Tree for me

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!! Yes, I just went there.

I’m far and away in San Francisco hanging out with my love and couldn’t be happier right now. He got in bright and early this morning, so I’m happily enjoying his company. I know I said last week he was coming in Thursday but clearly I was wrong.

It happens about once a month.

Since I adore Christmas trees, I thought I’d show all the ones I’ve gotten to be around with my travels this season.

Honolulu, HI


G-man’s Christmas tree that I surprised him with last year. Completely out of the normal, where Christmas trees are concerned, yet to me, it seemed to fit perfectly out on his lanai.

The Hilton’s lobby in Kona, HI.. I don’t quite know why it wasn’t lit.

The sports lounge at the Hilton.

The lobby in G-man’s building

And my humble tree…
sorry for the recycled picture…I couldn’t find the individual ones.


I wish you a wonderful wonderful Christmas weekend. I hope you get to start new traditions or continue the ones you’ve had set for years, this season.

If you can, watch this video. One thing I love about G-man is his soft side. He’ll find videos or stories that he knows I’ll enjoy and he sent this to me last night.

I cried it was so beautiful.

Merry Christmas everyone. From this humble girl over here on…


I wish you nothing but the warmest of weekends.
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Decorate me happy

The day has arrived for all to see if my decorations really are as great as I made them out to be or if they fell flat.

I will let you be the judge. The ever so kind and sweet judge.

Is it weird I took 200 pictures of my decorations over a course of 4 days? Yes?? Well, forget I said that then… I would decorate, stand back, adjust and be satisfied…then the next day I would change things around, stand back, adjust and be newly satisfied….only to change it all around again the next day.

Well friends, I’ve banned myself from changing things again. Although, I want to add lights but this idea came post-banning...so therefore, no lights will be added. And I want to make an ornament wreath (yes, you heard me correctly) as my centerpiece on my dining table, but knowing me, I doubt I’ll actually do it. Who knows though.

So without further ado…oh but before I do, let me state that I’m not colorblind. I’m well aware of the colors of blue I’m sporting. My goal was to use Christmas decorations I already had without buying any new this year and this is what I came up with.

Every year, my parents would get us kids an ornament that represented us from the year. I love this tradition and plan on continuing it for my future, which is why you see the F-18. I got that for G-man one Christmas and wrote his info on it just like his own jet, when he flew. I tilted it up to make it look like its taking off. (I’m corny, I know)

I hung ornaments from the ceiling this year and love how it turned out. However, as each day passed, I found I kept changing how it looked. I never realized before starting just how much they needed to look grounded to look good.


They looked a lot worse before I put the wreath up, but you can see how they look lost without anything around them. It worked to a point with the garland framing it but it stopped short on each side of the tv and just seemed awkward.

I finally decided to pin up both sides and prefer this the most. I think if I hung lights around the windows it might complete it but the ban and all. I’m enjoying the simplicity of this anyhow.

My modest entry. {my dad built that bench for me, by the way}

Now for my dining room. I was gifted with these lead crystal champagne flutes awhile back and until I get to properly use them, they work perfectly as a part of my decorations, I think.




After hanging the ornaments, I strung extra ribbon through them to have them drape down.

Now you’ve seen my happy decorations. I also have all the beautiful Christmas cards displayed on one of my walls so I can continue to see them and smile.

Have I mentioned I love this time of year? I love Christmas and the beauty of it all. The warmth, love, and {mostly} happy attitudes.

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I’m thankful for 43

Whoa, wait. Less than 2 weeks from Christmas?! This is crazy. I know I’m not the only one enjoying all the Christmas movies, though. Am I right?

Any favorites among you all? I’m watching 12 Dates of Christmas right now and its corny but ok. I might like it more had I not started it an hour in, but its not like its hard to figure out. As is the case with most Christmas movies.

Today, I’m thankful for:
- having the entire row to myself on the flight home. That just about never happens!

