flowers on the cheap

I used a $2 off coupon to pick up this flower bouquet at the grocery store for $13.


Then I separated all the flowers out and made 4 smaller arrangements to place around our house. They are so bright and cheery! I did add a few clippings from a dark green shrub in our yard to fill in with. But I think 4 vases of flowers for $13 is pretty great! I probably could have gotten 5 or even 6 if I wanted to stick with the smaller vases too.


So now we have some in the front entry, along with a camellia blossom from the yard...


another little bunch in the bathroom...




and the largest one in the kitchen window. The other tiny vase is also in the kitchen window but I might move it somewhere else. I usually move flowers around and pull off any wilting blossoms so that the rest still look nice and last longer.


Having fresh flowers around the house really goes a long way for us- it makes us smile, adds color to our lives, and encourages us to keep clutter off the surfaces because the flowers look so pretty there. Pick some up the next time you get a chance, and spread them through the house! It will be a gift to yourself and your family.

bluebirds of happiness

My friend Rachel (who says she isn't very crafty but is NOT fooling anyone...) knitted this ridiculously cute bluebird and gave it to me at Hazel's birthday party. It is filled with split peas so it has a nice weight to it and sits nicely in my kitchen window.


Yes. Those are Christmas lights on our deck railing. But we have now taken to calling them "party lights" and are embracing their ongoing presence fully.


And- bonus! It looks lovely with the glass Bluebird of Happiness I was given by my friend Shannon at Christmas. Now I have a little reminder of each of them there in my window to greet me every day.

vintage goodness in the mail

My cousin Jodi emailed me a few weeks ago, wondering if any of my kids would be interested in her childhood Barbie dolls that she was ready to part with. I assured her that one very lucky girl would be thrilled to take them into her care.




Stella didn't know anything about this package coming her way, so she tore into the wrapping of the mysterious package with her name on it, squealing with delight when she saw what was inside. She quickly set up in my room (where there was some open floor space and a door to keep her brother out) to explore the contents of her new box of Barbie treasures.




OK, she was hamming it up a little on that last photo. But you can see her great 6 year old vampire teeth so well in it! She is so cute with her new teeth growing in right now.


It didn't take long for her to get her brand new dolls from Christmas out and start trying on the jackpot of vintage clothing that Jodi sent. And I had to laugh when I saw the old and new dolls all nestled together when it was time to put them away. What a contrast between the two- painted on lashes and pink streaked mermaid hair, next to the real (if made from plastic hair) eye lashes and a modest blond bob.




Lyle was SO excited to see the little bag of stickers and other goodies that was included in this special package, with him in mind.



He stopped watching Speed Racer long enough to inspect and lay out the contents of his bag, and to plaster stickers all over himself and the furniture. And he REALLY likes Speed Racer.




Even the packing materials were fun!






Thank you so much, Jodi, for making their day! I am so grateful for the connection this blog has helped us keep with our relatives and friends far and wide, and it is so cool to receive something fun like that in return for sharing our lives with everyone here. Your dolls will definitely bring many hours of joy to Stella and I know that is exactly what you were looking for when you generously offered them. Thank you!!!

catching up a bit

Whoa. So it turns out I just need a month off every winter! Who knew? I am feeling back into the swing of things now that vacation is over and I have triumphed over a pretty nasty cold. I knew I was ready to get back to blogging when I started noticing tiny things that I wished I could share, if only I weren't so behind. So this will be one big catching up post, and then on to the current events and everyday life this week.

Decorating our tree:




Oragami cranes by Daisy for the tip top this year instead of a star. And berries that we actually found growing on the trees at the farm! So pretty.





And our Christmas Pickle. We hide it in the tree over and over again during the holiday season, and take turns trying to find it. Everyone has a lot of fun with it. 


We visited with family and had lots of fun with cousins and grandparents




And had a very merry Waffle House Christmas breakfast before everyone headed back to TX and OK. This is one of our most beloved holiday traditions!






When we got home from Waffle House, our own family's Christmas began- with lots of presents to open from our MN relatives, and from each other. We spent the weekend playing with new stuff and settling back in to our quiet(er) house without all the extras. We had so much fun visiting but it was good to be on our own again too.
























Stella lost a tooth on Christmas Day, and we went for a drive to enjoy the lights and a snack of fries and Frosties from Wendy's before bed.






The lights downtown always look just like a starry sky. I love it so much.




Well- that's just a quick wrap-up and some pictures of the kids. We had a really crazy but really great month, and I am looking forward to posting about some non-holiday related stuff that has been going on around here since. THANK YOU so much for coming back to check on us here even though I have not posted in so long. We appreciate every single reader we have! Happy New Year to everyone!