I can't believe Christmas is this week.  I remember as a kid, it felt like it took Christmas forever to arrive.  As an adult (and as a parent), it feels like there aren't enough days leading up to Christmas.  Christmas literally sneaks up on you so fast.

We're all ready for Christmas at our house, and anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival.  Katherine loves Santa.  As we were walking through Target the other day, Katherine spotted an older man with a white beard restocking the shelves in his Target red shirt.  When we passed by him she shouted, "Hi Santa!"  I don't think he was amused.

I mentioned in an earlier post that we didn't decorate as much around the house as usual this year.  There's been a lot going on and curious little hands like to touch everything.  Here's a brief look at some of our holiday decor this year:





(See our Christmas decorations from two years ago here.)

It was cookie central in our house over the weekend, as I went crazy baking cookies to take to our friends and family.  Our cookie extravaganza included iced sugar cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, Snicker cookies, and gingerbread cookies.  I probably sampled 2-3 cookies from each batch.  I'm still on a sugar high.  

Because this time of year can get very busy, I'm trying to slow down and not stress over little things.  Like, for instance, Jason's head being cut off on our Christmas cards.  Seriously.  How did that even happen?  Nothing else to do but send them out anyway.  Oh well.  If you received our Christmas card this year, I apologize for Jason's lack of forehead.
Not to mention my phone decided to try and end it's own life this week.  The poor thing is literally on it's last leg.  I'm hoping it will survive until after Christmas is over.  Buying a new phone isn't exactly in the Christmas budget this late in the game.

I'm feeling extra blessed this year and can't wait to see Katherine's face on Christmas morning.  She really seems to be getting into the holidays, singing songs and "performing" daily.  I recently got my old wooden microphone out for her.  When I was around her age my grandfather made me a wooden microphone on a stand because, much like Katherine, I liked to sing songs and perform for the family.  It turns out, Katherine loves singing into the microphone as well.  I only wish my grandfather was here to see and hear her sing "Let It Go" over and over and over and over....
I briefly had to take away her microphone privileges and have a talk with her about how the microphone is not to be used as a weapon, and swinging it around the dogs was not acceptable behavior.  She has since learned how to respectfully use the microphone.

A bonus Katherine story:  We like to play the "who's is this?" game when I fold the laundry, and Katherine tells me who's clothing item I'm folding.  As we were walking through Target (the same trip as the Santa innocent), Katherine sees a rack of yoga pants and points to it shouting "Mommy's!"  Does this mean I wear yoga pants to often?    

I'm now going to finish wrapping Christmas presents while continuously watching sappy Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel.

A couple of weekends back, we met with Amber of Amber Potter Photography at the park to take our very first professional pictures as a family.  It was a cold, drizzly Saturday morning but some how our photos turned out amazing.

I spent a week deciding what we would wear, only to have to layer our outfits, covering up the originally clothes I had picked out.  Oh well.  Our photos turned out so great, I barely even notice what we're wearing anyway.











I'm so, so happy with the way these turned out.  I spent two hours picking out and ordering prints for our family, only to realize after the fact that I had forgotten to order prints for ourselves.  I guess that gives me more time to decide which ones I want to print.

(Insert long sigh here.)  I can't believe Christmas is next week.  While I promised myself I wouldn't get stressed out during the holiday season, the craziness has crept up again like it does every year.

We're busy checking things off of our Christmas to-do list, including visits with Santa, Winter Wonderland Christmas lights, and gingerbread house decorating.

Last week was Jason's birthday, so I ordered him a cheesecake from Top Tier Cheesecakes (his favorite).  Oh my goodness it was good.  If you're in the St. Louis area (or even if you're not, they deliver!!) you must try them.  Nothing like a birthday cheesecake to start off the holiday eating season.

On Friday, after a loooooong day of shopping I brought home a gingerbread house kit for Katherine.  She actually loved it.  Most of the candy ended up on the house.  Only some of it ended up in her mouth.  I think she liked the candy as much as she liked decorating the house.  I can't wait to carry on this tradition with her in the years to come.



