weekend nesting

Since it rained yesterday and a beach day was out of the question I did some errands and shopping. I could wander around HomeGoods for hours. And I did. I have really been wanting a white pitcher for flowers for a long time. I like how simple they look. Very pretty. So I found this one for $10 and a set of four quilted placemats for $10. My guy isn't a fan of placemats on the table...he likes the plain wood but he might like it when he sees them. We'll see!

I also got this very cute red ceramic pie dish and wire "caddy" for $10. I got home and made myself a blueberry pie. One of my favorites. I tried a Trader Joes crust and wasn't as happy with it as I thought I'd be. It didn't come out flaky...a little soft. Almost like it needed to be baked longer but that didn't help either. Not sure why. I think it's the first thing from there I haven't been 100% satisfied with...
At HomeGoods I also found these adorable little cards I plan to use as invites when I host Girl's Night in July...

They are vintage-like images of Barbie. I love them! Today I get to see my girls for lunch and the movies. We were supposed to go to the beach originally...but

alas...

today isn't a beach day either! Oh well.

Happy Sunday!

banner of love

I was watching Heidi Swapp's video this morning. She was showing some of her favorites from CHA. I was inspired by all the banners that decorated so many of the booths and I got working! I made this Valentine "Love" banner with a bunch of patterned papers, chipboard letters, glitter, glass beads, rhinestones and ribbon. I have it hanging in the opening between my kitchen and living room. I really like it!

A few close-ups...I apologize some are a little fuzzy...

Well...the day is panning out quieter than I anticipated but I'm liking it. Recovering from being sick earlier this week. Taking it easy. Now that I have my appetite back I want to make the brownies I was craving before I got sick! And I hope to do some more crafty stuff later.

Happy Saturday!

a christmas girl's night

our tree in the sunshine

Hosted the monthly Girl's Night last night. Had SO much fun preparing and then hosting. I love having people enjoy my food and home. I cooked a big Christmas ham dinner for everyone...apple pie, red velvet cupcakes and lots of cookies. My friend brought a beautiful Christmas punch and we ate, laughed and had a Yankee Swap. It was our usual group but with the wonderful addition of two old friends we recently reconnected with this year. We all went to high school together and have been friends all this time. I loved it.

Some more scenes from the night....

my table decorations...rosemary tree that I hope I don't kill!

Favor boxes I filled with cookies and decorated with an ornament for the girls

Pretty Christmas punch one of my friends made.

Sweets. Cary watched me bake for two days!

Today I spent some time at local yarn shop, visited my parents and knitted. Had dinner with them and now I'm home waiting for the snowstorm and Cary to come home from work. Looking forward to a snow day tomorrow. Hoping to play with my December Cocoa Daisy kit while I watch the snow come down.

Happy Saturday!

our 1st tree

our tree this morning

Our 1st official tree. This is our 3rd Christmas but only our second Christmas where we will be in the same place on Christmas and last year we didn't get a tree. I just had my little trees up. This is our tree now. We finally got it last night. What a project. Between Saturday and Sunday I went to 5 stores to find a tree stand! 5. And almost as many stores to find a tree topper! Yesterday I found a tree topper. A star. It's ok. It will do for this year but I don't love it. It isn't up yet. That will be Cary's job when he gets up! He did the lights and I put up the ornaments last night and this a.m. I love it! I grew up having white lights and for a few years on my own always had white lights. Truthfully they are what I usually prefer. But this is our tree. Colored lights are Christmas to Cary. So this is my first tree with colored lights. I'm adjusting and they are pretty.

stringing lights - teases when I take pictures..."no press, no press!"

Today I'm making Gingerbread men. By request. Cary was so looking forward to them yesterday but I ran out of time. After all..it did take 4 stores yesterday between looking for a tree stand and tree topper!


But...now the apartment smells awesome with the scent of gingerbread! That has to be one of my favorite Christmas smells...right up there with pine trees. We will decorate them yesterday. Cary was telling me a story he remembers from when he was little and was in boy scouts. He remembers taking all kinds of time decorating a gingerbread man cookie with candies and frosting. And then he remembers leaving boy scouts that day and forgetting his cookie. He was so dissapointed and still remembers it! So today he can have his share of 13 of them!

Hoping to catch up on some blogs today. Working on a suprise scrapbook for Cary and finishing the knitted dishclothes for my mom (still have 2 1/2 to go!)....I might not finish!

Made these chair ties by cutting a Michael's garland into two peices (to make 2 mini wreaths) with wire cutters, twisting it into shape and tying it on with a beautiful olive iridescent ribbon.

Tried to do too much yesterday, as usual! But put up some more decorations...found a few things at Pier One and Michael's. Used my Yankee Candle coupons for some of our favorites. Made little wreaths for the kitchen chairs and a large wreath for our hallway closet. But today I paid for it and ended up leaving work early. Sick. We'll see about work tomorrow. I just want to feel better. I hate being home sick and feeling guilty about that. I always do. I was out sick two weeks ago and felt like I was fighting something. Probably brought on by stress. And now I have a full-blown cold. Boo! I really need to do something about my stress level. I have the perfectionist personality that doesn't help. I need to really LET GO of crap and relax! I am going to try...again! I enjoy doing things around the house. It relaxes me. It's the work stuff that stresses me.

Anyhow...I just did some online window shopping at Amazon and LL Bean. Have stuff in my virtual "bags" to buy later this week. All my Christmas shopping will be almost done. I am definately buying less this year as I'm sure many are....but I think I have picked out things people I love will love.


Well...here are some more pictures of decoations! I don't have a tree up yet so there will be more to come! And my lighting isn't great so the pictures of the wreath aren't great. I am going to try and check out my favorite blogs before I get some more rest...




Made this with a grapevine wreath I found discounted at Michael's. Added a pretty garland by wrapping it around the wreath and tucked in two glittered poinsettia stems. Everything was 50% off at Michael's so it was a pretty cheap project and took less than 5 minutes to make!



Close-up of the glittered poinsettias. These were really pretty and they had them in many different colors.

I have three really old, cheap trees from AC Moore in my kitchen/LR "pass-through." The wire tree on the wire was one of my Pier One purchases yesterday for $10. It is a card or photo holder. I plan on hanging up cards we receive during the holidays.