Getting Ready For The Holidays & Thank You!!

...I am a last 'minuter' person on EVERY thing! I don't know why!!
Today I finished mailing off all the Christmas Cards:

This is my Christmas Card to all you!! Thank you for all the wonderful comments and emails you've sent with concern about Maci!

I am having trouble figuring out what we will be fixing for our little Christmas dinner! {We will be spending it in 'seclusion' due to Maci's treatment schedule. {Can't be out and about, too many germs + low immune system = bad news!}

I've came across some wonderful ideas for the dinner:

Annnddd..I'm stuck! I am looking for recipes that all the family will love, yet I was craving something different!! This is all we've decided on so far, so hopefully we can come up with something special before it's too late and we will be stuck eating:

{just kidding!!}

We've been staying busy with 'hand making' all our presents this year, and taking care of Maci...

Can't wait for the New Year...and making some New Year's resolutions!!!

~*Jessica

My Baby!

I don't normally post 'people' pictures on here {I save them for FB & Maci's blog}

But I came across this photo in my computer, just a little bit ago. Maybe I am missing Maci's beautiful hair??

{Again special thanks to the wonderful photographer that donated these pictures, these were taken back in September!  They mean more now than ever!!}

She's such a dollie! We are about to spend some quality time together the next 3 days...in the hospital. We are scheduled to receive a big chemo, along with the fluids to  help 'flush' it out of her system. You can look up her blog for more information I wrote about it.

On Friday, she has an EEG scheduled {more info again on her blog}, to see if she has seizures. We've been noticing some strange 'staring' spells. The doctor wants to be sure.

{This was taken last week}

Not much decorating going around here, just trying to get ready the best we can for the holidays. {I am praying we aren't in the hospital} Crafting, cooking, baking!! Oh and we are fighting the sick bug too!!!

Thank you for all your prayers and support! Overall we are just happy to be here, and to have our beautiful little girl still with us. 

God is good!!

~*Jessica

Taking A Break From Christmas!!

I was 'blog-gazing' and I came across these photos

{please click on the photos for their sources}

hmmm...I think you see a pattern??? Happy Sunday!!! 

~*Jessica

Christmas in the Dining Room

Christmas Cheer has settled into the dining room! I love how it turned out...

I found a little green live tree at Walmart and nestled it into my little green and white pot {yep, it says garden in french and I'm sure it's intended to use in the spring/summer months, but it matched!!}

Along with scattering a few gold and green ornies amongst the gold mesh

Set a silver sugar and creamer set out {probably would look better if I polished it}

Antique crystal candlesticks, with little kerosene pots for light, along with my dollar store 'crystal cut' goblets

I really heart my napkins and the napkins rings...

Vintage butterscotch bakelite flatware

All placed upon a gold mesh scrap of fabric puddled, a strand of 'pearls', and a strand of gold sequined trim.

Is anyone still stumped on table decor for the holidays? We didn't get much of a Thanksgiving holiday, due to some uncontrollable circumstances, so I am determined not to let Christmas get away from us!

Linking up to these parties {links will work as soon as they come available}

http://laurieannas.blogspot.com/2011/11/love-at-first-sight-farmhouse-friday-17.html
http://www.athoughtfulplaceblog.com/2011/11/holiday-vignette.html
http://theletteredcottage.net/tablescapes-for-christmas/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheLetteredCottage+%28The+Lettered+Cottage%29
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/2011/12/93rd-table-top-tuesday.html

Our Christmas Living Room

This year, I banished all my reds {even in my holiday decor}. I guess I wanted to make my couch feel 'welcome' {if that's a proper saying}. For my color theme, I chose golds, bronzes and a tidge of green. I did try some white, and wasn't too thrilled with how it looked, so that all went out. 

I already posted about my mantle, with more detailed photos. In regards to the 'Parisian' twist to our mantle decor, my girls and I {thanks to me, I know} are on a huge Eiffel Tower kick. I am pretty sure it's legit, because we've been obsessed for well over a year now, and even my little one spots it out when ever {and where ever} she sees one. We were pretty excited to find the little eiffel tower statue that's sitting on the mantle {about 2 months ago} from Ross for 6.99!!

Since 're decorating' isn't a priority in our budget this year, I was proud to say I didn't spend a dime to decorate this room this year! Everything you see was pulled out of tubs, boxes, closets, off shelves, 'borrowed from another spot in the house'. 

I am in the process of 'creating' something for the dining room, I was stumped on what to do in there {with the black and white curtains} and I was super excited to find this for inspiration!!

{via}

We'll see how it pulls off! 

Linking up to {Links will work when they become available}:

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Our Christmas Mantle

I'm so in love with my mantle! {Have I mentioned that yet?} I decided to 'house shop' for all my decor in the living room this season. I'm happy with the results.

This is what the mantle was for fall:

Now this is what it is for winter:

Details:

I'm really loving the last minute decision to shove peacock feathers and the Paris themed letters and the tower in!! 

I was attempting to tie in my couch..with the decor. I LOVE how it turned out! 

Since we are on the subject of mantles, if you look at my photos with the 'lit' fire in my fireplace, it's not wood at all! I LOVE the ambience that a lit fire gives, but I have suffered from severe allergic reactions to wood smoke {from asthma} since I was a little kid. So, I thought..I'd shove all my half/barely used pillar and jar candles in there. You can't tell there is a rainbow assortment of colors, it's hid behind the fireplace screen. It's not the exact same effect, but pretty close! I think I've got about 15 or so different candles lit! It does make it pretty cozy, and saves me a lot of problems!! Just wish I'd thought about it sooner!

How is your decorating coming along??? 

I'm really excited to change out the seasonal decor, and ready for some snow...just to make it all perfect ;)

Will be back in a couple of days with more living room shots. I'm just stuck on my dining room!! The living room came easy...but the dining room is hard for me this year. The rooms are divided by a large archway, and they have their own personalities, yet the decor needs to flow...so we'll see what I can dig up!!! Might include some painting {Oh Lordy!!}

Have fun decorating!!

Linking up to:

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

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