There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Welcome to the Pearl's Nest

Our nativity and a furry Vanna White.

I love this little round guy!

Under a cloche

The Pearl tree!

A combination of new, vintage and homemade ornaments - all special!

This ornament is another one of my "sentimental" loves! My grandparents purchased this when they took me to Santa Claus Land in Colorado when I was two.

The dining room is still a work in progress. Right now, I have snow globes and vintage and new ornaments taking center stage.

A few vintage houses. The bright pastel colors and glitter speak to me!

I found this giant shadow box in Roundtop.

I have a lot of fun changing the display with the seasons.

Here I have a Christmas picture by Tasha Tudor, some vintage ornaments

and the minis' baby cups.

The display on the TV room armoir. The boots belonged to Mr. Pearl.

Original 1950's Shiny Brite ornaments in their boxes from my grandmother Pearl's attic.

I love to put them on display!

You may recognize Santa and the Mrs. in the boot from a previous post! The feather tree is a new one but the feather tree fence is a German antique. It is very fragile but still has some of the original flocked snow still on it. If it could talk, imagine the stories it could tell of over one hundred years of Christmas celebrations!

Drop by anytime!

Krissy

A Sweet Pea Christmas

Sweet Pea really got into decorating for Christmas this year. In the past, she has offered her help and after a few ornaments, she was done! But this year, she hung in with me until the last ornament was carefully hung and helped me put-up the little trees that adorn her and her brother's rooms. I really enjoyed her help and her company. Sweet Pea's room is one of my favorite places to be. She chose the Tiffany blue walls and pink accents and it is really cool. After she completed her holiday decorating, she called me in to view her hard work. It looked great and I wanted to share it with you all! If it weren't for Mr. Pearl and my boys outnumbering us girls, I would do the entire house like this! turquoise, bright pink and green... a Sweet Pea Christmas.

Krissy and Sweet Pea

Ice, Ice Baby

Last night, Mr. Pearl and I took the minis and some friends to see the ICE exhibit. We payed money, good money, to don a fluffy, blue, event-issued parka worn by the masses (clearly I had a problem with this), and walk through a giant sub-zero temperature room filled with giant ice sculptures. The sculptures told the story of a Charlie Brown's Christmas, so we had to explain the characters to the minis. They really were amazing! The highlight was an ice hill that you could slide on. Sport Cort took the award here, as he went flying! Snoopy's dog house was all decked-out and you could walk through it. My favorite part was the last scene. The room was circular and all the Peanuts' characters were surrounding Charlie Brown and Snoopy and singing Christmas carols. After a walk through an ice cave, you thought you were coming to the end, but in front of you stood an absolutely stunning Nativity, made entirely of ice (not sparklers- name that movie). The scene was breath-taking, however, at this point, we were freezing our toochis off and were like heat-seeking missiles for the exit!

Good ol Snoopy! Did any of you have the dress-up Snoopy stuffed animal?

I luved mine!

The ice slide!

Snoopy's dog house

Mr. Pearl in the dog house!!

Singing loud for all to hear!

The ice cave

The Nativity-this picture doesn't do it justice.

I was ready to shed my blue parka and get a hot chocolate. Sounds good, right? The parka drop-off led us right into a large store, filled with Christmas ornaments and trinkets. A parent's worst nightmare! We somehow managed to make our way through this mine field, only to find ourselves in another large room with a - wait for it - gi-normous snow hill! For a not-so-low price, one could have unlimited turns on a tube, sliding down the hill. Any takers? (For those of you not familiar with Texas, we do not have the option of finding an obliging hill of our own to sled on outside, for free, as we rarely receive enough snow to make it happen, so this is a treat!) Fisherman opted out. He was such a trooper. He had been under the weather yesterday. He viewed the miniature train display and the younger ones went tubing.

Fisherman

The evening was fun. Mr. Pearl and I enjoyed seeing them grin from ear to ear and giggle- a lot! The holidays come but once a year and so does ICE, so all in all, it was good. Mr. Pearl made his comment "been there, done it." That is his code for "I don't plan on doing it again." The minis came home and all went right to bed, and that part was really nice. They were pooped! Have a fun weekend!

Still chillin',

Krissy

Christmas is Coming and Santa is in a Boot

Well, like it or not, Christmas is coming! I don't officially begin the countdown until after Thanksgiving, even though radio stations have been playing Christmas songs for two weeks and retail stores act like I should be finished with my shopping already. Last Friday, I made it official. It's Christmas time! Mr. Pearl and the minis and I drug down the umpteen boxes of Christmas "stuff" (after the tenth box or so, Mr. Pearl has another word for it!). We set-up our tree (artificial because of our allergies), carefully placed baby Jesus in the nativity and I decided on a way to make more work for myself! I am going to make everyone new stockings! (at least in theory) I will visit that later and let you know how it is going!

I have been shopping for the perfect ornaments for the minis. Each year, I buy them an ornament for our tree and when they have trees of their own someday, I plan on passing them on. If I can part with them. I become rather attached to my ornaments. I sign the back of the ornaments and date them. When anyone gives us an ornament, I write who it is from and date it as well. Opening-up the ornament boxes is a trip down memory lane. I treasure each little ornament and the person and memory that it represents. Yes, I am a sentimental fool, as illustrated by the beautiful ornament above. This flocked velvet boot with Santa and the Mrs. plays "Somewhere My Love" and was given to me by my mother's dear friend, on my first Christmas. I LOVE this thing! It has a very special packing box and is carefully stored away each year. It's not Christmas until Santa is in his boot in a place of honor. The last several years that place has been under a cloche. Everything looks important under a glass dome, right? Its a little harder to see the years of "love" that are showing on this poor ornament under the glass! Anywho, I hope that all of you will take a few moments to enjoy old memories and make some new ones and have a wonderful holiday season!



