A Few Exciting Things!

My blogging has been slacking again lately. I have been crawling in bed between three and four most nights this week and then Lillie wakes up around 7:30 full of energy and ready to start the day. The good news is I have officially gotten ALL of our Dear Lillie packages shipped. I got most of them out Thursday and the last few out Friday once paypal shipping started cooperating again. So everyone that ordered things from us this week should have them by Monday or Tuesday, I would think! Ahhh - it is such a relief to have that taken care of. I also finally got most of our one hundred Christmas cards finished, although I still have a handful I need to get addresses for. Lillie and I finished our Christmas shopping today and starting on the wrapping tonight. Oh my - talk about taking forever! Wrapping presents used to be one of my absolute favorite things to do, but with Lillie helping it is quickly becoming one of my least favorite things - haha! Oh well.<br /><br />Anyway, onto the exciting things:<br /><br /><b>First</b>: I am officially past the half-way mark of my pregnancy - yay!!!!!!!<br /><br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Second</b>: We had another sonogram on Thursday and although they had told us at our last sonogram they thought it was a girl it was still pretty early to tell for sure. Well on Thursday they said it was </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>MOST DEFINITELY A GIRL</b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">YAY!!!!!! Needless to say, I am really really excited! After Christmas I can't wait to get started on her nursery! We have all of the big things from Lillie but it will still be fun to paint and do some decorating and change our guest room into a nursery!</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh6mgNnEkkJZHlc4ZRrNk0MMchBWAl-LGAAbkH5GudMpEQWMmWp58HZ_sbP83i78cUHuJeBH9oJ_rl-2DNk9AAXaetBby1LYSuefB9N5m7vKYt2tsrF18eqqDpOptKdexZ5gF8vthoCo/s1600/baby5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh6mgNnEkkJZHlc4ZRrNk0MMchBWAl-LGAAbkH5GudMpEQWMmWp58HZ_sbP83i78cUHuJeBH9oJ_rl-2DNk9AAXaetBby1LYSuefB9N5m7vKYt2tsrF18eqqDpOptKdexZ5gF8vthoCo/s640/baby5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(This is actually a picture from our last sonogram because my scanner is refusing to cooperate right now so I can't post pictures from our latest sonogram where she is much bigger! Once my scanner decides to be agreeable I will change this out for a more recent shot.) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>And THIRD</b> (but not nearly as exciting as the first two) : <b>We have officially hit the 1000 follower mark</b> so for our next post we will have another giveaway!!!! I am going to try to do it before we head to Chapel Hill on Monday!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8r7b5N5LlPvp0qwJnBnOoy8gSIzpDlKyvnbyEr6e0GO2M0D3d1eWkoj3UpNHVlu-0EB38oIYr3VwI9IpwrS_MK1sG6LI6oYID5RlwGAUNIcjvKMZL18_BYC-Cs4qkzjQcmDqTU9980/s1600/sig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8r7b5N5LlPvp0qwJnBnOoy8gSIzpDlKyvnbyEr6e0GO2M0D3d1eWkoj3UpNHVlu-0EB38oIYr3VwI9IpwrS_MK1sG6LI6oYID5RlwGAUNIcjvKMZL18_BYC-Cs4qkzjQcmDqTU9980/s1600/sig.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><br /></b>

A Few Exciting Things!

My blogging has been slacking again lately. I have been crawling in bed between three and four most nights this week and then Lillie wakes u...

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Joyeux Noel Sharpie Pillows, More Christmas Decorating and SNOW!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whew! It has been a pretty crazy forty-eight hours or so here! Lillie and I got to Logan at about 6:45 or so Sunday night to discover our 7:50 flight was delayed until 10:15 thanks to some nasty weather. We actually were a bit worried we might not get out at all as they had canceled the flight to Richmond. Fortunately, we were flying into Newport News and that one did make it out. Needless to say hanging out at the airport for hours while pregnant and with a toddler is not really high on my list of ways to spend a Sunday evening. However, I really can't complain because Lillie picked the perfect time to be on her <b>absolute best behavior</b>! I seriously don't think I have ever been so proud of her! She made friends with every child under the age of twelve that was anywhere in our vicinity and spent most of the time coloring and playing with them and even snuggling up to two girls who were watching Elf! Fortunately they were old enough to find it cute that she thought every scene was funny and didn't find it annoying that she kept pointing and laughing and calling Will Ferrell, "Unka Jason". I am so anti-social I am always amazed that she is my child - haha! We also discovered we were on the same flight as "Coach Ben" (one of the other assistants at William and Mary who had been up in Boston recruiting) and I think Lillie was pretty excited to see a familiar face because she is normally pretty shy around him - but not on Sunday! She was quite excited to see him and kept wanting to make sure he was nearby. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We did finally make it home a between midnight and one and then it was back to the grind. I didn't think we would sell much this week but instead it has been quite busy and so I have been desperately trying to keep up with convos, sales and e-mails and seeing how both of my girls who helped me package aren't available this week (one with finals and the other with a new full-time job) I am trying to get everything packaged up and shipped on out too. I also normally have all of my Christmas presents bought and wrapped by now but this year am so far behind - as of this morning I could count on one hand the gifts we have bought so far and I don't have a single thing wrapped - ahhhh! And on top of that I still am slowly trying to get my files transferred onto my new computer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, because of all of that, I want to first let everyone that I owe an e-mail to, to please know that I haven't forgotten you (both personal e-mails and Dear Lillie e-mails) I am just dreadfully and horribly behind but I promise I will respond! And second, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">we are going to be closing our shop tomorrow (Wednesday) night</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"> </span>instead of Friday and won't be reopening until the beginning of January. I had originally planned on keeping it open until Friday, but without any help I am already having trouble keeping up with orders and so if I close tomorrow night I will still be able to get everything ordered out by Friday and then will have the weekend to get my Christmas shopping finished and get things wrapped and mailed on out before we leave on Monday. Wow - I forgot how crazy this time of year is! (And of course we have basketball games to go to and a sonogram on Thursday to squeeze in where we should find out for sure what we are having - yay - I can't wait or that!!!!!!