Our decorated Christmas tree

Good Sunday to you:)

I hope this day finds you well!

I thought I would share our tree with you:

 

 

The foil star at the top is 23 years old!

Mr. SSH made it for me when we were dating.

It has been on our tree ever since.

 

 

Do you spy all of those wooden tree ornaments?

Those are all of our old trunks of our trees.

 

 

I hope your Christmas Eve tomorrow is full of wonderful memories!

 

 

~Dena:)

 

 

 

I

A Christmas tree tradition

Happy Thursday to you:)

Today marks the beginning of our families two week & one day vacation.

Mr. SSH is off too:)

I wanted to share with you our tree before

it gets decorated.

 

 

I love the simplicity of a tree with just lights.

 

 

I chose to use a grain sac runner that I already had

as her skirt.

 

 

I actually like the little bit of red on it:)

 

 

One of our family traditions is to cut a section of the

 branch of the tree and all sign it.

Mr. SSH drill two holes and we make it an ornament.

Family traditions are the best aren't they?

What family Christmas traditions do you have?

 

 

I hope your Thursday is amazing!

 

 

~Dena:)

 

 

 



The lamest place ever to get our tree

Good Wednesday to you:)

I hope you are enjoying your last days before Christmas!

Last night our family set out to find our

Christmas tree.

We are always late getting the tree but never

quite this late.

We live about 1/2 mile from at least two tree farms.

Of course last night at 6:00pm they were closed.

We thought we would go to a local tree lot.

No luck.....

CLOSED!

So what is a family needing a Christmas tree to do

in the dark at 6:00pm at night?

 

 

I am sorry to say that yes we went to Rite Aid!

 

 

Mr. SSH and Dylan looking at different

pretty dead trees.

 

 

Here is our short, dead little tree.

 

 

Hopefully next year we can go to a tree farm:)

At least we have one right?

It is the memory that counts right?

I'll bet they won't forget getting this tree!

 

Where do you get your tree?

 

~Dena:)

 



Ugly sweater

Happy Monday to you:)

I hope you are well.

I have enjoyed watching the snowflakes

fall:)

 

My daughter Sammy has an ugly sweater competition

at church tomorrow night.

Her and I went to Goodwill last night in search

of an ugly Christmas sweater.

They were all gone!

I guess many people have caught on to this great

cheap place to get ugly sweaters:)

We had to get a little crafty due to lack of sweaters.

We searched through Goodwill to find things to attach

to a sweater.

We found the sweater 50% off for $2.49.

 

 

An added plus is my horrible sewing skills:)

 

 

What do you think?

Do you think she will win?

 

~Dena:)

 



My heart is broken

Good Sunday to you all.

I am having a hard time even adding my smiley faces today.

I have spent the weekend hugging my kids,

taking time to REALLY listen to EVERYTHING they have to say,

tell them how much they are loved.

My head is spinning trying to understand what happened last week.

If I let myself I would spend the entire day just thinking of all

of the parents, brother, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends

who lost loved ones last week.

My pastor at church reminded all of us last night that

we must live everyday we have loving and being a light to everyone.

We must remember the joy we have because of Jesus.

I pray that each of us can live each moment we have

loving, caring and enjoying one another!

 

May your Sunday be filled with wonderful memories.

 

~Dena:)

Shoe LOVE:)

Happy Thursday to you:)

I hope you are well!

I have been a bit absent lately....

I have been substitute teaching a lot;)

Lately I have been teaching

kindergarten.

I  must say these children know how to

make you smile:)

They really view the world

with such innocent eyes:)

Little things make them happy:)

I decided to take on their

happy go lucky style:

 

I recently found a few pairs of shoes that make me smile:)

 

 

How cute are they?

 

 

They are slippers:)

Sammy has been trying to steal them....

 

 

These clogs are made by MIA.

 

 

They were half price at Goodwill for $2.99

 

 

I LOVE them:)

I just have a little bit of trouble walking in them...

Do you have shoes that make you smile?

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

~Dena:)

 

 

 



Stop & smell the roses

Good Wednesday to you:)

I hope you are well.

Today while strolling along at

Trader Joes

I stopped at the flower section

and saw beautiful spray roses.

I am always amazed at how

cheap their flowers are while still

being high quality.

I bought one bouquet of them for only $5.99.

 

 

I got out my vintage silver and plopped the roses in:)

 

 

I LOVE how dainty they look:)

 

 

The sight of these pretties makes me smile.

 

 

Looking at these pretties calms me.

 

 

Do flowers have that affect on you?

