hour ahead on Sunday.

March 1st

This picture is priceless. Marc dedicated his first baby at WABC on Sunday.

March 2nd

Laundry (need I say more)?

I started a day early. Nicki has a new "friend". Tonight she came home with this cute dog (she asked for the real thing but he gave her the stuffed animal instead). I told her she might have to keep this one (lol).

Staying Alive

I'm still here. Starting tomorrow I'm going to try and get back on track with my 365 photos. Shouldn't be hard since I have a full weekend. Last night though I took a break from cleaning (I've been in that mode all week) and Nicki and I went out with some friends to hear this group. We had the best time. Heard some old negro spirituals and ate a bit of ethnic food. The program I went to was about multiculturalism and they had tables set up with Caribbean, Filipino, Lebanese, Soul Food, and Mexican food. I had plantain for the first time. The offered me some ox tails but I turned it down.......went for the curry chicken instead. Maybe next time....NOT. After the dinner we went out into the lobby to get the groups CD and hung around to get their autographs and some pictures. In the end we didn't get to take pictures with them, but we did take a few of us with friends.

Valentine's Day Weekend

It's been an interesting week. We celebrated Marc's birthday at church (twice) and went to dinner with friends one afternoon after service. The weekend of Valentines Day Marc and I went to a Marriage Conference, went out on a date (to church ) and then went home and watched Fireproof (plus ate a little pizza and sausage). The green phone was a gift from Quisha for Valentines Day. The pocketbooks are from my wonderful husband (and a new leather jacket which I haven't taken a picture of yet). Then yesterday morning I woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground! Today we finalized plans for our trip to Bama for summer so watch out ladies because here we come (yeah).

365 Update and Marc's Birthday

Wow! I can't believe its been so long since I posted a picture. Life has been crazy busy (between church, Marc's birthday, Valentines Day, Voice Lessons, Bible Study....need I say more?). So I missed a lot. But I thought I would post a marathon of pics from the last few weeks, and just pick up where we left off at the end of the month. Hoping I do better in March! Can you believe its almost March?