TBB ASKS ~ HOLIDAY EDITION

The Holiday magic is upon us, snowflakes are floating in the air and joyous hearts are marveling in the sparkle of the season! I personally have a son turning 21 tomorrow....what? How can this be? I mention this because as fast as the Holiday season goes, the years go faster and you blink and your babies are grown but it still feels like they should be babies. Hold on tight to the special moments that surround you and arise when you least expect it. We sure hope you’ll join us or hop around and check out what others love about this glorious Holiday season! 

Let’s get to it! 

1. Candy Canes? Yes or No? YES, I like the Big homemade ones. BUT no flavored ones..ucky.

2. Christmas morning early riser or sleep in? When the boys were little it was when they woke up but now it's a more relaxed pace. We open gifts about 9 am then have breakfast.

3. Did you shop on Black Friday? Yes or No? No way, not in stores, but some online.

4. Christmas Tree up in November? Yes or No? OH YES!!! You may remember last year, we didn't get into our new house until mid December so the first thing I did was put up the tree. This year it went up Nov. 10th!

5. Do you get Holiday ideas from Pinterest? Yes or No? Sure do, remember my cabinet wreaths POST?

Cabinets lit at night

6. Christmas Glam or Ugly Sweater? Do not like Ugly Sweaters but always have a little glammy-ness on Christmas Eve. And I really like Graphic sweaters and tees.

 2016

 2017 (yes, I put on a cardigan, lol)

Similar Red Dresses HERE and HERE

My new Merry Sweater

Yep, it is!

Similar Tees HERE and HERE and HERE

7. Stocking Stuffers: Wrapped or Unwrapped? Mostly unwrapped as this is how my parents did it as "Santa" as if Santa just filled it up with unwrapped treasures. 

8. Traditional or Modern Christmas Songs? Both Baby!!! I'd say I am way more traditional but some of the modern ones are fun!

9. Fruitcake? Yes or No? Oh NO WAY!!!

10. Is your Christmas Shopping Finished? Yes or No? 3/4 done. BUT nowhere near done wrapping.

11. Is there Snow in December where you live? Yep! Not today as we got warmth and rain but more headed this week. It's stunning.

12. Classic Show: A Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph? Rudolph all the way! Classic all the Way!

and BONUS...admiring my favorite ornament which still goes on my mom's tree today..the blonde angel! 

 

She's tattered but she is still precious more than 4 decades later!

ENJOY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON SWEET FRIENDS!!

LINKING-UP with Biana // Totally Terrific Tuesday // Inspire Me Monday // Inspire Me Tuesday // Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party // Creative Monday's // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Feathered Nest Friday // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop // Cooking & Crafting with J&J // Friday Favorites Link Party // Clever Chicks Blog Hop // Share Your Style Link Party // How we Do with Erika & Shay

xoxo

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TBB ASKS ~ HOLIDAY Q&A LINK-UP

It's the MOST WONDERFUL Time of the year!!! Busy and it's the week before moving but oh so WONDERFUL!!! We've saved the BEST TBB Q&A of the year for last...the HOLIDAY EDITION!! 

1. Real or Fake Tree? For years it was real, but once the boys went to college we changed the tide and bought a pre-lit from Balsam Hill. Now, with the new house, wish it was taller but as expensive as these things are, it'll do for a few years.

2nd to the last season we got a real tree and coldest year cutting down the tree and it was snowing , which I loved!.

2. Favorite Christmas Cookie? This is a tough one, so many, but I'd have to say my mom's Thumbelina cookies. I did a take on them that won sweepstakes at the Fair and have become another favorite: 
The Almond Thumbprint with Butterscotch Frosting 

3. Home on Christmas Morning or Travel? Home, Home, always home. No place I'd rather be. It was always like that for me growing up and I want the kids to have the same cozy Christmas morning memories. This photo is a keeper because it was the first Christmas the boys came home from college life and our last in this house. 

Throwback to the mid 70's, my favorite chair and red tights

4. Clear or Colored Lights? Clear..no explanation...has to be clear.

5. Send Christmas Cards? Yep, always say I'm not going to anymore, then I do. I'm a snail mail kind of gal even if we don't get as many back...in this technology and busy world, it's a dying act. 

Last year's card 

6. Favorite Christmas Present Received? No way to answer that, I LOVE everything given to me because it is from someone I adore and just the thought of someone caring enough to select a gift for you, is favorite enough...I am blessed with people who are soooo good at giving great gifts beginning with my parents. 

7. Favorite Christmas Present Given? Here's another where I cannot answer with one thing. Almost every gift I give, is selected with lots of love and sentiment for that person.

8. Stockings or no stockings? ALWAYS Stockings but probably won't have them hanging them this year. I'll fill em' as it is my favorite Christmas thing to do but the colors no longer match so next year I'll order new ones...maybe a tad bigger as the ones we have now overflow into gift bags.

9. Christmas PJ's? We never really have ones that match and the boys usually have had something plaid but this pic cracks me up when my mom and I both got "silky" pajamas. I believe this was about 1990.

10. Favorite Christmas carol? "Let it Snow" and my favorite hymn is "Silent Night." I am more old school when it comes to Christmas songs..tradition over pop.

11. Favorite Holiday Tradition? In this post, I talked about my 9 Family Christmas Traditions, and of those I'd have to say mistletoe, lol, but really they are all my favorites. But one I forgot to add that started for me as a child is the angel ornament. Here I am admiring her. My mom still puts this ornament on her tree today.

Mr. Nine and I got a new mistletoe here with a crystal...

12. Early Shopper or Last Minute? Early Bird gets the worm. Well, at least I feel better getting it done early. But I still love to take one day during the hustle and bustle because people are just more friendly to be around and I love toting my Santa Purse. This year, is different and I am not near done because of the move but I'm breathing and knowing it WILL get done, lol.

13. Favorite Christmas Movie or Show? Hands down "Sound of Music"..I know it's not really Christmassy, but they always play it at Christmas. I love that movie so much, that I even had a Favorite Things Party  and we played a Sound of Music Trivia game and the winner got a copy of the movie..the anniversary edition. I plan to have another one of these parties at the new house.

14. Favorite Holiday Beverage? You know it: Baileys and Coffee!! WITH Whipped Cream!

Extra whip please.

15. Cookies and Milk for Santa? Yep, always and we would leave a cookie with a bite out of it and say "Santa must have been so busy, he could only take a bite." Then we'd throw a partially eaten carrot in the yard, usually on snow and say "Rudolph must have dropped it off the roof." Our youngest believed like Forever, so we had fun with it. 
I have added the picture below because TODAY is our oldest Baby's Birthday! He is NO longer a teen but a 20 year old man who we are so proud of and LOVE so very much. Breaks this mama's heart, he is celebrating at IU without me but so goes the college schedule..it's dead week which means lots of finals studying. This picture was his last year "Believing" but truth be told, none of us ever really stop believing in the magic! 

Happy Birthday Today Sweet son! 

HAPPY WEEK AHEAD, HAVE FUN IMMERSED IN THE MAGIC OF THE SEASON!!

LINKING-UP with Biana // Totally Terrific Tuesday // Inspire Me Monday // Inspire Me Tuesday // Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party // Creative Monday's // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Feathered Nest Friday // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop 

xoxo

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