Wow...another year! 2008 has been full in so many ways. 2009 promises to be another year with so many more adventures. I'm excited to see what comes, and to share it here with you.
I love that New Year's Eve gives me a reason to bring out my vintage hats and party horns.
Also gives Chloe a reason to make yet another cake.
Inspired by Ali Edwards, I enjoy choosing a new word to concentrate on each year. For 2009, my word is COLOR. Tune in tomorrow to find out why.
I thank you for taking the moments out of your days in 2008 to stop by this space. It's such a joy to share the journey with you!
We've done so many things. Gone sledding, made snowmen, celebrated a birthday (my sister's), dressed up as princesses going to the royal ball.
Next on the agenda for New Year's Eve is to work on a holiday album. Last year I made this FAMILY album while Laura was here.
My sister and her family are now in town from San Diego. The festivities have begun and the kids are having a blast. It's so much fun to have family time together. 
As you can see, the girls were pretty serious about sprinkling their cookies. Definitely one of my most favorite Christmas events.
This wonderfully whimsy handmade patchwork pillow in ArtsyMama colors is from 
Happy Christmas Eve.
Another thing that made me happy, is this trunk that I came across at an estate sale the other day. Love the color and check out the inside....those stars!!! I thought it looked good filled with festive gifts and the new eco-friendly pom pom gift topper made with a Target bag! See the tutorial 
Here's a bunch more of my holiday journal pages. By keeping it simple, I'm really keeping up with photographing and documenting each day. No small feat.
In the woods today, I looked up and couldn't help but notice the way the trunk formed a circle. Peering through into the sunlight through the middle, I took a breath. I have noticed the play of the growing darkness internally and externally recently and celebrate the coming of the light. This is a time to draw in, reflect, count my blessings and revel in the season. Thank you for being the shining light in my little blog-world. I appreciate you being here.
Here is Chloe's little woodland solstice gathering. The "snow" is wool from my grandmother and the stones gathered from various journeys represent the fire/light. 
I especially love felt and handmade stockings.
They remind me of my childhood Snoopy stocking that I still hang each year.
I also hang the vintage paper stocking I made in 
So I decided that this year I wanted the kids to each have their hand at making their own stocking. One to keep and put up each year as they grow older. I bought a large felt stocking for each for $1 and pulled out my felt stash and some little felt ornaments I bought last year intending to put them on a cloth gingerbread house. As you can see, I helped with the cutting, but they certainly had their say in the design. I adore them and so do they! 
We've been doing lots of baking and putting together little packages for the kids teachers. Today we jumped right into making gingerbread houses. There is just something magical about making houses from gingerbread (in our case graham crackers) and decorating with frosting and candy. It's as sweet of craft as it comes. I have very fond memories from my childhood of my grandmother's amazing gingerbread houses (see pic below). We were always so amazed and now after trying to make them myself I am in awe at her creations. 
So today Chloe and I gathered our supplies and went to work.
She carefully added bits of this and that, making this cute little face on the side.
Then she sat and admired her creation.
Of course posing for a picture for mommy.