My Goal in 2012

Here is my one goal for 2012. I was working on a list of goals/resolutions and realized they all kind of had to do with the fact that I let self doubt get in my way all the time. So this is my year to follow the advice of the great Kanye West.

I also read a great post by Amy Morby about resolutions. She said don't make resolutions that make you feel guilty, or are inspired by things you hate about yourself. Make resolutions that will add something to your life!

So this year I want to do at least 2 creative projects a month. I used to make stuff all the time, but I let that stupid self doubt get the best of me, and I stopped. But I had so much fun making those ornaments and wreath last month, I really want to make time for stuff like that regularly.

I think 2012 is going to be an incredible year.

Thing I Ate in 2011

As I was going through my posts to make my 2011 recap post I noticed I take lots of pictures of food. So I decided I'm going to post about food I ate this past year. Because I am a dork.
Highlights: Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Onigari from the Happy Eating food truck, the amazing hand cut fries from the dog of Nashville, Pizza from Mellow Mushroom.
Highlights: Stroop Waffles! Pancake Pantry forever.
Highlights: Falafel from Istanbul in Nashville
Highlights: Best cinnamon roll ever at Tomato Head in Knoxville, salted caramel ice cream from Jeanie's in Nashville
Highlights: Smart Dogs (roasted over a fire only), sweet potato pancakes, Waffle House is always a favorite.
Highlights: Yorkshire pudding from the Harry Potter cookbook, fish sandwich from McCreary's in Franklin, truffle fries at Hammerheads in Louisville, pizza muffins! Butterbeer popsicle.
Highlights: Apparently I ate LOTS of pancakes this year. And of course burritos from Baja Burrito, raspberry coffee cake. 

Lots of grilled cheese from Sonic when we're on the road, derby's from the Dairy Kastle in Lousiville, and more fish and chips and burritos. What a delicious year I have had! Next year I will try to eat more green, and less yellow. 

I need suggestions!

[source]

Travis and I are driving to Florida in February for my cousin's wedding and I need suggestions of stuff to do! We are going to be in Sanford for the wedding, and we're going to go to the Wizarding World of COURSE but I would love to know fun, weird, kistchy things that we shouldn't miss! Or places to eat. Or even just vague areas we should explore.

Good Sports.

I wanted to take a picture of Phyllis and Priscilla to post on Christmas Day, and then I forgot about them! But they are so freaking cute I'm going to post them anyway. So this is officially my last Christmas post.



Priscilla kept the same sweater but I kept changing Phyllis. She loves it when you put something on her. If you hold out one of her shirts she will run up and stick her head through. So we started with a fancy sparkle collar thing. And Travis is sporting his new Christmas Kitty sweatshirt.

Then we moved on to a more subdued and classy neck warmer.

And then my personal favorite, her gryffindor hat! Look at those sad sacks!

That hat KILLS me. I bet I took 25 pictures just like this. All while saying "Do you want a treat? Do you want to go in the car? Do you want a bath?" to make Phyllis perk up.

Oh man, I love them so much. They are both in my lap right now. Perfect.

Almost done with Christmas...

I decorated for the holidays pretty much all month. I finally finished on Christmas Day. Haha, now I've got to take it all down! But before that, here is what I ended up with...


My mantle is probably my favorite thing to decorate. I can't resist vintage stockings obviously. The two stockings on the right are the ones Travis and I made for each other a few years ago. And Travis picked out the one on the left for Phyllis last Christmas. How sweet is he?

We got to go to Travis' grandmothers' house and take some stuff again, I can't wait to show you the treasures I found! Including that box, which was part of her mother's sewing box! That little snowman elf was an antique mall find from last year.

I got the plastic garland at an estate sale recently for a quarter! I was so excited.



we took out our big white rug and for some reason that made it look like more of a Christmas explosion to me. See Priscilla down there? She is forever supervising me.

This macrame tree is another thing from Grandma Betty's house. I love it!


Priscilla in the Santa hat. She just threw that rat on the ground. I feel like she is like a baby sometimes, she likes to throw her toys of the couch and then I pick them up for her.

my family always puts our presents back by the tree after we open them. Do you do that too? I love it, it is so fun to look at your presents for a few more days before you put them away.

I have really been loving my decorations this year. It will be such a bummer to pack it all away again.

Christmas Day!

Here is what my Christmas day was like. A LOT of my family and Travis' lives really close to us so Christmas is always really busy for us.




I asked Travis to pose with our bags of presents on our way to my grandparent's house. (We have GOT to do something about that faded siding! It makes our house look like a shack!)

It was weird the streets so empty. It was about 8 am and there were no other cars in sight. This is usually a really busy intersection.

