an incredible reunion.

i have this cousin, Grant Weatherford, who i am extremely proud of. i mean, i'm proud of all of my cousins but i'm proud of Grant in a different way. Grant graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 2007. he is a genius really. he is married to an incredible woman named Jillian. she amazes me. Grant enlisted in the army after graduation and has been in Baghdad for the past 11 months. he had the priviledge of coming home for a few weeks when his precious baby girl was born, Maebry Elaine. all this to say, i am just so proud of these two incredible people. they are pure examples of love in it's finest form.

Grant came home from Baghdad last week. here is the sweetest reunion picture i have ever seen. I LOVE YOU GRANT, JILLIAN, AND MAEBRY!!!!!

Red Marionette.

just wanted to give credit where credit is due. the adorable yellow felt owl on my page is a product of the etsy shop Red Marionette. her wreaths and ornaments are soooo cute. here are a few pictures of her work...and a tree full of her ornaments! check it out!

www.etsy.com/shop/RedMarionette

some Christmas toones.

so of course Christmas is coming fast, as usual. and of course i've already been listening to Christmas music. so i've decided to make a list of my top 10 favorite Christmas albums...and i would love to hear a few of yours!!!

1. Mindy Smith - My Holiday -- this album will melt your heart like the snow.

2. Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas -- quirky, yes. some great arrangements, yes. some songs where people are just banging on things and singing kind of, yes. wonderful, oh yes.

3. Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas -- one of my heroes. oh how i love Ella...one of my biggest inspirations.

4. Bing Crosby - Merry Christmas -- grew up listening to this crooner, who didn't really? wish he was still alive...i think we'd be great friends.

5. Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas -- this cd always brings back fond memories. it also reminds me of my dear friend Lance Nelson and his amazing impression of Charlie Brown singing "Christmas Time is Here." and also, vinyl wins on this one.

6. Sixpence None the Richer - The Dawn of Grace -- Leigh Nash's sweet melodies always pull me in. this lady knows how to pull on the strings of my heart.

7. Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong -- Sarah at her best. this album is not exactly the jolly, joyous, upbeat Christmas cd you would expect. some say it's a downer, i say it's a beautiful work of art. i love the ambient sound effects and distant echoes. sigh, give it a try.

8. Christmas with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra -- this cd is wonderful! i don't need to tell you about these 2 amazing men. what i love about this cd is there is a lot of back and forth banter between Bing and Frank in between songs. it reminds me of a living room show, and i sure do love those.

9. Compilation - Maybe This Christmas Tree -- funky is one word that comes to mind! a very eclectic mix of artists and tunes. a few of my favorite artists on this: Pedro the Lion, Death Cab for Cutie, Tom McCrae, Lisa Loeb, and others contribute to this wonderful mix of songs.

10. Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart -- ok, so i actually haven't bought this album yet but will very soon and i am pretty darn sure it will be an instant favorite. i just love him.

there you have it! i missed some favorites i am sure but these albums are what came instantly to mind. happy holidays my dear friends!!!

(and i just now remembered i forgot Burl Ives! how dare me.)

man-eating couch.

it's true. ask any of our lovely friends who have tried to conquer the man-eating couch. at first when you sit on it, it's legit and comfy....fast forward 20 minutes...and it starts to dominate, literally. most just end up on the floor really. as my dear friend Keila once said, "you win couch! you win!" all this to say, we bought a new couch yesterday! phew. no, it is not a top o' the line wonder-couch from some prestigious furniture place but, i am very happy with it. here are the pics...Target only had dark blue left so, dark blue it is.

come on over friends...sit and be merry!

The Cotswald Escape

i'm dreaming of traveling today. i can't even come close to thinking of a place to stay that is more lovely than this....Temple Guiting Manor: The Luxurious Cotswald Escape. isn't it heartbreakingly beautiful?? sigh. here is the website...come daydream with me.

www.templeguitingmanor.co.uk