Happy Anniversary!

One of the best moves I ever made!

Merry Christmas!

Today should be a quiet day for Mike and me.  We've been scurrying round to get gifts and get them wrapped and get them under the tree for the grands and our children.  We will be sharing some time and love with them on the weekend.  For now, though, we can enjoy the pretty paper, pretty ribbons, and sparkle of Christmas.  We hope your day is full of joy and peace of the season.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve!

 We are taking it easy for the next couple of days.  We hope that you and yours have a very happy Christmas full of memory-making.

It looks like Christmas outside!

Welcome to our Christmas home!  The outside is always the first place I decorate.  I think maybe I feel like the twinkling lights outside our house greet the season and help me get prepared.

I went outside and made these photos just before it got dark one afternoon this week.  It was just dusky enough that the timer and turned on the lights but still daylight enough to show the look of the outside.  Our new driveway comes straight toward the house and this is the view right at the curve of the driveway which sweeps around toward the back.

Each year I've used this faux greenery swags to drape our porch and the front doorway.  Simple.  Traditional.  Yet, certainly festive.  The greenery is intertwined with clear lights.

The view coming up the walkway really shows off our summer update of painting the porch rail and adding the Charleston green to the top of the rail.  The greenery sort of sets that off, I think.  This year, since we updated and now have wrought-iron stair rails painted with matching green, I decided not to run greenery down the rail so that anyone coming up the steps can easily hold onto the rails and because, well, they are already green and beautiful!

I added little trees to the flower pots that held the pumpkin topiaries for fall and moved them to the bottom of the steps.  I moved the clay pots with lavender in them to the top of the stairs and placed a metal, cone-shaped trellis over the top.  Then, I twined lights around the trellis to look like another set of miniature trees on the porch. 

The bow on the wreath that has hung there since the first Christmas I moved here looked a little tired after ten years on this porch and one on my old house.  So, I removed it and added some lights.  All the twinkling lights make Mike and me happy and they must really make a statement.  Even the pizza delivery guy told me how pretty it was driving up the driveway and coming to our front door the other night!

From this angle in the yard, you can see the large easel chalk board that moved from just inside the door to the front porch.  I needed the space for the Christmas tree and I decided that the chalk board could be our welcome message this year.  I also added a cheerful little lawn flag to keep the concrete bunny company just to the right of the steps.

I thought the wreath needed a little something.  So, I got a set of tag door ornaments from Bridgette over at Goody Stuff that say Santa stop here!  The two milk cans still stand sentry on either side of the front door.  The one on the right holds snacks and bottled water for our wonderful delivery persons who have been dropping off boxes on a daily basis filled with Christmas treasures for the children and grandchildren. 

We are blessed and grateful to have a beautiful home and I am glad to be able to dress her up for the holidays!  From our house to yours, Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Hoping for a great year for you!

Planning the Menu

Thanksgiving is this week and as we ate breakfast this morning, Mike and I mapped out our menu.  When we finished up his delicious sausage, bacon, eggs, biscuits, and gravy, I moved the laptop to the table and began my grocery order.  Yep, I love ordering and picking up at the store parking lot!  It makes grocery time much more bearable.  Now, if I just had somebody to transport the bags of loot from the truck to the kitchen.  I know, I know.  I sound like - If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...

Of course, Mike is going to cook the turkey - we have certainly had some adventures with that!  He was tempted to try out his new wood pellet grill  to smoke it but we loved the fried version last year.  So, we are going to give that a go again.  Can't wait!  I already have the bird and have been searching for the bucket I use to brine him in without success.  I just remembered that I also couldn't find that bucket when I made pickles back in the summer.  So, a new bucket will have to be rounded up. 

It seems my menu is a little casserole-heavy but about the only time I make some of these dishes is at Thanksgiving.  So, things like my Southern Cornbread Dressing,

Sweet Potato Casserole For A House Divided

 Classic Green Bean Casserole,

and Hash Brown Casserole quickly made the list.

To that, we decided that we would have good old Mac-and-Cheese, cream-style corn, Cranberry Congealed Salad, and rolls. 

For dessert, I think I'm going to go with pies this year.  I can do those ahead and who doesn't like a good old southern pie?  I'm leaning toward Classic Pecan Pie, Fudge Pie, and Layered Pumpkin Pie.  YUM!

Veteran's Day

Honoring and thanking those who served today.