Hellllooooo, long lost friends =)

Boy, it's been a minute!
Hello to all of you & hope life has been treating you well.
We have been busy with a hundred activities since I last posted ... way too many to try & catch up on.
So, let's just jump right in to CURRENT!

I've started a youtube channel!
I would like to invite you on over to check it out!

My channel will be a lifestyle channel, featuring recipes, cook with me videos, grocery / home decor hauls, house tours, & a bit about our life down here at the brick house!
I'm just getting started with MUCH to learn about filming, my camera, editing, & all things in between ... but I just figured there's no time like the present & I'm just diving right on in!

If you'd be interested in seeing any of the things I mentioned above, come on over to my channel & SUBSCRIBE!
This will greatly help me as I'm growing my channel.
And if you'd like notifications as to when I post, click on the little red bell & it'll let you know so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

Here's my most recent grocery haul ... a big one from 3 stores:  Kroger, Aldi, & Costco!
The link is below for you to check it out!

https://youtu.be/TLpazlxvv5A

Happy to be here again, guys!

A January Hello

Well, we are almost mid-January already & I thought it high time I pop in and say 

HELLO ... from the other side!

Ohhh ... 

is anyone else absolutely loving the new Adele project like I am?

She is an amazing singer!

The primary reason for this post, you ask?

It's just a random post with not much heavy duty anything ... just a hello & what've you been up too?

Keeping warm, I hope.

We have enjoyed mild weather up to last week, in which we had a couple of really cold days.

Even got a few inches of snow.

But then it jumped back up to the 40s & turned rainy.

I welcomed it completely cause it beat away the icky, dirty snow that was piled up here & there.

I'm not a fan of that.

And today, it's absolutely frigid ... in the single digits.

I have yet to de-Christmas.

Everything is still in place & honestly, it's not bothering me one bit.

It was pretty cozy the other day when the snow was falling & the tree lights were on, 

especially seeing as how we didn't have any snow around Christmas time.

I'll probably get to taking things down next week ...maybe.

And believe it or not, we just had our final Christmas get-together on Saturday!

The Smith side always meets in January.

We had a good time spending a few hours with family, 

some that we only see a time or two each year.

And the white elephant gift exchange is always fun too.

And speaking of gifts, that's where the rest of this post comes in.

 I kinda had a theme-type gift giving scenario going on this year.

I found something I liked & then built off of that.

I even coordinated some of the gift bags with the gifts ... not for any reason other than it was fun!

I love love giving gifts so I couldn't resist snapping a couple pictures of my favorite finds.

As I'm going through my phone to see what all I had taken pictures of,

I sure wish I could've taken pictures of it all!

This gold and black ensemble was for my sister.

It all started with the coffee cup!

I found this adorable hat for my dil Abigail.

She often wears hats & it reminded me of her.

I found it at the Covered Bridge Fest ... & then came the hunt for a scarf to coordinate.

I was glad to find this one at Forever 21 ... it was perfect. 

I wanted to buy my girlies rainboots last year but didn't find what I was looking for ...

so when I found these in late spring, I knew I had to make a very early Christmas purchase. 

These are Winnie's ... Abigail's were bigger checks in royal blue and black.

And what about these shoes?!!!!

I can't even express how fabulous these are!

I decided I wanted to make a gift card bouquet this year.

This little poinsettia was the perfect place to start & I loved how it turned out!

I hot glued the gift cards onto wooden skewers & tied a bow around the flower.

Cutie patootie.

This is a gift I received ... from James.

Isn't this over-the-top girlie?!

It smells fabulous!

He also fixed me up with some nice make up & new brushes!

 

This was part of a gift from a sweet friend ... and I think this may be my new favorite lotion!

It is just right ...  thick, non-greasy, and smells great.

 

Not only did I buy a few gifts that had a bicycle on them, I got a few in return!

I bought this one for a sweet friend who loves bicycles as much as I do.

I loved the saying ...NOTHING is worth more than this day.

Another sweet friend bought me this paper set.

There are all sizes of sticky notes inside & I just adore it.

(This is from another one of my friends who loves bikes!)

She also got me this notebook ... what an encouraging message on the front!

