Winter Days....

Cozy blanket

Hot Chocolate

Good reads

Making the best of the winter days....

Simple Winter Mantel

It's a snow day here in New England! 

It doesn't happen often...

 Everyone is home and enjoying a bonus day off!  We still have to dig out but I am soooooo thankful for our snow blower (best purchase ever!) that makes clearing the very long driveway so much easier!  

So with the extra time "off" I decorated our fireplace mantel to celebrate winter and help us get through the "yuck" months of January, February and March with something pretty to look at!!!

A few votives, silver snowflakes & grapevine garland with white lights/crystals....

Simple & Easy

Stay warm and cozy!!!!

I'm linking to Beth's ( The Stories of A to Z) Winter Mantel Party!  Make sure to hop over to see the beautiful mantels from very talented bloggers everywhere! :)

2011 Home Goals

I love my home.  I always have.  My home and home decorating is my passion, my hobby and someday my new career (yup, I actually said it woo-hoo). 

 That's why I started blogging....

 to share the good, the bad and sometimes ugly ;) with anyone who cares to read about my "stuff"

(kids, ramblings, home decor, etc)

So here are my Home Goals for 2011

BASEMENT/STORAGE

(or as they say in New England CELLAR)

1. Clean out all the extra stuff!!!! I do not want to move this much junk one more time!  I think it multiplied since we moved in!

2. Change guest room into exercise room.

3. Update lighting 

FIRST FLOOR

1. Paint half bath

2. Paint, organize laundry/mudroom & add counter over the washer/dryer

3. Paint & add trim to kitchen island, add backsplash and think some more about painting cabinets :)!

4. Update Lighting (spray paint?)

5. Cook at home 90% of the time...

SECOND FLOOR

1. Update & finish master bathroom/bedroom

2. Finally update Ry's bedroom (a year+ in the works!)

(inspiration for Ry's room)

3. Switch Madie's room around with queen bed (from guest room) & add new bedding & paint furniture

(inspiration for Madie's room)

5. Add extra twin bed to Kate's room, rearrange & paint (maybe some new bedding too!)

6. Update lighting

OUTDOOR

1. Add bench by the front door/garden

2. Garden lighting

3. Decorative fence along the sidewalk with garden

Hmmmm that's a big list! 

 Looks a lot bigger written out then I had in my head :)!  But that is what goals are all about!  I hope to get the house in good shape by the end of 2011 so if the need to put it on the market in the next year or so I will be good to go, fingers crossed!

Oh yeah, one more goal....

ENJOY OUR HOME!!!!

You should too!!!

Linking up to the Nester Home Goals 2011 party to HOPEFULLY keep me on track & accountable :)

Wine Bottle Inspiration

Did I get your attention???

Here is how the story begins...

I bought this cool bottle of wine because, well, I liked the front label (yup, a wine expert I am not).  Fast forward to New Years Day and I'm enjoying my bottle of wine with my husband when I turn the bottle around to see the back label...

I read it and "speaks" to me...

Yup,  thats me, standing at a crossroad for way too long...

So it got me thinking.  Where did I want to go?  

  Later that night I opened AOL and saw my horoscope overview for 2011...

There, in bold print it reads "Turning Point"...

Couldn't be more true!

All these "signs" were telling me something that I knew in my gut was true...

2011 is going to be a big and really good year!

I am finally making that turn, stepping out of the crossroads...

{My reading list}

{My school work, that's right I'm now a student again!}

This year is about new beginnings...

I need to "find" me again...

By doing so I will be...

* a happier person *

* a better wife *

* a better Mom *

* a better friend *

My word for the year is: 

BEGIN

I am ready to take that first step....

let it begin!

will you join me? 

Please :)?!