. . . . 

A HAPPY  12 TH  D AY  TO  YOU .

E L EV EN .

{YE S TER DAY 'S  F OR GOTT EN :  AP PL E  PI E}

D O W N   TO  T EN  SU G AR

C O O K I E S , A L R E ADY ? 

I  CA U GHT  D AD  J UST I N

T IM E  FROM  MAKIN G IT 9.

S IN G  A LON G WI TH  ME +

TH E  TE NTH DAY  CO UNT .

N O W  TH E  G OOD IE

CO U N T  RE M AIN S :

N IN E  I C ED  SU G AR  CO OKI E S

S  I X  TE E  N    R U   SS I A N   TE A

Z  E R O   FR IE D  K R  U M K A K E 

T W E N  T Y  TW O  IC ED  P R E TZE L  RO DS

E L E V E N  C H O C O LAT E  O R E O  B ALLS

Z E R O   S A L T E D  N U T  RO LLS 

E I G H T WH  I TM AN  CH OCO LA TE  PIECES

O N  E  H UN D R E D  + S E V E  N T Y  F O U R  

H E R SH EYS  M IN I CA N DY B A RS+ KI SSES

I  MU S T  B E   F OR GE-

TT IN G SOM E T H ING...

THERE'S  ALWAYS  SOMETHING

. . . MAGICAL . . . ABOUT GOING

BACK TO Y O UR HOMETOWN +

SEEING PEOPLE  Y O U  ALWAYS

USE  TO S E E  + GOING PLACES 

YOU  A L W A Y S  USE TO GO  +

REMEMBERING   A L L  O F  THE 

THINGS  WORTH  BEING REMEM

BERED + NOT EVEN NOT WORTH

BEING REMEMBERED  .  ALL OF

THE SAME SIGHTS  +  SMELLS  + 

FEELINGS C O M E RUSHING BA

CK  +  ITS  LIKE STEPPING BACK

INTO A  D I F F E R E N T WORLD 

FOR N I N E   L I T T L E HOURS .

I T  WA S  A  SPL EN DID DAY

WI TH  FR IEN DS+ FA MIL Y+

NO W JU S T  THREE M O R E

DA Y S  T O  S I N G  A LON G

T O . . . WH A T   W I LL  1 0  ,

1 1  + 1 2 B R I N G  ON  OUR

T RI P  , B E S IDES  D RUM M

IN G DRU MME R S,L EAPING

LO R D S + PIPING PI P E RS?

WE 'RE SIN GIN G ON ...

SN O W.. AIN T I T TH RILLIN G?

S N O W . . . AIN'T  I T   TH RI LLIN G ?

IT ' S  H ER E ! I T'S  H ERE !  THE DAY

I S  H ERE !HER E 'S  JU ST A  LI TTLE 

V  E R  S E   F O R  A W O N D ER FU L

+  J  OY  O U   S    L I   T T  L E   D A Y !

{ O N LY   ADD ED  V ER SE  ON   TH I S

S P E C I A L    D A Y -  A  P E R SON A L 

F E A T   O F    M I N E   TO  G E  T  T H E 

CH RI ST M AS  C AR DS  OU T  P RIO R

T O  N E  W  Y EA RS - H E R E   I T  I S  .

"( T   W   E N   T Y )  S I   X   C HR IS T M AS   

G  R   E  E   T I  N   G S    M AIL E D  " .   .   . 

{ +  6   A   F I N E  FR EN ZY  "O H , B LU E 

CHRI STM AS"S ON G S  DO WNLOADED:

CA  N N O T  G ET  E N OU GH   O F  I T  ! }

{ RE P EA T  VER SES  FR OM  BE LO W }

+ M ERR Y CH RI ST M AS  E VE TO  AL L!

