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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

January 4, 2015

Fashionably Late for 2015

Well hello! Happy 2015! I hope everyone had a Merry Holiday and a wonderful start to the New Year.

It's been a crazy couple of months but we've rounded out the Holidays with several days of much needed rest (i.e. being completely lazy) and I feel like my batteries are recharged and I'm ready to take on 2015.

Here's what we've been up to in the mean time:


We made our annual trip to Paul Michael's - where along with new Christmas baubles, we rode a giant rooster. 


 
 Paul Michael Company is where I also inherited these sweet foxes. Since EH won't budge on a second dog, I suppose I'll just have to pretend. 

December was full of Christmas Parties which are always good and fun but the pinnacle of events was seeing Garth Brooks live. A concert where I had so much fun that I both teared up, got in trouble by Security for dancing in the aisle, and danced and sang my little heart out until I lost my voice. Hence the lack of pictures!


Jury is out still if my hair was oddly lumpy up top or if someone was standing behind me but regardless - I wore a sequin maxi skirt, danced and sang my heart out and had the time of my life. Hair style be damned!

Gearing up for the Holidays, I rallied to keep two Christmas trees in the living room. Something about symmetry just soothes my soul.


I lost this one but maybe one day - who can resist twinkling lights? What we ended up with was pretty spectacular though so my disappointment was short lived.


I did win on scoring a larger tree this year - which was all thanks to a very kind and generous Target manager. The story is very sweet in my mind but probably boring to anyone else so I will spare you. Just trust that there are still very helpful and kind people out there, even over the most trivial of things.

Before I forget, we also attended an event to benefit the Arts Center from EH's hometown - great food, drinks, live auction and bonus! Sequins were encouraged.


With all of the cheer and excitement from the Holiday season, there was still a lingering cloud above our heads. EH took his Professional Engineer exam back in October - anyone remember? I certainly do. Hours each night studying and just stresses all around. Well, I'm ecstatic to say - HE PASSED! As I knew he would because EH is the most wicked smart person I know. But to say we weren't both extremely relieved would be an understatement.

We celebrated several times but my favorite were drinks at the Pantry Crest - where the food is not only delectable but the drinks are a work of art:


We also celebrated with Moose cuddles - because without him I don't think either of us would have made it through the long months of studying and worrying.


It all deserves an entire post of it's own, but EH is as humble as he is smart so I'll leave it mixed in with these random updates. I'm so proud of him - though never a doubt in my mind, it's so inspiring to have known this guy since before he even thought about Engineering, to have passed all the initial exams, landed a great gig with an awesome company, and now he has the stamp to prove it. And he's so handsome! Lucky girl right here. 

After all of that excitement, I really didn't think I could be any higher until Christmas came. Which brought Santa!


A very convincing Santa Claus, and just my type - though he did seem to prefer Miller which was disappointing.


The guy to the right was just as excited as Santa after a long day of ...making toys? Who knows what this Santa was really up to.

He did make time to stop by our house Christmas morning though. 


Since then it's been a whirlwind of parties, duck hunting, Harry Potter movie marathons, taking it easy and getting the house back in order. 

It's still too early to call, but 2015 has been pretty terrific and I have a feeling that the rest of the year will be the same.

December 25, 2013

Merry Merry Christmas!

It's been a fabulous Christmas with our family. Unfortunately we were not able to see everyone!


Moose especially enjoyed checking out the presents!




I hope you and your family had a wonderful Holiday! Merry Christmas!

December 3, 2013

Your Next Shopping Stop

I've been a terrible blogger lately but I hope everyone had the Happiest of Thanksgivings! Ours was spent with Engineer Husband's family in his hometown and between two households it included everything from pork to turkey to spaghetti and meatballs. I think I still feel full! 

While EH ventured out into the woods for some hunting, I along with a few family members ventured down to Lake Village, AR to do some Christmas decor shopping at Paul Michael Company.

Paul Michael's is one of my most favorite places in Arkansas. Located right before you get into Mississippi, their store has everything from furniture to home decor, kitchen wares, gifts - you name it, they've probably got it. We actually picked up a ton of accents for our wedding there!

