window into our holidays...

Enjoying our time with family and friends until January 6th, when our normal routines will resume but we will post photos and little bits and pieces as we get the opportunity.

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season.

We are all excited about taking a trip to Charleston for this upcoming weekend to show off a bit more of the South to my parents.

Wishing you all the best!

Look forward to hearing all about your holiday season soon!

xoxo

Don+Dee

Wishing you all the best!!

bella's branch hat...

Bella decided all on her own that these twigs would make a pretty hat for herself.

Thought she was too cute not to share.

Thank you for all your nice comments! (in spite of me being MIA over the past few days.
We are enjoying my parents, family and friends.
It was wonderful seeing Don's sister and her husband, Jason along with their sweet little boy, Julian, all the way from Abu Dhabi yesterday and had a wonderful time with both of our families. 

Wishing you all happy holidays!
Hoping you enjoy your family and friends this season.
Love,
all of us
xoxo

holiday picnic in greenville, sc...

and we finally came up with a photo we think we will use for our Christmas gifts this year.

Hoping all of you are loving on your family and friends during the Holiday Season.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

xoxo

love,

all of us

a bit misunderstood...

I am consistently telling my love that he needs to really work on his communication skills but yesterday, it  was me that was needing some classes on communication skills...karma, perhaps..

I quickly typed a post in the midst of a very busy day and somehow managed to make myself look like a superstar wrapper. ;)

(pun intended)

Alright, the just of this is that all the beautifully wrapped gifts on my post yesterday were ideas I found at

d.  Sharp journal

and are not my own gift wrapping.

I did share the links but my communication skills were lacking, I appologize.

As much as I wish those creatively wrapped presents were mine....they are not.

So go check that sweet blog out.

An aside...

my parents arrived safely last night.    YAY!!  Super happy to finally have them here.  Thank you for all your prayers and sweet thoughts for their safe arrival.

You are all the best!

(Will share some of our fun soon, I promise.)

Happy Thursday, all of you beautiful friends!

xoxo

wrapped up in getting ready for my parents arrival today...

I am scurrying about fixing and creating things today to make our home extra specially welcoming for my parents who will be arriving today from Alberta, Canada.

In all the domestic rush,

I was gathering our presents into our closet and readying them to be gift wrapped

and thought perhaps I needed some inspiration in the packaging up of these parcels.

I came across this little gem.

This blog is loaded with some stand out ideas for the season of gift giving.

Hope you get wrapped up in the fun too.

Happy Wednesday to you!

(I would love it if you would say a little pray for my parents' flight to be comfy and safe.)

Thank you, friends!

( I apologize for being a delinquent blogger as of late.  I love you all and will get on top of this once things settle a bit.)

xoxo

~dee

definitely not a photographer's dream...

We have a goal of getting one decent family photo to give everyone at Christmas but this is what ours usually end up looking like.
I am always curious how big families get gorgeous family photos.
We may have to hire a photographer before the week is out to make this happen.
Any ideas?
xoxo
Happy Monday, everyone!
xoxo

this busy week made it so....

(above my sister's living room)

I forgot to message my sister a 'happy birthday' note on facebook or our blog yesterday.

 Thank you for being so forgiving, Lori!

(We did leave a singing answering machine message.  So hoping that makes up for my forgetfulness...aack.)

Wishing that I could have been with you yesterday for your birthday!!

Lori is the kindest, most gracious and loving sister in the world

and I hate being apart, especially on important days, like this.

Happy Birthday, Lori!!

I love you!

I haven't got started working on some new collages with these fun papers from "three potato four" ....

We did however find these wonderful knit stockings for only $1 while Christmas shopping at The World Market yesterday ...

(These are our first ever family Christmas Stockings from here in the USA!)

I missed my dear friend, Leah's babycake's shower this morning...

due to a bout of throwing up...

so not fun.

(Don't worry, I am pretty sure it wasn't due to morning sickness of my own....thinking we may have overdone it yesterday, shopping.)

Hoping it was as wonderful as she is!!  (Isn't she gorgeous!?!)

Time is flying by until my mom and dad arrive next week.

I get really excited about Christmas but even more so when family is coming to visit!!

made this for a friend...

and didn't get to give it to her yet....(partly from being ill and partly from being crazy busy)

We will definitely slow down a wee bit next week.

