This last year our family has been though many struggles so I am looking forward to the new year and a new start. To begin the New Year my niece Laci is getting married tomorrow. She has overcome so many trials in her life so seeing her married will be one of the happiest days in our family!
Noah turned 18 months on Christmas Day and we had so much fun with him this year. He loved everything about it. The ornaments on the tree (trying to take them all off), opening all his presents, playing with the boxes they came in, all the yummy chocolate and spending the whole day having fun with his family!
On Christmas Eve, Noah had one thing to say: I'm Not Sleepy!
He was so fascinated with this toy even though it didn't cost hardly anything. He pressed the button and the little airplane would light up and spin.
Noah's new jammies from his Aunt Danielle
Every year since our kids were little my brother Bob has given all of his nieces and nephews money for Christmas. That 40 dollars each adds up to quite a bit since their are 17 of them. They are so blessed to have such a generous and loving uncle who as you can see in this photo, is their Mr. Wonderful!
My daughters have been cooking up a storm this year so I gave them each one of my favorite cookbooks. 
Danielle and Matt sharing a Christmas moment.
My mother with her newest little great granddaughter Kenna Mae.
I love this quote I read today from our President:
Barack Obama:
“One of the things that I’ve felt very strongly about during the course of this year is that hard stuff requires not paralysis, but it requires going ahead and trying to make the best of the situation that you’re in."
via: Michael Crowley
I was baking Christmas cookies tonight and catching up on Martha Stewart shows when I came upon this adorable idea for a centerpiece. It would also be really cute as a hostess gift. What I loved about it is how easy it is. You can get these pretty jars at Crate and Barrel. Then you just fill it part of the way with sugar. Next use small cake plates to stand up decorated cookies. Lastly add a few peppermint candies and a cute red bow at the top. I love watching Martha Stewart's holiday shows with all her wonderful inspiration!
I guess you could say that Noah and his cousin Liam where not really happy to see Santa this year. They are both between one and half and two which is obliviously not the greatest age to be lovin Santa. I am sure when they get older they will look back on this and get a big laugh!
One of my favorite possessions is these Christmas stockings my mother made for my 3 children. Many years ago when my father was ill and mostly sedentary she wanted to find a hobby so she could sit with him for long periods. She thought cross stitching would be perfect and went to work on these stockings even though she was a novice. I love Christmas time when I can pull out these beautiful stockings and hang them over the fireplace to enjoy!
This is one of my favorite pictures of Matt taking his first steps when he was learning how to walk. This week (twenty-two years later) he took another big step when he packed up all his belongings and we helped him move into his own place. I'm always happy for my children when they become independent, but it is oh so heart wrenching when they move out of your house for good. I immediately have flashbacks of them sitting at our kitchen bar visiting and fixing food for them when they get home from school or work. Hearing them calling out Hi as they come through the door. Coming in their rooms and seeing the familiar sights and sounds of their life. Having them come home late at night and enjoying long talks with them about their day. All the million moments that having them in my life has brought me joy. It's not like they are gone for good, you will still be seeing them when they visit. Somehow though in your heart you know things will never be the same again and as they turn and kiss you goodbye, it hurts.
Adorable baby gift tags from Deejan on Etsy
Oh so sweet owl top from LittleBlueWren on Etsy
These cute recipe flags a are a great way to tag recipes in a cookbook or magazine. The price is inexpensive too at only 5.95. When I see all the little scraps of paper stuck in my magazines I can never tell what kind of recipe it is. The food titles on these tags would solve this problem and they are so much more attractive!
Noah and Liam playing a duet on Turkey Day! We had a lovely Thanksgiving and I am so grateful for my close and loving family!
I love this cute idea from Blonde Designs for a Thanksgiving activity for kids. You have them put together little treat bags with each item highlighting the symbolism of Thanksgiving. For instance, Candy Corn and Popcorn: The sacrifices of the pilgrims first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn. 
Then
And now.....always bringing me Happiness!
I love this idea from Sunset in the first photo of using a creamer as individual gravy boats. This one is only 1.95 from Crate and Barrel. It reminded me of the mini salt and pepper shakers above that I bought several years ago. They are so great to use at times like Thanksgiving or whenever you have guests over. Everyone always loves having their own salt and pepper shaker at their place setting. I'm sure they would enjoy having their own little gravy boat too!
What beautifully designed rooms by Kishani Perera via Elements of Style. These have got to be some of the most lovely rooms I have ever seen! You can see more of her gorgeous work here.
Kenna Mae.....Our love and prayers are with her today as she has a Kasai procedure for Biliary Artresia.
Thoughts and prayers with our veterans and soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I immediately thought of my grandson Noah when I come across the book Rules for My Unborn Son by Walker Lamond. Based on his touching and humorous blog 1001 Rules for My Unborn Son, I can see why all his reviews are glowing. What a perfect gift for a new Dad this Christmas. 
I was reading Coto De Texas.and came across this beautiful space Nate Berkus designed for his living room of his Chicago home. I had seen it before but I had forgotten how much I loved his decor. He also has great design tips for creating a home of your own.
Beautiful images from Shana Faust website via Oh Joy. She is photo stylist and previous editor of Martha Stewart Living and her work is stunning!
We are going to be moving in a couple of months. I am excited about the move because we will be living close to my family and only a mile and a half from the beach! I love the beach weather in Southern California, it is as close to perfect as you can get. The other great thing is I am really familiar with the area because I grew up and lived there for 25 years. One big challenge with this move though is I am going from a house of 3500 sq. ft. to a house of 1200 sq. ft. This is going to require completely different decorating. Since my living dining area is going to be so much smaller I have started gathering pictures for inspiration. The pictures above are a few of my favorites for a small space.
This was Noah's first year trick or treating (he was a little to young last year). That didn't stop him from catching on quickly and having a great time!
Since its Halloween weekend its a perfect time to post these pictures of a cute condo I saw decorated in orange and black. I wouldn't normally think of using these colors but love these rooms especially the dining room. Orange decor is everywhere now though and really adds a pretty brightness to a room.
With all that was going on in the last few weeks with my brothers heart attack, I didn't get to mention we have a brand new member in the family. My nephew and his wife had a sweet little baby girl Kenna Mae a few weeks ago. She is so precious, as you can see in the picture above. She is also such a good natured and calm baby and her Mommy and Daddy very pleased about that!
What a cute small space from the blog design fragment. Love the personal touch of the enlarged photo of their child. This blog focuses on Swedish decor, is beautiful to look at if you love interior design, besides being a great place for inspiration in decorating.
