Friday, December 19, 2008

A Little Bit of Edge Hodge Podge

I've been talking about my tree topper that I concocted on my own. I'm not saying it's professional or anything of that nature. I really didn't go all out this year for some reason. It's kind of hard when you know you're not going to be in your home to celebrate the holiday. Don't get me wrong, we are so excited to be heading to South Carolina next week. It's been two and a half months since we've seen our people. My baby left out the house this morning singing, "Woo Hoo! No school ta-morrow. I go'in on vacation!" He talks and talks of seeing his cousin Cayden (who is 6) and he knows he'll be outside every minute possible. He believes Cayden to be his friend, the concept of a cousin hasn't registered with him yet.


Our packages have made it to The Man's family out TEXAS and Kansas way so I can breathe easier with that done. I really wish I could see my nieces and nephew. Because of this thing called life, we have yet to meet our nephew and niece. Makes me sad I never got to hold them as babies and cuddle them and smell their baby scent. My sister in law has been talking about heading this way next summer. Maybe we can make it happen. The Man is "banking" his leave now. When you retire from the military, if you have leave built up, you can take what's called "terminal leave". That basically means if he has, say 60 days, he can retire in May, but get paid by the military for two more months while we move and get our new lives started. This is commonly done by retiring military members and we're going to be no exception. It'll make our long weekends further between, but it'll be worth it in the end. Right now the job market looks good where we want to go. BIG prayers it'll keep looking good when he starts headhunting next summer.


I took a couple of pictures last night to show you what I did do around here decoration-wise. My only gripe is that it's hard to take a picture the way I want. I wanted this soft focus pictures with the lights glowing prettily. Yeah, that didn't happen so well in most of them. I know. I know. The camera is probably capable....the user just isn't.

Honestly? I'm a silver kind of gal. I have yet to figure out why I use gold so much in my home. I have gold in my curtains, my pillows and some decorations. The frou-frou stuff I picked up at Michael's back before Thanksgiving. The gold poinsettias are another story. My mother used to use them on her tree. One year she brought them to me and said she was going with something different. I love them. I decorate the entire tree and then use them as fillers where there's a hole and it just looks so festive and almost elegant. This year, I used them to make the topper. I was totally standing on a chair about to bust my butt to get this angle.


This gives a slight idea of how it looks lit up. Like I said, I love it and find myself looking at it as I sit in my chair. The Man keeps waiting for me to get up and tweak it a little bit more, but I'm not. If it's not right by now? It's not going to be.


This has GOT to be one of my favorite things. I found these plates at Cracker Barrel last week for 40% off. If I'm not mistaken, I got them both for under 10 bucks. They are just the coolest looking thing and everyone comments on them. Mama gave me this plate rack when we moved to Georgia and I've had a great time finding plates to put in it. I've put expensive ones (but only once because Paige knocked them off and broke them), plastic ones, seasonal ones, you name it. I love how you can make one thing work with a theme, season, or holiday easy as 1-2-3. I might leave them up a little past Christmas and justify it by saying you eat mints year round.
I've been fighting blogger for 30 minutes now trying to get one last picture up. Suffice it to say, blogger won. I have an ornament I want to show you and I may come back later and see what I can do to edit this thing. For those of you who have shared your decorations and such? Thank you! I enjoy seeing your homes all festive and might even steal an idea or two next year!

6 comments:

Bonita said...

I love your chirstmas decorations! You are so creative!! I could never think of doing something like that let alone have come out looking so great.

Good luck with jobs in the future after you hubby retires. I know in WA they are very scarces, it might keep my hubby in the military.

AndreaLeigh said...

Love it! My mom is coming this weekend and I'm going to get her to help me frou frou my tree up. I love the peppermint plates!

Monogram Queen said...

You let that rotten Blogger win?! Say it ain't so Hope! (I kid!)

Love love love your topper (and i'm a silver/platinum jewelry kinda gal too - go figure!)

and I Love those peppermint plates. I am in Cracker Barrell ALL the time!

Glad you are heading up our way for the Holidays. Safe traveling!

Stefany said...

I LOVE the plates. I have a plate hanger that I interchange as well. Isn't it fun?

Unknown said...

Love the tree topper! It's very creative and elegant. :)
I also adore the peppermint plates. That will be our theme the next Christmas Greg will be home.

Hermes said...

The plates in that rack work really well as Christmas decorations. I think Santa has one on his wall up at the pole. Or maybe at one of his many base camps and such that he needs as he makes his way from the pole to Inuvik. I know I'v eseen it somewhere. You did know Santa is Canadian these days right?