Merry Christmas

Lilly Pulitzer Style!

I hope that you have a wonderful day :-)

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Christmas Jammies

I'm on a video roll this week! Check out this cute Christmas video, and don't forget to check back this afternoon to see who won the Vera Bradley wristlet.

Evolution of Beyoncé

This will be 6 minutes very well spent!

Please don't forget to enter my giveaway.

      

Christmas Flowers

I have had a busy morning crossing things off of my to do list. Some of it was boring and mundane but today was the day that I ordered Christmas flower deliveries to friends and family, and I LOVE doing that!

These are the top 5 floral gifts that I found, they are all available from Teleflora.

Please don't forget to enter my giveaway.

      

Under Glass

There is a fantastic monthly antiques show in Atlanta called Scott's. I love the antiques but it is usually the vendors of new things that are the most inspiring. Last month I almost purchased a beautiful framed dried hydrangea but sadly as soon as the seller started handling it, it began to fall to pieces. Oh well, maybe she will have another one next time. The same vendor also had some framed cotton branches that were just gorgeous but they had already sold out. My friends and I are planning on getting there earlier next month.

I usually try to go there with an open mind but was actually hoping to find some burlap stockings for Christmas at the lake and was very pleased to find four.

I also fell in love with this:

I have a bit of a thing for things under glass, I have a stack of wedgwood plates that I keep under a beautiful cloche that I purchased at Ethan Allen years ago:

You can see my bell tree in the corner, here are some more pictures.

That's all for today, but please don't forget to enter my giveaway.

      

Two Movies to Watch over the Holidays

I am a huge Jane Austen fan. I've read all of her books, watched the movies over and over again, and also enjoy books and movies that are inspired by her beloved characters.

My favorite movie is Persuasion.

Persuasion is the story of a single woman who becomes re-acquainted with the man whose offer of marriage she had refused eight years earlier on the advice of a family friend who felt that his financial prospects were poor. She had been in love with him but was persuaded to refuse him. Now he has returned from the war a wealthy man but the same family friend is trying to persuade her to marry someone else. Will she again be persuaded or will she follow her own heart?

My favorite movie inspired by Jane Austen is Lost in Austen.

Lost in Austen is the story of Amanda Price, a modern day girl who is in love with the romance and elegance portrayed in the books of her favorite author, Jane Austen. One day she finds herself in the world of Pride and Prejudice while Elizabeth Bennet is now in our world. Amanda manages to mess up the story at every turn, and desperately tries to fix things for Elizabeth and Darcy. I have seen this several times. It's the perfect movie for a girls night.

If you're looking for something to watch over the holidays then I can highly recommend both of these.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway.

      

Vera Bradley Puffy Wristlet Giveaway

It's Friday the 13th but that doesn't mean you have to be unlucky!

As a big thank you to my readers I am hosting my very first giveaway. One lucky winner will win this beautiful Vera Bradley wristlet.

This is the perfect evening bag. I simply adore it and I know that you will too!

Details - 

Made of puffy, quilted polyester with a flap front with push-lock logo closure.

It has an exterior back zip pocket as well as a small interior pocket. 

It measures 6 3/4 in by 1 in by 5 in with a detachable 10 1/2 in wrist strap.

If you would like to be entered in this giveaway you can earn up to three entries. To be entered once, please leave a comment on this post. For a second entry please follow this blog and leave a second comment that you have done so. For a third entry please promote this giveaway on your own blog and provide a link to your post in a third comment. The contest will be closed at noon EST on Friday December 20th and I will pick the winner randomly.

Good Luck.

PS I feel that this is the perfect giveaway since this will be the perfect bag for New Years Eve!!

      

Budget friendly finds

I have been looking for some reasonably priced winter clothing and found boots, a jacket and two sweaters all under $50 to get you through the arctic weather that we're having at the moment.

Riding Boots 

Cable Sweater 

Zipper Pocket Sweater

Jacket

      

When You Get Behind....

With two houses to run I really try to stay on top of things but having spent Thanksgiving Break at the lake followed by house guests who arrived the next day and stayed until yesterday I find that I have been far too busy having a wonderful time and consequently my home in GA is in serious need of TLC.

It's a mess, it's dirty, I am way behind on the laundry, haven't opened my mail in over a week and my calendar is packed between now and Christmas. Today is probably the only day that I have nothing going on so I had better make it count.

It is not possible to get everything done today but I can do a lot and then finish up over the next few days in what little free time I have.

Here is the game plan that I use when I need to catch up

TODAY :

Wash everything, including all of our sheets
Fold and put away everything that doesn't need to be ironed
Iron as much as I can, do the rest as soon as I can. (When I get behind on the ironing I just stop in and iron 10-15 things at a time until it's all done)

Clean the refridgerator
Plan meals for the next 3 days (Slow cooker meals are GREAT when I am short of time)
Go grocery shopping

Tidy the whole house
Put clean sheets back on the beds
Clean the bathrooms

Sort through the mail
Pay bills

Clean countertops
Vacuum and clean the hardwood floors
Clean stainless steel appliances

Clean clothes, sheets and towels, good food, beds made, clutter put away and clean kitchen and bathrooms will give the illusion that things are under control to the rest of my family. I'll clean the rest of the house over the next few days and by the weekend life will be back to normal!

Do you have a game plan for when you get behind?

Seaside, FL

Have you heard of Seaside, FL? It is a wonderful beachside town that is one of our favorite vacation spots. We go twice a year, rent a house and invite some of our children's friends. It's the kind of place where everyone rides their bike or golf cart. The beach is so beautiful, but the atmosphere is why we keep going back.

It's much smaller and quieter than Destin or Panama City Beach but is situated between the two so if you want a bit more excitement then it's just a short car ride away. The last time that we visited our daughter took her three best friends and we did go into Destin one day to visit the outlet mall but that is the only time we have ever done that. We just love it there so much that we don't see any reason to leave. There is some great shopping and Lilly Pulitzer is just a short bike ride away.

We like visiting new places but it's also fun to go somewhere that feels like a home away from home. We came so close to buying a house a few months ago and I am sure that one day we will own property there but at the moment we just cannot spend enough time at the beach to justify owning a third home. Until then we will just continue to visit as often as we can.

If you're looking for beautiful white beaches and quality family time then check out Seaside, FL for yourself. You may find yourself going back again and again just like we did.