Christmas Decorating!

The house has been decorated for Christmas!  All this color and all these lights help fight the darkness that comes SO early this time of year.  The dark is my worst enemy-I am a sunshine, summer kind of gal all the way.  I actually decorated quite early this year, earlier than ever before.  I just didn't share online because people have all these feelings about when to decorate or not and admittedly, I used to be one of them! I read a blogger (I think it was Meg of the Whatever Craft House) post something along the lines of this season being so packed that if putting things up a bit earlier gives a family time to enjoy it more, so be it.  For some reason this year that really stuck with me and so here we are! 

The details of the mantle:
I gathered books from the house and put them in rainbow order, because everything is better in rainbow.  The mirror was brought in from the porch, the tall fabric-wrapped trees were homemade a few years back (as were the stockings), and the wreath is a $2 project from Dollar Tree.  I simply wrapped the gold star tinsel (seen hung beyond the stockings too) around the wreath.   Easy! 
Doesn't this just make you happy?! 
It does me. 
(major plug for my upcoming photography class in January-want to learn how to take your own "blurry", on-purpose photo?  Come learn with us! More details can be found in this post!)

.......our tree! 
If you're wondering if it really DOES have rainbows all over it-yep, you're seeing right. 
I think this is the first year we've had colored lights and I just adore them! First the girls and I put up the tree, with the help of Brett.  We then added the lights and all the decorations we unpacked.  Last I clipped handprinted rainbows on and Anna Ruth hung a million gold hearts she made out of pipe cleaners.  
This is pretty much my idea of a perfect morning.  Robe on, fire going, time to enjoy the pretty lights.

My girls and I before heading out on a shopping trip to Freckled Hen Farmhouse!
The rainbows in progress! These were so much fun to paint.  
I'm realizing I don't have any pictures of the rest of our home decor. 
Not a pro-blogger, once again.  Just a real life one. 

Decorating was so much fun and it is so enjoyable to come home and plug the lights in on the tree.  
So do you enjoy decorating?
Are you more of a traditionalist when it comes to the Christmas color scheme or do you color outside the box like I do? 



Betsy's Birthday!


My cheerful, imaginative, optimistic, fancy, artist daughter turned SIX this week! 
With everyone going off to work or school, the celebrating took some planning ahead.  
I purchased presents ahead of time, as well as confetti, a birthday crown and banner, and candles.  I also made homemade cinnamon rolls the night before!

Betsy has been SO excited about her birthday for weeks and weeks!  She couldn't wait to wake up and open her presents!  

Our happy girls. 
Brett was telling her how much he enjoyed her being five and what would he do now that she was six?  She quickly and cheerfully told him "you're really gonna like me as six too." 

We sure do! Happy Birthday to our Betsy Boo! 

rosy in real life: Week 5

Friends, welcome to another edition of rosy in the real life!  Basically, a montage of happy little moments or scenes that stole my glance and made my heart skip a beat.  The small, joy pockets that just sit waiting in our days to be discovered.  Some of these are cell phone snaps and some are taken with my Nikon.  All have made me smile for one reason or another. 
May I also say "Happy Thanksgiving" to you!! 
Early that is. 
I'm logging off the internet and social media for a few days.  I hope you'll be inspired by this post to look for your own rosy moments during the next week. 
Woodcutting time again. 
There is nothing as warm or comforting as sitting by a fire.
Making homemade pizza. 
A pretty mess.
I found this little pile left on the front porch by one of the girls and it looked like a piece of art to me.
"There's our lake girls!".  I say this almost every time we drive over.  It's really Beaver Lake, but considering we cross it every single time we leave the house, I consider it ours.  Isn't it amazing?

