Merry Christmas Eve!

My picture doesn't want to work...grrrr......but the message is simple....



~*~Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!*~*


             Much Love,
                    Kim

And yet another lovely...

                                 Love this book.

 Long before this became a movie...try in like, oh maybe 1987 or 1988ish...I became an instant fan of this book. I was in 2nd grade. When I think of the first time that I heard this aloud, it seems movie like. ..the details are so vivid.I grew up in Upstate New York. That means in the winter, there is definitely snow and lots of it. It was the week before Christmas vacaton and it was one of those days that the snow was falling in huge flakes, slowly to the ground. Like on the cover of this book...

The library was warm and you could see the snow falling behind the librarian as she read aloud. It was magical. I felt like I could hear the train whistle and the bell.

 Now, as an adult, I own the book. Like the librarian, I have now  read it aloud to many children over the years. .And every time I open the pages,I remember that first time I heard it. 

The movie is a bonus, one of the few films that actually sticks quite well to the book. It has become a tradition in my home to watch this movie on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. And the book.....well it's out all year round. What a great piece of children's literature, that goes without even mentioning the beautiful pastel illustrations.

Instant fan. For life. 

Another Christmas Lovely.

I don't have a subscription to Martha Stewart Living. But, I spend alot of time on her website..and do pick a mag/catch a show here or there if I see something that interests me. 

                                   I gotta say, I'm definitely a fan. 

                                           And this December's issue = a keeper.

I think the wrinkled cover is giving me away as to how much I've looked at this magazine..

Lots of good ideas, pretties to look at and even a few recipes that I wouldn't mind trying..

The "One dough, 30 kinds of Cookies" intrigues me. I've spent the last month deciding which of the cookies I would like to make.
   Still undecided. 

 Five days until Christmas...

There's definitely still time to cram another baking session in...

                      I bet Martha will. 

Merry Memories.

Gosh, there are so many remakes of songs. Some of them blow the originals out of the water while others are horrible and the originals stand true. 

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" sung by Judy Garland is an original that I'm pretty positive I'll never get sick of and though I have heard a gazillion different versions of it, I'm loyal to this one......

Like, it's one of those songs that stops me in my tracks wherever I am when I hear it and I can't help but hum or sing along...

I think of hiding under the table on Christmas Eve in the midst of my gazillion aunts and uncles because I was scared of my Godfather who had a beard...(Now it makes me chuckle. He wasn't even creepy. But, the beard...not so much of a fan.)

I feel the warmth of my grandparent's woodstove, their soft recliner and a full belly and I can see their twinkling tree with far too many lights &  30+ years old tin pie plate ornaments made by my mom and uncle as children.

I hear my other grandfather's authentic antique sleigh bells that were rang every Christmas Eve to round up the littles to leave for home. For years, I legitimately thought it was Santa's sleigh. When I got older, I became part of the "team" of cousins to run around outside and ring it for the youngers. I remember the year that I had strep throat but insisted on stumbling through the deep snow with my dress clothes on just like everyone else.My mother wasn't very happy, but I was...and that year stands out in my mind.

I smell the oodles of sugar cookies that I baked over the years with my gram, mom and sis while laughing, singing, dancing and being silly around the kitchen. I snicker when I think of my gramps sneaking them by the handfuls off the trays before we even frosted them and then at dinner talking about the diet he is starting.

Ohh, the memories.

Priceless. 

 I could go on and on (and for that I am grateful)....

I just think it's is so nifty...uh-oh, I just broke out one of my mom's words...that one song can conjure up so many great thoughts. 

 Music is amazing.

                                   

Judy Garland singing in "Meet Me in St. Louis"

1944

What song makes you reflect on Christmas pasts? 

What are some of the times that you think of when you hear it played?

Christmas Favorites

I don't know about you, but I really can't help but feel giddy at the sight of a few Christmas lights. I'm pretty sure it happens the instant that Thanksgiving is over. I get the "itch". 

 The tunes, the food, the traditions, the sights, the memories. I want all of it in huge amounts. Bring on the cheesiness, bring on the cheeriness...

*Insert Dorky Happy Sigh*

I thought that over the next few days, that I would share some of my favorites about this time of year. Some are oldies but goodies, some brand spankin' new, but new or old, these make me grin. Sheepishly. 

 I'll begin with a few newbies. 

                                         1.

I have listened to this at some point every day since my husband surprised me with it's presence on my Itunes a few weeks ago. It is sooo much fun! 

Of course, I would recommend you buy it. 

Like yesterday. (And yes, I'm a Gleek.) 

                                       

                                       

                                        2.

                                                  

                                                         Source: tinyprints.com

I love this card. But, I love this website even more. With a capital "L'. I have spent could spend hours just looking at the designs on there. Just for fun. They rock. This was one of my many contemplations for our christmas card this year. However, my budget said "no". 

3.