(Wish I would've snapped a pic of the coffee mug & apron that came with it ... so cute.)

 

And this gift right here ... well let me tell you, it made my day & them some!!

My sweet friend, who likes to buy coordinated gifts too, got me this gift all centered around the fact 

that I'm going to get my first grand baby in late spring!

This is a gift for me, otherwise now known as Henry's Gigi!

I have oohhhed and ahhhed over the gorgeous babies in this book,

all the while imagining what our sweet Henry will look like.

 

This is a picture that James took of me back in the fall at the Covered Bridge Fest.

I think my big smile says it all!

Speaking of Henry, James & I found this candy bar in an old-fashioned candy store

& had to buy it for Henry's mommy and daddy.

Love these two three SO much.

 Lastly, I didn't buy these songs ... or receive them, but they are SO cute that I had to post them!

Best socks ever, right?!

I hope the last half of your January is wonderful, that you stay warm, & keep smiling!

Depression rates are sky high in January & February, so make sure you are keeping yourself

encouraged & doing fun things.

Bundle up and get out into the sunshine, even if it's just a few minutes.

It'll do you good.

Before you know it, spring will be here.

I'm looking forward to it already.

I hope to chat with your more often this year ... even if it's just a post like this one

to pop in & say hello.

Hugs to everyone,

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Christmastime ... was here.

And just like that ... it's over!

I'm not quite ready for it to be over, to tell you the truth.

The hustle & bustle, yes ...

but the warmth, ambiance, cheer ...
the family time & festivities ...
the cozy blankets, hot chocolate, Hallmark Christmas movies ...
& the tree & the lights ...
NO, I am NOT ready for those things to end!

And the Christmas music ... no, I never tire of that.

Course, not all of those things have to end because Christmas is over.
You can drink hot chocolate year round, ya know.
But it's more special by the lights of the tree.
You know I'm right ;)

So my remedy to the 'is it really over this quick?' conundrum, I usually extend Christmas a bit.
I don't take down my tree right away.
I DVR Hallmark movies so I can watch one whenever the mood strikes me.
And I always have more yummy foods on my holiday list than I can make,
so I even continue cooking/baking the things I wanted to before I ran out of time/parties!

And whenever I've had my fill, I'll put Christmas away til next year.
It usually takes a few weeks though before I fully feel like I've enjoyed the calm after the 'holiday storm'.

I finally got around to taking a few pictures of our decorated Christmas house yesterday
so I'll share a few of them with you.
(Beware, these are NOT staged pictures!
They are 'as is' ... don't be alarmed when you see a random doggie or doggie toy ... or whatever else.)

The gifts are all gone ...

But here's proof that they were here in full force.

The little NOEL corner was fun.

I wasn't sure where I wanted those letters this year.

I sat them up here to think about & there they remained.

A crock full of antlers.

Everyone needs one of those.

I've searched for curtains since May.

Found these cute ones just a few weeks ago at Big Lots, of all places.

They are a grey/tan color.

I didn't do any gift wrapping til a few days before Christmas, so beforehand, 

these skates, a tin of pine cones, & a poinsettia, along with a picture of the nativity sat under the tree.

I used a variety of plaids again this year.

I love the warmth & Christmas cozy that plaid adds!

I pretty much love pillows!

And a mixy-matchy look is what I went with this year.

These are my pretty Christmas flowers that James brought home one evening.

They are still looking lovely!

I found this plaid platter for next to nothing at Christmas Tree Shops.

The long wooden cutting board/paddle behind it was a Christmas gift from Garrett & Carissa.

I love it so much.

The one in front is an antique one that I've had for years.

And the sweet crock candle from my niece, Erica ... isn't that adorable?

Still have finishing touch up work to do here in the kitchen since we painted the cabinets 

(I don't think I've talked about that on the blog) ... I hadn't planned on sharing any pics just yet 

but it looked so cozy in here one evening that I had to snap a pic.

I'll share a before and after post here soon.

Well, at least that's my intention ;)

I wanted to add a wreath to the window for Christmas, so I kinda threw this together.

I took apart a large valance & made these curtains.

I plan on making a new curtain & using a whole new color palate in the kitchen in January.