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, anyway, that is the update on all of that. I didn't mean to write such a novel but just wanted to explain why we were closing our shop early. I didn't mean to ramble so much - sorry about that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some decorating pictures from New Hampshire. My sister, Jamie and her husband Josh are having a Christmas party at their new house on the 23rd so I helped her start decorating for it. We got her dining room completely done and made progress on her entry-way, kitchen and great room. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the first things we did was make her some pillows like the <a href="http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/little-christmas-project.html">Silent Nights</a> ones I did for my living room. Just like last time I just used a good ol' Sharpie, but this time freehanded the words Joyeux Noel onto two pieces of fabric and she sewed them up. <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">I have decided I am going to make these to sell in our shop next year</span></b> along with the <a href="http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/little-christmas-project.html">Silent Night</a> and <a href="http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/little-christmas-project.html">Holy Night</a> ones, however, I am going to screenprint them so they look a bit nicer. I will still freehand the words but will scan them in and then have them screenprinted because although we got requests for them this year I did not feel comfortable selling something that was just drawn with a sharpie!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>When I get back up there for Christmas I will take pictures of this whole room but we didn't finish it so I wanted to wait until it was done before showing you the rest of the room. For now, though, here are the two pillows. We did them in a SUPER hurry so pardon the fact that they are a bit lumpy and Jamie actually hadn't quite finished sewing them when I took the pictures. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZgFSOHdUkkDUKud6ApHmJ2JlUQ3zpLXQF1l4yObiDiJcpKoK9aHTUIbfDjTLQLUUmLbJa_8OjKJa_ceUvTKHsZtFKJPIEjF4gYVxJMlkhbWpsM8uHFF7ABZwsB1HKDolJHz60EkqBHQ/s1600/DSC_0130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZgFSOHdUkkDUKud6ApHmJ2JlUQ3zpLXQF1l4yObiDiJcpKoK9aHTUIbfDjTLQLUUmLbJa_8OjKJa_ceUvTKHsZtFKJPIEjF4gYVxJMlkhbWpsM8uHFF7ABZwsB1HKDolJHz60EkqBHQ/s640/DSC_0130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLw7tJh15G0tCvEqp-AJ7k0w_TE4qUUX_TZnu2E4JUEIj2WdMyc-zyauNpseMl0zBvuKt_xI4SuuwCQWG-P2HcZG0an649RMKPKFkZ6Nle2tTeNiLKu0mkVkLJHvKWqFGvDA_iuLoQBY/s1600/DSC_0126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLw7tJh15G0tCvEqp-AJ7k0w_TE4qUUX_TZnu2E4JUEIj2WdMyc-zyauNpseMl0zBvuKt_xI4SuuwCQWG-P2HcZG0an649RMKPKFkZ6Nle2tTeNiLKu0mkVkLJHvKWqFGvDA_iuLoQBY/s640/DSC_0126.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The one room we did finish was the dining room. We went really simple in here. Everything  is fresh - either from Burdick's or from  a trip out to the woods! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMhDMv2h3hInusk5nywtu7X-zOVQcY8phZAXBO93quA4Ii7alnHZ8AUqjeUatT4eAdXr9_MlP6PqRkO79mhIxYMXTsEWmkb2fB5OL7Dm8A704PfuDHOdJmKTS5Crhf6DpL1yuOp1I3Yo/s1600/DSC_0145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMhDMv2h3hInusk5nywtu7X-zOVQcY8phZAXBO93quA4Ii7alnHZ8AUqjeUatT4eAdXr9_MlP6PqRkO79mhIxYMXTsEWmkb2fB5OL7Dm8A704PfuDHOdJmKTS5Crhf6DpL1yuOp1I3Yo/s640/DSC_0145.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVY7KNNkgzKO3PdY93q-oN6VVM9l8dH6DnqB4DbW3K6ieMGHUzjHuxNHdXB6-ikdiRDl4X1fsvyYeoos-8q3f0OKg1mblVc1ltRg3w0kQlJPB-RdzRdnSb5_Gy-duptv6XZUpx38RYiE/s1600/DSC_0142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVY7KNNkgzKO3PdY93q-oN6VVM9l8dH6DnqB4DbW3K6ieMGHUzjHuxNHdXB6-ikdiRDl4X1fsvyYeoos-8q3f0OKg1mblVc1ltRg3w0kQlJPB-RdzRdnSb5_Gy-duptv6XZUpx38RYiE/s640/DSC_0142.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8-YGrtpCNK4n5cCH-efY3wmAqQH9fboN-GfAiY-owNWInT9Dr_Rjm-jXi9FEc-QQHA4JbG5TSywIC4NMKvnEWZyM2GH-pGJMnMA4ZUGzfv_WfZjvhAys2wDeH5ZKoAniivZg8GrJ5vA/s1600/DSC_0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8-YGrtpCNK4n5cCH-efY3wmAqQH9fboN-GfAiY-owNWInT9Dr_Rjm-jXi9FEc-QQHA4JbG5TSywIC4NMKvnEWZyM2GH-pGJMnMA4ZUGzfv_WfZjvhAys2wDeH5ZKoAniivZg8GrJ5vA/s640/DSC_0152.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYchu4fcOc8YEnezDk3eIO7PsbzZ35Xd8ldoQxXD4o3Z-iIWsayXFb-iEBdN7h8NaaDpuqJdSIULp9lPvFcXUHSeS80sLVp4jcyHxlmD6vQNIyyUSrUTYJDaw0bIeK684eTxYTXXMPCI/s1600/DSC_0158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYchu4fcOc8YEnezDk3eIO7PsbzZ35Xd8ldoQxXD4o3Z-iIWsayXFb-iEBdN7h8NaaDpuqJdSIULp9lPvFcXUHSeS80sLVp4jcyHxlmD6vQNIyyUSrUTYJDaw0bIeK684eTxYTXXMPCI/s640/DSC_0158.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ6EBVnjaKbsbsKWbscvgbcarGolbJdC2dmjKKRocBs1viXVnYRJrRFcxDxHzjOBfWHiJnrKCgfIFRQwEap3FKaa5WYwbaqxiXAiUhpNA0aZWEDt7mQDxKA2u_sczyjWW5riaanyjKjs/s1600/DSC_0162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ6EBVnjaKbsbsKWbscvgbcarGolbJdC2dmjKKRocBs1viXVnYRJrRFcxDxHzjOBfWHiJnrKCgfIFRQwEap3FKaa5WYwbaqxiXAiUhpNA0aZWEDt7mQDxKA2u_sczyjWW5riaanyjKjs/s640/DSC_0162.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxC02v09te3eFrOxndLQ43NNY247Iof1qGpCoNWTsnTjJ3sW7xEHrvPkzVa2A-vzMKiku9G0hQ-OtVLw7A3iMhkJGPy1XJ_ocZFC-y7Q-t6X8zYzGmQYKo-kPt9A-WiPcSiyKXUwQzT0/s1600/DSC_0167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxC02v09te3eFrOxndLQ43NNY247Iof1qGpCoNWTsnTjJ3sW7xEHrvPkzVa2A-vzMKiku9G0hQ-OtVLw7A3iMhkJGPy1XJ_ocZFC-y7Q-t6X8zYzGmQYKo-kPt9A-WiPcSiyKXUwQzT0/s640/DSC_0167.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qyScPUb6VFsqK8cV-2tWORbviQlkbUIAq2omsSs3K1bANcq_F3f2BqZFvnT1MUw6i7NobugDNwQU3OvSkdXlUPUnAw0pUs2sq0Ygd96N4iaR8NlQXFSqCc-Ah3GMIMbv0PilHqtKMiw/s1600/DSC_0169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qyScPUb6VFsqK8cV-2tWORbviQlkbUIAq2omsSs3K1bANcq_F3f2BqZFvnT1MUw6i7NobugDNwQU3OvSkdXlUPUnAw0pUs2sq0Ygd96N4iaR8NlQXFSqCc-Ah3GMIMbv0PilHqtKMiw/s640/DSC_0169.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50hid1MelMEep6FzrudFytiQlVUBGU2oVTNsJnkfoVCskbYWuEOGw4xw8UOCv5Dy2lDYQ1mPwSjurLKxiNxZt9TC8OkMk20-Rhq2Yq05FCYe6TbGhrDhULqcP4I5HJrdtG7Ckl5Q2DRo/s1600/DSC_0185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50hid1MelMEep6FzrudFytiQlVUBGU2oVTNsJnkfoVCskbYWuEOGw4xw8UOCv5Dy2lDYQ1mPwSjurLKxiNxZt9TC8OkMk20-Rhq2Yq05FCYe6TbGhrDhULqcP4I5HJrdtG7Ckl5Q2DRo/s640/DSC_0185.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I really can't wait to show you her entry-way once it is completely done but here is the start we got to it. Jamie and Josh are staining the stairs a dark brown to match their floors this week and then on the other side of the entry Jamie just ordered a mirror that I am soooooooooooo incredibly jealous of! I will definitely be taking some pictures of that to show you all when I head back up there for Christmas!