I See It, There It Is

Friends and family often ask me why I'm not on all the social media sites, and I try to explain to them, but my reasoning is never good enough.  I can't really explain it myself, it's just a feeling I have.  I was at the bank yesterday and one of the first ones in line.  I glance back at the people standing in line, and four of them had their heads down staring at their phones.  People don't look up any more.  The one-on-one conversations are slowly diminishing because they are so busy interacting through other means of communication.   So, while I'm wondering how it is that I'm going to explain to loved ones why I'm not a social media butterfly, 

 

I see it,

there it is,

sitting right in the center

of the shop,

exuding all and everything

I'd like to say

in just eight little words,

a beacon of wisdom

 

Darling,  thank you for reminding me to be true to myself, despite the many attempts to lure me into the social media world.   My little blog is all the social media I need.  My wish for you in the new year is simple.
 

BE YOU.

You are unique

You are wonderful
You are loved

 

(My candle is from Anthropologie
if you'd like to get one for yourself).

~Sheri

A Little Trip

The day after Christmas, we all took a plane flight and visited the magical place of Disneyland.

My favorite place here is New Orleans Square.  It was all decked out with holiday décor and looked wonderful.  We had peppermint beignets with powdered sugar, and oh, were they good.

We went on the well-known rides, Indiana Jones, etc., and the kids wanted me to go on this roller coaster and said it wasn't too fast.....it was!!

After walking for hours, our feet were tired, so we met some of our extended family and went to eat dinner at a nice restaurant, and then headed over to the Grand Californian Hotel  to rest.  The center of the hotel is so charming, and we warmed ourselves by the fire and drank hot chocolate and marshmallows.  They serve the best hot chocolate that I've ever had, and we heard that they make it themselves.   There were even carolers singing their sweet tunes.

The girls wanted me to go on the carousel, and it's been awhile since I had the pleasure of going on one, and it was a lot of fun.

It's getting dark out now, and Disneyland is magical with all the lights.  We thought about how much it must cost to set up all the grand lights here.

We stopped in the middle of main street, and just looked at all the special people having a most wonderful time.  They come from all over - we met a nice family from Hungary.  I smiled thinking that this is my native state and we could visit any time.

We stopped at a few shops  (had to visit the chocolate shop), and gazed upon the fantastic window displays. 

After eleven hours of walking, it was time to head on back to the hotel, get a good night's rest, and travel back home.  It was really a memorable little trip.

~Sheri

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Lesson

A cold winter's night in a small little town,
on a busy street corner, people bustling around,
stood a mother with her son collecting coins for the poor
when the child asked a question he had never asked before.

"Is there a purpose? Why are we here?"
the little boy asked as the yuletide drew near.
"I really do hope that someday I will know
the reason we stand out here in the snow
ringing this bell as people walk by
while thousands of snowflakes descend from the sky."

The mother just smiled at her shivering son
who would rather be playing and having some fun
But soon would discover before evening was done
the meaning of Christmas the very first one.

The young boy exclaimed, "Mother where does it go,
all the pennies we collect every year in the snow.
Why do we do it? Why do we care?
We work for these pennies so why should we share?"

"Because once a small baby, so meek and so mild,
was born in a manger, so humble the child."
"The Son of a King was born in this way
to give us a message He carried that day."

“You mean baby, Jesus?” Is He why we’re here
ringing this bell at Christmas time every year?”
“Yes” said the mother, “That is why you should know
about the very first Christmas a long time ago.”

"The present God gave to the world on that night
was the gift of His Son to make everything right."
"Why did He do it? Why did He care?,
to teach about loving and how we should share."

"The meaning of Christmas, you see my dear son,
is not about presents and just having fun
but the gift of a Father - His own precious Son
so the world would be saved when His work was all done."

Now the little boy smiled - with a tear in his eye
as snowflakes kept falling from out of the sky
- rang louder the bell as people walked by
while down deep in his heart at last he knew why.

~Tom Krause

Merry Christmas,

dear friends.

You are very special to us.

 

 

                                                                     

      ~Sheri, Jess, Nel

 

Just Because In December

Our trees here are turning

from oranges

to reds

to browns

and falling swiftly.

 

 

 

 

The woman at the window

said to me,

"the lady in front of you
paid for your drink and said to have
a Merry Christmas!"

 

 

It's been so cold here

that there is frost on all the lawns

early in the morning.

 

 

This tree right by my house

looks like it's on fire,

it's sooooo pretty.

 

 

This jolly guy says hello to

everyone driving by in

my brother's neighborhood.

One of my favorite things
to eat is spaghetti,
butter, a few tomatoes, and
salt and pepper.

 

Ever wondered what Noel means?

In French, joyeax noel means

Merry Christmas.

 

 

Sometimes early in the morning

when it's still dark out,

I turn on the Christmas tree lights,

and just sit and stare in wonder.

 

 

HoHoHo!

Me and best friend many moons ago.

(I'm on the right). 
He was the best looking Santa
that I've ever seen.
I think he was the real Santa.  ; ) 

 

 

Happy Christmas week!

 

~Sheri

'Tis the Season to Be Crafty

There's something about the holidays that brings out the creativity in a lot of us women. I like to get festive with new chalkboard art every week leading up to Christmas.

(designs inspired by Pinterest)

Holiday floral arrangements are also a lot of fun. 

And, of course, what's a Christmas season without a little baking? Eggnog cookies are a personal favorite of mine. 

How do you get crafty for Christmas?

~ Nel ~

White Fairy

Since I have a small space,

I had to get a small tree this year. 

So, I gathered up all the white ornaments

I have, and decorated this little tree

with white and silver.

 

 

 

 

 

My friend, Dana, makes us homemade goodies
every year along with a cute ornament,
and this ice skate is a favorite
of the bunch.

 

 

A treasured porcelain dove

from the year that Nel was born.

 

 

My son threw in a little red and jolly.  ; )

 

 

I must show you the white fairy I bought. 

It was kind of expensive,

but I guess we have to treat ourselves

now and then.

 

 

 

 

The lady at the store told me
the reason it was so expensive was because
she is from a special collection, and
her face is hand painted.
She looks so real. 

 

 

Her fur coat has a jewel clasp,

 

 

and I love her sequin and fur leggings.

 

 

She's going to be my Christmas fairy every year,
but I will keep her out all year long,
as I have a white bedroom.

 

Almost done with my shopping

and wrapping,

and now it's time to

sit back and enjoy the season!

 

 

My tree is really small this year,

but it's real, and that's

a very important thing in this house.
I can smell the lingering
scent of pine
every time I walk by. 

 

 

~Sheri