Another one of our favorite Christmas activities is watching A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Katherine loves Snoopy and Charlie Brown.  She calls them "Soupy" and "Jim."  I don't know where she gets "Jim," but she calls Charlie Brown Jim.  Whatever.  Anyway, Katherine loves A Charlie Brown Christmas and always asks to watch it.  So, we've watched "Soupy" and "Jim" a lot this week.

On Saturday, we went to Afternoon with Santa where we had pancakes, decorated a Christmas cookie, and of course, saw Santa (for the second time this week).  We saw Santa earlier in the week at the mall.  Katherine is a huge fan of Santa this year.  She talks about him all the time, so seeing him twice in one week was a great idea in her eyes.


On Sunday night, we checked another item off of our Christmas tradition list by going to see the Winter Wonderland lights.  Katherine absolutely loved it, and the 60 degree weather was great too.

Next on our Christmas checklist is baking Christmas cookies, watching Christmas Vacation, and seeing the Singing Christmas Tree at church next weekend.  I absolutely love Katherine at this age.  Everything is so exciting for her.  I love how her little mind works.  Christmas is going to be so much fun this year!

Every year I tell myself that I won't let the holidays stress me out.  Every year I say this, but every year I strive to make everything perfect and exhaust myself.

This year it has been a little more hectic around here, leading to some holiday decorations not being put out and some holiday "extravagants" not being too extravagant.  The Christmas lights didn't get put on the house this year, and yet the sun still rises each morning.  Only a small portion of the Christmas village was put out this year, and Christmas will still come.

Some things will be different this year.  For instance we will not be in Kennett for Christmas for the first time in my thirty-one years.  While it is a little sad, I'm excited for Jason and I to start new Christmas traditions in our home, in St. Louis.

One of our Christmas traditions is my ballet studio putting on our annual Christmas dance "recital."  This happens every year around the first weekend in December, and today was that day.  Last year, Katherine enjoyed the music and dancers, but hated Fredbird (who is always in attendance).  We worked on her dislike of Fredbird all  year.  We read Hello Fredbird.  We pointed him out at baseball games.  She seemed to love him.  Today she enjoyed seeing him from across the room, but when he came closer she freaked.  So, no picture with Fredbird.  This does not give me high hopes for our visit with Santa later this week.

Yesterday, we spent the day taking professional family photos.  It was freezing, but my hot natured child didn't notice and played along with our crazy idea to "walk" in the park while a photographer snapped photos of us.  I hope they turned out alright, despite our red noses.  Afterwards, we stopped at Chick-fil-a for lunch where Katherine continued to ham it up for the camera.

On Friday night, Katherine and I finally finished watching Peter Pan Live.  Because it was 3 whole hours long, we watched it in hour long increments.  Katherine actually watched and enjoyed it.  She loved Hook or "Huck" as she says it.  Watching Christopher Walken play Captain Hook was kind of brutal for me, but Katherine loved it.  She's very into pirates right now,  Thanks Jake.   (If you're not sure who Jake is, ask anyone with a toddler who watches Disney Junior.)
I'm always sad to see a weekend go, especially in December when I feel like they're numbered and always packed with activities.  I'm going to take on the week ahead by being as productive as possible, but not overwhelming myself and loosing the Christmas spirit.  Good luck.

To say it's been a little crazy around here would be an understatement.  Jason's been working some serious long hours, and we (technically I) hosted our first Thanksgiving at our house.

We weren't sure Jason would even be home for Thanksgiving, but luckily he made it home in time to have a late Thanksgiving dinner with us.

The day started out with Katherine and I enjoying some Pumpkin French Toast and watching the parade.  She actually watched most of it and loved the musical acts.

{Full Thanksgiving menu listed on our chalkboard.}

{Pumpkin French Toast with pumpkin butter and maple syrup.}

{My breakfast date couldn't take her eyes off of the parade.}

The good thing about not eating until late was that Katherine and I were able to lounge around in our PJ's until late morning.  My mom came over around lunch time with some snacks, which were devoured just in time for Katherine's nap.

