Are you ready to make some NOISE?

I AM!

 Especially since I came across this old box of vintage noise makers I found up in our attic while putting away our Christmas decorations yesterday!

I forgot all about them.

 

 

I wonder if it's too late to have a New Years Eve Party?

  Maybe next year!

At any rate, you can be sure I'll be running out my front door at midnight twirling, clanging and flapping these cuties. 

It will definitely be an improvement over pots & pans.

Whatever you do to ring in 2012 be sure and make some NOISE!!!

AND

HAVE 

A

 VERY

HAPPY

 NEW

YEAR!!!

 I'LL SEE YA'LL NEXT YEAR!

XO

Are you ready for

 A Fresh Start?

A Clean Slate?

A New Year?

2012?

Bring It On!

I'm so ready!!!

Thank you all for being a very wonderful and treasured part of my life this past year.  I have cherished and appreciated the time you have spent reading, commenting and connecting with me personally.  You have all made 2011 a year to remember and I'm so excited about what lies ahead for all of us in 2012! 

A N T I C I P A T I O N

Dec. 23rd has always been my favorite day of the Christmas Season...

 

It is because it's our "night before Christmas." 

Christmas Eve is the day and evening our family gathers together to celebrate.

We try to attend Midnight Mass after all the celebrating but it gets harder and harder every year.

I think it has something to do with getting older and stamina... but that mom of mine usually does both, Midnight Mass and Christmas Morning Mass because she can't get enough of celebrating the birth of Christ.

 So, let me be the first to wish you all a very

M e r r y

C h r i s t m a s

An Early Christmas Present

Enjoy!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

Unfortunately, Lake Tahoe was not white. 

It just doesn't feel right to be in the mountains at Christmas without snow... 

Our boys did get a day of snowboarding in thanks to the man-made stuff!

*All photos taken by me at The Village at Northstar

Special Delivery!

 Just in time for Christmas...

This gorgeous 25" fresh Fraser Fir wreath by Green Valley Christmas Trees, a leading online Christmas tree delivery company, arrived on my doorstep!

As soon as I opened the box, I could smell the freshness and fragrance!

Green Valley Christmas Trees is committed to providing the freshest, most premium Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands and grow their Fraser Fir, Noble Fir and White Pine Christmas trees in their native soils.

 

I set about decorating my wreath before heading off to Lake Tahoe for the weekend. 

 

First,

I attached a deer head at the top of the wreath.

 Combing through my extensive collection of pinecones, or "winter shells" as my friend Kathysue calls them, I chose a variety of different sized natural and glittered pinecones attaching them to the branches of the wreath.

I finished it off with a beautiful green double faced satin Midori ribbon and dangled a large metallic copper sugar pinecone from the bottom.

There is nothing like the sight of a beautiful  wreath to greet you throughout the Christmas Season!