YAY!

So busy has its good and bads...

Did you chill or have a crazy week like us?

Hoping either way it was great!

Happy Weekend, beautiful friends!

xoxo

luv,

~dee
p.s. Thank you for all your well wishes on our Christmas shopping adventures.
Our list is almost all crossed off!

braving the crowds...

Missing you all, while we pick up some last minute non-Etsy gifts!

Wishing we found everyone's Christmas wishes on line, so we didn't have to brave the wild American Christmas shoppers.

Truly an adventure to go shopping here this time of year.

Talk to you soon!

Wish us luck!

(We'll need it)

xoxo

Happy, almost the weekend, day!

~don+dee

another mild wednesday @ home...

mid progress on a project I am loving working on....

sending off some presents and packages...

my morning snack...

stuffing more fun things into my little shop...

debating on using this or possibly some maps as a colour palette for my home and some art projects I need to get cracking on....

Alright, so that is what I am up to....

What are you all doing this mild wednesday?

Happy day to everyone!

xoxo

~dee

my christmas wishlist....

Billy Goat Original Painting by Lisa Congdon

  

Orange Wire Magazine Rack from Sweetshorn 

a print of Nina van de Goor's; l'amour toujours 

 

vintage luggage from Marie's Vintage
 

colts in teal- tea towell from skinnylaminex

 

vintage yellow bird clip from Hello Victory
 

these vintage boots from Thrush

My internet is behaving badly today....

so that may be another Christmas wish.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

~dee

weekend fun...

time out for coffee and cuddling...

fluffing up the window boxes for Christmas...

our decked out door...

 

cute, snuggly walks with Bella...

(I still find it strange having no snow this time of year.)

fun with friends...

Loving that the calendars are finding good homes and thought it might be fun to add another print to the shop.

So the 'you and me forever' ink drawing of mine is up in the shop in print form!

I love weekends...

wishing they lasted all week long!
Hoping you all had a good one too.

What were you all up to this weekend?
xoxo

sweet as pie or canadian candy...

It is so neat meeting wonderful people from everywhere through this blog.

My heart has a very special place for all of the people I meet from back home.

This last week I recieved a package from my favourite province:  British Columbia!!

It was from a beautiful on line friend of mine.

She sent me treats from home that I miss terribly, a letter and gorgeous photo collage of  her family.

I love it all!!!

Thank you, Cat

and a happy belated

Birthday to you too!!! (I'll be with you in 6 months both in age and hopefully in B.C. too, for a visit.)

xoxoxo

mild wednesday @ home...

Contentment is a funny thing.   It is an illusive quality, that is rather transient.

It wanders in and then leaves as quickly as it comes.

One moment you can feel like you are on top of the world and you have the best life,

the next your heart

can let you know that you most certainly do not.

Contentment can at times breed a sort of complacency

but it can also inspire and grow all sorts of good things.

 

 

At times a home can feel like a mod little getaway and others more like a dive.

Art can have a human touch and be positively stunning in its imperfections or it can be absolutely disdainful.

A job can be wonderfully fulfilling

or

just plain annoying.

All based on contentment or the lack of it.

Like the legendary singer/song writer, Stephen Stills wrote in,  'Love The One You're With'

and

 Socrates when he said,

"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.":

there is a little secret sweet spot in contentment.

 

Grabbing the bull by the horns today.

What are you up to?

xoxo

~dee

things i am loving this morning...

shortbread kisses and an Italian Orzata latte....

decking the house out with festive kitsch...

(A big thanks to Melissa for the lovely baker's twine used on our advent number decorations)

candy cane steamers for the kiddos...

presents to share with friends...

our papery decked out tree...

In honor of our almost two years old, little girl, we created some paper decorations for our tree this year...

we prefer to have no broken glass decor accidents this season.
(we used art quality, recycled cardstock)

and last but definitely not least a little downloadable present to share with all of you

here and here.

(Our advent numbers and itty bitty bunting decorations are yours to print off if you like.  Hole punch and add string to finish them off.  Also Bella's candy cane tag is available here.)

Happy Tuesday and what are all up to and loving today, friends?

xoxo

luv,

~don+dee