Happy New Year!

What an eventful year 2009 has been.  The wedding consumed my life for the first half of the year.  I really do not know how I did anything else those first six months of 2009!  The second half has been a focus on work, school and being a newlywed!

I would love to engross myself in a project for 2010 that challenges me to venture into new things. I would love to take cooking classes.  I would love to take a digital photography class.  I took photography in college but boy has it been a while. How fun would it be to take a glass blowing class?  Of course I hope this is the year I finally figure out how to eat right and lose those newlywed pounds, moving in together pounds,  oh and the I am in a relationship and comfortable pounds. I hope this year I also figure out how to save money, like really, really, save money, especially at the Grocery. That is truly a skill that I need to learn!

2009 was fabulous! Cheers to 2010 and what the New Year will bring!

Frankie and the Christmas Tree

 {Clary Pfeiffer Photography}

I love my little Frankie. I love his occasionally crossed eyes and all! He is my little cuddle-bug and is always happy to see me when I come home.

{Clary Pfeiffer Photography}

Frankie is a talker, a feline trashcan {he eats anything....anything}, and a destroyer of all Christmas trees.  No matter how much I love him,  the fact that I cannot even get my Christmas tree decorated has me peeved.  Tonight, I came home and there was a large gap in branches on the tree as if a cat had taken a nap in the tree.  While I do not have physical proof of Frankie being in the tree, I would bet money that he did in fact take a nap in the tree.  Looking at the amount of droop in the branches, it appears that it was a very long nap.

Good thing Frankie is cute and likes to cuddle.

Oh Christmas tree!

I was so very excited to get our tree this year.  Chris' family has been cutting down their tree's Thanksgiving weekend, from the same tree farm for over 20 years.  For the past three years I have been a part of this tradition. This year we went the Friday after Thanksgiving.

I was determined to find the perfect tree this year.  Year one we got a white pine...long soft needles, very light in weight with flimsy branches.  Since this was the first tree that I got to decorate all on my own, I went a little crazy with ornament purchasing...the poor tree could not hold many of my heavy ornaments. Our kitten at the time, Scout, pretty much left the real tree alone, but fell in love with my 4 foot pre-lit white tree...after much abuse, the white tree has been retired.  Year two, I picked a beautiful Fraser Fir.  It was pretty, but too round for our small living room. We also added an addition to our family in the form of a tree-climbing kitty named Frankie.  He loved climbing the Fraser. We have always wanted a slim tree, but narrow trees were not available.  This year, we were able to go to a small area with new trees that were a little more pricey.  We selected a Canaan Fir.  It is perfect.  I wish I could take the credit for picking it, but my MIL actually found it.  She has much more tree picking experience than me!  Frankie is limiting his contact to nibbling the tips of the branches, and Scout leaves it alone. 

So the tree has been undecorated, unlit in the living room for almost two weeks.  I finally put the lights on...my least favorite part. I bought 2 strands of these really pretty lights to mix it up a bit, but part of one strand it out.

{via Target}

I love the way they look with the regular lights.  I did not put on very many strands since I dislike putting the lights on so much.  I am too impatient!

On another note, I received a Winter scented candle from my MIL.  It is such a wonderful smelling candle...I think it has really gotten me into the tree decorating mood! I smell "tree", so I looked it up and it "is a festive blend of shimmering pine, crisp bay leaf, red cinnamon and warm winter woods"

{Bath and Bodyworks}

We have been burning this candle the last few nights and it is just so perfectly holiday-ish.

 

haute halloween

{Rosanna Inc.}

I love this website! They have such beautiful and fun items. I am still in love with this that I have blogged about, and maybe one day I will get it! I am excited about the black ceramic items, I already have the small cake plate and the black teapot. I would love the medium size black cake plate to do a little mix and matching with my martha cake stands. I have the round set and the square set. I love cake stands!

So how cute would these cake stands be with some cupcakes decorated with candy corn or halloween candies? So fun!

santa came early...

{Dyson DC25}

Merry Christmas to me!

Miss Scarlet in the Library with the candlestick...

Ok, last post today. I promise! I just came across this picture...I made that costume!
I am Miss Scarlet, on the right. Miss White is my partner in crime Krissy. Don't we look fabulous?