- a safe trip home where I’m most thankful for In and Out giving those lap mats. A great big ketchup filled french fry landed right in my lap, driving home!
- the love and support from friends near and far.
- all the cutesy predictable Christmas movies.
- being finished with my Christmas decorations. I can’t wait to show you guys, I love them! I have themes in my 2 rooms I did. I say themes… One is blue and silver and the other is red and gold. {that’s it}
a sneak peak..instagram style

- knowing God has the reigns in my life and being reminded of it.


Are there certain Christmas movies you watch every single year as a tradition?
Has anyone not started shopping yet? And who’s finished!?

I’m thinking this week is going to be a great week…can I get an AMEN?!

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A touch here, a touch there

Christmas has begun to show itself around my apartment. It may be all over my floors right now, but its still showing itself.

It took 3 days after setting it up to finally put the ornaments on the tree. Its an adorable tree. 3ft. high. I put it on a box and grabbed an embarrassingly too short skirt I own {and never wear, mind you} and used it as the ‘tree skirt’. Sadly…it fits around the box perfectly.

After putting all the ornaments on, I realized I hadn’t decorated it but there was no way I was going to start over, so haphazard strings of ornament bulbs are laced around it.

Its not my finest work.

I’m actually going to do something I saw on pinterest in my living room but won’t be able to do it until the weekend, so I’m going to keep it hush hush until its complete.

I admire all those design bloggers out there. Or anyone who has any design sense with their decorations. I feel right now, I have very little and my mantle is showing it looking beyond bare, right now.

Its been a funky week for me and I don’t feel like many words today, so I wish you all a wonderful weekend filled with twinkle lights.

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I will cut you!

Because a ton of people encouraged me to do it. 2 people = a ton in my mind.

There’s a reason why I don’t craft. Or pretend I’m crafty. I am 200% not a crafty person and its very rare when I have that desire to be crafty. I see all these sweet people who can make whatever their heart desires. Wreaths, head bands..and umm, other stuff. But this girl, <thumb jerking toward myself> is not one of those sweet people.

I could blame my mom…but I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate it very much, but just know <said in whisper> its technically her fault.

I sent my mom a picture of my new and improved mantle and she loved it but said if there was 1 thing she would change it would be the stick thing because there was a lot of black and brown up there. Therefore suggesting a vase w/greens and reds shooting out of it. <or something like that>

Ah, good point mom. I will be the dutiful daughter that I am and listen to her wise ways in décor, because she knows what she’s talking about.

Off to Michaels I go. A store I never go in. Walking through every single aisle, I consider what the heck to put up there and fall upon peacock feathers.

Anyone that knows me, knows I’m not a feather person or would ever consider having feathers in my home. But I felt it was time to be different and I went with it. Wouldn’t you know, I didn’t have a vase right for the feathers..and not to mention, I didn’t buy enough feathers to make it appealing, but I persisted and washed, dried and used a clear vase.

Since anyone with eyes could clearly see the green thing you stab your stuff in (whatever it is) at the bottom, the vase needed to be covered. Enter my ribbon. Round and round it goes, looking more and more horrible but I continue because I lose all interest in caring.

At the end, I go to snip with my brand new scissors and –whoop. My right hand got all jealous of my left hand and yelled, ‘I WILL CUT YOU!’ and took its jealously out by snipping right into it.

I flung the scissors, flopped on the ground and wailed, “WHY GOD? WWHHHHHHY??!!

{ok, that’s not true.}

But I did gasp, stare at it for a good while until I realized I probably should get up and do something. So, I grabbed my phone to take a picture. (yes, I’m officially a blogger. I take pictures before tending to my wound.)

This just solidifies how much I shouldn’t create anything.

Now bring on the honesty. Which do you prefer? The feathers or the stick thingy?

Feathers??


Or stick thingy??

And yes, I did cover up G-man’s face in the picture. =)

And here’s my dining room, where I didn’t have to do any cutting!

You know I love you, momma!

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