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

Seasons

Seasons ...

I love living in a region of the country that has distinct seasons.
My good ol' Indiana home is right in the heart of the Midwest & we experience glorious season changes.
The heat of the summer & the cold of the winter are my least favorites, although they do bring
something to the table & I'd miss either of them if they were gone ... a little bit ;)
My very favorite season of all though is the fall & what a perfect one we've had this year.
It's been warmer than usual & the rainy spring has caused the trees to keep their leaves longer ...
& what amazing colors the leaves are!
We've been blessed to take a couple country drives & really soak in all the autumn colors.
I can't even put into words how much we've enjoyed the simple pleasure of riding through the country
& looking at all the beautiful scenery together.
It has done our soul good.
(I know I don't share too much on a personal level here on the blog, but my husband's younger
brother passed away 4 weeks ago, unexpectedly at the age of 39.
These country drives have been good for James & me ... some down time, some quiet reflection,
some laughter & some tears.)

near Story, IN

I was thinking last night & again this morning about the cozy factor that fall time seems to usher in.
James switched the furnace on & right away I could smell that familiar scent that comes from the
heater after it's not been on for a while.
(I always enjoy that in the vehicle too ... it's a similar smell.)
As I was going up the stairs, the house was completely quiet except for the sound of the heater,
I felt such a comforting coziness.
All felt right in my world.
And I was all the sudden overwhelmed with gratitude ... a roof over my head, a warm home,
a comfy place to sleep, safety & security ... all things that can be so easily taken for granted.

Who would think that an autumn season could evoke such strong & deep emotion, right?

A few weeks ago, I took the summer blanket off our bed & put on the quilt that we use
during the colder months.
That night when we got into bed, I could feel the marked difference in the weight of the quilt
as compared to the lighter summer blanket.
It felt heavy ... and secure ...
& I think I slept better than I had in several nights.

There's something to the whole cozy thing ... I'm completely convinced.
And is being cozy a huge deal, a game changer?
No, of course not ... but there's something that a cozy feeling does to your soul.
It's feels kinda like a hug.
A warm home, a burning candle, the smell of something baking in the oven, your favorite slippers,
a soft pillow or blanket ...
Reminds me of the saying about the little things ... 
how we finally realize that they were the big things after all.


And one more thing ...
I love a good-smelling house.
I've noticed though that I don't burn as many candles in the summer months
& I also don't use my Glade oil plug-ins as often.
No particular reason, I just don't do either as often.
During the fall & winter, lighting a candle is one of the first things I do of a morning.
So back to the oil refills for my plug-ins ... I bought some sort of apple scent for the lower level
of the house and a pumpkin scent for the upper level.
Talk about aroma therapy!
A good-smelling house also does something for my spirit!
From the minute I plugged those in & the wonderful smells started waifing through the air,
the cozy meter has jumped a notch or two ;)
And every person that's come in the door has commented how wonderful it smells in the house!
Again, the little things ...

As there is a purpose to every changing season outdoors/externally,
there's just as significant purpose to the seasons we go through in our own lives.
Although I hate to see the summertime come to a close & I begin to dread the snow & cold
that's around the corner, in another way I almost feel ready for it.
The autumn season is a wonderful reprieve in between ... and as fall settles in,
I have no doubt that I am ready for it.
The same applies in my spirit.
There are things that I've dreaded & could hardly fathom how I would roll with the changing
circumstances that life brings ...
but when the time finally arrived, I was ready & the changed seemed less difficult & more 'right'
than I ever could have imagined.
And really, that's the mindset that has carried me through those times ...
things change, people change, seasons change.
And we can do nothing to stop it.
So acknowledging that & being flexible enough to roll with the changing tides is the best approach.


One last thing to close out this introspective blog post, I am currently in the season of my life
where I am making forward strides in the 'living simpler' department.
It's been on my heart & we've been moving in that direction for a couple years,
but I'm slow to let go of things.
I've read about some who decide to simplify and in one weekend, they've decluttered,
cleaned out every closet, & donated box after box to Goodwill.
Boom - done - living simple just like that.
Well, that's definitely not the approach I've taken.
I often wish I could ruthlessly purge without over thinking every single thing I lay my eyes on.
I am here to say that I'm doing much better though ... & in the last several weeks,
lots of things have gone out to the trash.
I have a large pile of clothes to give away ... & our son has been doing the same thing in his closet.
It feels so good.