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-23H_Zi5sSSZUvD22YtqiuhuUVEsjvgddPSeKwDGiH8D_TF0pwK0uq7SVdietFbCCIMwBf5-b6hyR0Fo_0wf8URSRMJ3CL5RekuDaUUDdJJ0M6SHBS54RzA2yce6rteOotUtq75ktCZI/s1600/DSC_0136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-23H_Zi5sSSZUvD22YtqiuhuUVEsjvgddPSeKwDGiH8D_TF0pwK0uq7SVdietFbCCIMwBf5-b6hyR0Fo_0wf8URSRMJ3CL5RekuDaUUDdJJ0M6SHBS54RzA2yce6rteOotUtq75ktCZI/s640/DSC_0136.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b>I changed the Silent Night to brown for her (you can download it in green from <a href="http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/happy-thanksgiving-some-christmas.html">this post</a>) and she put it in this frame. I will show you the rest of the entry-way pics once it is done.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxcTVtknzO4XFu8WUDdxvtOY_8NG53TiG_dTxZjJmCPtIRqHo1hW_SixA6AMerE8Q31IvsU7Z4tiabwA0DmA9RzjSSWvxgyb56CUBeVzjtcVUOPTszN_XiTo-T6O6owGxk4VAD2uAr1s/s1600/DSC_1373-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxcTVtknzO4XFu8WUDdxvtOY_8NG53TiG_dTxZjJmCPtIRqHo1hW_SixA6AMerE8Q31IvsU7Z4tiabwA0DmA9RzjSSWvxgyb56CUBeVzjtcVUOPTszN_XiTo-T6O6owGxk4VAD2uAr1s/s640/DSC_1373-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">  <b>I can't wait to show you some pictures of her kitchen, bedroom and the rest of the great room and entryway but that will have to wait until I am back up in New England next week!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another project we worked on was my parent's Christmas tree. They had it up and had started decorating it but hadn't finished because they knew I hadn't gotten to decorate a tree yet this year and figured I might enjoy getting to help (although I showed all of the other decorating we have done in our house this Christmas we STILL haven't gotten our tree because it would have died while we were gone for that ten day stretch and seeing how we are leaving again on Monday I think we may not even bother at this point). I was really inspired by a tree I saw on the <a href="http://theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.com/2010/12/cottage8-burlap-tree-and-stockings.html">Old Painted Cottage Blog</a> and wanted to do something that had a similar feel but didn't want to go out and buy anything so we just used stuff my parents already had. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>My mom and Jamie ripped out pages from an old hymnal we had and rolled them and then tied them with extra fabric from the stockings my mom made for the mantle this year. I took pictures of those but they all came out horribly blurry. I will try again when I go back up there because they were really beautiful.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZwDGPsePdmVi2DLI1CT30NrqSwU39VdFmWM8-Y4LtcFwIuc_Cv8RvHlQjLn577FKN0SVRp-b8z6YgnkxqNp31vmNe9hz4O_ZL9B9G8kN8pVhBtPncMGTZacizPwF8Oid-og1oDsNBpo/s1600/DSC_0355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZwDGPsePdmVi2DLI1CT30NrqSwU39VdFmWM8-Y4LtcFwIuc_Cv8RvHlQjLn577FKN0SVRp-b8z6YgnkxqNp31vmNe9hz4O_ZL9B9G8kN8pVhBtPncMGTZacizPwF8Oid-og1oDsNBpo/s640/DSC_0355.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The drummer boys are only half done.  We just printed them on cardstock and stuck them on the tree so I could take pictures before I left. They still need to be distressed a little to look old and have holes punched in them and hung.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuFw0siUVQlyAd4qY62HxgMisypF4GDdJDVVMWfSz3x9c8BlubFnWRaBaZpM7AMt8tB2AowIapBDYacAE55fGKMLlSrkMf2VBnYmIhq7zSThfLOKiqtHZYv4bmnHlWvFMiYsfT-HZaJc/s1600/DSC_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuFw0siUVQlyAd4qY62HxgMisypF4GDdJDVVMWfSz3x9c8BlubFnWRaBaZpM7AMt8tB2AowIapBDYacAE55fGKMLlSrkMf2VBnYmIhq7zSThfLOKiqtHZYv4bmnHlWvFMiYsfT-HZaJc/s640/DSC_0001.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHxPEzXdyH_gK1Zlxiy_8f5kwwyfeKzkVJPAtRHn8vpPOk8yiHWTZGpUVZb_MLpzflHG1ToMjoBRfD_4f6sASgmH1JpHuSug3jHmIWr3zk4Ra0g73UFUNiU4MDP5bAhRcbY7gc7v5oH4/s1600/DSC_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHxPEzXdyH_gK1Zlxiy_8f5kwwyfeKzkVJPAtRHn8vpPOk8yiHWTZGpUVZb_MLpzflHG1ToMjoBRfD_4f6sASgmH1JpHuSug3jHmIWr3zk4Ra0g73UFUNiU4MDP5bAhRcbY7gc7v5oH4/s640/DSC_0010.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp3C_ByCOXoPZMUAuAOdcBj1Rj6UVSfpupD6uTr34RtEOYg_hMuSWSCTQGG3HV3aazG1Zgxm8CXVBCFMSommAz96e_ItlHI-LPyKWKy4KwUCoblRGE_Y94NjxXuPA2co4eg0XsHPNJTU/s1600/DSC_0352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp3C_ByCOXoPZMUAuAOdcBj1Rj6UVSfpupD6uTr34RtEOYg_hMuSWSCTQGG3HV3aazG1Zgxm8CXVBCFMSommAz96e_ItlHI-LPyKWKy4KwUCoblRGE_Y94NjxXuPA2co4eg0XsHPNJTU/s640/DSC_0352.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifaomacgc0Ahu_MwHR4j7To3JRTUH3I7BWzdC9Eir6Ujfqlu3gCgj8bVlp_KX2ddKfks18dAKSeHJlVqKGtQq7MTj4PpaNNTx1VAkXPCy3OSvW-CWF3ELiEwAeQdoZnMGX_v2VRmtE4Q/s1600/DSC_0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifaomacgc0Ahu_MwHR4j7To3JRTUH3I7BWzdC9Eir6Ujfqlu3gCgj8bVlp_KX2ddKfks18dAKSeHJlVqKGtQq7MTj4PpaNNTx1VAkXPCy3OSvW-CWF3ELiEwAeQdoZnMGX_v2VRmtE4Q/s640/DSC_0015.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Oh and here are two quick shots to prove that we did have snow here in Williamsburg. We woke up yesterday morning to a nice little blanket of it! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcbi0kxKKOgTupVJP6hEj_1LcPNzgnXW4JagWNDQtXD74PmwPmn87POnjVadf_6oGTboczed0CIJhcetTObcyoTdF1KEBVHARh4KzG2u3vwZrkI_-T9OKI-g60FduQh8ZzhlBgprmmgQ/s1600/DSC_0020c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcbi0kxKKOgTupVJP6hEj_1LcPNzgnXW4JagWNDQtXD74PmwPmn87POnjVadf_6oGTboczed0CIJhcetTObcyoTdF1KEBVHARh4KzG2u3vwZrkI_-T9OKI-g60FduQh8ZzhlBgprmmgQ/s640/DSC_0020c.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzyQsa6B_cxM4vy3RdN_gPShvH63U9g91uVeEiNX92SD1LReVA8jPpbIf2CEFreJ_Z8L6QitVjAXwG_KkaOliY22VOS9blixCtn0hcuDlKd55EylAlJ0428y3E10V7SdizU47w0G31gw/s1600/DSC_0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzyQsa6B_cxM4vy3RdN_gPShvH63U9g91uVeEiNX92SD1LReVA8jPpbIf2CEFreJ_Z8L6QitVjAXwG_KkaOliY22VOS9blixCtn0hcuDlKd55EylAlJ0428y3E10V7SdizU47w0G31gw/s640/DSC_0019.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you all are having a wonderful week and are a bit further ahead than I am on buying and wrapped Christmas gifts! Off to write some convos and then start packaging up orders!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8r7b5N5LlPvp0qwJnBnOoy8gSIzpDlKyvnbyEr6e0GO2M0D3d1eWkoj3UpNHVlu-0EB38oIYr3VwI9IpwrS_MK1sG6LI6oYID5RlwGAUNIcjvKMZL18_BYC-Cs4qkzjQcmDqTU9980/s1600/sig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8r7b5N5LlPvp0qwJnBnOoy8gSIzpDlKyvnbyEr6e0GO2M0D3d1eWkoj3UpNHVlu-0EB38oIYr3VwI9IpwrS_MK1sG6LI6oYID5RlwGAUNIcjvKMZL18_BYC-Cs4qkzjQcmDqTU9980/s1600/sig.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Joyeux Noel Sharpie Pillows, More Christmas Decorating and SNOW!

Whew! It has been a pretty crazy forty-eight hours or so here! Lillie and I got to Logan at about 6:45 or so Sunday night to discover our 7:...

