This Is What Jolly Looks Like!

Merry Christmas!

O Christmas Tree(s)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Using my Fall starfish frame door "wreath" as the star over baby Jesus

Our foyer Christmas tree (burgundy & gold)

Nativity wreath over  berry trees in the foyer

Red, turquoise & apple green ornaments for the three accent trees in the family room

(only two trees are pictured)

Family room

Remember these from Target last year?  Target is my first stop when it comes to after Christmas clearance sales!

Blue & gold tree in the dining room

Dining room

Dining room china cabinet

Kitchen tree

(we also have a small counter top tree in the kitchen as well)

Living room trees by the fireplace

Sunroom tree

(Red & cooper ornaments with pine cone garland strands)

The "Martha Stewart" tree

(pink, purple, pearl & gold glass ornaments with pink & gold bows)

This tree is decorated entirely with Martha Stewart ornaments bought on clearance from Kmart eight (yes 8!) years ago.  The year after I bought them, Ashleigh was only 11 months old, so these glass ornaments have been packed away ever since then.  But this  year, I decided to be brave and put them out!  The tree is sitting on top of a dresser in the living room.  Safe from little hands - but not so safe from our new kitty Oreo!   

The "Sweets" tree upstairs by the kids bedrooms

(Candy themed ornaments, pearl bulbs with gumdrop garland)

Adorable Country Living fabric cupcake ornaments

Red poinsetta for upstairs


Our Main Christmas tree with family ornaments, some dating back to Dave's childhood

We also have a tree in our master bathroom that wasn't decorated at the time I took these photos.  But I did the same theme as last year with the recycled paper towel garland and copper ornaments.

Only 3 days till Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Image(s) courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

Our Mostly Local Thanksgiving Meal

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Herb Roasted Pastured Turkey with Pan Gravy

Rustic Mashed Red Potatoes

Cornbread Crockpot Stuffing

Steamed Green & Yellow Beans

Sweet Potato Casserole topped with Pecans (and homemade whipped cream!)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Buscuits

from local sources:

Pastured turkey & red potatoes - Cane Creek Farm, Efland, NC

Fresh rosemary - backyard container garden

Green & yeallow beans - Cloverfields Farm, Timberlake, NC & Cedar Rock Farm, Castalia, NC (frozen from summer)

Sweet potatoes - R & V Farm

Pecans - S & L Farm, Louisburg, NC

Cream - Maple View, Hillsborough, NC

Wheat berries for flour - The Grain Mill of Wake Forest, Wake Forest, NC

Thanksgiving Preparations - Cooking A Pastured Turkey

This year for Thanksgiving, I'll be cooking a local, pasture raised turkey for the first time!  I'm finding these cooking tips for pastured turkey to be extremely helpful in my final preparations for the big day. 

Quick Meals for Working Moms - Local Veggie Stir Fry

A veggie stir fry with local, organically grown items from the Midtown Farmers Market

Broccoli - Cedar Rock Farm

Yellow Beans - Rocky River Farm

Daikon Radish - Edible Earthscapes

Stir fry makes for a quick meal on busy evenings.  You can also adapt the recipe to what is currently in-season.  For my latest version, I've been using local broccoli, yellow beans and sliced daikon radish (a new favorite of mine).  Saute the veggies along with sliced organic onion in a pan with about a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Once the daikon begins to sear, add some organic soy sauce and about a 1/4 cup of water.  Cover the pan and cook until veggies are desired tenderness (I like my broccoli to still have some crunch!).  Serve over organic brown rice.

Enjoy!

   

Halloween

This year Halloween fell on the weekend...

Me and geto boyz are trick-or-treating ;)



Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

First Fall Harvest

The first harvest from my Fall garden - red & green loose leaf lettuce and arugula.

Tender and delicious, especially when topped with homemade French dressing.

A Birthday Simple Pleasure - Cafe Blue Cupcakes

Cafe Blue Cupcakes

from Cafe Carolina & Bakery

Think about the most delicious, moist cake from your Grandmother's kitchen.  Topped with sweet (but not too sweet!) buttery, turquoise blue frosting.  THAT is the Cafe Blue!

YUM!

It's My Birthday!

Wearing My Pearls Today

Retro Brown Polka Dot Dress with tulle (Goodwill)

Anne Klein 3 inch open toe heels (Goodwill)

Turquoise sweater - borrowed from Ashleigh's closet! (Church yard sale)

Visit

Life of a Suburban Princess

I know I'm about a month late, but Happy Fall Y'all!

Thank you for your patience during my break from blogging.  Last month, I felt God was leading me to quiet myself and my life.  To step back and look at what matters most.  To make sure the things I say are priorities in my life, are being given their proper attention.  I'm still working on some things, but Lord willing I'll get there!

My time away from blogging has been productive, but also busy.  My mother has been dealing with a stubborn wound on her ankle that would not heal.  Being that she is a diabetic, it was especially troubling.  After numerous appointments to doctors, wound care clinics, we found out she had blockages in her upper thigh that were preventing adequate blood flow to her lower leg.  This Monday, she had surgery to place two stents in her right leg.  The surgery was successful and she seems to be recovering nicely! 

In my mind's eye, my mother is still the same dominant force she was when I was a child.  So it hasn't been easy seeing her struggle with her health in this way.  I've gone from just taking her to her doctors appointments, to sitting in on them and keeping track of numerous medications.  I feel very unprepared to take on this caregiver role.  But it appears to be the season of life I'm slowly moving into.

   

Taking A Break

"Imagine you have an empty jar, a collection of a few large rocks, and several handfuls of gravel. Your task is to put all the large and small rocks into the jar. One approach would be to pile all the gravel first, but doing so would leave room for only one or two of the large rocks; you wouldn’t get everything to fit. Switch your approach and put the large rocks in first, and you’ll find that the gravel will all fit nicely around the empty space. If a bit of gravel doesn’t fit at the end, you’ve not lost much.

Let too many little things take priority, and there never seems to be time for the big things. Consider the Big Rocks to be really important things you want to accomplish in life, the things that define you. Get the big things in first, work on the right projects and priorities, and let the little stuff fit in around the edges. Let your Big Rocks be non-negotiable priorities in your weekly calendar — and learn to say “no” when other things begin to intrude. Then fit those other things in where you can. "

- Bob Clyatt from Work Less, Live More

I'm taking some time away from blogging to focus on my
"big rocks".

Looking forward to returning renewed, refocused and with a refreshed spirit.

Blessings,

10 Years Ago Today...

Dave & I with his Grandmother and Father on our wedding day

Trash to Treasure - Foyer Dresser

BEFORE

Happy Monday All!  I'm going to be spending my week in "power user" training (oh joy!).  But I did want to share our latest trash to treasure before & after with you. 

AFTER

With a little sanding and painting, this dresser has taken its place as the best piece of trash Dave has ever brought home!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm sharing this trashy treasure with:

Southern Hospitality - Today's Thrifty Treasures

Debbiedoos Garage Salen Party