Our Christmas Card

This year, I cheated and used a picture we took at a friend's wedding as our picture. Maybe having baby boy here next year will encourage me to actually have family pictures done.  I loved our cards this year, mostly because of the simplicity. Okay, let's be honest, my favorite part was adding Remington's name to the cards. I ordered them the day we found out he was a boy. 

Christmas Checklist

Here's how we did for our Fall checklist

Go to Gatlinburg

This breaks my heart, as our annual campsite is a complete loss in the wildfires.  Many, many prayers for our sweet, sweet friends. 

Get two potted Mums to balance out our balcony

Have a Yard Sale

Take Christmas Card Pictures

I cheated. We used a picture from a friend's wedding. But it was a good one!

Go to a pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkin

Carve pumpkins

Take baby announcement pictures and announce
Have 3rd Annual Friendsgiving

3 out of 8. That's failing in Metro Nashville Schools, but hey, who's counting?

Even though I say this every season, maybe we will do better on our next checklist.

Christmas Checklist

Get all of our Christmas Shopping done under budget

Make my way to the cemetery to put some poinsettias on Dad's marker

Have our 2nd annual Gingerbread House night

Make an ornament for 2016

(2014)(2015)

Mail out Christmas Cards

Buy stockings

My Christmas Wishlist

Making my wishlist was hard this year.  Almost as hard as the Christmas before we got married; all I wanted was home stuff. This year I'm so focused on Remington coming in March that my mind is filled with ducks and bears. 
I managed to round up six big things for my Christmas list. Jackson and I usually function on hints, so this would be for my family and his family. 

1. Stand by Me DVD - it's my second favorite movie, and I'm working on building our DVD library. Last year I requested Somewhere in Time. ;)

2. Monogrammed Quarter Zip Fleece

3. Monogrammed cross body - This one is bigger than the one I have now, and will probably be much needed to carry around pacifiers and snacks ;)

4. a new Camelbak.  Mine is great but the lid is broke, and it's all banged up where I drop it constantly. 5. Creative ways to Love and Encourage! I'm always looking for a his and hers study! 6. a Wireless phone charger! This one stops charging when it hits 100% so my phone won't overheat and catch fire!

Our First Gingerbread House

Every year we say we are going to build a gingerbread house. This year, I walked into Joann's for a calligraphy book and there they sat.  Jackson sweetly obliged. :) 

no gingerbread houses were harmed in the making of the picture above. ;)

Opryland, oh Opryland

As mentioned a trillion times before, Opryland is so special to us, especially at Christmas.  It was where Jackson asked me to be his girlfriend, where we took prom pictures as we watched it flood, and where we got engaged.  
Needless to say, this is an annual tradition for us. This year, they switched up the lights a bit, so the new was just as fun as the old. :)

2015 Gift Giving: Our Families

Shopping for my family is hard. it always is.  I grew up with a bunch of "I have everything"-ers and "oh just a gift card is fine"-ers.  Jackson grew up in a family of hint droppers and list makers.  Needless to say, this year was fun to shop. haha. 

Mom - Calligraphy Supplies & Michael's Gift Card Dad - Keyless remotes for his new car & Amazon gift card Sister - New Converse

MIL (prints), Jackson is going to make pallet frames
BIL - Monogrammed Humidor , Cigar Gift Card
SIL - Harry Potter Books 1, 2, and 3
FIL - New Brown dress shoes  

2015's Handmade Ornament

One of my favorite crafts for Christmas has been making new ornaments.   Last year, I made this ornament from sand from our honeymoon. 

This year, I used our moving announcements to make an ornament for our new home. The little metal tag with our new address is on the way from the same shop that did the one last year. :) 

Here's what you need: 

A cute announcement (babies, moving, save the date)

Scissors

a clear ornament

optional: paint

Cut your announcement into strips

Wrap the strips around your pinky finger

I uncurled mine so I didn't have to have as many to fill the globe, but you can leave them in tight curls if you wish. :) 

Put the curlies in the ornament

Paint your saying on the outside

reattach the top and hang! :) 

2015 Gift Giving: Husband

Since getting married, it has been so hard surprising Jackson for Christmas. I have the perfect solution for surprising the person with whom you share a bank account! I bought a gift card on our grocery order for each of us to use on each other - that way, you stick to a limit and it's a complete surprise! This year was smaller since we did the Xbox as a huge gift, but I still managed to snag some fun items. 

We already got his Xbox One C.O. Bigelow Body Wash and Body Spray I also snagged him this awesome Volunteer Traditions Tervis

10 minutes + $10 = Ugly Sweater

We had an ugly sweater Christmas party for our church class Sunday.  I hate ugly sweater parties. Mostly because I hate buying sweaters and figuring out what is "ugly" and what's not.  Also, side note, Walmart has made a killing on the concept of the ugly sweater. Jackson bought one that had an ugly cat and said "Meowy Christmas" on it.... for $20! I refused to pay that much for mine, so I went the creative route.

