The Month of January

Hello everyone.  I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks, but there are so many blogs out there and things are pretty competitive, so I don't think anyone is really missed much when they're away.

How is the new year treating you so far?  It may sound crazy, but I like January.  After all the mad frenzy of the holiday season (even though I love Christmas) I like the quiet downtime of January.  I love the starkness of the bare, lacy tree branches and the long shadows they cast on a sunny day.  I love seeing the house return to normal and settle in for some cozy winter months as I get my Christmas decorations taken down and put away.  I love that Downton Abbey is back, even if only for six episodes.  :)  I loved the beauty of the full moon (the Wolf Moon) as it rose in the sky every evening last week.

Our family has three birthdays in January -- my mom, my uncle, my sister-in-law, and now, we have another birthday... 

 Duncan was a year old last Sunday, January 4th.  What a year this has been -- whew!  I think he has probably been our most challenging Scottie yet, but I do believe that's partly because we're older now.  He's a high-energy dog, and boy does he wear us out.  But to be fair to him, he's very smart (too smart sometimes) and "smart" doesn't always translate to "obedient."  ;)

Some other things I'm enjoying this month --

source

I've started reading the new Jan Karon book, and it makes me want to pay another visit to Mitford, otherwise known as Blowing Rock, North Carolina.  If you're a fan of these books, have you read this one yet?  So far, I'm really enjoying it.

On Saturday, January 3rd, hubby and I paid our first visit to the Ikea store in Charlotte, N.C.  Wow, what a fun experience that was.  We couldn't find the small bookcase we wanted to purchase for our son, but instead made several impulse buys (not what I had planned at all).  ;)  Their prices are great!  We'll be paying them another visit to get the bookcase for our son.

I've also been working on a "new" guest bedroom for our home.  We're converting our son's old bedroom into a guest room, and our back bedroom is still the junk room for now.  Not forever, I hope.  We don't normally have guests to stay over, but it's good to have that option available.  I've already used the room one night last week when I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake my husband.  I love the way the guest bedroom is looking, and I hope it will be ready to share with you in a week, maybe two.  Here's a little sneak peek --

I've been slow out of the gate in my blogging for 2015; there's been a lot to do around the house.  I've been under the weather today, but I'm pretty sure it's just allergies and not a head cold.  What have you been up to this month?  I'd love to hear from you!  Thank you for your visit and have a great week!

Denise