Christmas Table

I finally got my table set up for Christmas! The only thing left is the tree - and we haven't decided if we want to set up our fake tree or go by a real one for Brayden.

I change out my table for every season and this is the only season that I use real china and that's only because it's my Moms! Thanks Mom!


Last year a local store went out of business so I bought this centerpiece for about $20.00. It didn't photograph that well, but it's pretty in person!

Do you decorate your table for Christmas?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here!

GIVEAWAY!

This isn't a big giveaway, but I thought it was something cute!

I was shopping the other day and swung over to the Christmas section where they had this little towel set! It's a green decorative dish towel, a polka dotted towel for drying dishes and the Santa at the top is actually a pot scrubber!

I thought it was so cute that I picked one up for me...and one for YOU if you happen to win this giveaway!

Here's how to win!

- Leave me a comment for 1 entry.
- Add me to your blog roll for 1 additional entry.
- Link to my blog and blog about the giveaway for 5 more entries (make sure to let me know in the comments!).

Edited to add: This is totally unrelated but if you want 20% off and FREE SHIPPING from Old Navy, enter code MONDAY today only!

Before and After (Because you asked...)

Y'all wanted before and after pics of my hair, and I am here to serve.

Before (and yea, I know I am badly in need of some root work here!):

After (I took this one the other morning...All that is in my hair at this point is the Osis Dust It - no teasing or anything else).

Are you seeing as big of a difference as I am? I know that top pic makes it hard to tell, but it really does help! And then when you tease your hair on top of it, it's an even bigger change!

Date Night

Last night my parents watched B so that Chris and I could go on a date. We headed out to eat at Copelands (where I continue to order my favorite dish even though it was taken off the menu 4 years ago!) and then to the movies.

I never thought I'd want to see a football movie but I've been anticipating seeing The Blind Side since the first time I saw the trailer.

If you're living in a cave somewhere and haven't heard of this movie (just kidding!) it's about the true story of Michael Oher who now plays for the Ravens. He was totally on his own, taking care of himself, sleeping in the school gym when the Tuohy family found him, walking down the street in the middle of winter with cutoff jeans and a t-shirt on. They took him in that night...and the rest you'll have to see for yourself.

This is a picture of the real family:

This is by far one of the best movies I've ever seen - made better by the fact that it's a true story. If you haven't seen it, make time for a date night and check it out!

So Thankful!

We're so thankful to be celebrating this year with this little man!

We have these rails that run across the top of our bed and B is so strong that Chris decided to lift him up and see if he could do pull ups...

He could!

After we loaded up we headed out to the cabin for T-day. Our family of 3:
B's shirt says "I'm Stuffed" and has a cute little turkey on it.

We brought the Wii with us and took turns hunting.

B wanted to take part in the feast. He ate turkey, jello cranberry salad, a bite of sweet potatos and olives. My personal fave is the deep fried turkey! What's yours?

Stuffing his face:

After dinner he headed over to the tree to investigate the tree stand.

We've had such a great Thanksgiving. And we are very thankful to each and every one of you who prayed for us and Brayden while he was sick.

Hope you have a great Turkey Day!

Sneak Peek

Thanks to all those who wrote me and left comments about the sewing machine! Looks like I have a lot to think about!

Here's a sneak peek of what tomorrow brings...

Oh Brother.

This is more of a question than a post really.

Remember the baby shower I threw here a couple of weeks ago? A bunch of girls made their gifts for the mom to be and they were so cool! Monogrammed burp rags and a handmade changing pad were a few of the things that these crafty girls concocted.

So I asked a few girls what kind of sewing machine they used and everyone said if they had it to do over again they'd buy a Brother (which, side note, I'd never heard of! Sad, I know).

So here is a list of questions - if you can answer any of them, please do!!

- If you've not sewn since middle school home economics, is learning to sew/monogram stuff really hard?
- Do you sew? What's your machine recommendation?
- Is there an "all in one" machine that sews and monograms?
- Really, how hard is it to learn?

I don't have a ton of time to invest in learning something right now with a baby whose on the verge of walking. So any tips/advice you have is welcome!

Who took my baby?

Remember this baby?

I've received lots of comments over the last few months about how he smiles in every picture, how he's so happy, etc etc.

Somebody took this child from me this past weekend and replaced him with a teary, grouchy, non-sleeping baby. I have no idea whose child that was, but it sure wasn't mine.

He was up for 3 nights - screaming bloody murder. My parents attempted to watch him Sunday night and had to bring him back to us because he was so upset. I mean S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G. I should have said, "Sorry! He's not mine! My baby doesn't act like that!"

So all in all, I have no idea what happened to him this weekend. It started the night before we left for Dallas. But thankfully, the minute we walked through our front door last night he was all smiles, happy go lucky, his normal self. He also slept from 8:30pm - almost 8am.

Very, very weird. But I'm just glad he's back!

