Happy Holidays!

My house is filled with family. The cupboards are stuffed with food and outside, the sky is silver-gray. Our street twinkles with row upon row of strung lights. Chimneys happily puff smoke from their tops, as families gather around the fire.

Yeah, it’s a pretty special time of year…

I hope your holiday season is filled with love, happiness, peace and hope…oh and food…lots of food…and wine…you gotta have wine.

Happy Holidays! I will see you all in the New Year.

Thank you for all your love, encouragement and comments!

xo,

Image via homelife.com.au

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Winter Bliss

I’ve got snow on my blog page, snow on my internet home page…but NO snow on the ground. boo. I know that Portland comes to a complete standstill when the white stuff comes down but it sure does make everything look magical. My parents arrive this weekend from their own winter wonderland – Montana – so maybe they will bring a few flurries with them…in the mean time I guess looking at these lovely images will have to do…

I’ve been collecting these from around the web and posting them to my Pinterest Page. A little curated piece of winter bliss. Enjoy.

Doesn’t that snowy porch look like the perfect place to sit and sip hot cocoa!?

xo,

Images including links via: Winter Bliss gallery

Link Love

Hello friends,

Image via weheartit

Yesterday it was perfectly rainy here in Portland. (Surprise, surprise)…and I was roaming through blogland with my hot cup of tea.

I discovered so many pretty things to show you that I was having an inspiration overload, so I thought the best thing to do would just share some of my favorites with you.

A little link love is in order. Ready? Okay let’s go…click away!

Discover the snow-covered Amsterdam landscapes by visiting one of my favorite bloggers…Pia.

Enjoy some curated mood board inspiration from Melissa.

Virtually thumb through one of the loveliest online magazine around…Lonny.

Feel like baking something beautiful? Stop over at Aran’s for some gorgeous deliciousness…aka…Pear and Hazelnut Tarts!

How about some holiday cheer from one of my favorite artists? Head over to see Geninne…

Hope you have fun persusing some of my favorite blog hangouts. Enjoy!

xo,

<img src=”http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/216/79361783B45EE8F3744255B240F0BEF7.png” style=”border: 0 !important; background: transparent;”/>

Customize your holidays

Okay, so I love these printable custom designs by Anders Ruff. This ingenious concept is the brain child of two incredibly talented women: Maureen Anders and Adria Ruff! I love it when creative women team up! So cool!

So…make your holiday buffet, table and gifts something ultra special by customizing all your treats with these fabulous labels, tags and garlands! Buy the designs online, get the file via email and print at home (or your local print shop) ! Easy peasey.

So inspiring right? Go check out their Etsy shop here and their lovely blog here.

xo,

All images via here.

Hello my beautiful tree.

After a teary eyed day, picking up all Sydney‘s toys and cleaning out her food bowl…I needed something pretty to work on…something to cheer me up.

On Saturday, Chris brought home the most beautiful tree for us. It’s our first real tree! I haven’t had one since I was a kid. The whole house smells amazing!

I set to work decorating it…

I kept it super simple using only silver and white ornaments and paper snowflakes. Instead of a star I crowned the tree with sparkling branches.  It was an honor to adorn such a grand tree and I often just sit in the living room and smile up at it. I’m still missing my kitty but this gorgeous house guest brightened my day. Thank you tree.

Have you decorated your tree yet? How did you do it?

xo,

I will miss you Sydney.

Sydeny 2002-2010

Tonight we put down our cat, Sydney. She had stomach cancer. This afternoon she was sitting in my lap and now…she’s gone. It’s amazing the emptiness a pet leaves when they are gone. The house feels empty, her food bowl sits there undisturbed, her catnip mouse lies in the corner. I miss her so much. She was a shy kitty. I mostly saw her at night, once Grace was in bed. She would come and sit with me, quietly purring. A warm weight on my legs. But tonight…nothing. I’m left only with warm tears running down my cheeks.

My only comfort – she is with my other kitty, Gabriel. They used to sleep together. Now, I hope they lay once more, in each others arms…

xo,