{ Merry and Bright }

Christmas makes our home seem cozy and so much more home-like. Here are some of the Christmasy vistas I'm enjoying from the comfort of our living/dining/kitchen space.Our $25 Target Christmas tree in all its splendor! It sure doesn't look like it's six feet tall, does it? Personally, I think it's the perfect size for us. I absolutely fell in love with KT's idea for using brown paper and doilies to wrap packages. I put my Ikea-size roll of brown wrapping paper to good use last night and wrapped ALL our gifts--then the last two I ordered came in the mail today! Funny how that happens. You can kind of see the packages at the bottom of the tree...if you squint really hard.The first ornament we bought together: a sea turtle in shimmery shades of green and blue. I am not a reptile person, and I think this ornament is gorgeous! We bought it at the Polynesian Cultural Center while we were on Oahu for our honeymoon. The colors are so luminous, and it reminds me of the "turtle beach" Mike and I visited a few times (he even snorkeled with a bunch of turtles once!).We bought this ornament a couple of weeks ago. It was one of the activities in the Advent tin. Mike's Washington State Ferry ornament. I smile inside every time I see this...I love ferry rides, and he (being a very romantic sort of man) took me on a ferry ride on our first date (and on multiple dates to follow). It was the sort of perfectly clear, unbelievably sunny, unseasonably warm March day that just doesn't happen in our neck of the woods...unless God knows you're going on your last first date and He wants to make it extra-memorable.

All my childhood ornaments are at my family's house in Idaho--thank goodness for all of Mike's ornaments and a small tree! I bought a box of twelve itty bitty glass ornaments, all maybe 1 1/2 inches tall. I think their smallness and tiny detailes make them even more dear. This one reminds me of Retha, the teddy bear I got the Christmas I was one year old. I still love her!Our wall of cards is still rather sparse, though we got three more today--but what I love about this space is the vibrant, bright-red-sequined "Joy"! It makes me want to get all swoopy and dramatic and just let loose and be joyful! Can I get an Amen?! Joy! Jesus is HERE!

Mike's Nutcracker on our mantle

Christmastime is here!