H E R E   CO M E S   T H AT   B IG  V E R S E

F U  LL   O F   P A S  S I O N  +  M  E LO D Y

{  S I N G   I  T   L I  K E  Y OU   M E AN   I T }

. . . F I V E    G L  O W I N  G   L I  GH T S *

{  A  N  .  A L M O  ST . FA M I LY . O F . 4 }

{  3   S T A T E  S   F  R OM   W AR M T H }

{   2    S T   O C   K   I N   G   S    H U  NG }

{  +  A      G  RE E   N       S   CH   W I   N N  

[ I   A D O  R E ]  WI TH   A  R E D   B O W }

*THE  F I V E GLOWING LIGHTS FEATURED IN THIS VERSE BELOW TO THAT

OF MY DEAR FRIEND L A U R A , OF WHOSE HOME + DECOR + FABULOUS 

STYLE WILL VERY SOON BE FEATURED RIGHT HERE ON THIS VERY BLOG.

H ELL O . 4 TH . D AY

S TI LL . S IN G I NG

{ ON  TH E  TH I R D  D AY }

. .  . A TRIP THREE STATES FROM ALL WARMTH

.  .  . T W O   S T  O C K  I N  G S   H A  N G  I  N  G

+   A  GR EE N   B I KE   W I TH   A   R E D   B O W

{ L A   LA  L A   L A L A L A  L A L A  L AAAA AA A }

L A . L A . L A

{ I N  A  L O V EL Y  S IN G I N G  V OI C E }

.  .   .   TW O    H A N GI N  G    S TO CK I N G S

+ A   G R EEN   B I K E  W IT H A  R E D  B OW

WELL HEL L O AGAIN  +  AN ALMOST 

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO Y OU ! 

MY CHRISTMAS HAS O F F I CI AL LY 

BEGAN AS RYAN +  LIESL + I HIT THE 

SNOWY ROADS FRIDAY + MADE THE 

JOURNEY BACK TO MI NNE SOTA TO 

B EG I N . O U R. A N T I C I P A T E D

W E WILL HAVE TWELVE DAYS 

BACK HOME OVER T H E H OLI

DAYS , SO  I THOUGHT I SHOU

LD SHARE THEM WITH YOU IN 

T H I S RECOGNIZABLE LITTLE 

SONG { YOU'LL H A V E T O BE 

WILLING TO S IN G IT I N YOUR 

HEAD AS YOU  R E A D  +  SEE 

S W E E T  SNIPPETS  O F OUR 

HOLIDAY  T O  G E T H  E R  !  }

G R E E N  S CH W I N N 

W I TH  A   R E D  B O W

{c om in g .soo n }

{ WH IM S Y . L OU . STYL E - ST AY . TU N E D }

TU ES DAY. T U N ES.

PROBABLY THE EARLIEST CHRISTMAS GIFT I HAVE SENT 

SO FAR , EVER , IN MY LIFE WAS THE MP3 ALBUM OF 

SHE + HIM

MON DA YS .MA KIN' S .

S OO N 

I N 

Y OU R 

M A I L BOX

O . C O LO R A D O.

{ n i tt y   g ri tt y   di r t  b an d }

{ le a ve s   m e   w i sh in g   f o r  s n ow .

a n d   f or    on c e     lo oking   for w a r d 

t o   a  d  ay   t hat   does n 't  b rin g  6 0s

c om e  co l or a do  ch ri st m a s ,c o me

ha pp y   w ee k en d  t o   y ou   +  a l l . }

T O . L OV E .

1.  BEING THAT GIRL IN THE RED SKIRT, 

PRETENDING TO BE MINDING HER OWN

BUSINESS , BUT ACTUALLY WATCHING

THIS HERE COUPLE + GUSHING IN WHAT

SOUNDS A BIT LIKE THIS : "THAT IS SUCH

A SWEET COUPLE - THEY'RE PROBABLY

ON THEIR FIRST DATE + THEY LOOK SO 

HAPPY SKATING HAND IN HAND IN CIRCLES

+ THEY PROBABLY PICKED OUT THEIR 

CHRISTMAS SWEATERS TOGETHER + SHE 

PROBABLY LOVES WHEN HE SPINS HER IN 

CIRCLES ON THE ICE + I BET HE ACTUALLY

HAS NEVER SKATED A DAY IN HER LIFE

BUT DID IT TO BE A SWEET LITTLE 

GENTLEMAN TO HER . . .SINCE THEY'RE

ON THEIR FIRST DATE + ALL . . . "

2. SIGNS THAT ARE THIS ENCHANTING .

3. HOW I {WOULD} LOVE TO DO A TRIPLE

AXEL + LOOK THAT DARN ADORABLE  .

