Twinkly Lights All The Year Through

If I were to give anyone advice on creating a cozy, relaxing corner at home, I think my number one suggestion would be to put up
twinkly lights somewhere and leave them up all year long.
I mean- not that anyone is actually asking me for advice... but you know. 
These are not Christmas lights folks, these are lights to be put up and left up until they burn out.
All the way out.

I always have lights up on my fireplace mantle, I'm sure we have been through at least four sets
since we have lived in this house.
I always have a string of lights up in my tiny little office and I always  couple of strands in the backyard hanging across the fence, too.
I think I need some hanging in my bedroom and in Charlotte's bedroom, too but I just haven't gotten around to it just yet.
One day.

The twinkly lights give off the perfect amount of light during the day and night.
When I am sitting in the living room at night after the kids go to bed, watching tv or reading in peace and quiet... just perfect.
So calm and relaxing and happy.
Sometimes it really is the simplest of things that bring us the tiniest bit of happiness and I'll take that.

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So tonight I will be sitting here in my living room with my twinkly lights, watching Elf-- and I'm sure it  won't be the last time I
will see this before Christmas, either.
We love Elf.
I just realized that this time next week, Christmas will be over. Over. Wow.

I'm trying hard to enjoy this last week, it sure has flown by!
Have a great weekend, everyone.

Around Here

Just a few snapshots of our house this week... Summer Style.

There is lots of cut flowers, coffee on the front porch, windows open, the summer linens are out...

Oh, how I do love Summer Vacation. 

Oh- and the fact that it has been in the 70's and low 80's means there is no complaining at all about the heat... yet.

Hope you are all having a GREAT week so far!

Is school out yet for you?

OH! Hey, did you see my #2 on my mantle up there?

I just got that at the Nada-Farm Barn Sale... I am in loooove with it.

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PS- I am a little bit obsessed with this blog... it's not new,  but new to me.

I really do LOVE every little thing about it.

Have any new,  new to you,  or favorite blogs I should be reading?? 

Do tell, I love finding new ones.

{Slowly}

Things are finally coming together around here. Slowly. 

Which I think is a good thing, both the coming together and the slowness of it.
I must admit, I am still waiting for that big burst of 

Christmas excitement and energy to hit me and ....yeah, it really hasn't yet. 

I mean,  I am excited and the kids are which makes me more excited but I am
also feeling a little overwhelmed like I talked about here
but I'm determined to not let it get to me. Really. I won't. I won't. I won't.

*****

So right now I am sitting in my fairly clean living room, listening to Pandora and drinking
peppermint tea while the rest of the house is quiet. So I thought I would share some
 pictures to show you that I really have been decorating over here. 

We just love our Christmas tree this year, it is so pretty and smells so good and now I just have to remember next year what kind it is because I always forget what kind I like. I know I don't like the trees with the long feathery branches, sorry if that's your fave but I just can't do it with those flimsy branches. 

And I don't like a too-perfect looking symmetrical tree either. I mean, this is my kind of perfect. 

Perfectly imperfect. It looks and feels and smells real. I love that.

I have broken three of my vintage Shiny Brite ornaments already and the kids have not broken even one yet. Oh well, I snatched up about 5 boxes of these awesome ornaments a couple of years ago
 at a rummage sale. It was one of those things where you can't believe what you are seeing,
so you literally snatch them up as fast as you while looking over your shoulder.
I think they were around 50 cents a box.
Love these ornaments. And I do love me a good bargain.

Above is a little scene from Wyatt's Tree Farm he made all by himself. Cardboard box,
cotton balls, fake snowy cotton stuff, lots of little trees and a ton of glue made him so happy.
 He loves a project, that boy. He really does. He did it all himself and was so proud
of it but it took a lot for me not to butt in and "help" especially since I watched
him use nearly an entire bottle of glue in the process.

***
Hope you are all taking time to enjoy all of your most favorite things about this season...
soaking it all in, taking it slow and letting go of the not-so-important things. Tell me one of your
favorite movies, TV shows, songs or activities that you look forward to every holiday season.

Tomorrow is Friday. Wahoooo!
*eeek. I almost forgot, tomorrow is Ten on Ten.