Our Christmas Tree and Decorations

Here's what I did the weekend after Thanksgiving...

Our tree has been blue and gold ever since I first moved out on my own. I finally changed it up this year to red and gold. I'm still getting used to it, but I think I like it. Most of the pics I took turned out blurry for some reason (been messing with the camera lately) so these aren't the greatest shots...





Didn't get the whole Nativity in the shot

Our stockings are currently at my Mom'--she's embroidering our names on them

Southern Living at HOME Wisemen and Finials

This ceramic tree was my Great Grandmother, Ima's. It's on the kitchen table.

Christmas Cookie Exchange

So much to love about the holiday season...I ran across 73 cookie recipes on Hallmark.com that would be perfect for a cookie exchange (or just to eat!)They're almost too pretty though! Check them out here.

Holiday Craft--Button Trees

Ok, so the wonderful Ali Edwards lead me to a great Button Tree project that I just had to make! She saw it first here and shared it on her blog. It was so very easy, yet beautiful! It took 350 straight & corsage pins and I lost count of how many buttons. It took one full hour to make, which I didn't think was bad at all for something so detailed. (I really liked stacking the buttons!) And it became a great little homemade gift idea as well! (cost=about $15) This is mine above-I made it to match our living room with browns and reds. I must say that it looks so much better in person. My sister has requested a multi-tonal green and my mom wants a blue one to go in her bedroom. I'd better get busy...

Thanksgiving Number 2

Saturday we had Thanksgiving with Wayne's family. It was the first year that our families had thier get-togethers on different days, so it was really nice to be able to enjoy ourselves and not be rushed or really over-stuffed.
Mason had such a good time playing with his cousins and was very well-behaved, unlike these pictures show! I got to looking at them and it looks like he's being naughty!

"Mine!" (he doesn't say that yet, but I know he was thinking it!)...with Haley


playing with a baby doll


Leading Lexi around as if she Was a baby doll...


Wayne's sister, Amanda with Haley


Wayne's Mom (caught her off guard-oops) sister, and bro-in-law

Thanksgiving 2007

We celebrated Mason's second Thanksgiving at my parent's house. The food was wonderful, the desserts even more wonderful, and my Aunt Marla was here visiting from CA so it was a great holiday!

Mom's beautiful table


Yummy...


Mom carving the bird


Mason taking in the football game


And he wouldn't sit still for a picture with Mommy & Cameron


Gathering in the kitchen


The Cousins (Chloe'-14, Cameron-10, Mason 16 1/2 months)


My Little Turkey

Junior League Cookbook, Add Another Place Setting

The Junior League of NW Arkansas' brand new cookbook is now available! After much hard work by many local women, a long-time goal of our League's has come true! We now have a beautiful cookbook that includes recipes from local notables such as the Waltons, Georges, Joneses, Walkers, as well as our league members' own family recipes. (I have two recipes in the book)

To order, go to: http://www.juniorleaguenwa.org/catalog/cookbooks.html

A brief description from our JL website:
Add Another Place Setting is a quality hardcover cookbook with more than 200 of the best recipes from the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas. This book tells the story of Northwest Arkansas through full-color, professional photographs, recipes and interesting sidebars.

Chapter titles include Farmers Market, Comfort Food, Stay for Dinner, On the Side, For Starters, Come On In, and more.

The title (as explained on the back cover) is based on the incredible growth and thriving economy of our area. Our response to this growth is one of timeless Southern tradition and hospitality. When someone comes to the door at dinnertime, we Add Another Place Setting.

Buzzing Around

Mason insisted on putting on this bee costume the other day...

Mason at the Promenade

The Pinnacle Hills Promenade is even more beautiful at night. Mason loves the fountain any time of day--I couldn't get him to look at me for the picture. Too many distractions. I see he's looking at Zales--what good taste!