  Here's how you can make yours: Supplies Plain sweatshirt Brown paint  (I used two different shades) White paint Black paint (I used gold  for the string of lights but you could use black) Thin paintbrush Jewels Hot glue gun One foot and two hands (you may need an extra hand while both of your hands are covered in paint) Here's How Plug in your hot glue gun to get it nice and hot. First, dip your foot in paint. I used the darker shade of brown. Stamp it toe-side-up on the middle of the sweatshirt.  Wash your foot so you dont track paint through the house. I skipped that step. Oops. Next, dip your hands in brown - I used the lighter of the two. Stamp those as the antlers. Let it dry for just a second.  Use the gold (or black) to paint a string for your lights.  I was artsy and looped it around the finger-antlers. You don't have to get that fancy, but have at it! I started by hot glue-ing a red jewel for the nose because Rudolph... duh... Next, I went from one end of the string to the other gluing "lights". By the time you're done, your foot should be completely dry. Use your thumb in white paint to make the eyeball. I used the tip of my pointer finger to make the black part.  Viola! You have a quick, cheap, easy tacky sweater!! Plus it's kinda cute. ;)

Our Christmas Cards

I wasn't going to order Christmas cards this year because we couldn't find time to take a decent picture to put on them.   Then, it came to me in the middle of the night. We took a picture with Santa at Holiday World!   Sure, we were in short sleeves and sunglasses, but hey! There's Santa!! So I logged into Shutterfly and found an adorable layout, plugged our picture in, and ordered them! They even have matching address labels so I don't have to write my address a million times!  

 

I am so pumped! I can't wait to see all of your Christmas Card creations!!

2015 Gift Giving: Roomie Christmas

My three best gals and I still do Roomie Christmas. I like to get them all something similar but sweet, so here are my gifts for this year. 
Lotion (1)(2)(3), Mugs (H)(T), Hot Cocoa Jars
What are your best gifts for your best gals? 

Friday!

Happy first Friday of 2015!!   I did a quick recap of what we were getting everyone for Christmas, but haven't gotten around to doing a haul. Honestly, I probably won't because Christmas isn't about the awesome things we get, it's about family and giving and celebrating our Savior.    Instead of doing a whole big post about it, here are my five most favorite things we got for Christmas! We were so richly blessed by our families!!   1. Only the best thing to ever happen to our bed... this mattress pad was like getting a brand new mattress.  We sleep without tossing and turning, now!

 

2.

I got all of the seasons of Greek on DVD, and Jackson got the box set of Sons of Anarchy!

 

3.

My long coveted Laundry sign from World Market! I can't wait to hang it in the Laundry closet for clothes that need to hang to dry, Jackson's work pants, etc.

 

4.

My remote to my new car stopped working without warning a few weeks ago.  They're ridiculously expensive, so I asked for one for Christmas. My sister found a website that has them for a fraction of the price! Funny story, we had it cut and it doesn't turn, so we have to buy another one, but it was definitely one of my favorite gifts. 

 

(via)

 

5.

One of my favorite movies is Somewhere in Time.  Its theme is the one I walked down the aisle to.  It is one of Dad's all time favorites, too.  I didn't have my own copy and really really wanted one, so my sweet brother-in-law and sister-in-law bought one for me for Christmas!!

 

 

I have loved reading your Christmas recaps!! 

 

Little Hiney Christmas

Our Christmas week was full of rest, family, fun, and quality time.   I hope your Christmas was just as full! It was our first Christmas as a married couple, and we enjoyed it to its fullest!

Life Lately

I know, I know, I'm back to slacking.  I didn't have any more Christmas posts in mind, and life isn't containing a whole lot more than work, home, monogramming, and sleeping.  So here are little chunks of our lives lately....   Roomie Christmas was great on Friday, full of laughs and Jeni's ice cream!  

 

Jackson's brother and his wife will be here this evening from Hawaii! They're spending two weeks here before he goes back to deployment and she starts back medical school.   There are monograms galore in our home.  I've pretty much been running my own little business this Christmas, and it's really exciting.  

I am in need of a haircut, but can't figure out what I want. I don't want any of my length taken off, but I want layers and my swoopy bangs. To the depths of pinterest I go!    I got to spend time with my sweet Nana this week decorating her tree and helping her get ready for Christmas next week. 

  We got some of my bridal portraits back, and I'm so so excited to get the rest!     Also, I have been a college graduate for a whole year... and I miss it so so much. :(   I started my promotion on Monday. I'm now an HR Generalist.  It's pretty much what I've been doing, except now I'm getting paid to do it. Score for the home team!    We are so addicted to this game called "Trivia Crack".... It is like trivial pursuit! It's so much fun to play without having to get out a board.   There are piles of laundry, stray shoes, and a sink full of dishes waiting on me this evening.  Tis the season for being too busy to do housework!!