New Years Eve and Resolutions

Each New Years Eve, I have visions of George and I, along with our friends, having a glamorous party, at a fabulous hotel, with lots of bubbly champagne, dancing and celebrating...

(almost this fabulous... haha!  it's all I could find, but you get my point)

However, our typical NYE is less than fabulous.  It's usually pretty standard with junk food, cheap sparkling wine and sleepy eyes come 11:00 pm.  Last year was fun though!  Look at the sleepy eyes on George... and the elastic band from his NYE hat ... haha!

And this year, we are planning for the same.  We are going to George's sister's house.  My mom and sister and going to hang out too.  It's junk food, games and drinks.  I will probably pass out and George will wake me up just in time for our 2011 kiss, then I will pass out again :)

But this year, I am really looking forward to my resolutions.  I need to drop some lbs. and I want to get healthy for:

1. My self

2. Going to Paris

3. Family planning

And of those reasons, it's #3 that is really driving this goal.  2011 is our year for starting a family (God allowing).  We plan on going to Paris in May and starting our family that summer.

We would have started earlier but we wanted to go Paris for our 1 year anniversary....aaannnd I may or may not find it really important to be able to drink wine in Paris!

Efforts to get healthy have started but I am looking forward to all the deals on weight loss programs that the New Year will bring.  More on all of that later...

Another resolution is to volunteer more.  Last year, I learned how lucky I was to have a wonderful husband and family that helped me get through the hardtimes.  And I would like to pay-it-forward and help those who are struggling too.

Finally, I want to get a few things done around the house before we start our family.  I would LOVE to get new kitchen cabinet doors, a new dishwasher, refinish our deck and make the attic more of a living/working space. 

What are your New Years Eve plans? 

Are you thinking of resolutions yet?



Our First Christmas: Card.

First let me say that there are a butt-load of Christmas card options out there!

With that, I narrowed down our search using the Sarah Method; Whatever is Cheapest.

Armed with my coupon codes for Snapfish and Shutterfly, I scoured each site, looking for a card the best complemented our formal wedding picture...

We found SO many cards...

   


But our picture was not working in ANY of them!  I really wanted my bouquet to show and not be too zoomed-in.  Also, we just wanted one picture.  The small card looked SO busy with more than 1 photo. 

And, well, our picture is formal.  And many of the cards are a bit more whimsical, which I am typically into but felt like that look wouldn't be a match.

So after much debate, we decided on a classic look...

This isn't the exact card we selected but it's very close (Snapfish doesn't offer the design anymore... I'm sure it was because it was sooooo popular :-)  ).  The green ribbon is more of a green scroll on ours.  And the year is framed with scroll work as well.

Anyhoo, I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS METHOD OF CHRISTMAS CARD GIVING!!!  It's so easy to print, stuff, address and send. 

Do you send holiday cards?  Do you go with the standard card with a note or the photo card?

It's Not that I NEEEED Anything...

buuut, there are a few things I would like to get for Christmas, should Santa be reading!!

3 years ago, George and I went a little bit nuts and brought uber expensive bikes.  He loves his.  Mine, on the other hand, KILLS my back.  They never mentioned that, if you have lower back pain, mountain bikes are not for you.  wah-wah.  All in all, I never ever use it.  Anyone want a bike?!

This year, I want to bike with my husband and maybe (just maybe), as a family.  So we have been looking at comfort bikes.  Thicker tires for stability and a bit of  off-roading riding.  High handle bars and I low seat so I am in more of an upright position.  Swooning over a bike... yeah... I am that old!

As most of you know, I am living/blogging without a camera!  We had this one.  It was great, cheap, easy to use and my fault for breaking it.  I would not mind one bit having it again

 

Stella and Dot is my new obsession and I could totally use some vintage-luxe jewelry!  I mean, look at that bracelet... gimme-gimme-gimme!

I have also been dropping hints that I would love a Kelly Green or pink passport cover, a deep frying pan with a lid, a big tote bag to use as a carry-on and socks. 

Yeah, these are big-ish ticket items but I am not expecting any of them.  Er.. well, maybe one item.

What are you hinting at for Christmas? 

It Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We hosted Thanksgiving on Thursday and by 11:00 am Friday, the harvest was out and the tree was up!

And our stockings were hung on the ledge with care.  Yeah, next year, we are getting a fire place... George just doesn't know it yet :)

I am totally in love with the silver, gold, white and green color scheme this year.  But I can't help but add some red (I mean, come on... Christmas is the season of red).   So I picked up a red sequenced and a red pillow with a white snow flake, swapped the blue for the red and ta-da!

I had some extra garland, a mini tree and a poinsettia so we added them to the dining room (cause, I love the dining room!) -

Said it once.  Saying it again.  BAD LIGHTING!  WORSE CAMERA!  Pinkie swear I will get a few better pictures and do a decor recap... cause I know you want it ... haha

We are finishing up the outdoors and I am hoping to get a GREAT winter pic of our first home.  I have an art project in mind but, if nothing else, at least it is a nice memory.

How is your holiday decor coming?  Send me a link to your blog... I would L.O.V.E. to see what you are up!

Holiday Hugs -

Sarah

Silver and Gold.. Silver and Gold... Everyone Wishes for Silver and Gold

(name that Christmas claymation!)

I started decorating 8 hours after Thanksgiving came to a close.  My name is Sarah, and I am a decor-oholica.

Decor of Christmases past was very traditional.  I love the look of red and gold, like this...

And yes, our wrapping paper coordinated just like the above.  I have OCCD:  Obsessive Compulsive Christmas Disorder.

But after 5 years of "traditional", this year I have been plotting and scheming for something a bit more modern, a dash more muted and a touch more frosted.

I lust for table and buffet decorating (yes, lust.), so naturally our dining room was my first makeover victim. 

My inspiration look: Silver, Gold and Green a la Pottery Barn ...

We went from Harvest (think one table, 3 hurricanes and 6 gourds grouped)  ...

To winter wonderland...

God, I hate bad lighting and using a iPhone to take the photos.   Sorry for the lakc-luster appeal in advance...
So, on the table, we have a larger platter we got last year as a gift (it's from Macy's), topped with 2 crystal candle sticks we registered for and 3 smaller cut-glass candle sticks I picked up at a church rummage sale for $.25 each.  The white tappers and little green trees were also $.25 each from Craft Bits and Pieces, which is a crafts thrift store.  The table cloth is a silvery-white Lenox table clothes and from TJ Max that I scooped up for $14.99.  The dishes are from Christmas Tree Shop 3 years ago but are IDENTICAL to those currently at Target.  A few pine cones and pearly-silver ornaments round out the tray. 

The buffet, too, was a mix of new and old objects.  The jute-colored runner was $4.99 at TJ Max.  The wreath, candles, garland, lights and bottles were all gathered over the years.  I picked up the cake stand at Sears two weeks ago in the clearance section for $3.50!!   Again, I tossed in some pine cones, silver ornaments, steam wear and green wine bottles to achieve the Pottery Barn look.

So what do you think?  Did I get it close?

 

I know, I know... I love the PB version more too but this sister is on a budget!   I promise I will try to get better pics soon. 

Who knows, maybe Santa will bring me a camera???