Listography

listography, your life in lists

I'm addicted! For anyone who is a listmaker like me, you will also become an addict! I stumbled upon listography.com and now I can't stop! You can make lists of whatever you like--anything and everything. You can even cross thru them when you've accomplished something. It's also fun to browse other people's lists and see how normal we all are. You can create anything from a to do list, grocery list, to your favorite childhood memories, music, or movies. The possibilites are endless. In the spirit of listmaking, here are the reasons why I love listography:
1. I'm a listmaker.
2. I get a sense of accomplishment when I get to cross something off.
3. Lists help me remember everything (I'm very forgetful).
4. Brainstorming now will help me to journal in my scrapbooks later.
5. I love the categories they provide to get you started.
6. You can add pictures

Ok, I know I'm a dork, and I don't care!!!!

Here are my lists: (ongoing project!)
http://listography.com/scraptacular

Mason's First Haircut (yes, officially!)

Ok--I did it! I went and got Mason's hair cut--finally! Today he turned 16 months, so it was very monumental! I got a little emotional right before we left the house but I was totally fine once we were there and everything was going well. Mason couldn't have done better! He just sat there as if nothing was going on. He did look around and moved his head several times toward the end, but no crying, freaking out, or any other horrible things that I imagined could happen. My Mom and I took him to SportClips, for lack of a better place, but they were nice and I liked the lady who cut his hair. Mom and Ang thought I should have had her take off a little more, but Wayne & I are pleased with the length--not too short, not too long.
Here is the progression from shaggy to trim: (but still with a few of those curls!)

Little Sweeper Man

Mason discovered the broom the other day. I never knew what fun a broom could be until I went to take it away from him. He let me know. Needless to say, he has his own child-size version now.

Tomorrow Mason will be 16 months old! We're going to try to finally go get his hair cut, so if we do, I will be posting before, during, and after pics (thru my tears!!!)

Andes Mint Cookies

Oh wow! I just discovered this recipe on Becky Higgins' Blog (scrapbooker extraordinaire!) and they sound sooooo good! I will have to try making these soon!

ANDES MINT COOKIES

3/4 c. butter (or margarine)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water

Melt in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add:

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted.

Cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs.

Add:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes. Roll into balls (like 1 - 1 1/2 inches big), flatten slightly, and place on cookie sheet (In only use Pampered Chef baking stones). Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (for my oven, this is the perfect time, keeping my cookies soft; your oven may be slightly different).

When cookies come out of the oven, place an Andes mint on top of each cookie and allow to melt for a few minutes. Swirl the melted chocolate like icing. Allow to cool.

Mason's 2nd Halloween

Mason dressed up as Pablo the Penguin from the Backyardigans (a no-brainer) for his second Halloween. He had such a fun time! We met up with Angela and Cameron for the Goblin Parade in downtown Rogers to trick-or-treat in the afternoon, came home and (sort-of) took a nap, then headed over to Mimi and Grandpa's house that evening. We went to several houses in their neighborhood and got more candy that his parents are now being forced to eat. He loved going to the door to watch candy being handed out when kids would ring the bell. He got lots of clothes from Mimi & Grandpa, a great big cookie from Gigi, and a cute Backyardigans board book from the Moss family. Mason ate his first sucker that night--a banana flavored dum-dum. I think we've started something...oh well it was Halloween!

Halloween pics to come

The green blog (not blob!) was gettin' old! I'm sure the pink will get old soon, too but I have to have some color! I tried to post Mason's Halloween pics tonight, but the site must be having issues because they wouldn't post. I'll try again tomorrow. Mason had a great Halloween...

"L"

"L", originally uploaded by Yas D. Nil.

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Created with fd's" Flickr Toys.

I'm just really getting into www.Flickr.com lately. What a great community of photographers that share their pics with the world! (click on the links above to view the photographer and see thier other photos)

I made this fun little mosaic but it actually got cut off a little- It's really 6x6 square tiles. Oh well, I guess that's enough L's for one mosaic!