:: While you're waiting ::

:: Like you have nothing more to do then wait for my blog post to come {ah, ha ha ha}! ::

:: Okay, so anyway, I read multiple {like 300} and one of my favorites is by Nester, her blog is called Nesting Place and I love her sense of style. She wrote a post about enjoying your home and I love love love what she said, it really spoke to me {on the deep level that home decor can only do!} and I thought I should share it with y'all ::

:: Hope you enjoyed her post as much as I did and if you do stop by and read it, tell her so...we all love comments! ::

:: Now go read it & enjoy your home! ::

:: Coming Soon ::

:: I've been doing a lot of thinking lately {as in the past 5 days} and so I will be posting soon about that and our Women's Wednesday event from December, so stay tuned! ::

:: Here's a sneak peek ::

:: Project 2009 ::

:: Okay, so I have had so many lingering projects that I have procrastinated on and pushed to the side and this desk has been one of those projects ::

:: We got this desk from the free section on craigslist {back in March}, it's stained oak {in forest green} and it came with a shelving unit that sits on top, we put the shelving unit in storage for now but the desk is the perfect size for the spare room in the basement, and the perfect place to put all of my paper craft items ::

:: So yesterday I attacked the forest green exterior and started priming and painting! ::

:: Before ::

:: After {without flash & with flash} ::

:: I may distress the edges of it, but for now it looks fresh and so much better to me! The chair that it's paired with is my Papa's office chair, it's one of my most favorite items! ::

:: Here is a view from the entrance into the room...currently the room still has Christmas decor that I'm sorting through, but soon enough it'll be back in order ::

:: Christmas 2008 ::

:: We had a great, jam packed filled holiday we went non-stop from the 17th through to the 27th, it was fabulous but exhausting all at the same time! ::

:: We enjoyed doing our Gingerbread decorating night with the Bakers, however WE decorated, the houses not the kids - I think we were all too tired to entertain the kids helping out, so we saved bringing out the kits until the kids were fast asleep. It was a great plan and we had fun doing it...hopefully next year the kids will be old enough to really get in on the action! ::

:: We hosted our annual Friends Christmas Party as our friends that usually host it were too busy with their 1 day old baby, Chase. We had a great time with our friends from the bible study that Paul and I met at, we are an ever expanding group with quite a few babies now and we have managed to couple up a few of our singles so hopefully we'll be enjoying a few weddings this year! ::

:: We got up bright and early on Christmas day to start the day off with stockings and gifts, just the four of us. It was great to enjoy seeing the boys "ooohhhh" and "ahhh" over their gifts no matter how small they were. This time was truly coveted and we were blessed to have it ::



:: We experienced quite the snowfall here this Christmas it made for a very brutal drive but so beautiful if you were stuck inside {the top left picture is taken on Christmas
Eve from Jacob's bedroom window} ::

:: We packed up Christmas at our house and headed out to Paul's Parents Place for Christmas morning brunch. We had a great time enjoying family time, great food and gifts, lots and lots of gifts! I can't wait until there are 4 little babes running around {Paul's sister is due with her second babe in May 2009} ::

:: Since the snow had just fallen we decided to hit the local park and do some sledding, it was crazy to trek through the snow to the hill, but so much fun! Jacob loved it but Cole, not so much! He cried every time someone went down the hill! ::

:: Mid afternoon we headed to My Parent's Place for dinner. We again had a great time catching up with my brothers and their wives as well as my niece Denay. The dinner was a amazing and we enjoyed watching everyone open their gifts. My poor boys were pooped from the long day, but they did so good and were knocked right out by the time we were heading home! ::



:: We also enjoyed a game night with Jamie & her family as well as the Baker Clan..we had a great night playing pictionary but the boys won, have they not learned anything!?!?! It was a rough way to start 2009 boys! Hopefully you've learned ;) ::

:: That's about it for Christmas posts around here, however I am going to post some of my loot from Christmas, I know there is more to the season than gifts, but oooohhh, you should see my boots!!! Okay, so for the goods stay tuned, maybe not today though, I've got laundry to fold, chili to make and I also need to get ready to go on a date with my Paul to the United States for the afternoon/evening! So now that I wrote all that out, I probably won't be back until tomorrow! Have a great day y'all, we're expecting more snow again, I love it! ::

:: Location Location Location ::

:: Okay, so I should be making dinner, but instead my nosy nature has got me thinking...I have a lot of visitors from foreign places and I would love to know how you found me! ::

:: Here are a few visits from different locations around the world that have me stumped...either I don't know you {which is totally fine!} or I do know you and just don't have clue as to where you live! ::

:: If one of these locations is you will you please leave me a note and let me know how you found me...I'd love to know who you are! ::

:: Braintree, Essex, United Kingdom ::
:: North Vancouver, British Columbia {frequent flier here} ::
:: Cypress, Texas USA ::
:: Ashtabula, Ohio USA ::

:: Funny thing about all of the above places is that I would love to live there with you! I know, I know, I live in British Columbia...yes, but NOT North Vancouver ~ North Vancouver is a beautiful place to live! ::

:: Love to you all and thanks for visiting! And please don't be shy, I love that you visit me! ::

:: I'm busy ::

:: Wrapping up all things Christmas in our home ::

:: And turning this Christmas mantel back into...

