I am sitting here today as the heavy clouds of Winter release a steady and soothing rain. Stark and naked trees are silhouetted against an early morning sky. Christmas Eve has arrived and is being welcomed by brilliant red cardinals and watchful hawks. The hectic frenzy of Christmas preparations are coming to a close and it is now that the stillness of these precious moments remind me of what it is that I am to be focusing on. The beautiful and miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. His birth created a joy unlike any other and in those chaotic moments of daily living His presence is like a calming sea upon the soul. I am reminded that my personal joy, peace, contentment and happiness are not dependent upon objects, hopes, dreams or people but on Him, and He never has nor will ever let me down. My  Christmas wish for you is this; May thoughtful people bless your life with soft spoken words of  kindness and gentle care. May the dawn of Christmas day bless you with joy and a heart that is full

Hello friends! Well, I am just beside myself with Christmas joy and anticipation of my first Hometalk live DIY tutorial. You know me and my Christmas happiness, the music, lights and magic. Simple abundance and gratitude are my guides for maneuvering through life and Christmas is such a perfect time to practice both of those mindsets. So, today I am saying thank you to you ! You have made this past year fantastic! You have loved me, accepted me and have given me such joy and encouragement that here I am just about to make my first live video with Hometalk. Did I just say a live video... The house is decorated, a few of the presents wrapped. I have made brownies, cooked pasta, laughed like a child and loved on those that have taken the time to surround me. I have done my share of reminiscing of those that have gone on before me and held them close to my heart. I am thankful. A few packages wrapped just waiting to be loaded into Santa's sleigh. Candles that burn with the glow of hope

I would like to thank my friend Katie from  Let's Add Sprinkles  for organizing our Cozy at Christmas Blog Tour. Today eight bloggers are sharing their homes, you will find all the links listed at the end of this post. For 18 years and then some, I grew up with a white Christmas, and I just must say that there is nothing quite as magical as fluffy, frosty snow for Christmas - at any age. I imagine that many of you have either read or have heard the story Twas The Night Before Christmas. "The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave a luster of midday to objects below," is a true statement. You see in my little cozy bedroom growing up I had two corner windows and on Christmas Eve I would  fitfully turn a multitude of times under a cumbersome stack of multi-colored handmade quilts which rested heavily upon my child sized frame. There were even times that I felt certain that the weight of those quilts will surely cause me to smother. J

I wanted to let you all know we have a winner for the Holland House cooking wines. The winner was chosen by random.org  and the winner has been notified by email. Thank you to all who participated! I have always enjoyed creating and even though I do encounter "dry spells," I am always super inspired during the Holidays and this year is no exception.  This is our first true Christmas settled in our new home. Last year at this time we were in a Hotel counting down the days, minutes and hours for the magic moment when we could move into our  country home. I may have gone a little crazy with Christmas crafts and decorating this year, but goodness I have thoroughly enjoyed every second. Today I am sharing a short little tutorial on this  DIY Wooden Christmas ornament. The inspiration to create my own Christmas ornaments all began when I collaborated with  a fantastic group of creative bloggers for  31 Handmade Christmas Ornaments . My contribution to this festive and crafty group

Good Morning! I have been enjoying stenciling these past couple of months. I shared a stenciled jar  candle holder back in September and today  myself along with 5 other bloggers are sharing a themed Christmas with stencils project that we all hope you will enjoy and find inspiring . Our friend Carole from  Garden Up Green  organized this Christmas with stencils blog hop. You will find  links to everyone of these creative artists and bloggers at the end of this post. This post is twofold as it is also the debut of my hand-cut Cedar Christmas Tree from our property. I set out about 2 days ago to find the perfect Christmas Tree and here it is. I shared the details on Instagram and just when I was about to bring the little Cedar inside an IG friend advised against it, because of bagworms.  Truth be told Cedars are very prickly and I suspect that I have a couple of chigger bites too. Oh well,  one might think it looks a little like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, but to me it is beautiful