A Wonderful Christmas

Christmas was wonderful. I would like to share some pictures with you that stand out as I think back on Christmas 2010...

Our special wrapping paper project on Christmas eve...



This year was Preston and my first Christmas in our little house. We decorated with lights and it looked just like a little ginerbread house. Lights sparkled on our tree and our special mantle. We collected cards and hung them on the fireplace. We created a new Christmas tradition together: making our own wrapping paper. In the picture above, you can see the wrapping paper we made together on Christmas eve....

Before we climbed into bed on Christmas eve, we shared the magic of this little scene (plus a fire in the fire place that was lit shortly after this picture was taken), all snuggled up in a blanket on the couch. I had a case of the sugarplums for sure...



Me, Preston, Annie, Audrey, Kevin, Mom, Scott, Dad, and Nancy spent Christmas morning around the Christmas tree at my Mom and Scott's house (our first Christmas in their new house) opening gifts (we always open each gift one by one to cherish every gift) and had a lovely Christmas dinner together that night...

Here are some pictures Preston captured of the different parts of our holiday season. There are so many others, and I could make this into a really huge post, but I've decided to give you just a little peek into our holidays...

Preston captured of my new slippers my mom got me from the Etsy shop MEandREEKIE. They're like giant baby booties!!



Little sis Audrey in her cute Christmas pjs...



My loves Annie and Kevin...



Kevin in the tie we gave him from etsy seller, Toybreaker.




We each took turns in mom's lap--Scott had mom's special rocking chair restored. (A very touching gift.) It was the rocker that she rocked us all in as babies...



I gave Annie a special painting to honor her journey...




And that was Christmas day. There were many other pictures, but I hope you got a glimpse into the first part of our special Christmas...

Then, in crazy blizzard weather, we managed to fly out of Colorado Springs to spend time with Preston's side of the family in Kansas City and Nebraska.

We went with Preston's Mom and John to Karen and Craig's on New Years and finally got to meet our new little cousin, Courtney and Tim's little one, Josey!!



Then we spent a day with Preston's Dad and Tammy and Micaela, and the rest of the Stohs clan up in Nebraska.






This year, all the grandkids wrote love letters to Grandma and Grandpa, and it was the most beautiful thing to hear them read each letter aloud. They are very loved...





We spent the rest of our time back in Kansas City with Preston's mom and John, and had a wonderful Christmas celebration together. We also got to see Michael, and we made a special trip down to the plaza to see the lights, which we miss very much... The Plaza lights are a Kansas City tradition. Every year on Thanksgiving Eve, everyone gathers in the streets on the Plaza (a shopping district) and the lights of the plaza are turned on all at once. They wrap around every detail of every building and are an amazing sight to see... They were beautiful as ever...













We of course, as always, enjoyed many games of dominoes with Mom and John, and of course, Teresa and I kicked John and Preston's butts at Wii shuffleboard. We rock. Bring it. ;) And no, we did not just win because we went first. I know you don't like the way this is shaping up, but I'm telling you, the cheese is binding...




Eventually we made it back to the Springs, and on January 10 we celebrated with Dad and Nancy for their birthdays at one of our favorite local restaurants, Poor Richards.




I am so grateful to have shared this holiday season with my dearest family. I love you all!

Winter Magic: My Christmas Mantle

If you've been reading, you know by now that decorating my mantle with the coming of each season is something I absolutely LOVE to do, and I daydreamed and really looked forward to bringing life to the mantle for Christmas.

I think one reason decorating the mantle is so special to me, is that this is Preston and my very first house together. We've lived both in our parents houses and in an apartment, but this year, we share the sweetest little cottage. And decorating our very first house for Christmas??? Even more joy. So putting mantle and Christmas together in the same sentence, you have one very very happy me.

Another reason I love decorating the mantle, is that to me, it is like a special altar in our home (and the only place our cat Spoofer cannot get to) and I love having a special altar to the seasons. It is a warm, wonderful ritual to decorate it. This precious earth is so special to me, and it is one way in which I can honor the cycles of the earth, and honor each season and the way it touches my own human cycles, and honor the changes that take place in and all around me with each new season.

I put a lot of love into this mantle design and really dreamed it up over a couple months time, looking high and low in shops and online for the perfect elements to compliment it. So sharing it with you has been a much anticipated thing. Of course I only wish you could see it in person, and see how it sparkles in the low light of the evening, because its even better than the pictures can express. But here they are, my very special Christmas Mantle...

Ta-dahhhh! Ok...now let me show you some close-ups...

A sweet sparkly winter bird (yes, I definitely have a bird obsession)

A little snowflake candle...

Little trimmed trees on each end...

Silver branch garland that I bought to decorate for my holiday trunk show, but ended up getting some more when I realized it was the missing element in my Christmas mantle...

