Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Hi Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

What's in Tennessee, Nashville. What's in Nashville, a good time. There's a reason why Southern Living magazine calls it "Nash-vegas!" Pop in and out of bars (no cover) where bands perform everything from George Strait to ZZ Top and dance the night away. Indulge in a Goo Goo Cluster - a milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel and marshmallow nougat confection made in Nashville since 1912. Buy Western boots! And, most importantly, shop vintage!

Garlic Crusted Chicken Nuggets from Dr. Junger's Clean Blog! This quick and simple recipe developed for his new Gut Cleanse program is out of this world. Dr. Junger and his team are devoted to improving health through clean eating!

Vintage pins! We love them. Wear them on everything from jackets and shawls to sweaters and shirt cuffs. Love, love the idea of clipping one on a strand of pearls!  

Animal Cookie Cutters and Animal Cookie Recipe from King Arthur Flour! How cute are these? For a real authentic taste, order the Princess Cake and Cookie Flavor; it will make a difference. 

Spring is just around the corner so we're taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of winter!

Have a great weekend!

Oh Christmas Tree!

"We are so much more than 'getting a Christmas tree.' We're about infusing the Christmas spirit and joining families together."

~Oney's Tree Farm

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, let's talk Christmas trees. But first things first. Do you prefer a real tree or fake tree? In my opinion, real trees are the only way to go. When I'm really honest with myself, however, I realize that my strong feelings on the subject are less about the tree and more about the past 18 years of memories that I have tied to getting a Christmas tree with my family.

Every year, right after Thanksgiving, my family bundles up, grabs the dogs, digs out the Charlie Brown Christmas CD, and piles into our suburban to head out to Woodstock, Illinois, for our annual visit to Oney's Tree Farm. We've braved sub-zero tempuratures, snow and wind because nothing will keep us from the hunt for the perfect tree.

Upon our arrival, we pick up our saw and discuss the type of tree we are looking for (although... I am not quite sure why this annual discussion takes place; we always end up with a Blue Spruce). 

Next we trek out to the vast expanse of trees and start our search. Trees we like are "marked," usually with a stick. (The real hunt is finding the marked trees when we are ready to make our final selection.)

Look at this gorgeous specimen; it's way too big for our homes, but it sure made a great backdrop for our holiday card pictures (another tradition we believe strongly in, but that's for another blog post).

 When we feel like we have seen all there is to see, or our feet are thoroughly frozen, whichever comes first, we pick our tree! Someone then has to get down and dirty and saw it down. It has never been me!

We always opt to carry our tree back to the main entrance for shaking and bundling. 

If you are not inclined to walk, however, the Oney's team can offer you a ride. Look at these beautiful horses!

Time for a quick shake, then it's through the nets.

We're now more than ready to head to the Christmas Shop's snack bar to thaw out and indulge in the annual fare.

Mom always has an apple donut, Dad and A.J. get the cinnamon rolls, Mark gets the chocolate covered pretzels, I get the frosted snowman cookie and we all enjoy hot cocoa or apple cider. Yum!

 

After snacks, time to shop! Look at these beautiful handmade wreaths! Now imagine how they smell!

This shop has everything from ornaments to decor items, handmade bows and, of course, stockings.

It's a wrap for another year! While this might seem like your average family outing, to me it is so much more. It's the singing in the car, the family time out in nature, the inside jokes (why do we have to take so many pictures), and most importantly, the memories that we have created year after year. In the coming years, our family will continue to grow, and I know I speak for A.J. and myself when I say, we can't wait to continue this very meaningful tradition with our own kids.

What are your family traditions? Tell us in the comments section.

 

Accessorize Your Door!

I have a confession. For the past 15 months, I have completely ignored my front door. There, I said it.

I, myself, can't even believe I made such a terrible gaff. I mean, my front door is my guests' first impression of me, my home, my family! I can't have the pizza delivery guy thinking that I run a ho-hum operation in here. And what about our Thai delivery lady? I'm sure she just shakes her head in wonder at our boring door...and our incredible knack for consuming mass amounts of Crab Rangoon.

Well, no more. Trusty moss "B" door decoration for the past year, you have more than served your purpose; now step aside. It's the holidays and our door is getting the makeover it deserves.


Now, where to begin...

Do I go traditional winter greens with a big beautiful red bow wreath hanger? No, but isn't this wreath hanger out of this world?

What about a great set of vintage jingle bells. Super cute...but no.

So what did I decide on?

First I started with this awesome door swag that I picked up from Home Depot for $5. It smelled great and served as the basis for my door's new look. Next, I ditched the red faux velvet bow.

I added a pair of 1930's Dutch ice skates. Oh, how I love these.

To finish off the look? A great big, beautiful natural burlap bow trimmed in red.

Recognizing that I don't have the best track record for switching out door decor, I am starting seasonal. Instead of a holiday-specific decoration, I opted for a look that will last all winter long.

Now, I best get started thinking about Spring! Do you have any ideas to share? We want to hear them! Tell us in the comments section.