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A Trip to Burdick's and Homestead Farms

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am a bit behind here on blogging thanks to a bit of a computer fiasco. My laptop screen got shattered in a little accident thanks to my accidentally setting it down right in front of Lillie's path! Although I have been needing a new laptop for quite some time now I really wasn't planning on getting one right now but didn't have much of a choice as it was beyond repair. I already was terribly behind on e-mails and other computer work so thanks to this little setback I am even further behind. So - if you are waiting on an response please don't think I am ignoring you I am just still trying to get caught up. I am excited to have a new laptop and be back to using a Mac again, but I am a bit rusty and it is taking me forever trying to salvage all of my old artwork and files and stuff so it may be another week or two until I am finally back on track!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the meantime here are some photos from our time up here in New Hampshire. Two of my favorite places to go when I am up in New Hampshire are <a href="http://www.burdickchocolate.com/">Burdick's</a> and Homestead Farms. <a href="http://www.burdickchocolate.com/">Burdick's</a> is this divine little place that is part French restaurant, part cafe and part chocolate shop. It is my absolute favorite place to eat in the whole world. It also holds a special place in my heart because Jon and I ate dinner there the night he proposed and we had our rehearsal dinner there, as well. Every time we are up here we make at least one visit there for either a dinner or at least a little hot cocoa and some dessert. This trip we got to do both. We went there for dinner on Wednesday and met my grandmother there for hot cocoa and croissants on Thursday. I love going there any time, but Christmastime is my favorite. Unfortunately my pictures do not even begin to capture the charm of this place or how incredibly beautiful the decor is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi06-hHKg522hzku0vUD3yV9IRa2-GYfJHN5bhAdZRAKX6E5K7ySGVUcPNNCSSR93gxTUQwKOl4XnHWhXkB-XVC16k4tyR_dwYGQKHU1oXffaxJhfDXxjT7-o6c1nti64Grl0ybxeQikw/s1600/DSC_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi06-hHKg522hzku0vUD3yV9IRa2-GYfJHN5bhAdZRAKX6E5K7ySGVUcPNNCSSR93gxTUQwKOl4XnHWhXkB-XVC16k4tyR_dwYGQKHU1oXffaxJhfDXxjT7-o6c1nti64Grl0ybxeQikw/s640/DSC_0058.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH7V9nzyuudWg4sy9bsNUU17cd9bKleD29vMReH8_w3Z-2YKGARqztt4bWJF9RmNj57T3Ckhfh7nB2XvYfy2QzylDlFuOcSKkwwZXWcoRqjwrgPVI5wuavf9ey0cHkXHgIdJdQV0ORHc/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH7V9nzyuudWg4sy9bsNUU17cd9bKleD29vMReH8_w3Z-2YKGARqztt4bWJF9RmNj57T3Ckhfh7nB2XvYfy2QzylDlFuOcSKkwwZXWcoRqjwrgPVI5wuavf9ey0cHkXHgIdJdQV0ORHc/s640/DSC_0012.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09XsKO5EXv11RDoxjypwb6xOCzwzgRO34jbkY4jYBdFbkmw0cnMohdNVphcpxQG7YbI1hijuTIKInChsQUdgNLf_hyphenhyphendULMkuVaz30h2KCi0bH-6xgOsmE1gWdfbhbD2S0Q_aoqGyTGnQ/s1600/DSC_0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09XsKO5EXv11RDoxjypwb6xOCzwzgRO34jbkY4jYBdFbkmw0cnMohdNVphcpxQG7YbI1hijuTIKInChsQUdgNLf_hyphenhyphendULMkuVaz30h2KCi0bH-6xgOsmE1gWdfbhbD2S0Q_aoqGyTGnQ/s640/DSC_0070.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgde56emeODdG0PSJxMhyphenhyphenKBI39o3_TiR3bqoC-nR_er4ssoVBAF-Cp0Nsf3w3fwHLajIKOI8KHFaPhOu6PX-r2Al5IYU1vYCC3s21VLhOzPXMkDAQq-NXX33ATyyEo77bqxZzBwUoE9d9Y/s1600/DSC_0073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgde56emeODdG0PSJxMhyphenhyphenKBI39o3_TiR3bqoC-nR_er4ssoVBAF-Cp0Nsf3w3fwHLajIKOI8KHFaPhOu6PX-r2Al5IYU1vYCC3s21VLhOzPXMkDAQq-NXX33ATyyEo77bqxZzBwUoE9d9Y/s640/DSC_0073.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuiDnSA_1guZ2cyFa_DQ77G0645x01MvZrTjgy9ooBU9h9C6CiYwktsVXf5X2LaorUy-vFLuQAcOGwT4PmN6AWlpEcYVi-VFDbi3QmDt3J2f2qOd9h8aLCHRH8R5x9vQl3HEqXrzb97w/s1600/DSC_0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuiDnSA_1guZ2cyFa_DQ77G0645x01MvZrTjgy9ooBU9h9C6CiYwktsVXf5X2LaorUy-vFLuQAcOGwT4PmN6AWlpEcYVi-VFDbi3QmDt3J2f2qOd9h8aLCHRH8R5x9vQl3HEqXrzb97w/s640/DSC_0075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULhbzNgSWlKsntW6ci2Fy48v8W_8bDF0hwC7O5Rq_li59nOEbJvhV6Ny7clueETurtspYwG-pzOVkamW4N5CKUr12eFI47J8yrz4Ca2ZpXyVBrAnHZ6sEW8MglCFmGzAMNmYLMKE-acc/s1600/DSC_0089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULhbzNgSWlKsntW6ci2Fy48v8W_8bDF0hwC7O5Rq_li59nOEbJvhV6Ny7clueETurtspYwG-pzOVkamW4N5CKUr12eFI47J8yrz4Ca2ZpXyVBrAnHZ6sEW8MglCFmGzAMNmYLMKE-acc/s640/DSC_0089.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />And one of my other favorite places to go to is Homestead Farms, which is a farmstand my uncle owns. I actually worked there back in high school. It is fun to go there any time of year (you can see some pictures of one of our many trips there this summer in <a href="http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-little-farm-girl.html">this post</a>) but, again, my favorite time is at Christmas when they have horse-drawn wagons (or sleighs, depending on if there is snow or not) that bring you out to the Christmas trees where you get to cut a tree down and then attach it to the side of the wagon and bring it back to the stand where free hot cocoa and fresh homemade donuts are waiting!  I am not sure whether Lillie's favorite part was eating all of the donuts or "riding the horsies".<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Although I am not much of an animal person, even I have to admit these horses are beautiful!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtsyTiM5Q4-_5bAGZyKfdWJcvVi2b9ln3gMlNnRCrGHktyctb-Xq8RuNNUwcz1o39mKG3k0WvEIntz2YAn-NTCmBUlTuNBQNHXs8V7XYH6kjZxPTqvVyQ1Px7bd79JOnXvN21EhJe6B4/s1600/DSC_0197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtsyTiM5Q4-_5bAGZyKfdWJcvVi2b9ln3gMlNnRCrGHktyctb-Xq8RuNNUwcz1o39mKG3k0WvEIntz2YAn-NTCmBUlTuNBQNHXs8V7XYH6kjZxPTqvVyQ1Px7bd79JOnXvN21EhJe6B4/s640/DSC_0197.jpg" width="465" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhposIpiplGZxhCF0bt35FE5H_K61VnM_3tzIFJi2W238vSU0nUgf1xODjBKxQdSZYkkRhfwlSvMtZBIjYTsFsO8Dc8u0rScxyFbzvcZeKYk-ygxm2IHpV6TEv5YEmvkKBKII14nxS5N3U/s1600/DSC_0320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhposIpiplGZxhCF0bt35FE5H_K61VnM_3tzIFJi2W238vSU0nUgf1xODjBKxQdSZYkkRhfwlSvMtZBIjYTsFsO8Dc8u0rScxyFbzvcZeKYk-ygxm2IHpV6TEv5YEmvkKBKII14nxS5N3U/s640/DSC_0320.