The beginning of a winter vignette I've started to the side of the fireplace...I've already changed it a little since this photo...

A precious tiny decoration my sister Annie got for me when she was living in France...

Spoofer wishing she could knock everything down... ok...maybe she's just daydreaming, waiting for spring to arrive so she can eat grass in the yard...

The star atop our little tree...

And put it all together.....

Christmas Magic!

I wish for you a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and all the things that make you happy! Thank you for reading my blog and allowing me to share with you the joys of my life.

Love,

Abbey

Various Spring Vignettes

My decorating is very nature-inspired, and I especially love this time of year...



I have been picking up a boquet of Ranunculus flowers from Whole Foods each time I go shopping, and they bring moments of joy and pure presence to me each time I see them. They are one of my very favorite flowers and I love to arrange them in all my little vases...



On the coffee table, a beautiful slate my husband rescued from being taken to the landfill, with a little nest (nests are my favorite symbol right now), and a sweet cast-iron feather I bought at a wonderful shop in downtown Ventura, California called B on Main that I always insist on visiting every time I go to see my sister Annie and her husband.



Little built-in shelves to the side of our fireplace provide the perfect space for creating little worlds of interest. Here, a wild turkey feather I found several years ago while walking the trails at Unity Village in Missouri, a beautiful gold-leafed frame my dad hand-leafed and gave me one Christmas that just seems to be art enough by itself, and two lovely stone candle holders given to us by our brother-in-law Kevin.



Precious treasures: One of my favorite little books in the world, Keep Life Simple Therapy, an Elf-help Book, and a little ceramic deer my dad gave me.

A beautiful photograph taken by my husband Preston that he framed and gave to me for Christmas this year. It adds so much brightness to my day whenever I see it. Visit his Etsy shop to order this photograph, or choose from many other beautiful and unique fine art photographs: http://www.stohsphotography.etsy.com/

I always get so much joy from filling my fruit bowl full of fresh fruits right after grocery shopping. When I shop for fruit, I look for the colorful and interesting ones and arrange them in the bowl as if it were an art piece in itself. :)

Sweet little hand-thrown miniature vases I bought this summer while we were visiting Zion National Park in Utah. Tucked inside one of the pots is an absolutely precious and beautiful hand-painted matchbox by MaryHanks on Etsy, that I fell in love with, and my sister and her husband got me for Christmas last year. I love and cherish sweet little things that could be ordinary, but are made extraordinary. It always brings me joy to use my little matchbox.

Pretty Spring Garlands in the Works

I am currently working on a special line of garlands for my Spring Collection. Here's a sneak peek at "Annie's Garland" in the works, but to see the final product, you'll have to wait for the arrival of my Spring Collection! ;)

I call this one "Annie's Garland" because I originally created this design to decorate for my sister's special Bridal Shower. It is a beautiful color combination that really adds a lovely touch to any special gathering...

While working, I sipped on a refreshing glass of sweet country peach iced tea, which is my very favorite drink right now--I've been making it almost every day... Please note the beautiful hand-crocheted doilie, made by my husband Preston's lovely Grandmother Loretta. I treasure all things handmade for us, especially those made by our grandparents...

I really should have you over so we can share a glass of this wonderful iced tea together, but because it is so fantastic, I can't keep it all to myself! ;)

• Fill a saucepan with water (I bet its about 6-8 cups)


• Bring to a boil


• Add 5-6 Celestial Seasonings "Country Peach Passion" tea bags (the best peach tea EVER. I only wish it was organic)


• Turn off heat and let steep for 5-10 min or whatever you like


• Remove teabags, add Agave Nectar to taste (you could use whatever sweetener you would like, but Agave is heaven to me. Its low glycemic and much easier on the body than most sweeteners. It will dissolve in hot or cold tea too! I love the way it compliments the flavor of this tea. I like the dark amber Agave.


• Let cool for a while, then refridgerate or add ice


• Pour into your favorite pitcher


• Fill a glass with ice, pour, and enjoy! Warning: this may become an obsession if you like peach tea as much as I do!! Wonderful!

Tracing design for garland...

Each piece is carefully cut out to be part of the whole! I love these garlands, and can't wait to share them with you! They add that extra touch of love and care to a celebration.

I have a passion for picking out colors and color combinations and I spend hours sometimes mixing and matching until I find the perfect blend. I am especially fond of this combination, because it combines femininity with fun, and a feeling of celebration. It looked really lovely hanging at my sister's garden bridal shower. Maybe you know someone who would be delighted by this garland!

They look lovely strung across a mantle for a splash of color to celebrate Spring's arrival, and can be hung again and again for all of your spring and summer birthday celebrations, tea parties, and garden soirees...

Until next time,

Love,

Abbey