HaPpY NeW YeAr!!

I've been on a bit of a hiatus from blogland. The holiday hustle and bustle has gotten the best of me. And it's been great! We're currently enjoying the company of my mother and father-in-law, along with my sister-in-law and niece and nephew. They're visiting from Florida and had hoped to be spending fun days sledding and riding on the snow mobile. Unfortunately we've had a brown Christmas, so we've had to make alternate plans. It's still been fun.
Tonight we're celebrating an early New Year's Eve party with great friends. Our pal Deano, who is hosting the party at his cool man-cave/garage, has to work New Year's Day, so we're celebrating tonight instead. He claims celebrating on New Year's Eve is for amateurs. Pretty sure he wants to "partake" in the festivities a bit, without feeling the next day damage! :)
I'm actually home alone for the first time all break, and shouldn't be on the computer, but wanted to take time to say hi, and wish you a Very Happy and Safe New Year! Cheers!! :)
~Angie

Somebody stop me....please! Okay.....really......don't.........

It's officially official. I'm addicted to Pinterest.

I knew I would be. Yet, I joined anyway. I suppose if that's my worst addiction, life isn't so bad. My guilt lies in the piles of laundry I'm neglecting, the dust on my dresser that the kids can play tic tac toe in, the dishes in the sink that need to be put away, presents that need to be wrapped, & the MANY other household duties I should be doing. How quickly I put them out of my mind, as I click, click, click away! I have a lil' ole Associates of Arts degree in interior design, that as a teacher's associate, I'm not using. I think Pinterest gives me that "fix". No peer pressure here, but, if you haven't already, check it out for yourself! Then you can follow me. I've pinned some good stuff! :)

Vintage Christmas ornaments

I'm not sure when or where it started for me, but I have a huge fascination with vintage Christmas ornaments. I really believe I was meant to live in another time period, because I love all things with a nostalgic whimsy. My favorite things are probably from the 40's-60's. Maybe it's the old family photographs I've seen from my parents or grandparents. Maybe it's classic movies, such as "It's a Wonderful Life", or "White Christmas". When I watch those movies, I want to be there. Tonight, (when I really should be doing laundry, or addressing Christmas card photos that just arrived today!), I thought I'd share some great vintage Christmas items, courtesy of the awesome sellers on etsy. Remember to shop there for wonderful and unique items for your friends and family. So many talented people!

I could do this all night, but I really need to get busy! Etsy is full of fun stuff! Just makes you happy looking at it all! :)

My Family

Thought I'd share some pics tonight of my family that we had taken while on vacation in Florida. I sure love 'em! :)

Happy Monday! :)

Pinterest

One quick note. I didn't get my pics on, but I did join Pinterest tonight! Have wanted to do it for a while. Hoping to get some great things saved there too! I have a feeling it could be an addiction once I really get going!

TTFN!

Holiday inspiration straight from facebook!

I follow lots of fun decorating blogs on facebook. Most are either related to coastal decor, or vintage and primitive decor. Thought I'd share some photos from the various sites I follow, that were posted the past couple of days.

And last but not least.........I'm so making these for Christmas Eve!

I may be back later to share a few pics of my home. I think it's as decorated as it's going to get!

Elf on the Shelf

I'm back from vacation! Actually, I got back on Tuesday, but have been too wiped out the past couple nights to do much of anything. What an awesome way to spend a Thanksgiving! Running around in tank tops and flips flops, sure beats the chilly weather we normally deal with here in Iowa. Although now that I'm home, I'm in Christmas mode, and wouldn't be sad to see that snow start flying.

Speaking of that, I've got my husband on a mission. He's going to bring home our very own Elf on the Shelf tonight.

I had wanted to start it last year, but didn't really know much about it until mid December. I figured at that point, it was kind of silly. Since today's the 1st of December, I thought it would be a great night to start it. My nieces and nephews in Florida have their own elf, and talked about it while we were there. I love the magic of Christmas, and with my kids reaching the age where they question whether or not Santa exists, I wanted to bring that magical feeling home to them. I didn't really know the whole story behind it though, so had to look it up before my husband gets home. How cool that there's a whole website devoted to it!

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/AboutUs/TheTradition.aspx

We're going to set it out tonight, and let the kids discover it. :) I'm super excited. Almost as excited to know that it's the beginning of the 25 days of Christmas on ABC Family channel. I love this time of year!

Now I'm off to work on my window boxes before I lose all day light. I lay pine branches in them, then deck them with silver and red glittered Christmas bulbs. I'm hoping for a very Pottery Barn-ish look.

Have a great night!