Winter Wonderland

Everything is covered in a thick layer of ice.







Everything is so crispy and since the deer like to rub against my row of young Crabapple trees, I think they snapped this one.


Hard to believe in a handful of weeks, this Dogwood will be budding.


Looking down the street.


Every twig, branch and wisp is covered.


My Willow is definitely weeping.



Looking underneath the patio table. I can't take credit. She found it.


I couldn't pass up that face.


I tried to capture the blue hour in the snow again, but I'm going to have to pull out the tripod tomorrow since I just can't hold still long enough to let the shutter close.



The Blizzard of 2011, or so they say. We would have enjoyed the additional 12" or so our lucky neighbors just 60 miles west got, but we'll take what we can get.
Happy Groundhog Day!

Good Morning

This was the first view that came into focus in the wee hours this morning. The full moon is casting a shadow of the trees on the snow that fell overnight. The tiny lights I keep on inside the new potting shed really seem to glow with a layer of snow on the glass roof.



I may have even captured some of the Blue Hour. If only I had the software to edit out the neighbor's coach light. Soon!


"God has rescued us out of the darkness . . . and brought us into the Kingdom of his Son who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins." Colossians 1:13-14.

Have a wonderful day.

Linking to Hey Harriet at Shadow Shot Sunday linky party.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

How does one display all those team photos we collect without compromising her decorating integrity? A wall of colorfully matted pictures was the answer for me.

Thankfully, I have a long upstairs hallway that was a blank slate.

With three kids, all in sports since the age of three, I had a lot to work with. It gave me an opportunity to use many bright colors. Even pink matted pictures for my girls' teams worked in well.

Looking back the other direction, you see I have another blank slate as we continue to accumulate. I'll just have to figure out how to work around the thermostat. Note to self, if rebuilding, locate those pesky little things away from prime wall space.

The only problem is it's hard to keep them completely straight. I haven't gone through with wall putty yet to keep them from moving. Also, avoid the $3 Wal-mart frames if you can. Since I was buying them all at once, it was the least expensive way to dive into this project. However, they don't hang well. Tiny little nails are required and they tend to pop off the wall, especially when the tween stomps off and slams her door - - (as much as I hate to admit that happens; it does.) But, I can't recommend enough worldviewpic.com for the mats. The are superb quality, reasonably priced, and customer service was outstanding. They even let me pick the quantity in each color (so I wouldn't be heavy on pink). You can find them online here


Since we took these pictures out of boxes and hung them on the wall, the kids have enjoyed looking back over their athletic "careers." I find them in the hall gazing at them or showing their friends as they walk by. That is why we hang pictures, use china everyday, break out the clothes and jewelry we're saving for a special occasion, and just generally treat every day as though it is worthy of our best adornments. No point in keeping memories in boxes, especially if you have a place to display them and doing so makes people smile.

Linking to Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Cozy Touches

Now that Christmas is packed away (well, good thing blogging doesn't allow for inspections), like many of you I also like to simplify. Though I also want to create a feeling of warmth and coziness. I've switched out the Christmas glitter for winter cozy.

We had our tree between these two chairs during Christmas. I think the animal print adds to the warm feeling.

Yes, it is snowing outside. Perfect time to build a fire.

It's days like today when Cocoa most appreciates she's not an outside cat.

How about that look of disgust for disturbing her nap. "If only you'd get that camera out of my face, life would be purrrfect."

The breakfast sideboard was decorated with gold and silver during Christmas. This seemed so much warmer. I love this space because it is so easily changed to accommodate whatever mood or whatever season we're in.

I thought the burlap helped create a feeling of warmth.

Blessings to all of you in 2011. It won't be long and we won't have to pull out the burlap and animal print to get warm. I'm already planning for it.



Linking to The House in the Roses weekly "Show Off Your Cottage" party.

White Christmas

A view of the new potting shed on Christmas morning. We literally drove the last nail in mid-December.

Isn't it beautiful with the freshly fallen snow naturally flocking the trees.

I can't wait to do a post when the garden is full of blooms and the glass roof is on full display.

But nature's hand here is just as stunning.


