Perfect Pictures

I know you mama's will know how I feel.

 You want just one good photo where everyone has their eyes open and is looking in the same direction. No one is grabbing their parts or picking their teeth or biting, hitting, kicking or pulling the hair of a sibling........it eludes most of us though and when it does happen it is usually an accident. Its the mythical unicorn of parent's dreams...the perfect family photo.

 This was my dream and the process of it on Thanksgiving, after the cooking, feasting and clean up and the guests went home and it was just us....

you can see it started to fall apart here......

is he licking me???

what the hell was that?

the moment when the why me phase begins

Now there is really no hope..

awwww Mama, we love you! 

ok, ok, let's try again

yeah....nope!

they love me! to death!!!!!

why can't you just be normal!

Can you please be serious for one moment!

yeah, that a big fat negatory on that one....and giggles break out

and it is contagious and we all give in to the giggles.....


and you think to yourself, "surely one of them is good, right?"
nope.Not a single one with everyone looking in the same direction, with both eyes and a smile!

I give up!

Sometimes What You Need is a Star!

            Every year as I do the decorating I have one tree that doesn't pan out quite the way I expect it too and I have to rethink it. This year it was the living room tree. I was planning a champagne metallic color scheme with lots of white and aged parchment. Inspired by the lyrics of Christmas carols I planned white feather garlands and rolled sheet music and gun metal grey balls and lots of gold balls in matte rubbed finishes. As I started pulling it together it just felt chaotic and confused. So I got to this point and was just unhappy. I was trying out new LED lights we bought at the end of season sales last year and the color was off from what I am used to and it just felt.........cold, lifeless. The crown topper, while in my head screamed "King of Kings!" looked small and irrelevant on the tree. So I stripped it back down and started again. After spending hours placing mesh, ribbon, lights and ornaments to strip it and do it again was a bit disheartening but I wanted to get it closer to my vision.

This photo I snapped at this point in the process and sent to my husband expressing my frustration. He was no help. So I began again. It is closer to where I wanted but I found the ribbon I should have used several days later but just didn't want to tackle taking everything off again, lol. It's close enough for this year. Next year I will use a different tree and slightly different color scheme. I think I might be happier with some champagne colored ribbon and some copper accessories for next year but who knows!

I am happy with how I put the ribbon on and the pheasant feathers came out the way I wanted so there is that!

My favorite thing is the map and banner but I am content with the tree after a trip to Hobby Lobby for a better topper. The crown felt off, forced and overwhelmed but the new star still reflects the meaning behind the carols I was inspired by and reinforces the color scheme and gives the tree some presence and that makes me happy!

I think the scale is better and I kind of like how it floats above the tree a bit!

 I love this little Santa ornament!  And I picked up these white word ornaments for the tree for this year to reinforce the joy to the world, peace on Earth thing.The gunmetal grey balls were new this year too and I think they are stunning!

 I reused the magnolia clip ons from last year's family room tree here this year, I like them! I even used them in the fall decor on the dining room table this year!

I think it all works. Stop in tomorrow to see the garland I put over the doorway, it took me hours to get it just how I wanted it and still had to go back to Hobby Lobby for more supplies!

Choo Choo Trains and Little Boys

Mamas of little boys all know how much our babies love anything with wheels and power! My middle son was a train fanatic. Thomas the Tank Engine, steam engines, locomotives.....he has forgotten more then I will ever know about trains.  These days he has moved on to sports cars and private planes as his fascination but my heart still flutters when I see a train my baby might have loved one day way back when.

My sweet boy c.2007

 2005  

This year I decided to do a train themed tree on one of our trees. I wasn't sure how it would work exactly but sometimes you just feel inspired and it all magically comes together. This was the tree that was the most fun for me to do this year. And while my oh so cool teenager was less impressed and excited about it then I had hoped I am still in love with it and warmed by the memories it brings to mind.

I loved the way the black and white ribbon echoed the linear train track element and the red made it cheerful.

Seriously, how cute is this!?

And I finished it off with a swath of deco mesh instead of a tree skirt as this is in my kitchen and it gathers plenty of crumbs!

Hands down this  little tree is my favorite part of this year's Christmas decorations!  What do you think?

Chaos, Christmas Light in a Tangle and Glitter........Literally Everywhere!

I don't know about you but I make a ginormous mess when I am decorating for Christmas!

This was a in progress shot during the decorating and as you can see.......chaos! But I kinda like the process of restoring order and beauty to the house as I clean up the mess and reveal all the beauty of the twinkling lights and those little things that spell out the holiday for us in our homes. It all feels so warm and happy to me.  I suppose it could be the fumes from the spray flocking or all the glitter I manage to inhale but I do enjoy the process.

Peace!

Good morning,
It is a chilly sunshin-y morning here on the Ridge, as I sit with my steamy cup of coffee and think of all of you. I wanted to share a little of my living room with you.

I love to be inspired by an object or a thought for decorating a space. Not a theme but just a feeling or a color. This year I decided to take down our four panel airplane art to replace it with this map I found at Hobby Lobby. I loved the colors and it is dry erase marker ready! Not that I will be writing on it for Christmas but it could be used in other places in the house after Christmas!


Our world has felt at unrest lately with the hotly contested election, and the multitude of things that make my heart world weary so I was truly inspired by the thought of Peace On Earth this season. Of refocusing my family from the politics and strife in the world to faith and the ideals that humans can be kind to one another and do the right thing when all my babes here on the news, in their school and on the internet is anger, pain and hurt. When I found the mirrored letter banner at Target I literally jumped up and down in excitement. It was just what I needed. I used some very simple pre-stained wood to tack the map up and then hung the garland from the edges. To me, this little vignette is all of my feelings lately bottled into one little scene. I am going to focus on the joy of the season and try to rekindle a little of my belief in the basic goodness of humanity.

 I hope you enjoyed my little picture of my world today! Stop back tomorrow for another little happy thought from my cluttered brain :)

Merry Christmas from the Ridge!

Hello all my little darlings!

I have pretty much wrapped up the Christmas decorating chaos here in our little house on Clover Ridge!  My home is full of twinkling lights and warm happy feelings!

I want to share a little of it with you, my friends!

So, come on in, welcome to my home! Be sure to stop in frequently in the near future as I share lots of the details......

like  this one!