This Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Chris had to work until Sunday evening so we drove home to Habersham on Christmas Eve morning. We started the festivities by spending Christmas Eve with Chris's extended family. This is probably my favorite of our holiday get togethers. I'm no stranger to a big family, seeing as I have more first cousins than I can count. However, the difference with Chris's family is that they get together all the time. It's always a blast!

There's so many of us that we do several of our get togethers in the fellowship hall at the church. My favorite part of Christmas Eve (minus the thirty foot food table obviously) is the present game! I guess it's a version of the White Elephant game - where everyone gets a number and you can steal a present from anyone who went before you. Every year there are a couple of hot ticket items that get stolen (and then hidden) several times. This years hot gifts were a BB gun, a knife, a Hunger Games board game, and a pair of binoculars. I've yet to steal anything from anyone, but maybe next year! We ended up with a crock pot and a bird feeder. Yep, that sounds about right!

After the get together we headed back to my parents house where I received one of the best gifts ever from my sweet dad. I've told you all before that I'm a bit of a hoarder. That includes keeping old things and adding other old things to my collection. Basically, if it's old, I want it. I've been looking for the perfect church pew for a couple of years now. I have seen them occasionally but either they were too big, in too bad of shape, or too much money! I mentioned it to my dad and asked him to keep an eye out for one and to let me know if he ever saw one. So, Christmas Eve night he and Chris had to go "unload something" at dad's shop. A few minutes later I hear them stomping through the house and this is what they brought in:

Sorry for the iPhone picture, y'all. Yes, again. 

To say that I was excited is a gross understatement. I was in shock and totally surprised. And let me be honest with y'all, that doesn't happen very often! Just ask Chris how hard it is to keep a secret from me. I can't believe he knew and didn't spill the beans! That's a first! The pew is absolutely perfect. It's the perfect size and it is in great shape! Of course carpenter Pete took it apart and put it back together to make sure it is nice and sturdy. For now I love the look but when we have a house I may paint it a bright color or stain it darker depending on it's permanent home. Maybe something like this: 

Via My Old Country House

My Old Country House has some great decor ideas so you should check it out. This is similar to my style. I love the photo wall above the pew. For now, I will make room for it in our little condo but I can't wait until we have a home to decorate! I really will be blowing up this blog then! I have big ideas, y'all. 

Anyway, back to Christmas! We woke up before sunrise Christmas morning to head to Chris's house to do Christmas with his family. We always open presents together and have a big breakfast. We gave a copy of our wedding videos to his parents so we watched it with everyone. Since his grandparents weren't able to make the trip it was fun getting to watch the video with them! Chris's parents gave us a freezer so we are excited to have some extra space at our house. Cue the Sam's trip!

After Christmas with Chris's family we headed back to celebrate at my house. This year we had more surprises than we usually do so that was fun! There seem to be less surprises as you get older! Of course there were many wedding related gifts given all around. We gave my parents a matted and framed family portrait to hang at their house and I can't wait to get it up! I'll post a picture as soon as we get around to it. It's amazing how as you get older you get excited over different types of things. Who knew you could be so excited for a freezer, vacuum, steam mop, and silver ware?

Chris had to go into work at six on Christmas night so he had to head back to Dalton. I stayed here and headed to the Dillard House to eat with my family. Yesterday Mom, Haley, and I shopped around town for some after Christmas deals. I bought some clearance decorations, wrapping paper, labels, and storage containers. Now, I just hate having to wait until next year to use it all! I'm about to get ready to head to my best friend's rehearsal dinner! The wedding is tomorrow and I'm so excited! Can't wait to tell you all about it!

Love,

Merry Christmas!

I seriously underestimated how many Christmas cards we needed to order this year so I didn't get to send as many as I would have liked. Next year I am going to double my order to make sure we get one to everyone. If you didn't get one this year then enjoy a virtual card! 

This is probably my last post until after Christmas so I want to wish everyone a safe, happy, and blessed Christmas! I think we can all agree that we have so much to be thankful for!

Front

Back

Christmas card display!

Much love to you and yours!

Tis the season to be jolly!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Watts-Savage household! Here's a peek at the few decorations we have put up. We bought a new tree instead of opting for a real one this year since we will be gone a week at a time over the holidays. We will save that tradition for next time :) There's nothing better than the glow of a Christmas tree, is there?

