18 days-

This is not my living room - but I do think it is one of the best examples of simple and elegant beauty that can be achieved with just a few well chosen elements. This my not be to everyone's taste, but it is absolutely mine. And since this is my blog I will look at this picture and imagine living in my white, dream house and going downstairs with my excited little Christmas angels to sit around the fire and open presents in this happy room. But I will also be grateful for what I have and I will remember that as long as I am with my family, it does not matter where we live or what our house looks like. It is the people we love and the condition of our hearts that will make this time of year memorable for years to come. As long as I focus on this, and choose to truly believe it, than I am allowed to dream!

Whatever your style, I wish for you to be surrounded by loved ones and the things that make Christmas beautiful and special for you. 

I recently read a quote that I hope to remember for my whole life, "A beautiful thing is never perfect". May we all remember this especially at this time of year, and in this world of competition and comparison as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and contemplate the conditions of that first Christmas morning - that such perfection was brought into this world under such humble imperfect circumstances. What a beautiful gift we have been given - the only one of us who is perfect, and came to show us the way. Not to fame or beauty or riches - but to a simple peace. A peace that the most imperfect among us can be blessed with - making us most beautiful. 

Scent of a Woman

The other night Darren and I were able to go out on a date! As we arrived home and where putting the house to sleep for the night, Tate woke up and came downstairs and gave me a big sleeply hug. As I was holding him with his face snuggled into my neck he said to me, "You smell different." I asked him if it was good or bad, to which he replied that it was, "a good different". So naturally I asked him, "What do I normally smell like - good or bad?" He said, "good....but different!"

I love that. I have a little boy who loves me and came down to give me a huge hug. I have a little boy who knows how his mom smells and is so familiar with that smell that he noticed when I put something different in my hair. I love knowing that he could recognize his momma just by the scent of a woman.

A Present Before Christmas

Debra, Rachel and I got together last night and had some fun being crafty (more on that later). Thank you! I had a great time. We got talking about different projects and fun things we could make, and Debra said that she had a particular project already printed up that I have been wanting to do. So she said she would stop by in the morning and show me. Stop by she did - with gifts in hand. Not only did she bring what she planned on bringing, she also brought these prints she had made up that she downloaded from eighteen25. They are super cute. I put it in a frame I had sitting in my closet and found it a happy home. Thank you so very much - I love it!