Christmas spirit made with gingerbread...

Thanks to Mrs. Flanagan, I was able to decorate a gingerbread house this year while being surrounded by very creative young ladies. Every year during the holidays she invites girls over to her beautiful home for gingerbread decorating and a fellowship lunch; it is such a wonderful treat and really helps me get in the Christmas spirit.

{We each brought some candy or something to decorate the houses with - do you think we had enough??}

{I was so impressed with these ladies ideas for decorating! Everyone's houses were so different.}

 {An additional perk to the afternoon activity was that I got to finally meet baby Slattery! She is such a precious little gal.}

{Sarah, Mrs. Flanagan and I were the last to finish decorating our houses. Who really wants to stop? That's mine up there on the top right. My husband and I have already eaten all of the gumdrops and quite a few m&ms...if you haven't decorated a gingerbread house yet this year you should really get on it- It is loads of fun!}

let's get tacky!!!

Some girlfriends and I decided a tacky Christmas sweater party was just needed this year. We all put on our finest tacky gear and came together for some gumbo and holiday cheer.

 The Tisons supplied the piggies in a blanket and the Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes. We also rocked our tacky Christmas sweaters that we made 3 years ago!

Why are these two so excited? Because they just won a buffet lunch for 2 at Golden Corral for being the tackiest (and most creative) people at the party!

Stay tacky my friends.

on our first date of christmas...

This is our second year to do 12 dates of Christmas inspired by lovetaza and marci. So, now we can official call it our 2nd Annual "Dates of Christmas" (because there is no such thing as a 1st annual, people -no matter how many times it is used incorrectly.) This year we kicked it off by completing our outdoor lights at the new house and driving around the neighborhood looking for lighting ideas for next year, as well as making sure we weren't outdone by too many houses. ;)

After driving around listening to the XM Holiday Traditions station and admiring twinkle lights, we returned home to finish the last season of Fringe in the warm glow of lights on the mantle. After discussing the 5 seasons we watched together over the last few years, we went into the den - which we have formally renamed the "Christmas room" - where Tison read books to the belly. I think baby girl really liked it.

Here are a few pictures of our "Christmas room" decorating process:

Putting this village out every year really adds that Christmas warmth to the home. Since we (my sisters and I) have been collecting them since I was in elementary school - they have been a part of our Christmas tradition for what seems like forever. Every year when I pull them out of their little boxes I find something new that love about them. While we used to set up all of our village collections in one room at my parents, we have all taken our little part of the metropolis to our own homes. However, these houses make me call upon Christmas' past and gazing upon them always gives me that childlike feeling of Christmas.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

After looking back at other office Christmas parties, I am realizing that my mom gifting me with holiday frocks is becoming more and more of a tradition! As I have a bigger challenge than usual this year with a 29 week baby bump to cover- my mom pulled through again with an ebay find. I really loved this navy blue dress. Bonus of the night- Katie came in from New Orleans for the work party even though she has been gone for 2 months now, it feels like she is just taking a long vacation and hasn't actually left the dept.! I just love this girl.

 {how stunning is my mother! I can't wait to borrow that dress too! Jill and Daniel really hammed it up for the camera... those 2 cuties.}

Since I never quite made it to the food tables, I stopped at Sonic on the way home for a little "snack" at 10:30 and it started SNOWING! Yes, snowing. I drove home and Tison and I stuck our tongues out and ate some snow- cause, that's what you're supposed to do right?

Hope everyone is making their list and checking it twice- we are 14 days away from Christmas!

thanksgiving 2013: my plate runneth over...

We celebrated an early Thanksgiving with the Tison family because the cousins, Megan, Cody, and Madison, were in from Baton Rouge the weekend before. Mr. Tim made a southern style crawfish etouffee that was the perfect amount of spicy for my palate. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, also known as Friendsgiving, we made dirty rice (our contribution to the Thanksgiving meal) and had a few friends over for a backyard fire chat.

Thanksgiving morning we had coffee with the Tisons and then went over to Mom and Dad's house for the big feast. I had asked Mom to leave some things for me to help her with, but I'll let you guess what the counter tops looked like when we arrived.

{this is literally the most amazing turkey in the entire world.}

{my plate runneth over}

{yes, there I am 28 weeks preggo- we're gettin' big here people.}

{Hudson got a "special treat" from Dee Dee- a turkey sucker - and barely left the village room because of the train. He couldn't take his eyes off of it!}

*return with us now to Thanksgiving's of yesteryear*

Landing in the City of Lights...

On Lauren's birthday last Sunday, David surprised her with a trip to Natchitoches, Louisiana with the family. We all piled into his new truck (all 6 of us) and headed south for about an hour to see the festival lights along Cane River Lake and eat some dinner at The Landing on the historic Front Street. I'm not entirely sure if I can call it the "festival of lights" because I think it is just considered that on Saturdays when they do fireworks, but hey, we enjoyed seeing the illuminated light displays along the shoreline. For those of you that are interested in attending, the 87th Annual Christmas Festival is December 7th! It is ranked number 3 in the United States for best Christmas display and can't you see why?!

{That fried pecan pie and the hot chocolate to-go were my favorite parts of dinner!}

 After dinner we smooshed back into the truck for a drive down main street before going back to the Merrick's house to open gifts with Mrs. Capi :) I hope you had a wonderful birthday, sweet sister.