Sunday Ritual

I always find myself enjoying my Sunday evenings as a time of preparation for the week to come. You know, make my lunch, figure out my outfit, pack my gym bag and... paint my nails. I enjoy picking out a new shade and taking a few focused minutes to paint and mentally prepare for the week to come. Sometimes I take such comfort in a ritual and the calm that it can conjure. Plus, cute nails to boot, so it's a success all around!

Just for My Brother

Big brother, can you believe we forgot about these two? We brought them out today. I hope it brightens your day!

Homemade Advent Calendar

Were you as enamored with all the gorgeous countdown calendars floating around on the web this year? I certainly was, so much so, that I just had to create my own.

Supplies Needed:
close pins
gold spray paint
little brown envelopes
off-white card stock
edge rounder
white paint pen
brown Sharpie
twine
string of lights
**All supplies purchased from Hobby Lobby

Directions:
I laid out the plain close pins and coated them with the gold spray paint. (Make sure you are somewhere well ventilated!) Meanwhile, I cut the card stock to fit the little envelopes and rounded the edges off with the edge rounder. I used the white paint pen to write the numbers 1-24 on the front of each envelope. I then came up with a list of favorite Christmas/winter related activities and wrote each one on a card. I then stuffed the envelopes and pinned them to the twine. Finally, I added the light string and wha-lah! A pretty, advent calendar to help remind you to enjoy the special days of anticipation!

Cookie Day

Thumb print and peanut butter dough

Ready to press into the peanut butter cookies

 

 Cinnamon bread for the lucky neighbors

Today was cookie baking day for the Christmas 2012 season. I know this is a tradition for so many families, but I think, as I am sure everyone does, ours is so special. 

It was a very relaxed day. No rushing, no harried feelings to stress the special tradition. We tied on our aprons, mom poured herself a whiskey sweet (inappropriate? never), we turned on our mellow Christmas tunes and began the process. It is a wonderful process with the best results. Warm, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth results.

With more than a week from the big day, we are waiting on the sugar, baklava and biscotti, but the thumbprints, peanut butter, fudge and cinnamon bread are ready for delivery to some very luck neighbors.

Have you baked your cookies, yet?

Christmas at Union Station

My mom and I made it down to the old train station here in Omaha that is now a museum. As you can see a local family from the area donates a tree for the gigantic lobby. The picture does not do it justice, but it is stunning! I think it gets prettier each and every year. (Sorry about the random people in this photo- it was crowded!)

Technically it's still fall

I didn't want these pictures from our wonderful annual trip to Nebraska City to be forgotten in my iPhoto files, so here is one last hurrah to autumn.