Friday's Favs...simple Christmas touches

Having just returned from a quick trip to the southern part of our state to be with my sister

while her husband had cancer surgery,

I'm reminded that while I love the holidays and holiday decorating,

being with those I love is what really matters.

Thankfully, things with my brother-in-law went really well and his prognosis is great

and my sister and I, my nephews and niece-in-law had a great time visiting with one another and even enjoying some laughter while we spent the hours in the waiting during his procedure.

I want my home and holiday decor to reflect my priorities,

to reflect my love for God and my family.

While in the past I may have gone a bit over the top with overly crowded, complicated and cluttered decor, the last few years I want it more simple and less cluttered, more peaceful and more calm.

You've seen my knock-off Restoration Hardware shelves before here and here.

Here they are again with a few simple Christmas touches.

Above is a wooden caddy that holds some of my Johnson Bros. Christmas dishes and an old marmalade jar that holds some freshly cut boxwood.

Below, a pitcher holding some candy canes and adorned with an old key hanging from a bit of Christmas ribbon is a simple and cheery touch.

This old Santa cup was a recent inexpensive find from Monticello Antiques.

It sits atop a vintage scale.

So simple, but I love it!

Be sure to click on the photo below to see how to enter my giveaway of this 

beautiful Ghanaian Market basket!

It's almost Friday, friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and

a BLESSED weekend!

                  

                                                      

                              

              Also linking to Jennifer Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Friday

An Advent Idea...

This is the first year that I've actually celebrated Advent in the traditional way,

tracing the foretelling of the birth of Christ through the Bible using 

Ann Voskamp's beautiful book, The Greatest Gift.

(Though I'm very familiar with the fact that the whole Bible points to Jesus.)

In Ann's book is a code to download ornaments you can make for a Jesse tree,

referring to the passage in Isaiah 11:1 of the Messiah's coming from the root of Jesse, 

King David's father.

A few years ago I did a different take on a Jesse Tree or Branch, as I called it, 

which you can see here.

I used a branch and counted to Christmas by adding one of the names/titles of Jesus 

for every day of December through the twenty-fifth.

Jesus -Matthew 1:21 

Savior-1 John 4:14 

Son of God- Luke 1:32-35 

Son of Man-Matthew 18:11 

Redeemer-Job 19:25 

King of Kings -1 Timothy 6:14-15 

Lord of Lords-1 Timothy 6:14-15 

Bread of Heaven-John 6:51 

I Am-Exodus 3:14 

Alpha and Omega-Revelation 1:8 

The Word- John 1:1 

The Way, The Truth, The Life- John 14:6 

Lamb of God- John 1:29 

The Door- John 10:7-10 

Good Shepherd-John 10:11 

The Deliverer-Romans 11:26 

Friend-John 15:15 

My Beloved-Song of Solomon 7:10 

Bridegroom-Isaiah 62:5 

Faithful Witness- Revelation 1:5-6 

My Righteousness-1 Corinthians 1:30 

Wisdom of God-1 Corinthians 1:30 

Lion of Judah- Revelation 5:5

On the front of the tag is written the name/title, 

and on the back is the scripture reference where the name is found.

This year, instead of a branch, I have a wee little tree placed inside an old enamelware pitcher.

And while I'm following along through Advent with Ann's book,

 I'm still still doing my own version of a Jesse Tree.

So whether you use Ann's book and ornaments or this idea,

it's not too late to join in and make your countdown to Christmas, Christ centered.

still following,

Be sure to click on the photo below to see how to enter my giveaway of this beautiful Ghanaian Market basket!

I'm linking at some of these wonderful places...

     
         

Thanksgiving week...

It was a beautiful Thanksgiving.

All of our children and grandchildren were here for the day.

The weather was cold, but the sky was blue and practically cloudless.

We all woke to our alarm clocks going off before the sun was up in order to drive across town 

for Portland's Turkey Trot.

This was a whole new way to begin Thanksgiving at our house, 

but a great way to feel a bit better about the feasting that was to come!

(Due to being gone in the morning, I tried a whole new way of roasting the bird...

and I do believe it was the best one ever. 

Start it at 475 for an hour than 250 for 6-7 hours for a turkey of about 20 lbs.

 Be sure to check that the internal temperature reaches 165 with your meat thermometer.)

We also celebrated youngest granddaughter's second birthday which fell on Thanksgiving.

So, a wee birthday cake, (made by her mama),  joined the pies on the dessert table.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with many reasons to give thanks!

***********************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,

just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#4032-#4054

11-25-13-

-an encouraging text from a friend

-homemade caramel corn in the mail from an online friend

-hot pho soup for dinner with the Hubs

-white spray roses

11-26-13-

-coffee with a young mama from church

-a good talk with one of the young men from our church

-finding the Hub's Christmas present on sale...something I think he'll really like!

-a good dinner and a quiet evening at home

11-27-13-

-devotions before busy-ness

-the Hub's helping me with pre-Thanksgiving prep

-an invitation to have dinner with a young couple from church

11-28-13-

-our whole family together for Thanksgiving

-the Turkey Trot...beautiful weather, exercise before eating, and it ends inside the zoo

-youngest granddaughter's beaming face when we sang happy birthday to her

-best turkey ever!

11-29-13-

-going downtown to Portland's Macy's holiday parade with family and friends

-everyone coming over to eat leftovers afterwards

-decorating the house

11-30-13-

-a quiet day

-an idea of how to do something I needed to get done after I prayed about it

12-1-13-

-joyous worship

-a great message about purpose and divine timing

-a quiet afternoon of Advent reading

gratefully yours, 

See how to enter my giveaway for this beautiful Ghanaian Market Basket by clicking on the photo.

Join the community of gratitude gatherers here...

Isaiah 7:14...

I love the words of the song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel...

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,

and order all things far and nigh;

to us the path of knowledge show,

and teach us in her ways to go. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

O come, o come, Thou Lord of might,

who to thy tribes on Sinai's height

in ancient times did give the law,

in cloud, and majesty, and awe. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem,

from ev'ry foe deliver them

that trust Thy mighty power to save,

and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

and open wide our heav'nly home,

make safe the way that leads on high,

that we no more have cause to sigh. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death's dark shadow put to flight. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

O come, Desire of the nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid every strife and quarrel cease

and fill the world with heaven's peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,

shall come to thee o Israel!

I'm so thankful that God did send us our Emmanuel, His Son Jesus,

and I'm oh, so thankful that He is coming again.

Longing for that day...

still following,

Be sure to click on the photo below to see how to enter my giveaway of this 

beautiful Ghanaian Market basket!