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>We did it backwards this year and ate our donuts and drank our hot cocoa first and then took our ride. (And then actually went back inside for MORE donuts...not that surprising - haha!) </b> <b>They churn out the donuts all day long and it seemed like they were refreshing the trays about every ten minutes so you can imagine how fresh these donuts were!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqLJJmRYCEwEYLl8hUE45L2CJqWif7kFweVW3ycZ_L5TUignp1bHGEBRQD0noRjo1aU0P9qpl8Q552rackF0QdYihWuNiVfZ6qpAeH3-hCNVXUpbRcNzuOfx4NaoraL-5TWgTuukj2OM/s1600/DSC_0341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqLJJmRYCEwEYLl8hUE45L2CJqWif7kFweVW3ycZ_L5TUignp1bHGEBRQD0noRjo1aU0P9qpl8Q552rackF0QdYihWuNiVfZ6qpAeH3-hCNVXUpbRcNzuOfx4NaoraL-5TWgTuukj2OM/s640/DSC_0341.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Lillie chowing down on a chocolate covered donut.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Kjb-aY8LeHly3NB6s37yUpcHkj9M9w589ZE56rfK_wGvsbUoDHFwYpMZHXeymwb779_8rXwLDk9RMo7FqbBKxb4WG03e_2l7MntDIiKL2rnBbOQKeYkxkM6FDb6YGcpjLHqJs6_fmBk/s1600/DSC_0205cbw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Kjb-aY8LeHly3NB6s37yUpcHkj9M9w589ZE56rfK_wGvsbUoDHFwYpMZHXeymwb779_8rXwLDk9RMo7FqbBKxb4WG03e_2l7MntDIiKL2rnBbOQKeYkxkM6FDb6YGcpjLHqJs6_fmBk/s640/DSC_0205cbw.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b>And here she is stuffing a cinnamon sugar munchkin into her mouth. She's definitely my child!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFfUiVcROx4XCOhY3mazVG8GdbuKZogXuxyUWU0uF8nRbU11hkDDJ7G38xny_K1eGKKYY8lYyF2Uj3gQwS8bj8M6a4gMlwd7Zg8RFsX9822EduAQWEKClwzyR3GD5AgrskGuYpWr_TpQ/s1600/DSC_0243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFfUiVcROx4XCOhY3mazVG8GdbuKZogXuxyUWU0uF8nRbU11hkDDJ7G38xny_K1eGKKYY8lYyF2Uj3gQwS8bj8M6a4gMlwd7Zg8RFsX9822EduAQWEKClwzyR3GD5AgrskGuYpWr_TpQ/s640/DSC_0243.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> Hopping on the wagon with Auntie Jamie.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrvk-SBScT7bhJxcnJRaht2bkTsN89eNDwfSYvd3cidy28Cvb_fP87YTXlBBtsalFoBRdHflYJellmEMDonXuDGW43L1aKHhLDdGgOIZgApPfo59RI_z1W-sGk-VNQnRMyGjBxtdX_Nw/s1600/DSC_0326bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrvk-SBScT7bhJxcnJRaht2bkTsN89eNDwfSYvd3cidy28Cvb_fP87YTXlBBtsalFoBRdHflYJellmEMDonXuDGW43L1aKHhLDdGgOIZgApPfo59RI_z1W-sGk-VNQnRMyGjBxtdX_Nw/s640/DSC_0326bw.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OKypwPHpjaYf99_VxUhzIVsUxyFyT10W3zbNXsKZu3xEQ7QwSoesEkptn5mpq8jeKS0dVeQfw9l3ZQA5UHcScNa3fKwWNI10SbuY9WioKKD7DhmIjd_L1ZHAiwNdOXKlyQdhBtAGQS0/s1600/DSC_0254bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OKypwPHpjaYf99_VxUhzIVsUxyFyT10W3zbNXsKZu3xEQ7QwSoesEkptn5mpq8jeKS0dVeQfw9l3ZQA5UHcScNa3fKwWNI10SbuY9WioKKD7DhmIjd_L1ZHAiwNdOXKlyQdhBtAGQS0/s640/DSC_0254bw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Playing "one, two, three....swing" with Moosie and Jamie.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9JGmWt7MaGmr9k0iqhIrFmRZLBL7W7JfalSQVJP4wJhTXTbndiDetmKVIE987kVbI9oLbfRlkrTyV4khQ21Y8ejJ7GAixwrnKmFhhcVcFP6pbRJdWDoVqKCLg3ssQoo3HIYR2Yhghhk/s1600/DSC_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9JGmWt7MaGmr9k0iqhIrFmRZLBL7W7JfalSQVJP4wJhTXTbndiDetmKVIE987kVbI9oLbfRlkrTyV4khQ21Y8ejJ7GAixwrnKmFhhcVcFP6pbRJdWDoVqKCLg3ssQoo3HIYR2Yhghhk/s640/DSC_0277.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>And here she is playing her new favorite game (actually I am not sure this qualifies as a game and  personally I cannot figure out why she likes it so much but she goes crazy about it). I think she made Jamie and Josh play this every day that we were here! Uncle "Dutch", as she calls him, puts her up on his shoulders and then Jamie rushes in to kiss him.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMsAlaDaMUg5vmWrWNPPrzylOhOfPS7joTgTscsMuMBud-OhSGs0UKgULRc9Zg_TYFkjQ4qJrV0Pct0ZAxdw3tdU5my9MYL88x0UlMENrrQONTnjF7X9xT_nUGzlBV0zbDE0rIctnybM/s1600/DSC_0287bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMsAlaDaMUg5vmWrWNPPrzylOhOfPS7joTgTscsMuMBud-OhSGs0UKgULRc9Zg_TYFkjQ4qJrV0Pct0ZAxdw3tdU5my9MYL88x0UlMENrrQONTnjF7X9xT_nUGzlBV0zbDE0rIctnybM/s640/DSC_0287bw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>And here Jamie is going in for a kiss! (Dana and Jason - be very thankful you haven't had to witness this game yet, I think you might gag. I am afraid though you will definitely have to see it at Christmas, as Lillie pretty much demands it as soon as Josh walks through the door).</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnBQuBENvrmcxoZgS9aCw2bUqI_xvO0dsZNSfbUJNxGbDjeYoSXrlaPGFtyWp2hKkC2U7cO9EMmJLkSA7aWE_rO2AxwS2FX4ZXVwYNtlfSU3F-4FGo26B50meMaBI30lN2RiEFaj1BMc/s1600/DSC_0288bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnBQuBENvrmcxoZgS9aCw2bUqI_xvO0dsZNSfbUJNxGbDjeYoSXrlaPGFtyWp2hKkC2U7cO9EMmJLkSA7aWE_rO2AxwS2FX4ZXVwYNtlfSU3F-4FGo26B50meMaBI30lN2RiEFaj1BMc/s640/DSC_0288bw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b>After they kiss she laughs hysterically for like five minutes. It is the funniest thing to watch her, although I get nervous she is going to fall off of Josh's shoulders because she laughs so hard. And then once she catches her breath she insists they do it again. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPN27oiXZ7fOeTA2hirW3GZBDWXWZFDoEkBhNfY1lUxj7TD3SHO2UJKeAesoBFh42Q-RGgL0wtVP3oBk9TneK89o7v1GhNw2OUGCS3LbZITW087ia-5a465Vpyau0Vpt3BAxB3FALre8/s1600/DSC_0296bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPN27oiXZ7fOeTA2hirW3GZBDWXWZFDoEkBhNfY1lUxj7TD3SHO2UJKeAesoBFh42Q-RGgL0wtVP3oBk9TneK89o7v1GhNw2OUGCS3LbZITW087ia-5a465Vpyau0Vpt3BAxB3FALre8/s640/DSC_0296bw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghff59j4bPXwJk0biUWdoXXbdvak8_4zbpEw_kcOrLrWZGXN4AJ8jYgaSdUvJ2li5Fh31WDsWlXmb0xsaBP_OonBoadJqe-V0qs4Lytg00k9AEfmrdzgzzVUTv8yYnnkGlpWcbSvLmOfQ/s1600/DSC_0308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghff59j4bPXwJk0biUWdoXXbdvak8_4zbpEw_kcOrLrWZGXN4AJ8jYgaSdUvJ2li5Fh31WDsWlXmb0xsaBP_OonBoadJqe-V0qs4Lytg00k9AEfmrdzgzzVUTv8yYnnkGlpWcbSvLmOfQ/s640/DSC_0308.