christmas cookies

i have made approximately 10 dozen of these cookies

this past week for several occasions.

hopefully there will be a few left for santa saturday night.

forever ribbon

i have absolutely no excuse to not have pretty packages.

this year, or next year, the year after....

found {last year} at a flea market for 5 bucks. 

the never ending roll of ribbon.

{love!}

a favorite place

eight years ago when we bought our home i liked it. 
i could see past the orange shag carpet, the kitchen that needed updating and so many other updates.

and the front, i didn't love, but worked with what i had.

and what i also had, was a dream.

a dream to change the flat front to something with more curb appeal.

and so we did.

we added this beautiful porch this fall.

i love it and it is now my new favorite place.

first time ever that packages delivered don't sit out in the rain.

or when guests come they are protected from the weather.

removing all the landscape prior to the project was a huge workout.

putting it all back in, including the rock path, was another huge workout.

but the satisfaction of doing things on your own...priceless.

i can hardly wait for spring!

christmas decorations

i pretty  much use the same christmas decorations every year. 
some years not everything gets used.
some, i add in something else that i love that was maybe in another room of the house.

keep it simple, use what you've got and maybe think outside the box.

i added some bibles and a cross this year.  getting back to the real reason for the season.

our entry table.  religious decor on the top shelf, presents on the bottom.  small indication to what is a top priority and what comes secondary.  so happy that when my oldest son saw this display, he understood it!

love my rosary hanging on this old garden statue.

pretty packages are always my all time favorite!