I sat my little tree in a small crock for the dining room.

(I didn't put up my kitchen tree ... I was feeling more 'minimalist' this year.)

(You can take a look at it here.)

 

This little dish is one of my newest pieces of ironstone.

It is beyond cute. 

In the spot where my kitchen tree normally sits, I put the old sleigh.

 

So, to wrap things up ... I don't know where we'll be this time next year.
We are debating on putting our house up for sale in the spring.
That's one reason I wanted to share these pics.
My blog is more of a personal journal than anything ... more for me & my family than any other purpose.
In the event that this was our last Christmas here, I wanted to share the pics & the memories.

And even though the holiday season speeds by faster than January & February could ever hope to,
we've loved every minute of it.
We are so blessed.
We have a relationship with the Savior & know the real reason for it all.
Our family is healthy & we love each other like crazy.
We take none of these things for granted.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too ...
and my prayer is that your new year is your best one yet!
Thanks for visiting.

Til the season comes round again ...

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Wall of Gratitude + November Fun at FLA

Our goal at Family Life Assembly for the whole month of November was to saturate our hearts 

through & through with Thanksgiving & Gratitude!

We are a blessed church, a blessed people, a blessed nation ... to it's all because of the great God we serve.

We want to be the 'one' who returns back to Jesus to say THANK YOU!

From the time James & I became parents almost 21 years ago, 

we determined that that we'd do our best to teach our sons the true meaning of each holiday.

Thanksgiving is James' favorite one ... coupled with the fact that it's truly SO much more than just a day to get together and eat turkey, we chose to maximize on this particular holiday.

Having a thankful heart & an attitude of gratitude has weighty benefits, 

so it's been a win-win to focus big on the month of November.

Now that we pastor, we wanted to share this mindset with our congregation.

So November is always a fun month at FLA, to say the least.

This year, the star attraction was our WALL OF GRATITUDE!

I had a vision of this wall for a couple of years, but this year, the timing was right!

We have watched this wall fill up each Sunday as our sweet people share what they are thankful for.

And we are doing something special with all the notes next Sunday.

I'll share that with you next week.

 Here it is making it's debut on Nov. 1!

 

 Nov. 8  

 Nov. 15

I'll snap a picture next Sunday before church.  

Then we will move to part two with our Wall of Gratitude!

Last Sunday, James and I expressed our gratitude to every family that attends FLA 

with our 3rd annual congregation appreciation!

During this service, we take time to give thanks to each individual family

for all that they do to make FLA successful!

Our whole service revolves around that. 

There are so many people who serve God selflessly at FLA 

& they deserve to know how much we truly appreciate them!

For the past two years, I've baked & given each family sweet treats {pies, breads} just as a 

small token to show our appreciation.

This year however, I've been dealing with some physical issues & wasn't sure I had it in me.

So, I decided to order cookies from my sweet daughter-n-law Abigail's home bakery.

I shared with her my idea for a cookie bouquet & she got busy!

Aren't these just adorable?

I'll share more about them on another post.

Another wonderful display we've learned from was designed by Aleisa.

At the end of October, James taught about Reformation & shared some of the significant historical

events from the time of the Reformation up to current times.

He talked about the 1st settlers coming to America & the importance of the Mayflower Compact.

'In the Name of God, Amen.'

She took that statement & made this beautiful timeline.

We have several homeschooling families, so this was a neat addition to use for this month.

Knowing church history is so important.

She tea-stained the banner paper & burnt the edges to give it this aged look.

We have loved having this display!

Thank you, Aleisa!

Also, I wanted to share a few more pics showing how pretty the church/fellowship center 

has looked all month long!

It was decorated for Pastor Appreciation & has been a festive delight for all of us to enjoy each Sunday.

We can't say thank you enough to Tammy for her creativity & generosity!

Once again, she transformed our fellowship center into such a pretty place!

The checked cloth was my absolutely favorite! 

 

These wood servers were the perfect place for delicious desserts to sit! 

I wanted to share our month of November with you & hope that you've enjoyed it.

We pray that your Thanksgiving is abundantly blessed & your heart of gratitude continues to grow!

 It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, & a stranger into a friend.

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.

Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways