Wreaths and Dried Fruit

I feel an onset of a chest cold kicking in but we aren't going to talk about it because I'm in denial. Partly because it's so close to the holidays and simply ... I don't want it! At least the house is all festive with all our handmade goods. 

Last weekend I went to my mothers house and gathered all the woodland items I could find. Pine cones, sticks, pine tree branches, grapevine... really an over abundance of items. The kids played while we made wreaths and drank hot cocoa. It was a really great way to spend the day. Funny thing is the window wreath with the bird was made twice, 

When leaving my moms, I packed the Jeep very carefully and got the kids all buckled. The wreath made it home all safe and sound - I joked about putting a bird on it, which I promptly did when I got home. Dear hubby helped me hang it on our door - all was well. The next day on the way home from a family outing the door closed and the wreath was bumped swiftly causing it to fall into pieces. Less than 24 hours was the first ones total time alive. We put the pieces on the table, I didn't have the heart to tackle putting it back together right then. A couple of days later, with the help from my instagram picture, I managed to hot glue it all back together. A true Christmas miracle!

This year we decided to celebrate both Yule and Christmas. The kids are excited to learn new traditions, as well as celebrating with the ones we already established. We dried fruit and strung it up in the windows, as natural sun catchers. Lavender, that was the last of our gardens harvest and this years Thanksgiving centerpiece, was mixed with mint and dried fruit to make a potpourri. We've complied a nice mix of songs to play on the night of winter solstice. There are gifts ready to be wrapped and put under the tree for Christmas, The kids have already made Christmas cookies and open their advent calendars full of chocolate every morning. The mischief filled Elf is back in our house - he even scanned himself with my printer for the kids to find. 

What tradition are you planning this year? Any new or old favorites? I love how everyone celebrates a little different this time of year ...but it's still all about the same thing. Spending time with family, loved ones, and bringing joy to others. 

Many Reasons To Be Thankful

It's a little late for a Thanksgiving post but I had to share what our feast looked like. Pottery pieces all made by myself were scattered about the table. Herbs from the garden were clipped for the last time this year, and proudly displayed in the center of table. The kids kept running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, sometimes helping me measure ingredients for the sides. Our oven decided to fail about a week before the actual meal, so this year my mom made all the oven related food - including the big turkey. There was lots of mashing up the sides on our end and some how, some way it all came out picture perfect, even better than expected. 

The day after, we started putting up our Christmas tree and put mason jars with tea lights in the windows. It's not your typical New England winter here, as we have yet to see more than a small dusting of snow, but when it does finally arrive I want our house to have the look of a cozy little cottage on the hill. Books raise the mason jars in the windows, and the tree was put in the dining room so people driving by can see the twinkling lights. Nothing but white lights. In fact if I could fill the whole house with them I would. 

This year we gave thanks to opportunities that were new or ones that would soon come, our family - we always feel so blessed to have happy chattery children that make this house come alive, and our home. We love this castle on the hill and when there was even a thought this year that we might have to leave the area, our hearts were sad. The opportunities that we were waiting on have arrived, so that idea is long gone, another thing we are thankful for. 

Now we are off collecting nature to make wreaths for our doors and drying fruit to make garland. I'm still working on my cross stitch, pottery pieces, and other crafty bits. Holidays are just around the corner!