I'd be happy if it was Christmas all year long - I never tire of the decorations or especially the music! When I worked at the jail Haley used to make so much fun of me because everyone (even the inmates) referred to me as "That girl who listens to Christmas music." Hey, when you're holed up in a little room with thousands of records, you've got to brighten it up somehow!

That being said, it doesn't feel like it's truly Christmas until we've been to the Christmas Parade in Gatlinburg. I've mentioned it many times so I'll spare you the details but we are heading out tomorrow morning and I am so excited! Since our beloved Midtown Lodge was demolished we are staying at a new place and I hope we like it. Be on the look out for a post next week with plenty of pictures! I'm headed out the door to run some errands and do a little Christmas shopping! Have a great weekend, y'all!

Fall thus far at the Watts-Savage house!

Can you tell I'm a wee bit excited about the upcoming season? If not, you will change your mind after viewing the following pictures! I've went a little fall crazy over the past few weeks. By the time it gets September I am SO ready for summer to hit the road and fall to be here in full swing! It's our favorite season by far because of all the traditions we have built over the past eight years together.

It seems like it gets hotter and hotter every year in Georgia doesn't it? That's one thing I love about Dalton, it's definitely a touch cooler here and I love it. Fall is in the air around here for sure! Chris and I are so enjoying the trips between here and Habersham because the weather has been so beautiful lately. We take a different route and discover something new almost every time! 

This weekend we will be heading home then heading to the beach on Sunday. I am sooo ready! I have already put out all my decorations this week because when we get home from the beach it will be the end of September and that's really fall, right? I have some more things in storage that I have to get out but those are mostly Halloween. I'll update when I find them! For now, enjoy some photos from around our house. All these things came from Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, and Dollar General. Broke girl decor, y'all! I spent less than twenty dollars on all of it over the past three weeks (minus the BBW things - but more on those at the end). 

I'm not quite ready to get rid of my summer wreath, so I added this cute sign

On our walkway out front

This would be my husband's doing. He's a candy freak!

Can you tell I love pumpkins?

Obsessed with this owl wax warmer from Dollar General

Just a few of our favorite things on the Fall countdown

I'm OBSESSED with apple scents - this rocks my world y'all! Buy it!

Nothing better than new candles for fall!

You guessed it, I broke out the apple wallflowers I've been saving since last fall!

I'm sure you've already figured out that I'm a big fan of a good bargain - so let me tell you about the Bath and Body Works things pictured above. I always buy up Wallflowers at the end of the seasons instead of the beginning. The apple scents are my favorite so last year I bought up a bunch of Harvest Apple in the fall and Winter Candle Apple in the winter when they went on sale. You can get fantastic deals at the end of each season and at the big sales they have a couple of times a year.

About the candles and "Honey Autumn Apple" - I only buy the BBW candles when they are on sale for $10, not $20. They are the best smelling candles ever but that's just too rich for my blood, y'all! Last time we went there I filled out a survey on the back of the receipt and got a coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase. Two weeks ago when the candles were on sale I ordered these three, used my coupon, and used a code I got through email for a free item (up to $14) to get the spray. So, I got about $80 worth of things for $25 including shipping. Pretty good, right? Our house smells AMAZING and I'm loving it! Thanks to my sweet husband for funding and putting up with my craziness! Love you! :)

Happy Hump Day, everybody!

Love,

The Countdown

Today I'm beginning my official countdown! I am SO ready for all things fall! Who's with me? I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I haven't left the house in a few days. This has made my fall obsession even worse... Let me explain, by being a hermit I've been able to watch the weather outside without actually feeling it. I've had my kitchen spice, apple, and cinnamon candles burning while eating chili for dinner. Let me just say y'all, it's been wonderful. I am so ready for the hot to move out and the breezy cool weather to move in! There are so many special things we do during this time of year that it's no wonder it's our absolute favorite.

