today

Today has been a really, really good day.

For those of you reading back in Texas and in other warmer climes, the high was something like 12 degrees today. People around here act like it's pretty normal. Weird.

But I didn't go out in it for the most part. I did dash across the street to chat with a neighbor for just a few minutes and tonight I got out to go to a women's event with my mom but other than that I stayed toasty warm inside my house in 3/4 sleeves even.

David slept in late and I got to spend some good time reading different passages in the advent study I'm doing. The part about the angel telling Mary that the Lord was with her really got my attention and prompted me to search on Bible Gateway for places in the Bible where it is stated that God is with people. It has been wonderful to read so many stories that I haven't read in quite a while and to see this thread of God *being there* and really making the connection that He is here with me every single day too.

Today was also a day that I sort of set aside to use pinterest and my before pinterest inspiration file and do some of those things I'd earmarked. It was lots of fun to get to crafting and decorating and doing.

I had an enthusiastic little helper too!

One of the ideas I'd saved was all about sequins so I was glad I had some in my stash.

Aren't those FUN?!!!

You can find them here at Melanie's You Are My Fave blog. It's really fun and she's in Denver!

We got out the funnels and got hard to work.

{okay, so he was playing with a binder clip while I poured sequins, probably a less messy proposition anyway}

I did one sequin ornament and finished up some other ornaments I had started once upon a time but never finished off the way I wanted.

I would have liked to have more sequin ornaments but remember it was like 12 degrees and I'm new to this Colorado thing and I only had one package of sequins on hand.

This ornament is filled with a button and bead necklace of my great grandmas that had broken. It is a happy memory of her to me.

This one has a bit of sand from our trip last month ~ a fun memory for sure.

We got our tree yesterday!

That was an adventure for sure.

We went and cut it down in the forest up in the mountains.

This Texas girl sure never thought of doing that. It was a blast until it wasn't but we survived and got a fun tree. Poor little guy just got too cold. I'm thinking next year just the parents might go get the tree.

But really, look at this face, is it not just too cute?

We snuggled on this couch filled with pillows today and read a Christmas board book.

Truth, we did not actually read our scripture for Truth in the Tinsel today. You know what? That's okay. It's not about guilt. If you're doing something with your kids and you skip a day, you know what? That's okay too.

We did share a potato chip snack and mama had some hot chocolate to go with it.

I spruced up my dishwasher detergent with this inspiration

I'm working on the Christmas decor.

It sure is fun having a house.

I had seen a Christmas tree made of books on Pinterest.

I made one.

It was harder than I thought. Not actually the tree part but the tree trunk part. I had trouble finding something with the right proportions.

I had also bookmarked Vintage Junky's Christmas decorations from last year.

There are soo many things I like.

Here is my version of her wreath trio.

embroidery hoops snagged at a garage sale earlier this fall for cheap,

different ribbons from my stash and a few white frosted berries

The dining room has kind of taken on a greens, yellows, blues and silver color scheme for Christmas and I like it.

I also clicked over to see what Michelle is up to this year and wow oh wow, such cute stuff!

This post immediately brought to mind the neat old truck that my mother-in-law gave me at Thanksgiving and I knew exactly what it needed.

If you're mother-in-law didn't happen to give you an old truck at Thanksgiving definitely check out Michelle's shop, these things are too cute!

I have candy canes on my shopping list so I can copy the bottom picture here.

I am working on a "Glory to God in the highest" banner like Michelle's in the second photo here.

I'm contemplating this for my fireplace.

But mostly I want to just take in the wonder

and enjoy these next several weeks.

I hope you do too!

Kelly