But the best time of year to visit Paul Michael is when you want to load up on Christmas decor. My mother and sister-in-law and I try to make a trip every year and it's one of my favorite things ever. There is Christmas stuff EVERYWHERE!

Photo Courtesy of Paul Michael FB Page - click to visit!


I love the classic red being paired with the bright green!

Photo Courtesy of Paul Michael Blog
 If you're into the rustic glam, they definitely have something for you. A lot of the pieces from my tree and house are from this section of the store!

I really wish I had taken some pictures myself because there is SO much for you to see. Each tree set up (and there are dozens) has a different theme with tons of items surrounding it that coordinate. It's perfect for inspiration and takes a lot of the guess work out! 

I've spent the past few years accumulating ornaments and at the rate I'm going, we're going to need a bigger tree! Here's what I came up with this year: (sorry for the crappy iphone pic!)


I always love how it turns out but I really need to get a better picture to show all the fun things that are included. Stay tuned for that - and while you wait, check out Paul Michael at their website here, or if you're in the area make sure and stop by! I promise you won't regret it.



November 20, 2013

Gift Guide for your Wine-O Friend

Did you realize there are only 34 days left until Christmas? This blows my mind. I have a feeling I'm going to break a cardinal rule this weekend and go ahead and decorate for Christmas. Waiting until after Thanksgiving just doesn't give me enough time to enjoy everything!

Apart from my daydreaming of covering our house in tinsel and cheer, I've started coming up with ideas for gifts! I love picking out gifts for friends and family, though I know sometimes it can be a challenge!

If you love wine like I do, or have someone on your Christmas list who adores wine, here are a few (I thought) pretty unique gifts! Some of these I use every day weekly and a few I just discovered today!

 
1 - Stainless Steel Wine Glasses - I actually bought a pair of these from a local kitchen store and they've been a definite hit! They keep your white wine cooler longer than a traditional glass, and I adore the modern look.

2 - Insulated Wine Tumblers - I first saw these a few months ago and I've been in love ever since. *hinthint* Wine to go, and no worries about spills!

3 - Rabbit Wine Stoppers - I own a ton of these (they're cheap!) and I can't rave about them enough. No more struggling the get the cork out the second time with these stoppers! Great for a stocking stuffer.

4 - Outdoor Wine Glass Holder - I can't attest to how well these work, but I love the idea! Perfect for those summer nights playing baggo in the backyard - but without worrying about your drink spilling over!

5 - Corkcicle Wine Chiller - I keep one of these in the freezers, perfect for those impromptu guests or for when you just need to chill a bottle really quick. Plus it just looks kind of cool, huh?

6 - Wine Marker Metallic Pens - I have a ton of those cute wine charms and guess what? They all sort of look the same so it doesn't do much good, and that's if I remember to even dig them out of the bowl. These markers would be great for a party - guests can write their names or the host can put fun messages on themselves! 

7 - Cocktail Napkins - There are a bagillion different options out there but I really liked these wine glass blueprint napkins. This would make a great print to have framed for your kitchen or bar area, no?

8 - Insulated Wine Tote - These are great for BYOB occasions. Plus it comes with it's own teeny front pocket to hold the wine screw!

Hopefully this inspires some Christmas shopping for your favorite wine-o (or for yourself, I won't tell!). Happy shopping!

November 11, 2013

Seasons Greetings

I know we haven't reached Thanksgiving yet, but I still can't help but start to look at Holiday cards!

Last year I found a great card through Vistaprint. I love Vistaprint because they are always having some sort of sale and if you don't find an option that suits you, you can always upload your own creation!

This is what ours looked like last year - I loved the single photo option for one of our wedding photos, and the phrasing was my absolute favorite.



This year nothing on VistaPrint really tickled my fancy, so after a little bit of googling, I landed at tinyprints.com. A little pricier than VistaPrint but I don't usually order a ton so I figured this year I would splurge.

Here are a few of my favorites!

I love the shape of this one.


Same shape but I love the pop of red. 

The back is even cute!


Perhaps one that features a Moose all cozy and warm?

I love all the fun shapes. This one would be cute with a fun ribbon!

 
It's hard to choose with so many fun options but now is the perfect time to order! Hopefully I can narrow something down in the next few days.

Have you picked out your Holiday cards yet?