Bits + Pieces : Christmas

Happy holidays! Our weekend was filled with family, food, chicken-dancing, & cookies. I was too busy enjoying my family to bother with many pictures, but I did manage a few. Here's a glimpse of our holiday weekend, in pictures.

Highlights:
•hosting a family party on Christmas eve.
•skyping with out of state family.
•cookies for Santa.
•waking up bright & early to open gifts.
•visiting lots of family in heber.
•playing with the marshmallow gun my mister made for Presley.
•watching lots of movies & eating popcorn off of the floor.
•seeing my grandpa.
•visiting my parents.

Best weekend ever. I am so thankful for my family.

Now, my one & only resolution for the new year is to give more.

Cheers!

a very SHABBY thrifty/resourceful christmas.

Yep, I'm one of THOSE moms. I spend my days at home, browsing pinterest & shopping at hobby lobby. Oh well. =)

In addition to making all of the star ornaments on my tree, I've put together a few decorations.



{"santas" made out of leftover felt.}



{thrifted picture frame, fabric scraps, last years ornaments.}



{snowflakes, mini clothes pins, bakers twine.}



{mason jar lanterns made out of tissue paper. snowmen made out of terra cotta pots. homemade stockings.}



{spray painted wine bottles with floral pieces. potpourri and candles inside of the glass bowls i used for halloween decorations. reversible blocks using leftover 2x4, scrapbook paper, mod podge, stencils & paint (other side says give thanks). mason jar snow globe.}



{$5 plain wreath, fabric scraps, last years ornaments.}

a tale of two trees.

We bought our FIRST lovely holiday tree about a week after turkey day. Anddddd it didn't last long. We (cough...Tyson...cough) didn't cut enough off the bottom and it dried out. So, after hanging out with a lousy dead tree for another week, I removed the decorations and tossed it in the backyard. Well, it's a good thing I'm married to the world's greatest man...when I came home from work last night Tyson surprised me with a HUGE tree. Floor-to-ceiling tree. It's brilliant!

Found this poem a few weeks ago. Absolutely marvelous. You can't possibly know what true, unconditional love is until you become a parent.

Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth. Empty the dustpan, poison the moth. Hang out the washing, make up the bed. Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue. Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due. Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew. And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo. But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo. Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow. But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.