December Goals

Christmas Home Decorations I feel like an old soul saying this, but HOW IS  IT ALREADY DECEMBER?? Where did this year go? Every year goes faster and faster, which is why it's so important for me to keep track of my goals. I might never get anything done otherwise!

I LOVE this time of year. Christmas is my favorite, and the snow we got last night has put me even more in the holiday spirit. It's such a pretty backdrop to our newly decorated tree. :) This month is all about soaking up the last bit of 2013 with lots of time with family and friends. I have quite a list of professional goals, but honestly, I'm going to be focusing most on getting rested for the new year (my first wedding is 1.4.14!).

Here's to sending 2013 off with a bang!

Professional

  1. Update/rebrand wedding guide.
  2. Send holiday gifts to wedding clients.
  3. Get caught up on Facebook albums.
  4. Get caught up on vendor discs.
  5. Submit at least five weddings.
  6. Blog at least three/week.
  7. Start on new website. :)

Personal

  1. Finish Their Eyes Were Watching God and read The Sisters.
  2. Do a thorough cleaning on our house.
  3. Write and mail Christmas cards.
  4. Find the perfect Christmas tree. :)
  5. Decorate the living room for Christmas.
  6. Try a new Christmas cookie recipe.
  7. See a Christmas show at Playhouse Square.

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Our house feels so cozy these days. :)

101 in 1001: #101 Decorate our House for Christmas.

Oh hey! Two 101 posts in a row. It feels good to see goals completed. Although this little goal will be recurring every year around this time because I LOVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS! Honestly, one of the most exciting things about owning our own house is getting to make it all Christmasy. This year, we decided not to spend a lot of money on decorations, but instead see what we could do with what we had. I think it turned out pretty well! Take a look: Rustic Christmas Decor

You know me, I love the rustic look, but I also wanted to make it look Christmasy. I opted for red and gold instead of the standard red and green.

Rustic Christmas Decor

The wood rounds are from our wedding, as are the jars and bottles and wreath. The only new things are the stockings and stocking holders and the red and gold branches. Plus, I got fresh cranberries for the mason jars. Fill with water and stick a tea light in there and you have a festive votive!

Rustic Christmas Decor

Finding our Christmas tree was not as easy. We really wanted to cut down our own and through our searches found Heritage Farms in Peninsula, which has been in operation for more than 150 years! It was a quaint place with tons of acres of trees. Unfortunately, most of the good trees had already been cut down, so we opted for a pre-cut tree (also offered on the farm). Maybe we'll get to use a saw next year!

Rustic Christmas Decor

They had lots of cute, little trees ... perfect for me! Just not our living room.

Rustic Christmas Decor

We opted for a fraser fir, which has been great so far! Not too sharp, but also not too flimsy.

Rustic Christmas Decor Rustic Christmas Decor

And then the outside of the house! This year was all about simplicity, although we learned that putting wreaths on every (original) window of a 70-year-old house is NOT simple. We still need a wreath for the front door. What do you think ... something totally different than the others or something similar?

Rustic Christmas Decor

I hope you all are feeling festive and soaking in the season! :D

Fab Five Fridays: Christmas Mantels

I figured it was time to start a new series! I love the Tumblr feeds that do the "Friday Fives," so I figured I would do my own iteration. There are so many things I'm passionate about and so many things I need help deciding, especially now that we have a home of our own, so sharing five pretty images in a certain category every week or every couple weeks is right up my alley. (Whew! Run-on sentence much??) This week, Nathan and I are trying to decide how we want to decorate our mantel for Christmas. This is our first time decorating our house for Christmas, so we've got to make it good! :) Here are some options that I like, and I'm OK taking pieces/inspiration from each of them. What strikes your fancy??

Photo credits: The Lovely Cupboard | Thoughts from Alice W. | The Butlers | My Blessed Life | Southern Living