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>And here is my mom and precious little Abigail Grace.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyg-ZzMQKi7fPQegRSnM7u2X21RAeqMTHZ16-_9BVTOTrGD_0jCgslBDwCRwDcAb_qUPDj7LeVyYL-1neFe2778b-V5oljw6DD462XtTaqWk-BFN9-NXn-VQC_w2Ml-edOOomCEO0bIk/s1600/DSC_0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyg-ZzMQKi7fPQegRSnM7u2X21RAeqMTHZ16-_9BVTOTrGD_0jCgslBDwCRwDcAb_qUPDj7LeVyYL-1neFe2778b-V5oljw6DD462XtTaqWk-BFN9-NXn-VQC_w2Ml-edOOomCEO0bIk/s640/DSC_0348.jpg" width="445" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>She is just the most beautiful little thing!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsX8_rb69pW3uIsy3KTUYZka2LvTmNFRTQXl-Gn_oaSTLyAe7wDLdMv3pZUqhGWSkk-oU0mQri8nX8IIcgJRJpGu5V9DL-FvoAPysLLjxyrLotImX1FnysRYEN_AuEw6Qy5KJhCfxTG-0/s1600/DSC_0347c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsX8_rb69pW3uIsy3KTUYZka2LvTmNFRTQXl-Gn_oaSTLyAe7wDLdMv3pZUqhGWSkk-oU0mQri8nX8IIcgJRJpGu5V9DL-FvoAPysLLjxyrLotImX1FnysRYEN_AuEw6Qy5KJhCfxTG-0/s640/DSC_0347c.jpg" width="471" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>And I have to include a color shot because she has the most ridiculously blue eyes!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGD7WP_NrdJsYYlWgF4jFw7INK0eLt58NoMsQ13uZy76ihy36a_q6mDOA-cjBOTBjobzn9xaLmJR56OTOg19_ymL4Ze-6dofc6bf1JZjY5MW2RnJf-yO1c5Hdv_SzmOaHhgYr1_1KwMUo/s1600/DSC_0347co.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGD7WP_NrdJsYYlWgF4jFw7INK0eLt58NoMsQ13uZy76ihy36a_q6mDOA-cjBOTBjobzn9xaLmJR56OTOg19_ymL4Ze-6dofc6bf1JZjY5MW2RnJf-yO1c5Hdv_SzmOaHhgYr1_1KwMUo/s640/DSC_0347co.jpg" width="473" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">We are flying back home to Williamsburg today and can't wait to see Jon! Once we are settled back in I will do another post with some pictures of all the decorating we did this week!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Also we will be reopening our <a href="http://www.dearlillie.etsy.com/">shop</a> today and will only be open for a few days before we close down again for Christmas! There is still time for any screenprinted items that are ordered to be there for Christmas as long as you order them this week. We also now have the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Mary Poppins Thermal </span>back in stock in all sizes and the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Jane Austen Slate Short Sleeve</span> back in stock in all sizes! And Monday, as soon as I can take some photos, we should finally have a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">kids version of the Mary Poppins Thermal</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I</b> hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8r7b5N5LlPvp0qwJnBnOoy8gSIzpDlKyvnbyEr6e0GO2M0D3d1eWkoj3UpNHVlu-0EB38oIYr3VwI9IpwrS_MK1sG6LI6oYID5RlwGAUNIcjvKMZL18_BYC-Cs4qkzjQcmDqTU9980/s1600/sig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV8r7b5N5LlPvp0qwJnBnOoy8gSIzpDlKyvnbyEr6e0GO2M0D3d1eWkoj3UpNHVlu-0EB38oIYr3VwI9IpwrS_MK1sG6LI6oYID5RlwGAUNIcjvKMZL18_BYC-Cs4qkzjQcmDqTU9980/s1600/sig.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>

A Trip to Burdick's and Homestead Farms

I am a bit behind here on blogging thanks to a bit of a computer fiasco. My laptop screen got shattered in a little accident thanks to my ac...

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Lillian Annabel's Birthday Party

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday afternoon we celebrated Lillian Annabel's second birthday with a little party at my sister, Jamie and her husband Josh's house, up in New Hampshire. Dana, Lillie and I flew in on Friday and got to Moose Mountain (what we lovingly call my parent's property) just in time for a quick dinner and then my Mom, Dana, Jamie and I got right to work in the kitchen. We made cake, cupcakes, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate peanut butter balls and finished putting the banner and cupcake toppers together. Actually they might say THEY did all of that while I ran around bossing everyone around - haha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stuck to a simple theme of Chocolate (her favorite thing to eat) and the Twelve Dancing Princesses (her favorite movie) and made most everything ourselves and were able to do the party for a little over $50. Here are some pictures:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>We used jars left over from my sister's wedding and filled them with both homemade goodies as well as some of Lillie's favorite snacks from the Candy Shoppe in Colonial Williamsburg.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReLpj2Qg2lw33sGaJW5LzV8C3aAuprakOhruAtADeBHb4BoNa0WHaiJPIdypRa_C1gESonyAncSPsIu4azMPv7OFN6b2pUreLIxyNUPp2p6YtqYlcfPrH1gEZB8wLHc3-lnXgrHjZLZc/s1600/DSC_0284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReLpj2Qg2lw33sGaJW5LzV8C3aAuprakOhruAtADeBHb4BoNa0WHaiJPIdypRa_C1gESonyAncSPsIu4azMPv7OFN6b2pUreLIxyNUPp2p6YtqYlcfPrH1gEZB8wLHc3-lnXgrHjZLZc/s640/DSC_0284.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong> We stuck some bare branches with white lights on them into a mix of fresh white flowers to coordinate with the two urns we filled with branches over on the other side of the room.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0i3mBWCMsimYHL9klifvEo2aD_BV5Dt03uohKqUunE7lqvtzQ2wGum1vuGQbEIf4ZkJZFUedxs6RS-bhD9kTXEKXbnVgcll6dvSzac6L_N56Jg2fhf4a09HF-S8JwNDBPp8NcaJvsg-k/s1600/DSC_0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0i3mBWCMsimYHL9klifvEo2aD_BV5Dt03uohKqUunE7lqvtzQ2wGum1vuGQbEIf4ZkJZFUedxs6RS-bhD9kTXEKXbnVgcll6dvSzac6L_N56Jg2fhf4a09HF-S8JwNDBPp8NcaJvsg-k/s640/DSC_0237.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>One of my favorite snacks - Chocolate and Toffee covered pretzels!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl5qIUy7UNgYdpkygbdAUIR6JGbNyLbm3B7zsXGFlnUp-V-UBT-_zcUMAynXqC9LfgHAkFbw6-vF_hFnKthpG_G4-og7RbNKpOxPY32Vt7cMosMHoDXNrLyRvx5bZ-qj5JvfZJmtLaSo/s1600/DSC_0238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl5qIUy7UNgYdpkygbdAUIR6JGbNyLbm3B7zsXGFlnUp-V-UBT-_zcUMAynXqC9LfgHAkFbw6-vF_hFnKthpG_G4-og7RbNKpOxPY32Vt7cMosMHoDXNrLyRvx5bZ-qj5JvfZJmtLaSo/s640/DSC_0238.