Once Katherine was down for her nap, Operation: Thanksgiving Prep was underway.  My dad came over to fry a turkey, while my mom and I baked one in the oven.  I'm not sure how I did it, but by the time Jason came home several hours later, dinner was ready.  For dessert, I made a chocolate pie and thawed and baked an apple pie from the "Great Apple Adventure" (remember that??).

{Finally using the nice wedding dinnerware.}

{My favorite table accessory:  Turkey S&P shakers.}

Dinner went fabulously.  Not bad for my first time hosting.  No need for a "turkey nap" at our house.  We just went bed shortly after dinner.

{Katherine with her Uncle Zach and Aunt Mandy.}

We're not really Black Friday people, so the rest of the weekend was spent decorating for Christmas.  Decorating a Christmas tree with a toddler in the house is a whole new ballgame.

I'm so excited that the holiday season is finally here.  Tomorrow is Cyber Monday, so I'm offering a special deal at my Etsy shop.  Use coupon code:  CLARKGRISWOLD at checkout for 35% off of any purchase at the shop.  Tomorrow only!

In the meantime, I'm working like crazy to restock the shop with lots of new scarves, as well as some fan favorites.  Stay tuned......

When I worked in resale, we had one fabulous consignor who traveled the world and always brought in her finds to consign with us.  One day, she brought in this green jacket/dress that she had bought in Italy.  My co-worker insisted I buy it as soon as it hit the sales floor, so I did.

This dress or jacket (I'm not sure what to call it) has no label and no size, which actually makes it perfect.  I'll have to admit, it looks a little hideous on a hanger.  You just have to see the potential.  

This one item stays in my closet all year.  It works for all seasons.  It can be a dress or a jacket.  It can be worn alone or layered.  Belted or not.  Here are my three favorite ways to wear it:  

{Warm weather dress}

{Cool weather jacket}

{Cold weather dress}

It just goes to show, you never know what you'll find at a resale shop or how it will work in your wardrobe.  You just have to see the potential.

I cannot believe there is snow on the ground and it's November 16.  The smile on Katherine's face when she woke up from her nap and saw the snow on the ground more than made up for the fact that it snowed in mid-November.

It had just started snowing when Katherine went down for her nap.  We watched it snow for a bit, then waved "bye bye" to the snow.  When I opened the blinds on her bedroom window later, her eyes lit up, "SNOW!" she said.

So we went "side" to play in the snow (after I explained that her Elsa doll couldn't actually go out in the snow).




All was going well until she slipped and face-planted into a snow pile in the yard.  It was hilarious.  Katherine didn't think so.  After I got her up and dusted her off, she was off and running again.  We came in soon after that, because her nose dive had left her soaked.

She of course cried her eyes out when we came inside.  It looks like the winter may be fun after all.

We're hosting our first Thanksgiving this year, and I'm actually getting pretty excited about it.  Every year, we pack up and drive 3.5 hours south for a rushed and hectic holiday.  This year, we get to stay in our own house and I can literally feel the stress melting away (besides the fact that we're hosting our first Thanksgiving).

I'm a firm believer in "no Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving."  So, we're enjoying the last little bit of fall decor around our house before Christmas completely takes over.  Meanwhile, I'm busy making my Thanksgiving shopping list and scouring Pinterest for table setting ideas.    





When I worked for a resale store, we received an awesome Thanksgiving sweater in a donation box.  I had never seen an "ugly Thanksgiving sweater," and was super excited to get it onto the sales floor.   Even though I placed it on the mannequin by the front door, this beauty never sold (can you imagine?!).  So, after Thanksgiving it went home with me!

I literally can't get over this sweater.  Every Thanksgiving detail is hilarious, down to the pilgrim hat buttons.  I think this sweater will definitely make an appearance at our first Thanksgiving at our house.  



My favorite part has always been the giant turkey on the back.  I wish someone would throw an "Ugly Thanksgiving Sweater Party."

I promise the second Thanksgiving is over, it's Christmas Central in this house.