Last week, I threw away all the microfiber dishcloths that I've hated from the first time
I used them a year or so go.
I had kept using them, thinking with every single use how much I disliked those cloths.
Why?
Why did I keep on using them?
They went in the trash can & I bought some new clothes ... the 'plain ol' jane ol' dishcloths
like I had in the first place.
Why in the world did I wait so long to do that?
And I also pulled out these beautiful cloths that a sweet blog reader sent me a couple years ago.
I loved the idea that someone took the time to hand-make these for me ... a total stranger.
But I am trying to live by the motto 'don't save the good china for another day ... use it today'!
So I decided that these clothes will be used.
I took a picture to remind me of how pretty they are ... & every time I use them,
I will think of the sweet lady who blessed me with them.

Changing seasons.

And I am ready for them.

And for the biggest change that's rocking our world since our twin sons got married last year
and our baby boy turned 18 a few weeks ago ....

We are going to be grandparents in May!!

Our oldest son & his sweet wife are expecting their first baby!

James & I will have new names ... Pops & GiGi!

I found the most perfect devotional/journal over a year ago & I had to buy a couple of them for the future.  

 It's called "Waiting in Wonder:  Growing in Faith While You are Expecting."

Talk about seasons changing!

We are incredibly excited for Garrett & Carissa & so grateful that God has blessed them
with a sweet new life coming in the spring.
God gives the most amazing gifts, doesn't He?!

So, here's a big hug from me  ... & hopes that you are enjoying this autumn season ...
taking in the beauty of nature, spending time with the ones you love, & counting your blessings.

There is always something to be thankful for.

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  Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

'A Get Outta Town Saturday' Trip to the Amish Store

Some Saturdays you just need to get outta town.
That was my sweet husband's theory this past Saturday anyway.
I hadn't left the house since Sunday, under the weather in more ways than one,
& he thought it may be good for us, in both body & spirit, to take a little road trip.

Boy, he was right.
We even stopped in to visit his parents since we were in their neck of woods,
but I'll get to that in a minute.
I'm getting the buggy ahead of the horse.
;)


Our first stop was at our favorite Amish grocery.
I've posted many times about our fondness of all things Amish & shared many pics,
so I didn't snap too many on this trip.
{Since I haven't been feeling well, I was concentrating most on holding on to my buggy.}

I could not pass up taking a picture of these delectable little local-grown strawberries!
I should've bought some too.

My sweet DIL, Abigail, & I have been talking a lot about flowers & such recently.
{Gunnar & she has been planting their flower & vegetable gardens & we've been down to help them
a time or two.}
She's loving succulents right now & didn't know about 'Hens & Chickens' ...
I had to take a picture of these to show her.
My dad always grew these.

One of our favorite things to buy from the Amish store, outside of food stuffs, are hanging baskets!
They are SO big & full ... & a fraction of the price of what we see around our house.
We planned ahead & took a sheet to cover our back seat so we could load it full.
It was end to end flowers.
This is only two of them cause I couldn't fit the one to the left in the shot.
We bought one for us & one for each of our girls.
{It's so fun having girls ... did I mention that?!}

Here is the basket that didn't fit in the above pic ... fitting perfectly on my porch.
Blooms for days!!

We bought some of our usuals ... meat & cheese, lemon bars, bread, and a cart full of other things.
In all the Amish stores we've ever been in, however, I've never seen Lemon Marmalade.
I had to get a jar of that.
I've not tried it yet, but I know it'll be scrumptious.

Our second stop was to the Warm Glow candle store.
In all the hundreds of times we've passed this place, we just now stopped in for the first time.

Such a neat store & how we got out of there without buying a candle, well, I just don't know.

Next door is a cute garden shop called The Watering Can.
We fell in love with the pavilion area.
How fun would this be to have on your property ...
to have parties, play corn hole, have big outdoor dinners?!
We decided that if we ever have a country home, we'll need one of these ;)

The ceiling was our favorite!

All this shopping worked up our appetite, so we headed to dinner.
Last year while antiquing along US Highway 40, we stopped in a brand new shop in Cambridge City
called the Silver Fox Antiques & Uniques.
It was their grand opening & I entered in a drawing ... & won!
So, we used the $25 gift card towards a delicious dinner at No.9 Grill.
It was our first time to eat there but we'll be sure to come back.

Wanna take a guess which meal belonged to James?

And the icing on the cake for the whole day was dropping in on James' parents.
We had such a good visit & so wish that we were able to do that more often.
If we lived closer, we would, that's for sure.
Sometimes you just need a hug from your mom & dad.
Ya know ...?

Not sure we'll have have another 'get outta town Saturday',
so I'll cherish the memories of this one until we do.

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday  The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons   So Much At Home
                                    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   Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
                                French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things  Sew Many Ways