Southern Nest: 2007

packing up

Well we are packing up Christmas decor, but I wanted to post just a few pretty pictures today to farewell the Holiday I love so much!

The birdies that live in a nest on our banister...

Different Holiday ribbons...a full size of what I used them for is coming up...

Cheers to Jenn Hayslip! It's our GA tree ;) Go Dawgs!

Some silk Magnolia's on a foyer table.

Christmas Ribbon Topiary...Jamie and Wendy have me HOOKED! I am making one for every holiday now ;)

trying out a neat effect with my camera from Santa...one of the birdies on our tree

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!

Enjoying a break. Well, kind of.

Okay- well...not a momma break! What mom gets a break on "Christmas break" --helloooo, the kids are out of school and need 24/7 entertainment. Guess who the entertainment is. Yep. Me.

But I really do have great kids so my job aint all that bad ;) tee hee

Today we went to the zoo. Gorgeous weather.

Tomorrow...the park. And anything else I can dream up to keep these two busy.

Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas from the Collins

My children are so filled with Christmas joy! It just warms my heart to hear my sweet Hayden recite ALL of Luke Chapter 2...and watch as Rowan helps me wrap a gift especially for his big sister. They are all I need for Christmas this year!

We took the kids to see Santa...Hayden is in LOVE...Rowan couldn't be less interested...and my sweet niece Anabelle was petrified. Oh well. To each his own. Santa didn't seem too insulted ;)

And we had a visit from my 3rd cousin...hm...is that right?? It is my Dad's cousin's (who I am actually closer to in age) daughter...3rd cousin sounds right :) Misha and TK- along with their adorable muffin Sinta live in L.A.
Anyway- Sinta is PRECIOUS!! And I am so glad I finally got to meet her. (and get LOTS of sweet snuggles from, I might add!) Misha took her to see Santa. So cute!

Wishing you the most Merry Christmas!

Jeanie

Merry Christmas "Month"

In our family, Christmas is so much more than the day of December 25th. We LOVE the whole month! Each week we celebrate the anticipation of Jesus' birth with an advent lighting and some yummy snacks for the kids. Every night we say a special prayer about 1 more thing we are thankful for. And every evening we turn on all of our Christmas lights and enjoy being together as a family! So great!

Hope you Christmas "month" is wonderful!!!

Our Christmas Card photo shoot was...well..interesting :) But I think we got a few good pictures even with this goofy bunch of people I live with!

open houses and bubble baths...so much to be grateful for!

Hi all~

My sweet friends, Wendy and Jamie, at POPIN had their big 3 yr anniversary last week!!! SO much fun! Here are the happy momma's of the boutique now!

and my new favorite nursery in their boutique....wowsa!

So, my babies are not babies anymore...so we don't get cutesy bath time pictures...UNTIL you fill the tub 3 feet deep with BUBBLES! Yee-ha!
HG loves em'!

And just a sweet picture of my precious 3. HG, Rowan and Ashley. I love them so much.

I am made especially thankful for them as I am reading the blog of friend Yvette Hostetter.

Yvette's mom and my mother-in-law are great friends and I had the pleasure of getting to know Yvette some during a ladies bible study/cooking class a few years ago.

The Hostetters have recently added a new little boy to their clan. Tristan Asher. He is precious and perfect! Just wonderful. When Yvette was pregnant with Tristan he was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. A diagnosis that had the family unsure Tristan would be born alive much less be able to come home from the hospital with his family! Well Tristan is 1 week old now! God is so good! Reading all that Yvette has been going through has made me hug my family super tight these days. Please keep this family in your prayers. All Glory to God.

she's 5

yep. I am the mother of a 5 year old! wow...time has certainly zipped by!
My sweet HG is 5 and today she said, "mom, how about make-up"
Oh broooother!

Christmas Marshmallows and a few more trees please

The party on the 30th was a success...yes, November 30th! And yes, a Christmas Party...at 1st I thought it was crazy to have a Christmas party that early---hellloooo Christmas is in December! But really, it was great! It forced me to get everything dolled up nice and early. Now we get to enjoy it for over a month! Whe-hew!
As promised...a few more tress...
This one is in our master bedroom. A simple alpine with white lights and green, brown, copper and plum ornaments.

This bronze poinsettia belongs to the tree in our foyer. An angel tree.

I still have 3 more trees to photograph. Promise I will share soon!

In the mean time enjoy these little squishy and fluffy treats. Made Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows this week--yum! If you are in the area tomorrow, you can ave a sample too! I will have some of these minty dandies at POPIN's Open House!

Hmm..Think I will go have another right this very second ;)

of course it is pink

We started the madness that is "Christmas decorating" in our home over a week ago...after all we decided on multiple trees this year. So, I thought we ought to get going early if we were going to have everything up in time for our 1st get together- November 30th.
We are all up and rolling now--all 6 trees and garland galore.
Decided to let HG and Rowan have their own trees this year. They are covered in their own ornaments. Here are a few pictures of Hayden Grace's...of course it is pink.
Lot's more trees to photograph- I will post pictures soon :)

gotta have glitter...

and little feathered white birds...

and heels!

ta da!

questions...

This week Hayden Grace says to me, "Mommy, why do we eat Turkey at Thanksgiving?" I explained a brief story of the Pilgrims/Indians...and she said, "Well didn't they know how to make Peanut Butter and Jelly"?
Hm...that is a good question. Guess this shows how much PBJ we eat. whoops.
She cracks me up.

And Mr Pouty face...rarely will he smile in a picture...so it's a good thing his pouts are cute!

Bella-Licious Time!

So, you know how the old point-and-shoot camera is...but some of these pictures were just too cute because of the BELLA's in them!

Jamie, me and Wendy crammed in Sassy's VW-Bug while Kim drives us to our Mini-shoot! Thanks Kim! :)

Aww---now this one is when we were getting ready to spend our last few hours with Miss Suz herself... (okay, so my pics are not chronological)

AND--Yes, the too amazing and terribly talented Kim at Olive Juice and Co...her aprons really are the best!

Our group with Prima Bella Teresa and her so talent sister Sassy

Wendy, Ann and I in Sassy's class- makin' Naughty or Nice planners...

And THIS one...well, Jamie and I got the exact same thing to eat...and it was definitely photo worthy...this monstrosity of a plate of pasta from Spaghetti Works. Yum=o!

Our favorite new buddies Jenn and Suzanne :) - Hugs Ladies!!!

Bella this and Bella that,,,

Oh my~ well, most of you were at the ever-so-exciting Silver Bella event this weekend so you KNOW how amazing it was!!!! Just can't say enough good things about it really!!! The classes, the wonderful instructors, the amazing antiquing, the exciting vendor night and OF COURSE the wonderful new friends~ especially my new sweet gals from Georgia!!! (Suzanne and Jenn were the best! Hugs!!!)

Wanted to show off a few of my favorite finds from the weekend...
This Winter Opera House from Raised in Cotton had me so gitty with all that glitter!!

and the mother load of the weekend was the VINTAGE JEWELS! Oh my! So many!!!
My favorite was this smoky quartz and turquoise treasure!!! aaaaaaaaa!!!

And the Baubles continue.....

Just had to sneak in another picture from the Winter Opera...this little gold chair---hm...I would like a life sized one for my master bedroom please!

and another too dreamy bauble!

and a final picture for the inside of the Opera House...