Linking to White Wednesdays at Faded Charm

The Homecoming Queen

I don't have any words of great inspiration, or wit, or humor. I'm not all that creative, or original, or deep. Other than stating the obvious, anything remotely profound escapes me tonight. THAT is why I follow Life in Grace. I dabble in blogging because I've been inspired by people like Edie. Edie is creative, inspirational, clever, profound, easy, humble, living life to the fullest, enjoying each day's unique gifts, and each moment in each day. She is full of joy and laughter and love. She lives! I feel weird that I know her so well through her blog, though she doesn't know me. Not that she hasn't extended herself to me. She has. Once she sent me an email in response to a comment I left on her blog and I was so thrilled to get it. A tiny gesture, but it meant so much - - someone so busy, so highly regarded, so solicited and yet she emailed ME? This will be a terrible analogy and, knowing Edie the way I do, I know she'll dislike it, but it was like in high school, when the Homecoming Queen passes you in the hallway and actually knows your name and says hi and then you realize that is WHY she is the Homecoming Queen because she is sweet and kind and beautiful, and she really is FULL OF SUBSTANCE. Oh yeah, and she dates the cutest guy!. (Pretend picture of Edie and hubby inserted here.)



All the things that have been written about her are true. One just knows it. And, I'm a better person for having found her blog because through her I've learned so much about life, about love, about giving, about Jesus, and about living in grace. In spite of this tragedy, I'm sure Edie is aware God's great plan is taking shape. He has a plan. It may not be our plan, but we will discover it's a better plan. I hope, through all the love and prayers flowing back to Edie, she is able to see what a solid impact she has had on so many people, known and unknown, and begin to recognize God's plan, even now.

I know through it all she'll keep calling the girls in the hall by name and I know the girls in the hall will be forever grateful. I also know she will give entirely new meaning to the words "Homecoming Queen" as she moves through this tragedy toward home.

Linking to Edie's blog, Life in Grace, where her friends are surprising her with a birthday party. Happy Birthday Edie.

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 was an unusual year, full of firsts and wonderful memories. Most notably, it was the first year since 1997 without Santa. While it was hard to let go of the magic in their eyes on Christmas morning, it also let us enjoy Christmas as a family on an entirely new level. As an added benefit, without the internal clocks going off at pre-dawn hours, I was able to get up before the rush and take pictures of Christmas morning with the most beautiful Christmas Eve snowfall through the windows as a backdrop. The dining room:

I even had time to begin setting the table for Christmas morning breakfast. Few things can displace Blue Willow in my dining room, but Spode Christmas Tree is one of them. You can see just a glimpse on the table.


A close-up of the dining room tree with the snowfall outside.

Then I headed outside. My completed-just-before-the-first-snow-flies potting shed.

Isn't it beautiful with the freshly fallen snow naturally flocking the trees.

I can't wait to do a post when the garden is full of blooms.

But nature's hand here is just as stunning.

And now we're all up. I'm enjoying my third cup of coffee (another first) and they are enjoying what it really feels like to give now that it's not all about Santa.

Though I'll probably always leave a surprise in the stockings.

The family room tree with the potting shed in the background outside.

The aftermath.

A few shots of the season.
This year I scaled back on decorations and busy work. Instead I focused on enjoying traditions and quality time. We went to many Christmas shows, musicals, and concerts, including our own kids' first band concerts and show choir concerts. We also attended several professional performances this season.

We enjoyed shopping together. We shopped the antique stores in small towns and (mostly window)shopped in the lively, hustle bustle of the city which I know many people despise, but we just love it. The sights, sounds, smells; it all enhances the holiday spirit. We made a lot of homemade gifts. We made pinecone wreaths for the wonderful teachers we have this year, we made baked gifts and citrus ornaments. I even followed the directions on one of the blogs I follow (sorry, I can't remember whose) where we crushed shells we'd collected on vacation and gorilla glued them to wooden forms to make ornaments. We baked and baked. We made gingerbread houses. We went caroling with our good friends.

We spent Christmas Eve with wonderful neighbors and then we all attended a beautiful Christmas Eve service at our church. We spent Christmas day with family and took time to enjoy the stunning snowfall by going sledding.




We enjoyed hearing from family and old friends.

But mostly, we focused on the reason for the season. While I'll miss the youthful magic of Christmas with Santa, I welcome the real magic of the season back into our lives without the commercial distractions.

On more than one occasion this season I was able to take a moment, step back, look around at the smiles, listen to the laughter, enjoy the beauty of the moment and truly appreciate and thank God for all the blessings I have.

Linking to The House in the Roses, "Show Off Your Cottage Monday" and A Stroll Thru Life "Table Top Tuesday Anything Goes."

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