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Month: December 2018

Happy New Year & My 2019 Outlook

Happy New Year to all of you!…this can be such a pivotal moment in time for many of us as we reflect on the past year and look forward to the possibilities of the new year. Some people come up with a significant word or a phrase to help guide them through their new year; a new outlook or hopeful way of living their lives for the next 365 days. For me, this is the first year I have struggled a bit in knowing whole heartedly what I aim for in the new year… my Christmas decorations are still staring at me like I’m holding onto the holidays until I figure out this great master plan (I’m tackling that today I swear!)  I’ve been tossing around thoughts for days, but I’ve felt torn between what I feel needs to be done this year, and what I want to do with my time.  Many of you know me personally, but for those who don’t…I have 4 kids who I adore and are incredibly busy, who I truly want to be there for, for anything and everything they need of me… I am married to an overly-ambitious husband  (who I also adore 😉 ) who does not pass up many opportunities, like he needs to pack in as much in this lifetime as fathomley possible (which generally I’m up for too, and heavily support the effort)… and beyond this blog, my design work, and my business with my daughters, the majority of my daily work life is spent at our offices where I do the accounting for our businesses, manage various properties, and all the other necessary things that come with being a business owner (most of which are completely unglamorous and I won’t bore you with.)…  And like most moms, wives, & women… I want to be everywhere at once, think I can do it all, should do it all, I’m surely capable of doing it all… and at the end of the day, end of each year… tend to feel a great sense of accomplishment mixed in with a balance of some unrealistic failure, feeling exhilarated and exhausted all at the same time.. wrapped up in one mind, body, spirit package of a woman…

So today as I look at these Christmas decorations (that I’m totally over looking at)…and all the yet-to-be-filled tubs, a year of go-go-go behind me, and explore all the open possibilities and opportunities that could lie ahead for the new year… I think, maybe instead of some epic idea of what to strive for or change in this new year… I might just need to take a breath… like a really good, long inhale and exhale.. and enter the new year fresh with just the simple intention of being present for the journey… to not see life as moments of obligations, schedules, lists, and goals that need to be met… but rather see life as moments of cherished blessings that make up the hours, that make up the days, that make up the years, that make up the life that needs to be experienced.  This year… I’m going to really strive to focus on intentionally being present for wherever I am in each moment… work like crazy while I’m at work, pour my heart into my family when we’re home, sing to the heavens while cooking and doing laundry (ok that’s not going to happen and is a complete stretch of anyone’s logical imagination… but you get my point)… and essentially, strive to take in and truly enjoy all the epic, life-changing, amazing moments, and all the every-day, ho-hum mundane moments too… because at the end of the day, at the end of each passing year, those blessed moments are our lives.  So… intentionally be present for the journey.

What are your new year words, phrases, or resolutions (if you select such a thing) to help guide your new year?  I would love to hear!  Happy New Year to all of you and thank you for following me and allowing me the space to share a little bit of myself with you.  Now onto those Christmas decorations… wish me luck!

Happy New Year to all of you! ~ Jaime Lyn

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My Home at Christmas

Merry Christmas!  I love this time of the holiday season when everything is finally ready, and it’s time to really just take a deep breath and enjoy the next couple of days of relaxation and celebration with family.  Some of you may have completed your holiday preparations days or weeks ago, but I usually slide into Christmas like I’m late to a party… but, every single year it all comes together just in time for me to wake up early Christmas Eve morning to spend some quiet moments to reflect on the past weeks of preparation, and anticipate the coming days of excitement.  For all of you who have used your time, talents, and heart to festively prepare your homes for the holidays, to build long-lasting traditions for your families, and to create memorable moments for your loved ones… I say, cheers to you!  You made it!  Now take your own deep breath, and enjoy every moment of this Christmas!

I wanted to share a little peek into my own home decorated for Christmas…some of these photos taken during my favorite time of the day, when all is quiet and dark, lit only by Christmas light.  I hope you enjoy…Merry Christmas!

This year I decorated my own Christmas tree… I feel like such a grown up saying that…but if you have kids you know what I mean.  Our only Christmas tree for a number of years has been the kids’ tree.. filled with their own home and school-made ornaments, randomly placed wherever they choose (as I sit on my hands and remind myself that I will NOT completely redecorate it when they go to bed)… every year it turns out beautifully and just how it was meant to be in our living room.  But this year, I thought I’d decorate one of my own trees in our foyer, a spot I always thought would be the perfect place for a tree. I had fun with this snow-covered tree, and think it was a nice addition to an area that greets guests into our home.

The kids’ tree turned out so pretty… It always amazes me how an assortment of mix matched, homemade ornaments filled with memories and meaning can truly be one of the prettiest areas in our home… and is the focal point of our Christmas, as it’s the first thing my kids see when they look over the upstairs railing on Christmas morning, to see if Santa came… it’s these sights I hope they will always remember of Christmas time from their childhood.

The tree they wanted…

The tree they got…

My staircases are areas when I designed my home that I knew I would really enjoy decorating at Christmas time.  I love the ambiance and the festive feel they bring to my home at night and on early mornings during this season.  I’m always a little sad when I take this decor down after the new year, missing that extra bit of coziness it adds.

We host Christmas Dinner every year, and like my Thanksgiving Dinner Table I blogged about in November, I like our Christmas dinner to feel festive and special for the day.  My Mom bought me these Christmas dishes years ago and every year, I love pulling them out and using them for our meal.

I like adding new decorative pieces to our home each year, and really enjoy receiving special gifts for our home as well. My mother in-law made us this beautiful cocoa bar centerpiece to make some decked-out hot chocolate drinks this winter…how adorable is this!

And each year my kiddos receive a new Christmas decoration from their grandmothers to add to their collections… My mom gives my kids each a new Nutcracker and tree ornament they pick out with her on their annual trip to Bronner’s each year, and my husband’s mom gives each of my kids a new Snow Globe each year on Thanksgiving Day.  They look forward to receiving these treasures and growing their own personal collections.  My oldest daughter also decided this year to start collecting her very own Village from Department 56 and is excited to add to it each year…she is only 12 so by the time she moves out one day, she will have a beautiful collection from over the years to begin decorating her own home.  These special gifts are great keepsakes and rich in tradition that my kids really enjoy receiving.

There you have it… a few areas of my home decorated for the holidays…I hope you enjoyed taking a look around.  Merry Christmas to you and thank you for following along with me here on my blog.  I have a lot of great ideas for the coming new year, so stay tuned!  Wishing you all of the blessings of this beautiful holiday!

From my Family to Yours… Merry Christmas!