merry christmas!

sorry for my absence. i will be back soon. have a very merry christmas & happy new year.

flowers for your weekend.

i am traveling this weekend to chicago. i get to see all of my family and spend extra time with the little ones and my sisters. once husband comes to town ... we will be celebrating christmas with my family & husband's family. it is going to be wonderful seeing everyone again. since we haven't really seen too many since our wedding last august. what are your holiday plans? image above found here and here. 

husband and i first christmas.

we celebrated early. we couldn't wait to give each other our gifts and we will be visiting family soon. the day was wonderful. we went to church, had brunch at egg and i, went to an old fashioned candy store, made our own recipe for cookies, and opened presents. a lovely first married christmas ... i must admit.

recipe wednesday.

ingredients...

mixing/kneading...

more kneading...

almost done...

let rise till double in size...

all done...

ready to eat...

as i am writing this i can taste the deliciousness and my mouth is watering. this is my second go at homemade pretzels. the first recipe i tried was good but lacked something. this recipe is amazing. i found it here. there's a cool video too. i think i will just have to make these "mall pretzels" tomorrow for game night. i really think they taste like Auntie Annie Pretzels. you will love them. husband and i really do.

old shoes.

husband showed me this video a few months ago. i love the vintage feel and his raspy voice.  i think he sounds like a wonderful mix of van morrison, amos lee, and ray lamontagne. the video is "old shoes" by sean rowe. enjoy!

design monday.

sorry for the late post today. husband and i had christmas yesterday so i am a little behind ... pictures later this week from that. on a different note: i have fallen in love with images like this found here. trees always seem to brighten my day ... healthy trees that is. i would love to have a window or even a big print like this. what brightens your day?

flowers for the weekend.

aren't these beautiful. i spotted them here and then here. have a wonderful weekend! husband and i plan to finish up our christmas shopping! i plan to make our christmas cards and finish sewing our christmas stockings. what are your fun plans?

country life.

antique stores in a person's home. horses in back yards. beautiful sunset. all things enjoyed by husband and i ... a weekend or two ago.

recipe wednesday.

homemade hot chocolate mix is the best. i realized the other day i could save money by making it myself instead of those store bought packets. plus it's better homemade. here's a good recipe i found and now love. i use 2% milk. i add a little hazelnut creamer, whipped cream, and a dash of cinnamon to top it off. it is the perfect winter drink.

jelly bean.

this is definitely worth watching. 2,460 frames, 1,357 hours, and yes 288,000 jelly beans. "in your arms" by kinna grannis.

this is the behind the scenes making of "in your arms" by kinna grannis. also worth watching to fully appreciate the first video.

design monday.

this bathroom is lovely with that pop of color. i also love the deep sink and attractive shower/bath combo. image found here.

plant trees for free.

this is the best. arbor day and green universal are amazing. go here or here to plant trees for free. i already planted 5 trees. how many can you get planted this weekend? have a wonderful weekend! any fun plans ... besides planting free trees?

christmas time is here.

tree is up. nativity scene out. little christmas things here and there. a very she and him christmas record on repeat. husband and i just love this time of year. we can't wait to start our advent book tonight (my parents got us a signed copy last year).