Happy New Year!

Best Wishes to everyone in the world as we step into 2012.
Cheers to good health and many blessings!

National Poinsettia Day

December 12th is National Poinsettia Day.  Who knew?

Poinsettia Facts!

So pretty!

Milk Glass is not just for cottages and weddings!

An elegant way to display a collection of milk glass vases is to fill them with vibrant Christmas colored silk florals and they will look simply stunning.

These are actually the silks from my Christmas wedding, now recycled!
I am enjoying the display over my fireplace.

 

Where did that little guy come from?

Christmas Time

We decorated our Christmas tree weeks ago which was a bit early. I don't mind as my daughter is now 5 and she totally understands how important this wonderful holiday is.  It was recently "J" week at her preschool and we sang in the car on the way to school, "Joy to the World".
She melted my heart when she said, "Jesus is a wonderful 'J' word!"

I am really cherishing handmade ornaments more than ever.  When my baby was only two, she made this little tree ornament from popsicle sticks.  Why the "B"?   That was her favorite letter and she decided that she wanted one on her tree. 

Ever since I can remember, her favorite color was purple.  Right before she turned 5, she discovered the cartoon, "Olivia" who wears red.  Her new favorite color is red.  I think it is so awesome to love such a bright Christmas color!  I am really digging it too.  I ordered myself a few winter items from the bean that are red.  I really wish I could order these:

Due to allergies, we will have to wait.  Hopefully we won't have to wait too long.

HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

Oh my gosh!  I just had to share some of the pictures we took at a local Hot Air Balloon Festival.  Apparently, every year this race is held at the Statesville airport in North Carolina.  It is an entire weekend filled with fun activities.  We only went for one afternoon.  We really enjoyed watching all the different balloons fill up and float away.  When the first one lifted off, the entire crowd cheered!  It was so cool!

My mom said that they are simply the neatest things to see floating in the sky.

My daughter waved as they floated away and said, "Good-bye people!"

Jack-O-Lanterns

We used some vintage mason jars to make our own jack-o-lanterns by sticking painter's tape cut into triangles for the faces.

Paint one coat of orange acrylic craft paint.

Let the paint dry a little bit and then peel off the tape before it is completely dried.

I waited until it was completely dry and when I peeled the tape off, the paint peeled off a bit so I had to use an exacto knife to trace the shapes before completely removing them.  Let them dry several hours or overnight.

TA -DA!

Halloween Jarkins 

(That's what my daughter named them.)

We are going to use battery operated tea lights in ours for safety.

Happy Halloween!

Fall = Apples!

My very dear friend, Elizabeth, shared some apples that her son brought home from his recent trip to Virginia. (Thank you Randy!)

They were so pretty that I just had to take a picture. (I am thinking of a nice sketch.)  They were so delicious that they only lasted long enough for this photo shoot.  I created this display by using two separate pieces of milk glass that are for sale in my etsy shop.