4. OLD TIME CARTOON . A MUST-LOVE .

5. LUCK + THE LUCKY STRIKES LOGOS .

6. WOBBLY LITTLE ICE SKATING CHAINS .

7. THE DARN ICE SKATES THEMSELVES .

8. SKATING HAND IN HAND , BUNDLED UP

TOGETHER , DODGING SNOWFLAKES AS

THEY FALL IN THE CRISP WINTER AIR +

LOVING THE SWEET BOY YOU'RE WITH .

W HA T . I S . N O T . T O . L OV E ?

HE LL O . W HI M S Y .

so wednesday whimsy today = winter whimsy dress from the spectacular MODCLOTH,

an online clothing, accessory, + decor retailer who's love for vintage + retro clothing so

sweetly overflows into a place for boys + girls like you + i to find the favorites in our closets

right here is the winter whimsy .

ahhhh ! i am loving it .

tis a dress of lacey ,

dreamy ,

wintery ,

ruffley 

goodness

A N D . obviously . its  S O L D . O U T .

so, kindly, MODCLOTH is alerting me when this beauty is restocked . 

also on this whimsy wednesday, i believe that i am making a new year's resolution 

to own @ least one MODCLOTH party dress :) shouldn't be hard to keep up with !

also, MODCLOTH's website has a little spot for me to keep my own wishlist + they

also have a blog : follow to find only the sweetest on fashion . culture . cooking . etc

+ another little fyi, MODCLOTH was founded by high school sweethearts : eric + 

susan gregg kroger ! seriously T H E sweetest thing ! it has come a long way in the

last few years + i am loving every little bitty piece of what they have put together !

come , love it with me .

{ W E  L OO K   F O R   A   T R EE }

{ W E   F IN D  A  B E A UT Y  }

{ W E   C H O P  I T  D O W N  }

{ W E   C A RR Y   TH E  B E A  UT Y   A W AY }

{ W E   H A V E  A   L O V E LY   D R IVE   H OM E  }

{ W E   B LIN G  I T  OU T  :  O W L S + A N G E LS }

L O VIN G . T HI S . S EA S  ON . 

Y  OU  ?

{ c li ck   h e r e  f  o r   m o re }

so , following yesterday's post , this is my nametag today .

i received a note from  a  mighty sweet lady who i 

previously blogged about here  + could not be more 

thankful at how much better she has gotten  +  how 

touching her words were today . . .  . she wrote :

lady kayla =

this summer when we first met, my Spirit 

knew we were cut from the same cloth.

mac + cheese

prayer

flowers in our hair

all the super healing powers a woman needs !

thank you for being yourself .

h o w  .  e n c o u r a g i n g  . 

s o,i'm still waiting to hear what 

Y  O U  R nametag w o u l d say :)

{ AND I DO LOVE ALL OF THOSE ELOQUENT -IST WORDS }

I LIKE THE IDEA OF THIS. OF KNOWING EXACTLY WHO I AM + WHAT I AM + HOW I CONTRIBUTE SOMEHOW TO THIS BIG , BIG  WORLD . BUT IT'S A BIT HARDER THAN IT LOOKS + THESE WORDS + SWEET LITTLE NAME CARDS CAN ONLY DIG SO DEEP INTO EXACTLY WHO A PERSON IN HIS OR HER ENTIRETY REALLY IS .

CAN YOU DO IT ? TAKE A MINUTE +  F I L L   I N   T H E   B L A N K S  F O R  U S  . 

W H AT  D O ES   Y OU  R   NA M E T A G   E N TA I L ?