Getting Excited About Christmas Decorating....

  

Well, I host thanksgiving Day dinner here, per usual-

so I must keep our autumn decor up tioll afterwards...

But I am soooo "chaomping at the bit" to get started

on my Christmas holiday season decorating!

First stop, I made this new holiday blog header-

changing it out to be seasonal for me is quite rare.

I am revisiting some of my more favorite pics

of past Christmases around our nest to share with you.

For those who recognize a pic (or ten)

just pretend it's fresh stuff- after all, it's been quite a while!

And chance are if I have forgotten them, perhaps you have as well!

Denial: not just for breakfast anymore. 

I am doing this to whet my whistle  and try a bit to get myself 

in the Jingle Bell Spirit!

If I am able to inspire anyone else in the process,

than Buddy-the-Elf would be glad about it, too!

Hopefully this will satisfy me for the time being, until I get

all the autumn decorations put away and lug up all the

Christmas holiday boxes.

I tend to lean towards a more Nordic/Scandanavian Christmas

winter vibe, with little touches of natural, neutral, vintage, bright -

with a tiny bit of country farmhouse/rustic thrown into the mix.

Yes, I believe I am the "Heinz 57" of Christmas decor! Haha!

   

I am not ready for what the holidays take of me to do it all well.

(Do you ever enter your holiday season feeling that way?)

Sometimes I jump in with both feet and all sorts of gusto.

Not happenin' this year. Not yet, anyway. Hopefully it will though!

Plus I have a little time yet-  as we're all just getting started now.

Pinterest is an amazing source of inspiration, too.

I keep perusing it hoping my Eureka Moment will happen.

Still feeling nothing.......yet....

One of my favorite things to do to get in the holiday spirit

is to pour over every awesome magazine at the book store.

I've already been there twice already.  Hrm....

Well, I did feel a slight twinge of something resembling jolliness...

it really shoulda worked, it always has before!

ARGH!!!

My niece said she'd come help me with the tree over the weekend.

I have hired her in the past - and this year I am not climbing a ladder

after my foot being in a boot most of the summer!

She is saving up for a car and I am saving from a broken bone.

WIN-WIN!

I am listening to some beautiful Christmas music right now,
thinking about how truly special this whole season is....

And how it is perfectly ok to enter into it slowly, savoring each day.

    

     

I do believe I am getting cheered up a bit

 just looking at all my pics

trying to figure out which ones to share todeay!

Well, I don't know about you all, 

but this kinda helped me feel better today!

Thanks for sticking with me!

Hugs to you!

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Mosaic Monday  *  No Place Like Home  * You're Gonna Love It

Inspire Me Tuesday   *   Roses of Inspiration   *   WOW Us!

Share Your Cup

Velvet Pumpkins Surprise Gift!

Debra over at Common Ground recently had a give-away

of gorgeous velvet pumpkins that Becky at Timewashed made.

I wanted to win sooooo badly.

The winner was Jane at Blondie's Journal. 

Lucky lady!

Well not long after the above giveaway Becky had posted

 about these really awesome keys

she had made and placed in her Etsy shop called Timewashed.

 Oh, they are beyond stunning, too!

 (I will share after Thanksgiving sometime as my decor refreshes for yet another new decor season, Christmas and winter!

For her post about these beautiful keys, click here. 

So I just had to buy one, you know!

I REALLY wanted to snatch every single one of them all up,

 but alas I showed some rare restraint.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Yesterday my pretty new crafted key arrived... 

but what ALSO arrived were 2 of my very own velvet pumpkins

 as a "random act of kindness" gift from Becky!

Oh everything was so beautifully packaged and special!

She made me feel like a QUEEN!

 What a SWEETHEART of a blogger - 

                           oh, my gosh, they look so perfect in my

neutral colorless universe!

Right now they are in the foyer area-

but they'd look good in about every room in my house.

Thank you so so sooooo much, Becky!

I love my new pumpkins!