The first major thing on our countdown is our beach trip in September. We usually take our family beach trip in June/July but this year because of the wedding we assumed we wouldn't take another trip. We were in Jekyll for almost a week surrounding the wedding and thought that would suffice. Wrong. Seeing as everyone was more exhausted by the time they got home that didn't really go as planned. As the summer progressed we found ourselves longing for the salt and sand! So, in late July we booked a house in Myrtle Beach for the week of September 16th. ONE month y'all! Can't wait! I'm super pumped that it will be cooler and less crowded when we go! I'm sure this won't be the last you hear about it!

Less than three weeks after we get home from the beach Chris and I will be heading to Gatlinburg for our annual family trip. This will be my 8th time going with Chris's family and we look forward to it more than anything! It's bizarre that after all these years we will finally be married. We will spend a long weekend with the family in a cabin and I couldn't be more ready for that weekend to come! It really is the kickoff for our absolute most favorite time of year!

Almost two months later we will travel the mountain back to Gatlinburg for the Christmas parade the first weekend of December. My family has always made this trip and it's a really special time for me. This will be two years from when Chris proposed - SO crazy, right? My goodness, how time flies! Just thinking about Christmas time gets my blood pumping! If you know me, you know I am A+, #1, crazy, Christmas fanatic! By the way, it's 105 days until Thanksgiving - AKA the day I can officially begin decorating for Christmas!

Okay, now that I've made myself look sufficiently crazy I'm going to bed. Chris's parents are coming over tomorrow night to spend the weekend with us! We have some fun things planned so stay tuned for some pictures. Nighty, night y'all!

A few of my favorite things

Here's a glimpse at what I've been up to lately. Christmas seems like it came and went in a flash, didn't it? I only realized it was gone as I was walking through the mall today and saw Santa's empty chair. There is still New Year's but after that is the most depressing time of the year. I feel like an animal that goes into hibernation waiting for the first signs of spring! This year I won't be doing much hibernating - places to go, people to teach, weddings to plan! Anyway - here's a few of the things I've enjoyed the past couple of weeks.

My mother's beautiful mantle. Nothing makes me happier than these cheerful decorations! I have got to learn how to make these.

Home made sugar scrubs! They were really simple to make and smelled delicious (minus the ones I made in pickle jars... those had to be thrown out!)

You can find the tutorial I used here:

 http://www.maybematilda.com/2011/04/baby-shower-gift-homemade-sugar-scrub.html

Not sure what other people call these, but they are like homemade "turtles." Just pretzels, rolos, and pecans. SO easy and so delicious.

This is seriously my pride and joy! I am a sucker for all things involving Christmas ornaments. I've been wanting to make one of these for so long and finally got the courage to do it. I bought about 90 red ornaments from Family Dollar (less than $9), ribbon from JoAnn's ($1) and used an old wire coat hanger. It was a little more difficult than I thought but with the help of my handy-man dad it all worked out.

You can find the tutorial I used here (LOVE the six sisters' blog):

http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/12/6-dollar-wire-hanger-christmas-ornament.html 

These were just for fun because I thought they looked so pretty - and who doesn't love marshmallows? Just melt white or milk chocolate in the double boiler and dip them in. They would be cuter with more festive colors but these sprinkles were all I had on hand.

I made these "no bake cake batter truffles" for my mom's work Christmas party. They were deliciously easy and turned out pretty swell. They have a very different taste from real cake, so if that is what you are looking for stick to cake pops or the like. They are simple, pretty, and you can whip up enough to feed an army real quick!

You can find the tutorial for these pretty bitties here:

http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-bake-cake-batter-truffles-take-2.html

How can you not enjoy slaving away in the kitchen when you have this sweet little helper wolf? He makes everything better. If you're looking for a precious furry friend check out your local animal shelter :) Don't breed or buy while shelter pets die!

This was a "during" picture of my first candle making disaster adventure. I forgot to take an after picture. I could tell from the very beginning that this wasn't going to be as successful as I had hoped so I was a little lax on the picture taking. After melting the soy wax in my double boiler I attempted to use liquid coloring - bad idea (see that red at the very bottom...). Next time I will stick with the wax coloring. Otherwise it turned out okay - next time I know to use more wax because I didn't account for the melting, use more oil (sweet pea for this one), and non-waxed wicks because of the heat. I'll definitely be trying this one again.

