I'mmmmm dreamiiiiing...

 well, to be perfectly honest... here in Alabama we just DON'T dream of White Christmases.

So imagine our absolute delight to wake up to this Christmas morning!

 The kids had a blast... and by kids, I of course include Shawn!  My Utah boy doesn't get much of this white stuff down here. 

 Shawn and Christian had an epic snow war and my son was defeated... his dad takes no prisoners!

 We actually did contain our excitement for the snow and gathered to open presents FIRST!

This actual photo is from Christmas Eve, that's why the stockings are not 'stuffed'... but Christmas Morning Shawn got us a warm fire going too!

 Christmas Eve PJs

 We always host my entire family for Christmas Dinner.

Thankfully, even with all the snowfall... everyone made it out for dinner.

Here is a little sneak peak of my new dining nook... I will post in more detail about it later, I did make my deadline to finish it by Christmas Day... barely... and one quick modification and it will be perfect!!

 I used items for the tables that I already had on hand. 

 Mercury Glass was my starting point and then I added some old Ironstone bowls filled with pinecones and silver and mercury glass ornaments.  Tossed in antique gelatin molds filled with tealights, and sycamore branches.  I loved it!

 The harvest table is always the kiddos table.  I simply placed jingle bell garland down the middle with some sycamore branches.  This year the Teens got there own table.  It was a tight fit with 4 60" round tables, the harvest table, and seating for 35 peeps... but we managed to fit, whew!

 Ty made most of his presents this year and I had to document what he made for me.  I have a soft spot for snowmen and angels.  My sweet son combined the two and made this for me! 

 And Shawn got some artwork too, from his youngest. 

This has been such a wonderful time!  We have Shawn home all week to goof off with.  The TO DO list includes very important things like bowling, and tons of movie watching, survival camping, and MORE!!! 

Christmas Tour 2010

The lighting today is dark, but I feared if I didn't get these done now... I wouldn't get them done.

I promised myself I would not buy anything new this year, I kept that pledge except for 3 fresh poinsettias... but I forgive myself for those!

I didn't load these in any kind of order... so lets start in the kitchen/familyroom, shall we?

I have patiently collected several of these grapevine wreaths over the years and have enough to hang them in each of the windows in the familyroom and kitchen.

 My sil, Alisha, and I love Loblolly pines.  We've both planted some at our homes and this year they were actually large enough to 'harvest' some branches to use in decorating.  I have a couple white pines too, so I didn't have to purchase garland from the store, yay!

 These shelves are always fun to add festive touches to.

 I got these little tags/flashcards from a vendor on etsy and used them throughout the house.

 I love displaying cards.  I am thinking about enlarging these pinboards in the new year because I love the display space, especially for Ty's artwork.

 This mantle was 'fly by the seat of my pants' decorating.  The large white frame and the frame on the left were found on the side of the road just 2 days before I was going to decorate.  I actually painted them because they were both gold, and I am tickled.  I haven't found free 'good' junk in quite a while!  Mercury glass is a huge theme this year.  I just love silver, and when you make in so imperfect as in the mercury glass, I just swoon!

 This frame on the right is the second antique I ever bought.  Shawn was with me all those years ago and thought I had officially lost my mind.  It is rickety to say the least.  I will never part with it.  This photo does not do the color justice, it is an amazing green.

 The Mayfield Gals did some decoration for our Stake's Christmas festival and we had a silhouette of the Nativity and these gifts/tags were under the tree... depicting the animals that were gathered around the babe in the manger.

 I have never had an indoors puppy, but surely a teething goat ranks right up there with the destruction it can cause.  Willow is quickly learning what my scolding sound means and is trying to eat everything in sight a little less.

 I've always placed our Nativity in the Entry.

 This is what I call 'dripping with yumminess' decorating.  I love the feel of layer upon layer of Christmas happiness!

 I just adore these snowflakes.  They are made of wood and laser cut, so they are so detailed, love them!

 I went right up the stairs with little trees, pionsettias, pinecones, etc.

 The Classroom is our Christmas Hub!

We light fires most nights in here and this is where we gather on Christmas Morning to open gifts and snuggle around the fireplace.

 

I used my candlestick boy in here this year.  He is one of the most favorite things I have ever made.  The Nativity I made for the Festival was inspired from creating him last year.  I think I will try and make more silhouettes for future years.

 I decorate overall with neutrals.  I rarely use color even in my Christmas decor.

But Savannah loves these stockings, so her request that we use these this year was granted.  And that had nothing - whatsoever - to do with the fact that the stockings I had planned on making for this year never materialized, nothing!  Well, maybe a little bit!

 Got giddy with my pine branches, they are everywhere.

 I have kept the first stuffed animals we got for each or our children.  I pull them out each Christmas and they hang with the presents.

This fella is Ty's.

 Savannah's is a puppy, no surprises there

 And this guy is Christian's.

 This is our 'jiblet' tree.  It has bits and pieces of ornaments collected over our 17 1/2 years as a family.  There is no theme, no color patterns... lots and lots of jiblets.  But we love it.  I 'itch' to be able to do a tree of my dreams... and I've made no promises that I won't sneak it in ONE of these years... but I DO love the jiblet tree dearly!

 I made the above button ornaments this year.  Supplies I had on hand... they weigh a TON but they are gorgeous filled with antique white, cream, and pearl buttons.

Below is one of our oldest ornaments, purchased while in Nebraska.  We lived there 4 years with lots and lots of snow and ice... it made winters an adventure!

 I put the old skis and snowmen out by the front door.  I really need to go an 'winterize' all my planted pots, but it won't happen before the New Years... oh well.

I've been working away on my new dining nook.  Not sure I will meet my deadline to have it all done by Christmas Dinner but I am still optimistic.  The kids are still in school this week and they will finish their 'cousin gifts', a new tradition I will detail later, this week also.  Busy, glorious week!