If you have talked to me in the last few years about decorating my house for the holidays I would have sounded like a Scrooge. I absolutely, positively, have HATED decorating my house.  Getting out all the boxes of decorations, sifting through them, finding a place for them all, and then living in a house of clutter, mismatched holiday decor coupled with misplaced year-round decorations.  Ugh.  Makes me mad.  But of course I put them up, and the day after Christmas I JOYFULLY take it all down.  Joyfully.

But not this year.

Instead of the mismatched, hand-me-down decorations, I have decided to DECORATE for REAL.  I’m ecstatic about it.  I was so excited (thanks to Pinterest) about making my home look beautiful for the holidays, that I took TWO kids to THREE different stores in ONE day.  Does anyone else recognize what a feat that is?

(Inserted note: I KNOW that this is a CHRISTMAS post BEFORE THANKSGIVING.  I KNOW to many this is a cardinal sin.  But because of the DIY nature of it all, I thought it appropriate to start early to get decorations UP before the NEW YEAR.  So don’t try to hate.)

And here is my first DIY project tackled.  I saw this display and thought it all looked so beautiful.  Realizing (from a client) that the Christmas Subway art was a FREE download completely kicked me into gear.  I immediately ordered the 16X20 print through my lab, found on-line coupons, wrote down my needed list of supplies, and found the nearest Thrift shop.

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And same day I made my glitter trees with Mackay, spray painted my thrifted antique candlesticks, and excitedly pushed everything off my mantle and put these in their place.  And they look beautiful. (Mackay was my put-glitter-back-into-bottle helper and personal consultant throughout this project.)

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And I am gung-ho about finishing off my mantle as a beautiful masterpiece.  I have a little extra space that I need to do something with.  I was thinking about creating a monogrammed B in either Jute:

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…or Moss.  And can’t decide which.  If I do a moss letter, I will do a burlap wreath to go with it.  (See below.)  If I do a Jute letter, I will possibly do a moss wreath?  Thoughts?

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Other ideas for the mantle:

Presents made from kleenex boxes.

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I also thought about doing something totally crazy and putting this branch and ornament idea above my couch.  So if you find the perfect stick, and perfect husband to put up said stick, let me know.

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An already must on my list of crafts-to-do is this Burlap Christmas Tree skirt.  No sew!

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And Christmas stockings.  I am sad to say that we really haven’t done the whole Christmas stocking thing.  Growing up we always had the SAME ONE every year.  The same, super ghetto, but super from the heart stockings that my dad made HIMSELF.  (No, he is not crafty.)  So I wanted to do something special for my family.  But nothing special really clicked.  And a lot of years we even forgot our Christmas stockings wherever we were staying and used either a)other people’s extras, or b)plastic bags.  Super festive of us, I know.

But that is going to (hopefully) change this year.  I have recently got into quilting and found these absolutely adorable quilted Christmas stockings.  The pattern is for sale for $7.95 for 4 patterns.  I have consulted with my personal quilting teacher about if she thinks this is a good idea for me to undergo, and if she thinks she can help me. 

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If those stockings prove to be too difficult and time consuming, I am thinking about doing these burlap stockings.  To go with a possible frame/monogrammed letter and our Christmas Tree skirt.

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And WREATHS!  I love the idea, but I love too many ideas.  I want something to decorate my home AND my front door, and still have to choose which ones to do.

Option A:

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Option B:

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And option C:

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And HERE is where you comment with your thoughts, words of encouragement, opinions…

This past weekend we had the opportunity to have our own family photographed. It was so exciting picking the outfits for MY family!  Planning location for ME!  Oh, and stressing about how the kids were going to act, how the weather was going to be, if I was going to have a bad hair day or not…

Never underestimate the power of being on the OTHER side of the camera.  Each year I gain a whole new respect for those mothers that book photography sessions.  It is a major commitment, I know.  Not only are you investing a lot of money, but the amount of time that is involved with planning and prepping is crazy.  And really, it all comes down to if your kids are having a good day or not.  I also learned that you can never underestimate the faith you have in your photographer.  With all the time and energy involved with getting the kiddos in picture taking style and mood, the faith you have in your photographer, to get the images you will love, is what makes all the stress worth it.

And without further adieu, never try to hem your child’s onesie into a shirt the night before your shoot.  At least make your first attempt on a shirt that is not BRAND NEW.  Cutting into that beautiful, new-smelling cotton was painful.  Seeing my handiwork after it was all said and done was excruciating.

And don’t even try to cross your fingers.  Your stubborn two year old will STILL be stubborn during a photoshoot.