Peace and joy!



Krissy

Family Camp - Happy Thanksgiving!

Family Camp family photo

Happy Thanksgiving all! I can't believe it is here already. I am making my fresh cranberry sauce and getting the pearls ready to head over the river and through the streets to my parents' home in a few. We have had a wonderful week off. We started the holiday last weekend at family camp with two other dear families. It was an amazing time in the beautiful hill country of Texas.

The camp sits on the FrioRiver and it is crystal clear

The Texas Hill Country

Family camp was at Laity Lodge in Leakey, Texas. This is in the area we Texans call "camp country" as quite a few of the summer camps are located in this area around the Guadalupe and Frio Rivers and it is gorgeous. Each family got their own cabin and we ate at the lodge dining hall (in case you wondering, the food was incredible, as the camp is owned by the H.E. Butt foundation - they own HEB and Central Market stores). We had some family enrichment time and lots of fun praise and worship, and we all participated in camp activities: hiking, arts and crafts, fishing, horse back, zip lines, mountain bikes, archery, riflery - a good time was had by all. The minis had friends, as one family has a son and daughter the age of Fisherman and Sweet Pea and the other family has a daughter and son the age of Sweet Pea and Sport Cort. All of us grown-ups were at TCU together, so we were a purple group!

Allison and Paul

(thanks for organizing the weekend A!)

Katie and Jeff

Alyssa, Caroline and Sweet Pea

(they performed in front of the ENTIRE group Saturday evening at worship)

Alyssa, Caroline and Sweet Pea ready to hit the trails!

Fisherman and Patrick

Sweet Pea

Sport Cort rolled around these giant hamster wheel thingys all weekend.

He won't ever be the same.

My boys

Sweet Pea and me, Katie and Caroline at arts-n-crafts

The weekend went by fast and Sunday came quickly. We pearls decided to take the "long way" home and drove to Luckenbach. Yes, like the song. It really exists. It is a dirt road in the middle of nowhere with a bar, a dance hall and a post office. We shared the afternoon with a bunch of Harley riders and a few hippies. Luckenbach is always an experience. My brother and sister-in-law were married near there and had there rehearsal dinner in Luckenbach and it was the most fun I have ever had at a wedding rehearsal! We were sad to head back "north" to home. The weekend was fun and we were tired. What a great way to kick-off our holidays!

Tired minis

I hope you had a good kick-off to your holidays and that you are surrounded by those you love and who love you. I am so very thankful for my dear family and precious friends. I am thankful to be a Texan and an American and I am thankful to my blog readers! Happy Thanksgiving!

Krissy

Flashback Friday- Royal Wedding

The happy couple!

www.thesun.co.uk

I am so excited! A royal wedding is in the making! I have spent a lot of time huddled around my television this week watching the news reports on William and Kate (she is supposed to be Catherine now- her given name is Catherine Elizabeth) and their royal engagement. I teared-up when I saw that sweet William had given her his mother's engagement ring. Of course, after dating the boy for nine years, future king or not, she deserves the moon! Sources say that the wedding will be sometime next spring or early summer.

I think that everyone who knows me, knows about my little obsession with the royal family, past and present. I am a self-confessed Anglophile and really love all things British. I have read countless books on the crazy history of the British monarchy and can't get enough. You can't make the stories up! They are fascinating! Kate will be the sixth Queen Catherine in history. Yes, she will be queen. If William was a girl though, his husband could not be King (like his grandfather). That is one of those silly little Britishy "royal rules." Kate and William appear to be a couple in love and are confident and self-assured. I think Wills is trying to overcome the bad rap that his family had received over the years. He will do it! He actually seems to be "normal" if that is possible with Prince Charles as your father. Diana did an amazing job!

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I remember thirty years ago,when I was ten, and my parents woke me up to watch "live" all of the wedding coverage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding. That was a defining moment in my life. A fairy tale was unfolding, right before my eyes. The beautiful, young princess, the not so good looking Prince, the glass carriages, the AMAZING, poofy dress, the tiara... it was a dream! That day stuck with me. When it came time to select my own wedding dress, Diana's image was the one that I imagined for myself (poofy with a train). I even selected my wedding music to be like hers. Trumpet Voluntary that is so often played as the bridal entrance today, was played at her wedding. "Here Comes the Bride" was never good enough after that day thirty years ago.

The engagement - after a six month courtship.

http://www.famouscouple.com/

The 18 carat sapphire engagement ring.

http://www.ringenvy.com/

The dress with a twenty-five foot long train.

http://www.laudit.com/

The location- St. Paul's Cathedral.

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The arrival carriage - her train was smooshed in there!

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Lady Diana's arrival

http://www.acelebrationofwomen.org/

Oh how I wanted to be one of the little pages!

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I love the back of the dresses! All bows and poof!

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The exit carriage

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Love this pic! Don't you know they were all exhausted!

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The famous balcony kiss!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

I am planning on watching the wedding next year. Sweet Pea doesn't seem all that interested, but I will be waking her up to watch. My wish for William and Kate is that theirs really is a fairytale. I wish them true love and happiness and that they will do something good with their position. The idea of a monarchy is somewhat obsolete in our world today, but I think we could all use a little romance and fairy tale magic in our lives. It certainly doesn't hurt!

Have a jolly good weekend!

Krissy