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Marshmellows</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLClWe0FXEmCQDH3qwfXGjuNMg7I3FoI1sOCcFq5kwKmXmQYKRjf0mNbYBCLNMomBQJhVzdk1mKGrXvuIx0fDVxVxtPxRYC7WADuR196LKPVZjgYaM1XbR95w6OOK7vu_4dVoM9WLoxCs/s1600/DSC_0286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLClWe0FXEmCQDH3qwfXGjuNMg7I3FoI1sOCcFq5kwKmXmQYKRjf0mNbYBCLNMomBQJhVzdk1mKGrXvuIx0fDVxVxtPxRYC7WADuR196LKPVZjgYaM1XbR95w6OOK7vu_4dVoM9WLoxCs/s640/DSC_0286.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>We got the ruffled cupcake holders at Michael's and just printed some silhouettes I drew onto white cardstock and taped them onto little skewers to make cupcake toppers (the glitter is thanks to Lillie - I am not much of a glitter fan but she currently likes to add it to any project we are working on so it got added to these).</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxtUZqXmILQ4aVaZWUPJ8q-n3bdCqwDlcs0am4m_gYukhzuPGrby0Uy7GOrqUZVqxkH_CcE1Io5u9PycUY2JrtpLbdRx6a0AhJnH7P0JvDBn0hj646IK4itjjpXBnBcboguZN6fWFklU/s1600/DSC_0287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxtUZqXmILQ4aVaZWUPJ8q-n3bdCqwDlcs0am4m_gYukhzuPGrby0Uy7GOrqUZVqxkH_CcE1Io5u9PycUY2JrtpLbdRx6a0AhJnH7P0JvDBn0hj646IK4itjjpXBnBcboguZN6fWFklU/s640/DSC_0287.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Some of the little ballet slippers I made did not fare so well on the trip north =).</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCGNYP7sgbzWgrgJDiT1AtwS91_RgUEBlJ7jWC9ZxslUIuzHCHd7Wp8mASP2QgNrJEnnLqJvFswP5CB-PNOnXgr7sm_tjTiXpS_ArCKRZ_G_G3ADqrFbQRUsBS-fYgdkqbmjWciDseUQ/s1600/DSC_0297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCGNYP7sgbzWgrgJDiT1AtwS91_RgUEBlJ7jWC9ZxslUIuzHCHd7Wp8mASP2QgNrJEnnLqJvFswP5CB-PNOnXgr7sm_tjTiXpS_ArCKRZ_G_G3ADqrFbQRUsBS-fYgdkqbmjWciDseUQ/s640/DSC_0297.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuE8OGsjRE6Ov47goVC8VYrbGW4y5pLFtGZtPyKX7Nr8PWwBa_HaC4klfETcdDFRZn9D6lXluJf6f8kPh-DvxmHIMDxkaw-X33Jcyw-Jw9N7IbIluSldxlH26pe3vltML5zmOiiqCWxA/s1600/DSC_0298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuE8OGsjRE6Ov47goVC8VYrbGW4y5pLFtGZtPyKX7Nr8PWwBa_HaC4klfETcdDFRZn9D6lXluJf6f8kPh-DvxmHIMDxkaw-X33Jcyw-Jw9N7IbIluSldxlH26pe3vltML5zmOiiqCWxA/s640/DSC_0298.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuhok644hC9I0qbBC0V4nZp22QBL1BaeAQaMFiAAFV5nIhnhkD5c0JwwfYtYEA3XrEQEsRCab6FggjEkIilKEjWITwQa0w7QOubX_lOgrrjYZoG4XKEircH948OjfsyIYeun8oY-f8MU/s1600/DSC_0252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuhok644hC9I0qbBC0V4nZp22QBL1BaeAQaMFiAAFV5nIhnhkD5c0JwwfYtYEA3XrEQEsRCab6FggjEkIilKEjWITwQa0w7QOubX_lOgrrjYZoG4XKEircH948OjfsyIYeun8oY-f8MU/s640/DSC_0252.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>We got the paper pom-poms from </strong><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/FiestaPomPom?ref=pr_profile"><strong>Fiesta Pom Pom's</strong></a><strong> on Etsy.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuDvJUSSrry2g1rQsXofF5ze8zn1SsLm65bmeoNuS-aoCBdPQ1wQDp2zfWRVzYle-9wzpYFOCSzz4LEBIi01MHpMtz9LgVa5kOPx7da9JBpNHLD1C9y00a4kb7r-DQ7Dm114OESncpU0/s1600/DSC_0275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuDvJUSSrry2g1rQsXofF5ze8zn1SsLm65bmeoNuS-aoCBdPQ1wQDp2zfWRVzYle-9wzpYFOCSzz4LEBIi01MHpMtz9LgVa5kOPx7da9JBpNHLD1C9y00a4kb7r-DQ7Dm114OESncpU0/s640/DSC_0275.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-XntAs5d7FHxCksFxo3ifz8-aZiTr9-5o8bkcazsdyTTdOgCUJq-zvai-p7kfWVBnjziCb2QhtQQJtBHXcTn_aKFdlD4u4qSXMc4shjiFp_ec88w0U4aYdsaMrcL6JCzTSPjn5v0Qlo/s1600/DSC_0341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-XntAs5d7FHxCksFxo3ifz8-aZiTr9-5o8bkcazsdyTTdOgCUJq-zvai-p7kfWVBnjziCb2QhtQQJtBHXcTn_aKFdlD4u4qSXMc4shjiFp_ec88w0U4aYdsaMrcL6JCzTSPjn5v0Qlo/s640/DSC_0341.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWL2_im2o7_qHzQJ70sIe0oa3OGIrpaZu1ru1W83K8bmHfOB3sgQFZAYSmd3mlbxq3yT9aJMyjbO0LURmv_xF0GksZipAhwUy2LA8WPxChtsOFncqXteqNW2GAhv3FWSEkCWD0LYMYwX4/s1600/DSC_0020v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWL2_im2o7_qHzQJ70sIe0oa3OGIrpaZu1ru1W83K8bmHfOB3sgQFZAYSmd3mlbxq3yT9aJMyjbO0LURmv_xF0GksZipAhwUy2LA8WPxChtsOFncqXteqNW2GAhv3FWSEkCWD0LYMYwX4/s640/DSC_0020v.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpyvU5uohtlZPzK2L1urZY3WDwjDfEEI9pljSFi6fw2YvufdzHP28Na2YATqUCkXL0RHG3zz1gpbeMF3qayUXS0q7m9lnUY6UXDQ31xgoj3_cZQlIam0czp7272CuhJcJiAZwsC388W4/s1600/DSC_0279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpyvU5uohtlZPzK2L1urZY3WDwjDfEEI9pljSFi6fw2YvufdzHP28Na2YATqUCkXL0RHG3zz1gpbeMF3qayUXS0q7m9lnUY6UXDQ31xgoj3_cZQlIam0czp7272CuhJcJiAZwsC388W4/s640/DSC_0279.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcbq7fS89vDty00CefSXa86m_0MW_OugntS8Sh2GO0XTQnArzZKr6lawwWASLuJPzGAhPpiix7RIaRGLrceCG00UhfEUAjqXv8tjTFb6eZ3_wLFyvfblk8ZLGSKPzQ9nlGZqL53iPNRc/s1600/DSC_0295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcbq7fS89vDty00CefSXa86m_0MW_OugntS8Sh2GO0XTQnArzZKr6lawwWASLuJPzGAhPpiix7RIaRGLrceCG00UhfEUAjqXv8tjTFb6eZ3_wLFyvfblk8ZLGSKPzQ9nlGZqL53iPNRc/s640/DSC_0295.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueLZZjsypLkqsqDfzc6-uoARVYcbn74-No29AqJmjpi5O6OewJdP-N6QYghH4thGcgz04uOt8MJEJ5em7lHA4IP8AoTSUeUBHGmKItDb_RKX2OYhBabEM1ZxOUoIYUh8I7piYzBHT7Lg/s1600/DSC_0300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueLZZjsypLkqsqDfzc6-uoARVYcbn74-No29AqJmjpi5O6OewJdP-N6QYghH4thGcgz04uOt8MJEJ5em7lHA4IP8AoTSUeUBHGmKItDb_RKX2OYhBabEM1ZxOUoIYUh8I7piYzBHT7Lg/s640/DSC_0300.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Here is a close-up of the banner. This project was so easy and CHEAP!  I spent $1.99 on the caramel colored ribbon and then just used white and chocolate colored cardstock, a glue stick and a hole puncher! I think I am going to make a similar banner in gray and pink for Lillie's bedroom.</strong> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijG0oh1Oms-oE90tdq6tSgortqevG_P9mGI9i-2ADhOmNsU5GA7IdO0Y5u-be04MNztuJVEq2OKljB7pf3ppLc5KqCI_pFmvUxew-MnJZEaaLg7bgDtzAUxtysnMEiJGMwEx9fUpoioQ/s1600/DSC_0324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijG0oh1Oms-oE90tdq6tSgortqevG_P9mGI9i-2ADhOmNsU5GA7IdO0Y5u-be04MNztuJVEq2OKljB7pf3ppLc5KqCI_pFmvUxew-MnJZEaaLg7bgDtzAUxtysnMEiJGMwEx9fUpoioQ/s640/DSC_0324.