I think this was a "looking at Christmas displays" face.

The tree at my grandparent's house! What a haul! There were 12 of us there.

My favorite ornament. My Grandaddy was a pastor and one year one of the ladies in his church cut his picture out and made that, and glued it to a fly swatter! And was selling at the church craft fair! Hahaha, I love that idea. I need to make one of my boss next year.


A pretty vintage angel.

My cousin Lindsay and I played Santa this year. Look at my seat! How fun!

After the present frenzy.

Then we had our customary Christmas breakfast: cheese grits, scrambled eggs, Bicky's famous rolls, strawberry butter, and country ham for the meat eaters. I do miss that ham. So salty and delicious.

After breakfest we came home and I finished tidying up.

I made my favorite homemade crackers. Recipe here.

I put the girls in their new sweaters! (Martha Stewart pet of course, my favorite.) Travis' brother and his wife gave them to us! I also gave them their Christmas chewy things and they completely ignored me for the next 20 minutes. As you can tell by this picture.


Holiday fridge. Cut veggies ready to make black bean sweet potato soup in the bottom. Homemade cranberry dressing. Spiced cider ready to heat up. A cheese ball chilling with a pitcher of peach tea. I always seem to go overboard. At least I didn't insist on making dessert too!


I wanted a vintage snack set but I haven't found one yet so I got this plain one at Target. I forgot to take a picture of the famous cheese ball. It is incredible. I should post the recipe. It is always a hit at parties.

My new little deer planter gets a Christmas make over.

Ugh, i guess I have to change the table cloth now.
Travis' family came over and we ate and played games and laughed until late.
What a busy holiday. I feel like I need a day off after all of that, haha. I hope you had a lovely holiday and got to spend it with the people you love!

I must have been a very good girl this year....

I was totally spoiled this Christmas. Here are some of the lovely things I received! 
Travis' parents got us a Roku Box and we have already used it so much! We can watch our netflix instant queue on our tv now! Amazing! And I can't wait to play gardening mama. Cooking Mama 2 has been my favorite DS came for a long time. Travis' mom got me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living! Magazine subscriptions are such good gifts! I always forget about them as options. Some other highlights were a butterprint pyrex bowl, and a book full of vintage images of kids with their dogs.
I have been kind of obsessed with that cat flag shirt for a few months, I'm so happy Travis remembered and bought it for me! And the print by Lisa Hanawalt is one of the gifts I gave Travis. But I love it so much, it was kind of a gift for both of us.
I'm probably most excited about my new camera bag from jo totes!! I have an ugly canon camera bag, but I hate it so much I never use it, just throw my dslr in my purse, usually with then lens cap off! So terrible! So now I have this cute bag that is padded and has room for me to carry another lens. I promised Travis that if he got me one for Christmas I would take good care of my camera from now on. So hopefully I will! 
What did you get for Christmas? I'm pretty sure Travis' favorite gift was his Nook Simple Touch. He has hardly put it down since yesterday! He is going to let me read a book on it to see if I like it. But I think I like real books better. 

Collection 6: Vintage Christmas Photos

It is Christmas Eve! I'm working part of the day, then I'll spend the evening at my in-law's house, hopefully playing games and making the pugs wear their Christmas outfits. I thought I would post some of my favorites from my vintage Christmas photo collection! I love getting inspiration from old photos like these.



A pretty amazing Christmas card. Look at that scary Santa head!

It looks like "Merry Christmas" was spray painted on those curtains!


I LOVE that foil door. The back says "Xmas 1968 + Dixie"

I also love trees completely covered with tinsel. If I didn't have cats I would do that.

This looks like an office Christmas party. I think that is a woman Santa! And look at the pin up poster in the back! I really wish I knew what was really going on in this picture. Where are they? What is that equipment in the back?



Travis brought me this picture. It says "Margaret and I did get mink stoles for Xmas so we thought we'd do a little modeling" and it it from 1960.
I also have a few of my dad's Christmas photos from when he was little! You know I love that.



A tinsel covered tree! My dad is the little guy in the front.I love the checkered jacket!

My dad and his brother Steve with a creepy Santa! What is with the weird slack arm?

I have always loved this picture. I'm pretty sure this is them trying on their Christmas gifts. Look at those buckaroos! And my uncles scuffed up shoes!



A later picture. I love this for so many reasons. My dad's weird face, the glasses, that intriguing santa up on the bookcase, and is that a paint by number Jesus I spy?
I hope you are having a great holiday no matter what you are celebrating, even if it is just a day off! I can't wait to eat delicious food and see my family and open presents and make Phyllis wear her Santa hat.