Finally--my Christmas 2013 house tour

I planned to post these pictures waaaaaay back in December.
I just can't let January end without getting them on the blog.

Our house was on a Christmas home tour as a fund raiser for our town's clothes and food pantries.
It was a great experience, with approximately 100 friendly people touring our home.
I spent a month to get everything decorated and had help from some great friends. Everything is down now, packed away in plastic tubs until next year.

The front porch...

The mudroom...

The kitchen...

The dining/gathering room...

The music room...

drum chalk art by my friend Mary

The family room...

Down the hallway to the bedrooms...

Ellyn's bedroom...

Meg's room...

The laundry room/gift wrap station ;)...

chalk art by my talented friend Mary

The master bedroom and bathroom...

Oh holy night...by my friend Mary

And a look behind the scenes...

This is my artistic friend Mary!

My florist friend Julie

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas...just a bit late!
I hope you had a wonderful time with loved ones this past week, celebrating the birth of Jesus.
We had some good times with the relatives and family friends.  During this season, my thoughts often turn to loved ones we've lost...many of them in the month of December or with birthdays in December. I treasure the memories and enjoy making some new ones with the people around me.

I've been a little under the weather since getting home from Christmas travel. In my mind, I've written a few blog posts, but I have mostly been blowing my nose and coughing.
I'm feeling better today and am determined to get some things done!

This was the card we sent this year...

And the back side...

Merry Christmas 2012

This is the card that we sent out:

You'll have to use your imagination, since it was a tri-fold design it doesn't display very well on a blog.

I am seriously amazed that it got finished and in the mail.
(Thank you to a family friend of my teenagers who gave a day to help me wrap gifts, clean, and finish the card before we headed back to Missouri to be with my father-in-law.  You're such a dear, Maggie, and this card would not have happened if it weren't for you.)

Hope you all had a merry Christmas with extra time spent with your loved ones!

Christmas Craftiness

I found this free Christmas printable on Pinterest from the blog My Fabuless Life.
I love it framed in my kitchen. So easy...download, print, frame.

When I first started reading Meg Duerksen's blog Whatever, I fell in love with her beautiful old home and her unique Christmas decorations.

I especially liked this idea:

I found some adorable mini flashcards to download on Etsy at The Old Design Shop. 

I made my own version, minus the lovely frame that Meg Duerksen used.

I may or may not have bought multiple sets of these--love them!

The whole sheet prints on 8.5x11.

I found these digital vintage flashcards at Designer Digitals a couple of years ago, and use them to decorate with as well. They are larger than the ones above. There are several different sets available.

My most recent project (also seen via Pinterest) was a ruffled tree skirt.
Here's a picture of the one I made... almost finished. (It looks fabulous under the tree!)

After Christmas

Christmas is wonderful--one of my greatest joys in this life. I love to spend time with family, hang greenery and decorations, do extra baking, make homemade gifts, listen to beautiful Christmas music, and plan ways to offer gifts to the needy in my community. All these things bring richness to my life, but I sometimes find that they fail to satisfy my hungry soul. My soul longs for Jesus. He is the One who can satisfy. So I read books, listen to music, and open scripture to help me anticipate the coming of a Baby--the Savior of the world. What a gift He was for mankind! What joy Christ brings to my Christmas!

Unfortunately, most of us experience the other side of Christmas as well. The days after Christmas can bring gifts that don't fit, time spent with family that caused hurt or disappointment, exhaustion due to the busy season, more shopping for returns and exchanges, the list goes on and on.

In these days after Christmas, my mind keeps returning to the same thought: I am so grateful for what Jesus offers us AFTER Christmas. He didn't stay a baby in a manger. He became a man--a man with a purpose.  His purpose to redeem us changed my life forever. He loves us more than I can comprehend. He is life and light, hope and peace to me. During these days after Christmas, I hope you can join me in receiving a gift that doesn't end with Christmas. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift you brought us as a man. The promise of heaven to those who know You, and the hope You bring to each day is what truly satisfies the soul.

May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him,

so that you may

overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 

A few of my favorite things...

Some of my favorite images from previous years. I framed this in my house this year.