Weekend Trip

This weekend we headed to Dallas because for Chris' birthday I got him tickets to see the Cowboys play. He was really excited because he'd never been to an NFL game and the Cowboys are his favorite team.

We usually stay at the Galleria when we go to Dallas. My parents were with us and when we first arrived we headed out to show B the huge Christmas tree that's in the middle of the skating rink.

It's enormous!

Sunday my Dad and Chris headed to the game. They got great tickets that came with a parking pass. This is about where they were parked!

Outside of the new stadium:

He snapped a pic of the DCC for me...I've watched every season of DCC:Making the Team!

The view from their seats - they had 50 yard line tickets on the 13th row. Pretty cool!

Chris had a great time, and surprisingly so did my Dad! He isn't into sports at all but he really enjoyed himself.

And of course mom, B and I had fun shopping! Can you believe I have almost ALL of my Christmas shopping done? Crazy! Have you done your Christmas shopping?

Crafty Christmas

Last week when we had Julie's shower, her friends from Little Rock brought these cute, handmade pom pom decorations to hang from my chandelier.

I thought it would be really cute to make these for Christmas. You could put them in an apothecary jar, use them here or there to add a pop of color, or of course, do what we did for the shower and hang them.

So I search online and found the directions. It's super easy! Just go here for step by step instructions and (my favorite) pictures so that you know you're doing it right!

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas (Part 1)

Today we put up some of our Christmas decorations. Yes, I'm one of those people that put up their decorations annoyingly early. Oh, and we are one of three home in our 150 house sub-division to have our outside lights up and on.

We still haven't done the tree or the table yet but here is a preview!

The mantle:

Mantle and hearth:

Entertainment center:

A table I have behind the couch:

The mirror at the bottom of the stairs where Bubs waves hello to himself every morning, and the new Razorback snowman family:

Pine cone garland on the stairs:

Faux poinsettias in the entry:

The coat closet:

Next to the stairs:

So far this is all I have in the dining room:

So, was that picture overload?

Do you have your decorations up early like me??

Since it's Brayden's first Christmas I wanted things up as long as possible so that he can enjoy them. So far, he's smiled at all the lights, laughed at one of my singing snowmen and pulled down Santa off the hearth. So worth putting them up early!!!

Putting the Stride Rites to use...

Grammy bought Bubby his first (ahem, two) pairs of Stride Rites today. Here's one of them...

And someone decided to put them to good use. A couple of weeks ago B discovered that he could climb the stairs at church...and by stairs I mean the entire flight...twice.

So he wanted to show off for us today...he's smiling behind the bink.

See me mom? (Don't worry, Daddy was right behind him if he were to fall!).

K, I gotta go...stairs to climb!

Somebody is getting tooth #2. It hurts me about as much as it hurts him! Thankfully I think the worst is over now...knock on wood. I'm going to miss that gummy smile!

First I need to tie up some loose ends!

Where can you get Dust It? Well, the salon I goes to sells it for about $25 a bottle, but I found it new, unused on ebay for $9 with free shipping! As far as a picture, I'll have to get on that!

Also, if you are interested in a Christmas giveaway, check out this site!

Today we had a playdate at my best friend Amy's house with her two kids, Natalie and Landon.

Here's Landon (I can't believe I didn't get a single pic of Natalie!) hugging my knees!

B is playing on this rocking cow that moo'ed! He loved it!

The boys on the Harley rocker:

B had such a good time and the kids all got along great. Natalie is like a little momma and she kept handing B toys when he would drop them. So cute!

I have a new best friend.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, then you probably have picked up on the fact that my hair and I are NOT friends. It's very thin, but I have a lot of it. It doesn't do anything that I want it to do - ever.

Since moving to Arkansas I quickly became aware that women here like BIG hair. Teased beyond my comprehension hair.

Guess whose hair doesn't tease? Or have any sort of volume no matter what I use? Moi.

And last week at the Big Hair Appt., my friend and hairdresser introduced me to a miracle product:

(Ohhh!!! Awww!!!)

This is called Dust It. And it sorta looks like salt. But it isn't. I promise.

In fact as Julie was showing me how to use it, I asked if I use it like I was salting my baked potato and she said "Yes...If you really like salt!"

So here's the deal. You part your hair like you normally would and then lift up a section at a time behind it, as if you were going to tease it. Then sprinkle the powder on your hair. Then all you do it massage it into your scalp. And throughout the day, if you need a lift, just give it a little massage and it puffs back up!

Want proof that this works? Sunday, in church, my dad looked at me and said "Did you do something different to your hair?" Now, take my word on this, my dad doesn't notice these kinds of things. There had to be a big difference for him to comment!!

Speaking of Christmas Gifts...

Do you all have someone in your life who is incredibly hard to buy for? I'm not just talking about Christmas, but birthdays and all the other times of the year when you need to get them a gift? I know I do!

