Weekend Recap

It was a nice relaxing weekend.

Sammy and me - relaxing.

We finished Christmas shopping, we had some yummy food and we met these guys.

You might remember William and Daniel from these posts:

Weekend Recap - January 14
Wonderful Wednesday
Weekend Recap - November 6

I shamelessly stole this picture from their mom's Facebook page.  I was too busy snuggling and playing to take my own pictures.  Kind of a blogger fail, but snuggling and playing are great excuses I think. 

I am happy to report that I am finished working for the year.  I am not sure I have ever been so excited to say that before.  The last couple of months in the office have been very busy and a little stressful.  I am happy for the break.

What have a I been doing with my time?

The furry children are so happy you asked.

"Seriously mom?"

I am surprised the husband didn't lose an eye in this situation.

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

Finally Looking Like Christmas

Is anyone else feeling like Christmas is coming super fast and December is too short this year?  I know I am.  It probably has a little to do with how late Thanksgiving was this year.  To top it off, we usually put up our Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but since we were out of town for Thanksgiving we didn't get the tree up until last weekend.  I really love the tree this year.

I think I have a pretty great collection of ornaments now and I love sitting and looking at the tree with a cup of hot cocoa red wine each evening.  I really like the bow and curly cue thingies (yep, their technical name) I got for the top of the tree.

I love a whimsical tree.

Wags got a new collar over the weekend...a fancier red collar for the holidays.

Photo by BH Studios

You remember our foster pup Wags, right?  Her new collar was just in time for the talented Amy of BH Studios to pay her a visit with her camera.  Can you say ready for Christmas?

Photo by BH Studios

How cute is that?  In fact there were so many awesome pictures from that day that it's hard to choose the best one.

Photo by BH Studios

Wags modeled with her treat and train (awesome dog training invention, thank you Dr. Treat and Train).

Photo by BH Studios

She is so patient waiting for treats.  She actually rests between bites.

Photo by BH Studios

And just when you think things can't get cuter...

Photo by BH Studios

Double it!!

This is Wags very first time to be in a home, so it's this sweet girl's first Christmas.  She was a little confused by the tree at first.  She gave it a very cautious sniff, but now she is completely cool with it.  She did try to remove one of my ornaments from the tree, but since being corrected she has left it alone.  Good girl.

Photo by BH Studios

I wish I hadn't already had my Christmas cards printed or this would be it! 

In honor of Wags' first Christmas we hung her a stocking.

If you would like to meet Wags contact Red Collar Rescue at info@redcollar.org.  Adoption papers would look fantastic in that stocking!

I hope you are enjoying every second of this short holiday season!!

Holiday Recap

Happy New Year friends!!

We had a fabulous holiday filled with travel, family, work, friends and fun.  It was a fabulous season...I am sad it is winding down.  I want to relive it through pictures now.

We went to Hattiesburg for Christmas.  Sammy was a great passenger.

"I love Hattiesburg."

The husband got smothered in love in the morning we arrived.

Sweet Nieces

Chelsie had really changed a lot since I last saw her.

Silly Girl

My sister had several trees up in her house.  This was the girls' tree.

Santa was good to me.

Fun stocking stuffers.

Necklace from the husband.

Christmas night we all stayed in and enjoyed a cocktail.

Girls night in.  :)

We had to leave the day after Christmas and head back to Houston...I was bummed our trip had to be so short, but I had important work to do while the campus was closed.  We had a big project go live over the holiday and if you work in IT, you know you try to only interrupt production systems when there are the least amount of users in the system.  For college campuses that's when they are closed.

After working for a while (23 hours to be exact), the husband and I switched gears and started to get ready for our New Year's Eve party.  I am not going to lie.  I had a great time decorating for the party.

I made a wreath for the front door.

Inside the front door.

 

Stole this idea from pinterest.  Loved it.

Ready to party.

 
We got champagne glasses on the cheap from Target for our midnight toast and fun hats and tiaras from the party store.

I set it all up on the dining room buffet for our guests.  Since this party was also our housewarming party I included before pictures in each of the rooms in the house.  You can see the dining room before picture on the far right above.

I set up the bar on the new counter top in the kitchen.  This new addition is close to the freezer making ice very convenient.  Awesome.  The cocktail I offered for the night was a bellini and I made it on a grand scale and put it in my grandmother's punch bowl.  I floated frozen peaches it in.  It was a huge hit!

I set out the food on the opposite counter and the breakfast room table.  On the menu: pulled pork sliders, grilled bacon wrapped shrimp, sausage and cheese dip, green bean salad, zucchini bites, cheese board, and hummus and goat cheese dip with veggies and pita chips for dipping.  Yummy!

Sammy was exhausted after the party.  :)

I hope you had a fantastic holiday as well!  All the best to you in 2013!!

Weekend Recap

My weekend consisted of sleeping and decorating.  I was recovering from strep throat, so there was more sleeping than really anything else.  So let's talk about the decorating!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Our Christmas tree is up and I think it is one of the prettiest trees we have ever had.  I still want to add a bow below the star, but I didn't get to it this weekend.

This Santa was in with my ornaments, I believe he is a Krinkle.  He was a gift from the sister-in-law and has found the perfect home in the new Wells wreath.

Love

The husband said that was just what the wreath was missing.

When we got the tree the husband had to cut some branches off the bottom so I used them in my door bucket on my front door.

The door bucket is from Willow House...they are phasing out their home goods, so if you want one...now is the time.

I also spruced up this wreath for the front of my house with some beaded garland.

.

And I bought this fresh wreath to put on my driveway door.  This is the door the husband and I come and go from the most, so I figured we deserved a wreath to make us smile too.  :)

I added the big red bow.  I used a roll of decorative mesh for this one and the one on the front door bucket.  It was hard to tie, but I am very happy with the result.

I am feeling much much better today and I am back to work!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

How is your holiday decorating coming along?

Insta-Friday #9

This week has flown by and has been very disconnected much like this post is planned to be, but it is insta-Friday, so it will be packed with fun pictures.  Let's start at the doctor's office.  I was there yesterday.

Waiting to see the doctor.

I have strep throat.  Awesome.  So, today I am blogging from my bed.  I have been here most of the day.  I did have a great project though...Christmas cards...addressed and ready to mail.  Since the cards will not be on the blog until Christmas...here are some decorations in my house.

Newly made Wells wreath.

Twinkley

Invasion of the Santas.

Other than this all I have to report today is that I have some of the most beautiful nieces on the planet.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!  Stay healthy!!!

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas!

After Thanksgiving I did some Christmas decorating.  I have a fireplace and mantle now and I was excited to decorate it.

Yes, that is the decoration storage box and some wrapped presents in the picture...I was that excited to snap a picture I couldn't wait to clean up.

I ruined two of our stockings by storing them too close to a red candle so I ordered new stockings for us all with our names on them.  I am excited to hang them when they come and I am sure will share a new picture.  Other than that I decided I needed the lights and greenery to extend the entire length of the mantle and my sister made the great suggestion of hanging a lighted wreath.  Off to Michael's I went!  I got a lighted wreath that was on sale for 15 bucks and I got beaded tinsel and glittery letters for 50 cents each.

Ta-da!

With the beads and letters the wreath set me back about 20 bucks.  I used my glue gun to put the letters on the wreath.

Festive, yes?

I also picked up some greenery for the dining room.  I couldn't let me new candle holders miss out, right?

My other new decoration this year are these ornaments from Willow House.

After the tree arrives this weekend I will share more of my decorations.  Have you started decorating yet?