And never underestimate the power of a secret and a surprise all wrapped up into one for a preschooler.  These images that Elise was able to capture are priceless!

And this picture of Nate and Zack may or may not be after we found blood all over Zack’s hand.  And his shirt.  And subsequently on Nate’s shirt.  That he hated and wanted to take back to the store immediately following our shoot.  But now he gets to keep!

Merry Christmas all!  And I think I might have saved the best for our Holiday Cards we are sending out this year.  Can’t wait!!  And thanks again, Elise for being a wonderful photographer and an even better friend.  We had a great time!

And as a side note, I know that women are super critical when they view themselves in photographs.  But this year I am quite happy.  Not super happy, mind you, but I was able to lose 11 lbs these past few months and seeing that it has paid off, at least a little bit, in our family pictures feels great!

Last week Mackay and I went on a date.  This may be our first official date, and both of us were so excited.  Anticipation before Nate arrived home involved both of us in our separate bathrooms “primping”, choosing out our outfits, and putting our make-up on.  We went out to dinner to one of our favorite restaurants, Anamias, and then went to the play Beauty and the Beast at Coppell High School.  I was a little nervous how it would all go with the play starting only 30 minutes before Mackay’s bedtime and all.  But she stayed awake the WHOLE time and absolutely LOVED it.

I was in a conversation with a friend of mine a while back when she made a comment that really moved me.  She and her husband take their son to activities and events that mean a lot to their family, (specifically band competitions), to hopefully inspire their son (who is 3) to achieve his dreams and his goals, just like they did growing up.  To find a drive and ambition that a lot of young kids don’t have these days.  I have always wanted Mackay to do what she loved, but a lot of “lessons” she is just too young for.  Her passions right now are all about singing, dancing, and acting.  And I fully anticipate putting her into voice lessons, other musical instruments, and dance lessons when she is old enough.  But I didn’t know what I could start  now. 

How about starting her dreams.

It was so moving to watch her eyes open up when she saw the orchestra playing, the curtains drawing, and then Belle coming out on stage.  She stayed awake the entire time.  She laughed when she was supposed to laugh.  And at the end I loved telling her “this is the part where you stand up and clap really loud” when everyone came out on stage.  I felt inspired telling her that she could do whatever she wanted when she grew up.  She could play the music in the orchestra, paint the sets, or even be Belle.  (And as an FYI, in high school I was in the orchestra and Nate was the one on stage.)  No surprise she wants to be Belle when she gets older.

And I fully intend on helping her achieve her dreams.

(Thanks to Nate for taking our picture before we left.)

This sweet family have lived in our area for the past two years and in about a month they will be moving.  Elise’s husband is finishing school and will soon go from Regular Matt to Dr. Matt.  (And Mackay and I couldn’t be more sad.)  But it was wonderful to get together to photograph their family one last time.  Elise is also a photographer in the area, and photographing a photographer can be a funny thing.  I don’t have to do anything as far as location scouting (which can be quite nice), but things can get a tad bit more complicated.  You would think wardrobe and location planning would be easier for a photographer who does it ALL THE TIME.  But for some reason it is quite the opposite.  I think we probably think about things to much.  For instance, their entire wardrobe and location?  Planned around the Holiday card!  Love it.  But I don’t think regular people think that detailed.  And therefore, regular people don’t go so crazy.    Enjoy your sneak peek!

Monday Morning Ramblings:

The kids are actually playing together quietly right now.  Never mind that they are playing dress-up.  And that Zack is dressed up as part Snow White/Ballerina/Fairy/Witch.

I hate Daylight Savings time.  I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT.  And if there are any other young parents out there, I’m sure your life is a living Hell right now, too. What a stupid idea Daylight Savings time is, anyway.

I’m toying with an idea: As far back as I can remember, (probably a year or two), I have had a regular blog.  EVERY Monday, Wednesday, Friday a blog post is faithfully waiting for all of you to read.  Last year I even posted on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.  BECAUSE I NEVER MISS A POST.  But what if I took a little break?  The  more I think about it, the more I like the idea.  My last photoshoot is scheduled for the end of November.  So as far as photoshoots go, I have a few months to my family.  But what if those months were COMPLETELY devoted to my family?  I’m thinking about taking December and January off of blog posting.  To refresh and rejuvinate.  To have time for me.  To not have quite as lengthy a to-do list.  For just a little while.  Any comments?  My fear is that my heard-earned readers won’t come back.  And heaven forbid they don’t come back…  (Or maybe I don’t care?)

Thoughts! Comments! Daylight Savings Time Horror Stories!