One thing we do in our family is give the gift of a charitable donation in honor of that person. So, in case you find yourself in the same dilemma here are some charities that I recommend! Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite charity!

Of course I have to start with our newest favorite...

Arkansas Children's Hospital

I think that one speaks for itself!

Another one that we give to regularly is the Disabled Veterans Fund. Chris and I feel strongly about honoring and serving those who have served our country and fight daily for our freedom.

St. Jude's is a wonderful organization and you can give a donation in honor or memory of a friend/family member.

Arkansas Baptist Childrens Home is a organization in our state that houses children who've been neglected, abused, and/or abandoned. It is truly a wonderful organization, and like the others, you can give in honor or memory.

And last but not least is an organization that I just recently heard about, called Heifer Int'l. Through them, you can give the gift of an animal...ranging from, you guessed it, heifers, to chickens, goats, water buffalo's and more. The idea is that instead of just feeding the person, you are giving them the gift of an animal that will continue to provide for their family. For example, the cow won't only provide milk, but their can birth a calf every year that the family can sell and make income off of. Visit their site for many more examples!

I hope I've inspired you with some of the above information. Leave me a note with YOUR favorite charities!

Baby Shower!

Yesterday I hosted a baby shower for a friend from church. Julie is expecting her little miracle baby boy in December!

I got the cake from my favorite cake shop. They did the cake for my wedding and one of my baby showers. I called way ahead of time and gave really specific instructions. Julie's colors are silvery blue, silver, black and white. So that is how the cake was supposed to look. Well, they got most of the look right, but totally messed up the colors!

All I can say as at least it wasn't pink! And, they did do a few things to try to fix it like switch out the monogram to a silver one, add a silver bow and add some silver dots. Oh, and the all-important filling was correct! Chocolate on chocolate - Julie and my personal fave!

A girl that goes to church with us, Robin, makes the gorgeous cookies from scratch! Aren't they beautiful? And they taste as good as they look!

Another friend from church made this adorable diaper cake!

The table:

Julie opening gifts!

The shower was so much fun! Unfortunately, as people were arriving we had a sudden downpour of rain and several people got soaked! We went from sunny 70-75 degree temps last week to a possibility of snow tonight and tomorrow! Crazy Arkansas weather!

Christmas Store

Tonight we went out to eat at Chili's (love their 2 for $20 dinners!) and then it was time to hit up Wal-Mart. Each year our church does a community Christmas store to help underprivileged families provide gifts for their children. This year, we are inviting a record of over 800 families to come get gifts for their kids!

This is our shopping cart once we were almost finished loading up. We bought a variety of toys and games for boys and girls of all ages - birth on up. I want Brayden to grow up giving and wanting to help others, and to instill that in him at a young age!

10 Months Old!

Happy 10 month birthday Brayden!

It is getting SO hard to take his picture anymore! He absolutely hates it when I put him in that chair to do his picture!

Some highlights from this month:

- You fully understand the word NO. In fact, one thing that you know is off limits is the fireplace hearth. So the other day, when you cruised from the coffee table, to Chris' ottoman, to my ottoman, to the hearth you began to violently shake your head no-no and glance back at us with a big ol' grin on your face...

- You're a big time cruiser. You can almost walk on your own...you are just this close!

- Momma was very sad a couple of weeks ago because we retired your swing and jumperoo.

- You still aren't a big eater still. You like your baby peaches and lasagna, and the you eat your baby cheetos (that's not what they're called but I can't think of the name right now) and those "wheel" things. Oh and breadsticks at Olive Garden...you are my son.

- You got your first tooth this past month and are now working on tooth #2.

- You learned a new word - Uh-Oh. And you use it appropriately. Appropriately meaning when you drop/throw something or when Grammy sings you the Spaghetti -O's theme song.

- You current favorite toy is the door stop.

- Your learning to give kisses. Even if they sometimes include a bite mark to the cheek.

- You are also learning to give hugs. Thankfully, those don't involve teeth.

- You throw occasional temper tantrums now if you don't get your way....especially if it involves you not getting the computer power cord (your true love).

AMC's littlest fan

Last month I took a video of Brayden that I've been attempting to fix (mainly because I took half of the video sideways!) but I've given up now.

So you all know that I'm a huge closet fan of All My Children and have been since I was...3? 4 maybe?

Well, apparently, little man is too... Check out AMC's littlest fan!

My Dining Room Accessory

Remember me posting about needing a dining room hutch?

I finally got one! A local store that has some really neat things had a sale going on. I finally found a hutch that I liked and I called every where pricing it out and they had it for the least expensive price.

Here it is!

I just set everything up today with help from my mom. I finally have a place to display my wedding china and silver.

The two things on top (and the one in the center on the above pic) are antique cake stands that I bought in California.

More wedding china and silver!

What do you think?

I'm having a baby shower here on Sunday and the colors are silvery blue, silver, black and white. I think my new hutch decorations really match the color scheme!