 

 

Take time today to look at something that calms you and makes you smile:)

 

 

~Dena:)

 

 



Putting pretty knobs on baskets

Good wet Tuesday:)

I don't know about you but I LOVE knobs!

I spied these today at Home Goods

and decided to buy them.

 

 

I first tried them on my coffee table.

*They are on the right.

I thought they were too big.

Sooooooo.........

Around the house I went...

 

 

I put them in my entryway baskets.

 

 

I turned my bench baskets around also.

 

 

I think I like the look:)

 

 

I was a little concerned about the fake snow

around the candles.

 

 

I ended up putting sand in the bucket instead.

Probably more fire retardant?

 

 

I hope you are well!

 

 

~Dena:)

 

 

 



When Craigslist isn't great

Good Monday to you:)

I hope you are well.

 

I usually LOVE Craigslist!

I have gotten most of my furniture

from there.

Sometimes there are yucky people

selling things on Craigslist

and today I found one of them!

Last night I found two beautiful

designer white slipcovered love seats

for sale.

I spoke with the seller via

e mail and let her know I was interested.

This morning at 11:30 she gave me her

address and said I could come and get

them at 2:00pm.

I rented a U~Haul 10ft. truck

and set off for Lake Oswego.

The house was just above the lake....

such a pretty drive:)

Although, I didn't enjoy it that much

because I was trying for the first time

EVER to maneuver a 10ft. U~Haul truck!

I arrived at said place and rang the doorbell.

The garage door came up and her husband

came out and said "didn't you get the e mail?"

Uh.....

NO!

I don't check my e mail every two hours!

He said he was so sorry but someone who had looked at the

sofas yesterday were coming to buy them

and that his wife did e mail me at 12:15pm.

I said NO, I didn't get the e mail and

I just spent $50 to rent this U~Haul!

There must be something he could do as

I was here with a truck and money.....

All he could say was he was sooooo sorry

and that his wife wasn't there.

So I hopped up into that 10ft. U~Haul

and cried my way back to return the U~Haul.

When I reached the counter I explained the reason

I had only been gone 30 minutes.

That nice man at the register was my Santa Claus

today!

He told me not to worry about paying for the

U~Haul and that I was free to go.

I cried again~

I profusely thanked this nice man and let him know

how much I appreciated him!

There are still good people in this world!

 

 

I had more of my afternoon to myself because

my kiddos & Mr. SSH were on the mountain skiing.

So, what is a girl to do when on hwy 99?

Go to Goodwill of course:)

I will show you what I found tomorrow.

On the way home from Goodwill I stopped by

another thrift store and found little

sparkling white star candle holders for .99.

Here is what I did with them:

 

 

I used a bucket I already had

and filled it with fake snow that

I already had.

I have had these little candles for years....

they finally have a use:)

 

 

I can't wait to light them:)

 

 

Have you experienced amazingly kind people lately?

 

~Dena:)

 



More fun Christmas decorating

Good Sunday evening to you:)

I cannot believe how beautiful

the blue sky was this morning!

Did you see it?

I basked in the sunshine streaming

into my living room....

AHHHHHHHH!

I cannot remember fall ever giving

us so many little bits of blue sky

can you?

I feel like if I can see the blue at least

once every two days

I am okay:)

I got busy today doing a little crafting

and getting out a little more holiday decor...

 

 

I re~did my Christmas wreath.

I found the owl today at

Michael's 50% off:)

 

 

I took the Merry Christmas

from my wreath and put it

into a frame I already had.

 

 

I added a bow to my bathroom soap:)

 

 

I got my front door decorated.

I like that most of my Christmas decor

is actually winter decor also.

I will be able to enjoy it for much longer:)

 

 

Are you shocked I have a red Poinsettia?

I am "babysitting" two of these for my

in laws until they can pick them up.

 

 

I actually really like the pop of red....

Surprising for me I know!

 

 

 

 

I changed my chalkboard on the porch.

 

 

I am tired!

We didn't get our tree yet.

Did you?

 

 

~Dena:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Some outdoor Holiday decor & an Etsy purchase

Good Saturday afternoon:)

I hope you didn't fly away last night!

Wow, did it rain!

A few nights ago I was perusing Etsy

and found some fun decorations to order.

My first purchase came in the mail today:)

 

 

It is the cutest little pillow:)

I need to learn to get out a ruler

and check how small things will be

when I order something!

I always anticipate my order to be

bigger than what I get.

Does that ever happen to you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We haven't got our tree yet.

We usually wait until a few weeks

before Christmas.

When do you get your tree?

 

Happy Saturday!

 

 

~Dena:)