All things Sarah Richardson... ::



:: My home is my office, as well as a soft place for my family to land...apparently my husband seems to think that twinkle lights should be up deep into January. But I need it clean. I want to jump into 2009 with a clear concise direction that our family is to go and the lingering touches from Christmas just make everything stay foggy to me, like I'm in a bubble. I'm happy to move on into 2009 with all that it brings less the clutter {both in my physical & mental world} ::

::: Here's to a fresh new year ~ doesn't it feel good!?!? ::

:: Wouldn't it have been nice ::

:: to be in PARIS tonight, it's already 2009 there...I'm sure they are drinking fancy-schmancy champagne and enjoying the sights of Paris, as for me, I'm here....roast in oven, yoga pants on, re-organizing my kitchen cupboards...I know what you're thinking "man, she's got it made!" ::

:: Okay, this is my last post for 2008, well maybe yes, maybe no...maybe I'll post one about Christmas and such. So if you're a fancy yoga-wearing-non-party-going person like me and you're at home tonight with the loves of your life tune in later, you might be surprised to find a new post! ::

:: Happy New Year ::

:: The tic-tock of 2008 has almost finished -it seems like it whipped by in a rush! ::

:: We had a great 2008, lots of fun, lots of challenges too but all in all lots of love. I'm learning to be a better Wife, Mama & Friend and with that I have been challenged to write up my very first New Years Resolution list - I may share it with you but for right now it's tucked away on my heart and in my head ::

:: We are ringing in the new year quiet style. We could go out but we are so tired from all of buzzing of Christmas still that we just want to have a quiet time in without interruption. We are putting our family first this upcoming year and we are ringing it in with that expectation ::

:: Happy New Year All, I pray each day of 2009 is not wasted but lived to the fullest, every moment filled with expectation and God's goodness ::

:: Love to you all and welcome 2009! ::

:: Christmas 2008 House Tour ~ Your Home ::

:: Here are some of my favorite spots from inside your homes ::

:: Amanda's beautiful black front door ::

:: Christy's super cute Christmas day counter ::

:: Carrie's fancy symmetrical mantel - just lovely! ::

:: Charlene's "holy moly now that's a tree!" ::

:: Nadine's lovely tree and fireplace...I love love love the grand feeling of the fireplace! ::

:: My Mom's vintage collection, my favorite one is the one that is always on top of the TV {top left corner} ::

:: Stephs mod feeling decor, simply stated and just beautiful! ::

:: Nickie's candles candles candles...Nick, did you end up lighting them ;) ::

:: Mantel a la Sarah, love the garland, my heart adores shabby chic! ::

:: Thank you to all who joined in my house tour - Y'all have B E A U T I F U L homes! ::

:: Christmas 2008 House Tour ~ My Home ::

:: Okay, so I promised to post, but you know how it is, life gets in the way of posting...at any rate, better late than never! ::

:: Welcome to my home ::

:: Our entry way {looking from our living room into the hall towards our family room} ::

:: My Mom gave me the lovely silver trees that are on my front table, I think they look fabulous, and I put up my new {my b-day present from my bro & sil two years ago, but had yet to make it to a wall} candle sconces on the wall heading into the family room ::

:: The reflection from the mirror in the front hall into the living room ::

:: Our living room from the front hall ::

:: Our living room from the corner of the dining room ::

:: The view from my couch, I really liked the placement of the tree in the center of the room but it was a pain to get my furniture to fit, and apparently moving it was no option to Paul! But it all ended up okay and I loved sitting on my couch and seeing the whole room, it will be this way again next year ::

:: My dining room {without a table cloth, it was still dirty from the night before}, notice anything different? Yup, I got myself a plate wall, it was for my birthday from my parents, nice eh? They are antique plates {most of them} from Lynden WA ::

:: Here's a shot of the plate wall looking into the family room ::

:: Here is the inside of my china cabinet, I needed to protect our nativity, but Jacob got in anyway and broke poor Jesus' arm! ::

:: A few details from around the house ::

:: Our family room, yes, we had two trees....lovely I think so! We got the real one {family room one} for free, but it was soooo lovely while it lasted. As of boxing day it was taken outside to the back deck, it's all lit up out there but just not dropping needles on my carpet anymore! ::


:: Details from the family room/kitchen, I got my apothicary jars on sale from Big Lots in Bellingham {I had my eye on them since August and finally splurged and bought them for myself, a whole $20} ::

:: Thank you for walking through my home with me...coming up next, all of my fav's from your homes! ::

xo, Shawna