(Becky informs me she is now out of stock for her velvet pumpkins,

but does she have (and creating new things regularly)

an amazing array of lovely items in her shop!)*

Each item is so perfect for winter, Christmas or gifts!

DON'T GO TO THE BIG BOX STORES FOR GIFTS THIS YEAR-

CHOOSE, INSTEAD, TO HELP SUPPORT AN ARTIST!

I guarantee you till love every single item in her shop!

Thank you, Becky, for my lovely fresh new autumn decor.

I am beyond pleased to be chosen to receive

 such unexpected sweetness. 

Just wow.

*I was not compensated of course, for this endorsement;
 just appreciative, and wanted to spread the word to my readers
 of her kind generosity and share with you the beautiful items
 in her Etsy store...

waiting just for you!

Sorry for the poor lighting in these pics - my foyer is narrow and dark, plus today it's

very dark grey and raining today,
 but didn't want a day to pass before sharing this seasonal post. 

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Faith: Sharing a fellow blogger's amazing post

In light of what just happened to France -

and what is happening in many areas of the world....

I am just back from attending church

 and below is the first post I read when I logged on today.

It is amazing, so well written, and from the heart.

 I wanted to make sure no one misses it, in case you 

 may not be familiar with this wonderful fellow blogger,

Brenda from Coffee, Tea Books and Me.

She loves God and tea -

 and I know how much we have in common with her

on those two awesome things!

----->Please click here to read her post.<-----

[source]

May you find courage and strength

today and always.

[source]

May each one of you

 find peace in your hearts today.

♥

[source]

Be strong and courageous.

 Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,

 for the Lord your God goes with you;

He will never leave you nor forsake you.

 (Deuteronomy 31:6)

As always, thank you for your visit!

(Comments closed.)

Sunny Centerpiece on a Gloomy Day

Greetings, from Finch Rest!

Wow- we went from having perfect weather to

windy cold and very blustery in a flash!

It was mid 70s few days ago, then turned quickly to mid 50s,

and last night rained and rained,

and now it is dark, wet, and cool out there.

It is sooooo gloomy I thought I would cheer myself up

(and hopefully you as well)

sharing my sunny yellow mums that my daughter gave me!

  

At the end of fall last year Katie bought

 a very sad & dying mum plant

 for only $1.99.

As much as her older sister wants to rescue dogs,

THIS daughter always wants to rescue plants.....

and they both do quite well with their respective saves, actually!

Katie had the perfect place to plant her "spent" mum

 at her last house,  so when they moved she dug it up

 and re-planted it at their little cottage.

And it did so well in its new home!

And did it ever GROW- it is HUGE!

It's the biggest mum bush that I have ever seen.)

Anyway, she had to cut it back a great deal

because it was encroaching on their driveway-

so she made herself, her sister and me each 

a nice bouquet from the cuttings!

Just to give you an idea how healthy this plant is?

These cuttings from it I have had for nearly a month!

And they haven't even come close to browning yet!

*Hint to remember to help keep your cut flowers fresher longer:

Put your cut flowers in your fridge at night,

and change your water daily!

I have said it before and it is worth repeating-

it really really works!

I am also showing you finally a little favor she gave all of us

at her Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party -

red and multi-colored popcorn she and Jeff grew

themselves in their new garden!

It pops very nicely and the kernels are so tender

one can even eat them!

The planting was such a success they're going to

plant lots more next year.

We've offered up some of our land if they want more

gardening room, too, as we have a few acres in back

and they live in the city.

Here is the pic I took yesterday of my neighbor's stunning

 Red Maple tree - I knew the wind was coming and

the leaves would all fall off....took this pic

in the nick of time, too - the tree is bare now!

Anyway, I know looking at my sunny yellow mums

sure brightens my outlook on such a

 grey dark damp blustery day.

Time to put the kettle on for tea, and settle in with a good book.

I may even light our first fire of the season!

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Home Sweet Home   *   Feathered Nest   *   Foodie/Everything Party

Show and Tell   *  Sundays at Home