    

source: marthastewart.com

          

   I'm a sucker for countdowns. I grew up with an advent calendar and have yet to own a really great one in my "adult life". My daughter is barely one this Christmas, so I'm giving myself a year to find one or make one. I'm loving this idea, so sweet and easy! Someone also wrote in the comments that they made one using gloves. Can't you picture a line of cute knit mittens? Hmmm...

And finally, one of my all time favorites.

4. 

I watch this movie even when it isn't Christmas. It is one of my go-to movies when I am sick. Cozy and warm, like an old blanket. Reminds me of snuggling with my mom or gram on the couch watching old films. "White Christmas" is a little bit of home for me. 

(P.S. I also have the soundtrack. True fan right there.)

            So, here was the beginning glance of my Christmas time favorites.

  What are some of yours? 

Reverb-10 Community

December 7- Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

    This is actually a really hard post for me to write.

 In November 2009, I became a mom. I can now say that I have joined millions and millions that know what it is like to love this little amazing creature beyond words. Motherhood has introduced me to a whole new level of love. I can also say that I have joined millions and millions who make the choice to stay at home with their children. I know that I am (and feel) incredibly fortunate to stay at home with my daughter and watch her as she grows. (It truly does happen so fast.)

  I worked in the local school district for 5 years prior to becoming a mommy. Due to staff shifts and budget cuts, in 2008 the school district started "letting people go" and transferring staff members to other schools. Being as it was only my 2nd year at this particular school, hence "low man on the totem pole", the week before I found out that I was pregnant, I was told that I would have to leave my job.

     I loved my job and I believe I was good at it. As heartbroken and surprised at this news as I was, a week later, I truly felt that everything happens for a reason. Losing my job opened to door to me staying home. I went to college for 4 years. I have taken the MAT to get into Graduate School. I worked for 10 years prior to having a child. But, for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be home with my child (or children) for the first few years of their life.  

      So what exactly am I getting at? 

  Despite joining this "new" sisterhood and realizing a dream of watching my child grow up, I feel like my "sense" of community has slowly diminished in the last year.  I don't leave the house everyday to go to work. I don't come in contact with half the amount of people that I did while working on a daily basis. My life changed drastically and it seems like everyone around me did as well.People seem to have become more dissociated. 

    At the age of 29, I still have many single friends or childless couples. The ones that do have children are very busy or don't make time for others outside their family. The ones who are childless, don't invite us to do things as often or anymore at all. And sadly, I'm finding that in a world where there is more and more tools for communication, people are getting worse at it. They don't call back, respond to texts or reply to emails. Where are the "thank you" notes for gifts and the RSVP's for parties?  I like to think that I'm in good company, but sometimes, I'm not so sure. 

   The term community is by one definition:

    A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals

And I'm just not feeling it this year. 

I'm still Kim, despite adding "Ma-Ma" to my list of names. I still love to laugh and use my mind to create and be challenged. But, maybe it's time for some rearranging in my world and in 2011 my "feeling of fellowship with others" will be restored.

I have hope...

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

I am a lover of words. A quote kind of person. (In fact, I have a "quote book" that I started when I was 12.) I have kept a journal of some sort for as long as I can remember. I gobble up books and read everything around me from labels on...but until this year, I had never got into the blogging world. 

  My family didn't have a computer in the house with the internet until 1998 when I was a senior in high school. (Dial up...ah!) By that point, final papers were required to be typed and using a typewriter was getting a tad bit out of hand. 

     All throughout college, when I wasn't at Tennis practice or some club meeting or type of fieldwork for my major, I was a cashier at Target. To be quite honest, the amount of time I spent on the internet was to the extent of drunk IM'ing with friends and doing research!

       Fast forward to 2010...domestication has slowly taken over. I am now a married, stay at home mom to an almost a one year old. Let the planning for  "THE" first birthday party begin. "THE" first birthday party becomes my labor of love. I am an artist by birth and now I get the chance to be more creative than I have in the past year and I start using Google like a mad woman. I start a notepad with one idea, which blossoms into something else and then something else develops. I start looking at fonts, templates and pictures on Flickr and I happen to stumble onto KevinandAmanda.com. I can't for the life of me figure out how I hadn't found this site years ago. 

               I freakin' love it. 

    I start talking about the site to friends. One of them tells me about an idea she found on a blog that is called  "something like JoyHope or something". So I set off to find the idea, which rapidly turns into hours of falling in love with this blog.  My curiosity had been piqued. 

   I wander around a little more and before long, I find myself getting enveloped in these blogs that these people have created of their everyday lives and I am no longer just looking for 1st birthday ideas. I am bookmarking these women's writings because I want to know what I will read next. I'm hooked and I begin to think that I could do this. I can gather my thoughts and ideas in a similiar place.

      For all the world to see. 

              Not intimidating in the slightest...

     But I take a leap. These words are a product of that leap...

               And it all started with wonder.

Frustration.

I've blogged four times now and only the first two are showing up! 
What am I doing wrong?