It's Christmas Eve!

It's Christmas Eve already!

The tree's lit...

(and presents will be wrapped today!)

Decorations all over town have been admired...

Gingerbread houses created...

Everyone's dressed in holiday cheer...

and

Cookies have been baked for Santa's arrival!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays!

Our Holiday Card! (Also to be known as things aren't always as easy as they look!)

Happy Holidays bloggy friends!!

(both old and new!)

May I present to you our first holiday picture since...well I don't think we've ever sent out a holiday picture..

Gorgeous right?

I've wanted to do a holiday photo card forever and this year I was determined to get a family photo and make a card.

Back at the end of November, we had to get the family, my camera and my tripod to the park so I could use my self-timer on my camera and then run into the picture.

Easy right? I mean really, look how great this photo came out!

(So I guess I won't tell you about EVERY single one of the other 42 shots that came out something like this...)

I think there may be a reason we havn't taken a family portrait in over nine years...

(To my real life family who's reading out there-you and who happen to appear in these pictures, you all did great. Thank you for letting me get the ONE good shot. It worked. Thank you for also giving me the much appreciated reminder that things aren't always as easy as they look, I wouldn't trade you guys for the world. Love you!)

I also love YOU bloggy friends!

Hope your week is filled with Holly Jolly Holiday spirit!

Merry SITSmas!!

I took these pictures this time last year in snowy Lake Tahoe (while I was still living there).

Now, we've gotten the freezing temperatures but...it doesn't snow where we're living now, here in the wine country!

It's a bit crazy around here right now!

Finals week!!

The holiday season is upon us and

the tree is being decorated as I type and I put up even more lights outside today!

Wishing you and yours a very merry SITSmas!!

Thanksgiving Revisited!

I started off the day with Mod Podge!

I made this for a total of $3! I'm pretty happy with it! Now I just have to pick the perfect picture for it. =]

While watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I was busy cutting out virtual snowflakes!

HERE

So much fun and no mess!!

My mom was busy in the kitchen all day....

...with a sweet friend always near by and hoping mom'd drop something that mom managed to trip over 7 or 8 times...

Mmmm stuffing!

I even made a pumpkin pie that turned out amazing! (If I do say so myself!)

Sitting down to eat!

Sooo good!

This is the second year that my mom's gone completely allergen free for Thanksgiving for me! That's right! Everything you see (the pie included!) is dairy free, soy free, nut free, egg free, carrageenan free, and is almost completely fat free!!

Though all the recipients that ate this meal agreed that this version is SOO much better, full of taste, no Thanksgiving hangover and guilt free!

Yum!

Not just that but the table was surrounded by my mom, dad and sister-what could be better than that!?

My mom, sister and I then hit the black friday deals (we were on the road by 5am)! It was amazing how empty the stores were compared to previous years! Well we came away saving hundreds of dollars (I have become a master at coupon clipping and being thrifty!)

We also pulled out all of the holiday "stuff" and started decorating! I'm in charge of the outside of the house (which in the front yard is now almost done and is all lit up!) and part of the inside (which is almost done). The main thing left to do is to get the tree!

I'll post pictures when it's all done-just know that we go all out!!

Have you gotten the "stuff" out yet? Do you decorate for the holidays?

Hope your nice long weekend was wonderful!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

-- Albert Schweitzer

Today I'm thankful for my sister being home for the weekend, that I'm warm with clothes and shelter, for my family's health, for my mom's wonderful cooking (and that my pumpkin pies I baked this morning set okay!) and for the love I'm surrounded by.

Hope your day is full of family, friends, gratitude and food!

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Birthday Giveaway Winner!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is only 2 days away??

Thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes! I 'm excited to announce that the winner of the birthday giveaway earrings is......

Rambler!

Congratulations!!

Please email me your address (at summereyes91 at yahoo dot com) so I can send them to you!

I'm in the middle of SO much homework that my professors have decided to add on now that it's nearing the holidays and the end of the semester so as soon as I get another chance to quickly slip away I'll post some birthday pictures and update you on some potentially exciting news!

It's My Birthday!

It's my birthday!