The shadows always draw me in this time of year.
We might not have ended up with a baby boy in our family, but we SURE do love the little boys in our life big!  This is my nephew.  His smile melts me.
Really adore this book cover found at the library.
That light!!!
Cute window display in town. 
Seen at Cheap Thrills, a favorite shop of mine.
You all, this truck was parked next to me at the Goodwill one day and it was just pure perfection.  I stared at it for so long.  I was too scared to take a picture of the full truck, because I didn't want anyone to see me. Isn't it beautiful?!
Anna's writing in first grade. :) 
Tried out Fork and Crust Pie Co. in Fayetteville and it was divine!
This came home with me from 410 Vintage. Another local shop! 
Can you tell I really believe in shopping local?
We did something fun at work called Boo Buddies, where we got a secret buddy to do a small gift exchange with.  I tried to wrap my buddy's gifts up cute.
I actually did quite a bit of decorating for fall/Halloween this year.  I just didn't take pictures of most of it.  Yes, things really DO happen that don't ever get shared on the internet, lol.  I am super excited to share pics of our Christmas decorating once it's done.
The Halloween haul.
Our homemade kombucha has been amazing lately!
Those are raisins in the bottom and you don't drink them. Obvs.  But they help make them fizzier for some reason.
Ready for some Halloween fun!
 These rainbows have something to do with our Christmas decorating. 
Totally not traditional decor around here.  But you probably already figured that huh.
 Homemade marshmallows in homemade hot chocolate for the win!

 I just about cried when I noticed all the beautiful leaves falling to the ground. 
 Very real life house.
 I spent time lingering in the garden with these flowers and picked a beautiful bouquet before the frost killed everything.  Usually around February or March I start looking ahead with great expectation to spring.  But this little gap of time when the pretty things are dying in the frost feels sad.  I miss the colors!
 Yes, yes, yes. 
 Anna in her Daddy's boots.  
 She lost BOTH her front two teeth and her speech has changed some and I'm still not over it.  I could listen to her talk without those two front teeth forever.  It is one of the cutest things I've ever heard in my life.  Of course, I can't say so to her face or she'd get embarrassed.  But I adore it.
And me. Feeling good after taking a hike in our woods, which I've been doing a couple of times a week for exercise. 

I feel like I haven't been sharing as many words or deep thoughts or contemplations on life lately and it's because I've been holding back.  I don't know why I'm even saying that because I'm not ending this post with a bunch of big words either.  For now, I'm choosing to share the rosy and tucking a lot of my life inside or behind the scenes.  I hope though, that you always know I want you to be inspired to look for at least one rosy thing a day.  Some days, you may be like me and the search for that one thing may feel almost desperate. Yesterday on my walk I was praying through some things that don't make a bit of sense to me.  Things that felt as heavy as the big stack of kindling I was gathering and holding in my arms.  But then I bent down to pick up a particular stick and right underneath it was the most perfect, white, heart-shaped rock. 

Just waiting for me. 
I whispered a prayer of thanks and put it in my pocket. 
Today I'll reach in my pocket, feel the heart, and pray again. 
But this time being reminded that there really can be joy found in all kinds of life.

That's my wish for you.  That you discover a deep well of gladness that is continually filled. 

I am so thankful for each of you, truly.  You keep coming here and reading and although I'm never quite sure why, I'm delighted you're here. 
Happy, happy, happy Thanksgiving to you my friends.


A (photo) journal made with Blurb

I'm back again friends, with another favorite item made with Blurb! 

Remember how earlier in the week I shared my summer photo book with you?  
I just adore it.  I've flipped through our books from seasons past time and time again, feeling the good memories, lessons learned, magic moments, and strength sustained in each picture. 

I recently took time to try out the new journals Blurb is now offering! 
It's simple: You design a book much like you would with a photo book.  You can upload your own photographs, add text, and arrange the book however you like. 

There is just one seemingly small, yet huge difference between this type of book and a regular photo one.  This one is a journal! 

I just adore journals.  I always have one going and so being able to combine my favorite photographs with lined paper is just a treat.






I can't wait to fill these pages with stories, quotes, prayers, and rosy moments. 

As always, this isn't a sponsored post and I don't gain a single thing from you making a journal with Blurb. 

But I think you'll gain something if you give it a try! 

I've got a new blog! Come see. :)

Room for the Rosy  is my new blog. I hope you'll come see.