Time for some R&R!

Is everyone over Christmas? I started taking everything down on the 26th! My son could not believe it but I just wanted to get everything put away, cleared out and cleaned up. Saturday was so balmy here (70+ temps!) so I really enjoyed being outside and getting all the decorations down and packed up so hubby could put them away.

Next on the adgenda is our annual "get away" to the tropics.....so on February 16th we're leaving New Orleans for a 5 day cruise with my sister and her husband. Destinations are Cozumel and Yucatan, Mexico. We've been to Cozumel so many times that there's nothing we haven't experienced there so the day we're in port David and I have decided to shop, eat, and shop some more. Sister and her hubby are going to swim with the dolphins. There are some great outdoor restaurants there that we enjoy sitting at and just people watching....a wonderful (free) pasttime!

I'll be sittin' on my hiney here.....

Doing some shopping .....

Maybe eating some tacos in here....

Taking a little spin around the island on this....

Then coming back on board and sitting around the pool deck.....

I can't wait!

Friends Forevah!!

This past Monday night Shannon met with a few of her girlfriends and their kids at a local fast food restaurant. Two of the girls and Shannon have been friends since as far back as 4th grade! One girl lives out of state and the other two are local but they all keep in touch by e-mail.

How well I remember Cathy and Shana...the two girls Shannon has been friends with the longest. It seems like there were not many weekends that went by without one of these girls being at our house! In grammer school, they jumped on the trampoline and giggled about boys. By junior high, they were trying out and making the cheerleading and/or dance squads. Of course, they were still talking about boys! By high school, there were some new girls added to their group, and they were not together as much, as other interests and activities took up more of their time, but they were still great friends by their senior year.

Shana was a bridesmaid at Shannon's wedding and even sang a song. Cathy was off doing "her thang" so she didn't make it.

Now, 13 years later (where did the time ever go?), I think it's so sweet that they still are in touch and try and get together from time to time.

This is a group shot of the four girls and their sweet babies

From left to right - Cathy, Mary, Shana, Shannon - FRIENDS FOREVAH!!!

Christmas Inside and Out 2008

This will most likely be my last post on Christmas decorating but I wanted to show ya'll a few things I've put outside and then we'll look at our bedroom "tree" and master bathroom.

Just a simple wreath, red bow and red ornaments on the glass door

This is the wall planter that I put some pretty greenery in along with more red ornaments

Here is the gated arbor on the side yard. I wrapped it with a lush garland and lights and hung some of my big Christmas ornaments from the top

I tied red bells on the gate

So pretty at night when it's all lit up

Now let's go back inside to the master bathroom....I know, not a room you would typically "tour" for Christmas but I really wanted to show ya'll how it's come together since we painted the bedroom and bathroom

Looking into the bathroom from our bedroom

The lamp was 'repurposed' .....it started out in a gold finish and since I didn't want to buy a new lamp (have you priced lamps lately?) I just sprayed it with a couple of coats of white paint and used a shade from another lamp

Love my new shutters and we're putting those in the bedroom too! They are "faux" plantation shutters that we got at Lowe's....not nearly as expensive as the real thing and you hang them yourself (with a few choice words from hubby when he was hanging them!)

These were some existing mirrors that were "old world gold" - they also got the white spray paint treatment and then I "aged" them with some tobacco colored glaze....use what ya got, I say!

See that white shelf hanging (upside down)? It might not be the best looking shelf in the world but my precious daughter bought it for me with money from her first job when she was in high school. She ordered it from a catalog and gave it to me for Christmas.....I treasure it to this day!

The architectural piece above was a Hobby Lobby find (1/2 off) that I sprayed white and glazed

I love this frame....the verse from Corinthians is one of my mom's favorites

This little cherub has been through some rough times....can't you tell? Unfortunately, I left him outside for a couple of years and he has not weathered very well but I wanted to save him because he is very old and special to me. My mom gave him to me to use in Shannon's wedding back in 1997. The florist had it decorated so nice and he took a prominent place on one of the tables at her reception.

In the bedroom I just used some branches from an old arrangement, tied on some white ornaments and ribbon and put some artificial snow in the container. The pictures do not do it justice because it turned out so pretty

I know I've been promising to show you our tree but in addition to it's little accident with the topper, now half the lights have gone out! I still may post a picture of the tree (half lit) later this week but right now it looks kinda pitiful!

Well, there you have it.....you've seen most of my Christmas decorating this year. Thankfully, I'm FINALLY over my cold and I've been trying to play catch up around the house and all the other things I wasn't able to get to when I was sick.

Have a wonderful and safe Monday!

Christmas At The Lake 2008

This year my sister generously offered to host our family Christmas at her lake house this past weekend. The last few days had been unusually warm, even here in the south, so it was a treat to be at the lake with 70+ temperatures! It would have been really cozy and nice with a fire going but no one was complaining about the wonderfully mild weather we had....you'll even see some of the fellas in shorts!

Let's go in and see what's cookin' at the lake.....

Here's the back of the cabin

Some of her neighbor's lake homes

McKinley and Taylor sampling their cookie creations....my sister had some cookies for them to decorate

Taylor got a little carried away with her "sprinkles"!

Here's my little man Jackson

My two "babies" Shannon and Shane and their babies (McKinley is on Shannon's lap and Taylor is on Shane's lap). Taylor loves her Uncle Shane!

Here's my mom surrounded by her children and grandchildren. My brother and his family, who live in Kentucky, did not make it down

Me in the middle with black top and silver cross

My sister's daughter, her husband and their "kids" - baby Austin and dog Buffy

My daughter Shannon, her husband Don, and the twins - Jackson did not want his picture taken

McKinley would not "cooperate" so I could not get a good family picture for them

Jackson and I walked out on the deck and he decided to have a rest with his "blankie"

Miss Taylor (wonder what's she thinking? Probably how I can get MiMi to give me some more presents!!)

Taylor and Erica - sweet cousins

My two favorite men - hubby David and son Shane

Sweet daughter-in-law Jennifer holding Austin

Taylor and McKinley having a big time coloring

The lake house has such a comfy, casual feel that we've decided to have Christmas at the lake next year

My sister's late father-in-law made this table in anticipation of future grandchildren coming to the lake - he did not live long enough to see any of his grandchildren but his presence is felt all around

Two of my sister's grandchildren - Mason and Erica

Here's my sister holding Erica

She didn't do much decorating but no one seemed to notice or mind....just wonderful family time was what was most important to all of us

The main living area is one big open room - her MIL did some extensive remodeling some years ago which turned out really great

Our menu was chili (from deer meat), potato soup and tortilla soup. Everyone brought appetizers, snacks, drinks, and desserts so there was plenty to eat. Nothing fancy but just good food! I'll have to give ya'll the receipe for the tortilla soup when she e-mails it to me....it was WONDERFUL!

Now ya'll have a wonderful week and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

Remember - family time is the most important gift we can give or receive.