You can find the tutorial I used here:

http://ruffledblog.com/diy-eco-friendly-soy-candle-favors/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Ruffled+%28Ruffled%29 

There are several other DIY projects I have in mind. What did we ever do before pinterest? Oh yeah, productive things! Any ideas what I should try next?

Alright, sleep time! Chris and I are going to the travel agent bright and early in the morning - let's see what we can get ourselves into...

A walk down memory lane

I am always super sentimental during the Christmas season. There have been so many changes over the past year and even more to come in the next year that I can barely keep up! Christmas is busy enough plus we celebrate my fiance's birthday and our "anniversary." I can't wait to celebrate a real anniversary! Really, I just like any excuse to celebrate anything. Yesterday marked 7 years that Chris and I have been together - although my mother refuses to admit we were "going together" that young! Today is his 24th birthday. It is so crazy to believe I have been with him since he was 16! Because I'm such a sentimental sap (and picture freak) I thought I'd post a photo from each of the years. Sadly, I don't have the oldest photos since those were pre-digital camera :)

2004:

 Wow, we look so different!

 September 2005:

HCHS Homecoming

May 2006:

Chris's HCHS graduation

July 2007

July 4th in Helen

August 2008:

Braves game

October 2009:

Annual Gatlinburg trip

December 2010:

Our engagement weekend!

December 2011

Gatlinburg Christmas parade weekend

And today... Happy Birthday to my sweet fiance! Only 166 days until the big day!

I definitely noticed some trends while choosing photos to post... maybe my New Year's resolution will be not to be so predictable! Looking through all those old photos made my heart happy - I encourage you to spend some time and do the same. My next post will be dedicated to the crafts I've been working on over the break. Only 5 days until Christmas! Wahoo!

Missing them today

Sorry for posting about them twice in a row but I just wanted to share the beautiful flowers we had at First Baptist on Sunday morning in memory of my grandparents. Leyta at L&D is the absolute best - Meme would have adored these beautiful flowers! I know they enjoyed watching the Christmas play at the church they loved so much from Heaven. Watching all those precious children worship the Lord was a wonderful reminder of the gifts God blesses us with every day. I am so thankful for salvation and cannot wait to see them again in Heaven one day.

The beautiful flowers

My sweet family

Awkward family photo...

Last one I promise :)

Next time I promise I'll find something new to talk about... I'm new at this!

Four Months Later...

I must admit I completely forgot this blog even existed. Oopsy! So much has happened since I wrote my first post. Well... an entire semester has happened - ending today! Just two more finals and I am home free. I promise I am going to try to post more regularly - maybe this will be one of my many new years resolutions. Maybe I'll get in the habit of posting over Christmas break. My semester has been jam packed with classes, ridiculous middle schoolers, and a little bit of wedding planning. I have so many stories I could tell about my crazy kids but I will save those for another blog post. I know I will have plenty to tell when I am with them every day next semester.

For now here's a little bit about what's been on my mind this weekend. I spent the weekend in Gatlinburg with my sweet fiance for the Christmas Parade. It was a very special weekend for both of us as we celebrated our one year engagement and are officially under the six month mark for the wedding! It was also bittersweet for me because it was my last time staying in the Midtown Lodge. After 73 years they are closing their doors on December 31st. They are literally paving paradise and putting up a parking lot... It's so sad to me when any historic building is torn down, especially one that is so close to my heart. I can kind of understand those crazies who chain themselves to buildings... too bad it's December.

It's not much to look at it but it holds so many memories for my family. Those of you who have lost someone special know what it's like to feel their spirit in a certain place. This is one of those places for me. I could feel my grandparents with me here all weekend and it was so comforting because I miss them tremendously, especially now that Christmas is right about the corner. My grandmother passed away a little over a year ago and this month will mark the thirteenth year my grandfather has been dead. They were the best example of true love, marriage, and Godliness I could imagine. I didn't have them as long as I would have liked but I thank God for blessing my life with them.

 Have you ever seen anything so precious? Me neither.

And of course one to celebrate the holidays:

I inherited my crazy obsession with Christmas from them. My love of wrapping presents from Grandpa and my love of buying gifts from Meme. :) If your grandparents are still alive this Christmas do me a favor - appreciate them, listen to their stories, and tell them how much you love them. No matter how many times you do - it can never be enough!