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I wish I had of gotten a better pictures of the trees because they looked whimsical in real life and made a nice statement for practically no money, but they look pretty boring in these pictures - sorry! Oh how I love CHEAP projects! My dad cut the branches down for me and then we just put them in some potting soil in two urns that my parents had and then I made the ballet shoes with scraps of fabric I already owned. I just ran out of ribbon so I had to buy another spool for $1.99 to finish the slippers off and then we got some white lights with brown wire from my parent's basement to blend in with the branches. </strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDilV-jvzlHfuboFvRksTBNWRedW-IvRW8KZBgGiXM8FOBAwPAAIt4mlqlQyoWhV54fQK4OwWZc5hwF3fs59O1i0fHsXpnxWaJ09s9eE1LkXfLd5IMHoIfHFIS5dyUohY1HVQgxfVWGLs/s1600/DSC_0357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDilV-jvzlHfuboFvRksTBNWRedW-IvRW8KZBgGiXM8FOBAwPAAIt4mlqlQyoWhV54fQK4OwWZc5hwF3fs59O1i0fHsXpnxWaJ09s9eE1LkXfLd5IMHoIfHFIS5dyUohY1HVQgxfVWGLs/s640/DSC_0357.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNqaPRzp31OTTSGaP0hokAnJFdJIgSHbFdQ4Sv5Y4-V8Z44NdCMRlW2NoxQf94hUuJQD9KJUFFICslZHdvJkQB0guHEu8nYP7PnLzw7KQFnmcRnD3w56HnviN5xSnieGIWrNOvcRODuM/s1600/DSC_0360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNqaPRzp31OTTSGaP0hokAnJFdJIgSHbFdQ4Sv5Y4-V8Z44NdCMRlW2NoxQf94hUuJQD9KJUFFICslZHdvJkQB0guHEu8nYP7PnLzw7KQFnmcRnD3w56HnviN5xSnieGIWrNOvcRODuM/s640/DSC_0360.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0DKp9qdM5qZBBR2ksGXwvvaqdfP1vmYfE7mOqMLC9rqgV-SmC3MyS7IKwbHQZzCY7ooaxUiqAc10y2jC1E62ZrbmhRFRNtAfLQ7rkyw5FnkRhsFPkZpPL-0rd1MGDSjJ2Mu8TblIKuU/s1600/DSC_0331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0DKp9qdM5qZBBR2ksGXwvvaqdfP1vmYfE7mOqMLC9rqgV-SmC3MyS7IKwbHQZzCY7ooaxUiqAc10y2jC1E62ZrbmhRFRNtAfLQ7rkyw5FnkRhsFPkZpPL-0rd1MGDSjJ2Mu8TblIKuU/s640/DSC_0331.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Here Lillie is getting ready to blow out her candles!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus9QyWQJLtciRQZrwcLI3exlsRGxPzxWC_cWRaWQWdhRYgLq16LGfCNjUueWZWPdSLFtbqAgLTRcZgvCQkp7CZ8gEk9Gwio2g9m2Na5GxJDaBFGAGFpzrUPid1N8YYGDeO9WEgV-VfnQ/s1600/DSC_0384c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus9QyWQJLtciRQZrwcLI3exlsRGxPzxWC_cWRaWQWdhRYgLq16LGfCNjUueWZWPdSLFtbqAgLTRcZgvCQkp7CZ8gEk9Gwio2g9m2Na5GxJDaBFGAGFpzrUPid1N8YYGDeO9WEgV-VfnQ/s640/DSC_0384c.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>And her favorite part - eating her "Bird-day Cupcakes"!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0F0LQkmuG07jLU-Ku0YjLfj2FzY1Qzr44fMbHNJGthfYEJjrjJxE0_mlKRXhvM48jsiYc21HxjxMQfLhlioZOM3vVm34Y66_FOKHhJ-xjG_PSLoioRJfpDeTWrUwpnL_1NZY0o1RDnk/s1600/DSC_0409c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0F0LQkmuG07jLU-Ku0YjLfj2FzY1Qzr44fMbHNJGthfYEJjrjJxE0_mlKRXhvM48jsiYc21HxjxMQfLhlioZOM3vVm34Y66_FOKHhJ-xjG_PSLoioRJfpDeTWrUwpnL_1NZY0o1RDnk/s640/DSC_0409c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>And here are some photos from the actual party. One of my favorite ones is the second row down on the left where she is sitting in my mom's lap with her eyes closed. She had just opened her first present which contained some ADORABLE clothes and she was so disappointed that it was clothing and not books or a toy that she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep! On the bottom row in the middle you can see her and two of my cousin Cathy's kids, Luke and Abby running up the hallway. I think that was hands-down her favorite part of the party. After we ate with just the girls, Cathy's husband brought their three boys over and Lillie, Abby and the boys ran up and down Jamie and Josh's hallway (you can't really tell in the photo but it is a really LONG hallway)  back and forth and back and forth laughing hysterically and chasing each other for the rest of the night! The things that entertain kids - haha! In the last photo Lillie and Lulu are wearing adorable  matching nightgowns that <a href="http://momof40toes.blogspot.com/">Jennifer at Forty Toes</a> sent her! How incredibly sweet and thoughtful was that? I was so touched! As soon as we got back to my parent's house after her party we immediately put her and Lulu in them and she was soooo excited to be matching her doll!</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Uuf-uZuKcQWfvNIUprDPQNTVKEkiA9Yep4fIRWyIPO7_GSSiHuqoH3dC85vHIx9f_NO1jYAKbrZcQTHfIBUCPFci28bZe-k-q7s0Mc5Gk6nxFgaBSwAXRJLEmlRFthh0Ct2uiXgVcUU/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Uuf-uZuKcQWfvNIUprDPQNTVKEkiA9Yep4fIRWyIPO7_GSSiHuqoH3dC85vHIx9f_NO1jYAKbrZcQTHfIBUCPFci28bZe-k-q7s0Mc5Gk6nxFgaBSwAXRJLEmlRFthh0Ct2uiXgVcUU/s640/collage.jpg" width="463" /></a></div><div align="center"><strong>I want to say a big thank you to my mom and sisters for all of their help in making Lillie's second birthday so special!</strong></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lillie also wants to say a big "I love you and I miss you" to her Daddy who is out on the recruiting trail! We can't wait to see you on Sunday and miss you so much!</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong>I hope you all are having a great week so far and enjoying the Christmas season! </strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWdDqA1eK7TOeuqGjne7IY4QEfMg3KZK7yaYShLLK-ve97lVwyJ9-3c-8JQeeSaktakz8e7F0XtxlX72Zpnk0XZ95VYG5tkSSGz91__sjE9SrvxyFl_xazw7URE_oDCWEVjZJxcikdQw/s1600/sig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWdDqA1eK7TOeuqGjne7IY4QEfMg3KZK7yaYShLLK-ve97lVwyJ9-3c-8JQeeSaktakz8e7F0XtxlX72Zpnk0XZ95VYG5tkSSGz91__sjE9SrvxyFl_xazw7URE_oDCWEVjZJxcikdQw/s1600/sig.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">PS - We are getting close to the 1000 follower mark! As soon as we hit it we will host another giveaway!</span></div>

Lillian Annabel's Birthday Party

On Saturday afternoon we celebrated Lillian Annabel's second birthday with a little party at my sister, Jamie and her husband Josh's...

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