Domino debuts their holiday issue! (I somehow thought last month’s was it for this year) It was quite a welcomed surprise on this (surprisingly) cool December day (another welcomed surprise – we had a forecast of 80… it’s been in the 40s all day – go figure) Check out the new issue – or don’t, I’ll probably be posting the best parts anyway!

Good Morning! Please accept my apology for this weekend’s light (ok, pretty non-existent, actually) posts. I, in true form, signed up yesterday to host a minute dinner party TONIGHT (for my Mother-in-law’s birthday no less). So yesterday, and for the remainder of today, instead of writing about fabulous Christmas ideas, I will be putting a few into practice! Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and a few fabulous finds I stumbled upon over mine.

Yesterday, I was at the most fabulous garden shop we have in Albany, Ann’s Garden Shop (and no, she doesn’t have a web site). My reason for being there was to pick up a pot of paper whites (which until she takes them home will be moonlighting as my table’s centerpiece for the evening!) for my mother-in-law’s birthday, Once I arrived I spotted so much more!

         

these photographs aren’t great, but hopefully you get the point(s), which are a) to see how cute her shop is and b) to see the adorable idea that is putting big ole ornaments on an outdoor tree!

and in case you are looking for a last minute Sunday afternoon project:


again, a wreath! this is just an enormous grapevine wreath (can you tell it is taller than the bench it is leaning on?!) but with a small basket, chock full of ivy (certainly any local garden center has ivy), bound to it (with the ivy draped all around), a great big ornament (K Mart has a great big shatter proof version for $10 – they’re just not shown on their web site) sitting in the basket and a festive bow on top (I’m sure you still have ribbon from wreath hanging!). If I had a front door big enough it would be wearing a version of this!

These adorable trees are inside her shop, but would look fabulous in a front yard (mine!)



the photo to the right has grapevine balls intertwined with lights! too cute!
 

Lastly, I must share with you a quick look at the hostess gift I proudly bore last night for the first holiday party we’ve attended this season:


You may recognize a combo of gift ideas from Friday’s post… I inspired myself! Bully Hill is my absolute FAVORITE red table wine. Partly because it is great wine (to me, who, it should be noted, is NO connoisseur of wine), partly because that goat is so stinkin’ cute and partly because a bottle cost $7.00!). And is the ornament (posing as a gift tag) not precious? The afore mentioned garden shop also has them sporting ‘ho ho ho’ and ‘believe’ tags – IF I didn’t buy all of them yesterday!

ok – I’m off to prepare for tonight!

I won’t call my husband Scrooge. But I did, recently, have to call him out when I overheard him refer to himself as ‘Clark’ while describing, to some friends, his role in the drama that is decorating our front yard for Christmas. As you have already learned Christmas is my love, so, as you might can imagine, I, sort of, take the reigns when it comes to Christmas decorating (making me the ‘Clark’ of our family for those of you who are not familiar with Christmas Vacation). My husband’s fervor for this (week-long) activity lasts about as long as it takes him to haul the Christmas crates down out of the attic. He is, however, a Christmas Vacation fan of the truest kind – so this post is for you, my dear.