Happy New Year 2025!

Hi everyone!  It's been a minute, no?  Five months since I've posted a real post here on the blog.  I've missed blogging and I've missed you.  Our year got very busy in the last half, and then I kind of lost my blogging mojo.  Writing takes practice, and I'm a bit out of practice.      

      Did you have a good Christmas?  We did.  It was the first Christmas in years that I haven't made pictures of the house and tried to do Christmas posts before January 1st.  I have to admit that I enjoyed just focusing on family, home and hearth, and the reason for the season.     

We really had a wonderful family Christmas. We met friends of ours for dinner one evening, which is always fun.  Hal's birthday falls the week before Christmas, and this year, I made a birthday dinner for him and invited his parents and of course, our son.  I think everyone enjoyed it.  On the 21st, we went to a town nearby and met with Hal's uncles and cousins for lunch at a restaurant.  We attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service at my sister's church, along with our son, my mom, and Hal's parents.  It was a special evening.  Christmas Day, it was my turn to host my side of the family, and we actually had a youngster with us this year.  My niece and her husband are fostering a little three-year-old girl, and she's so cute!!  Funny, and lots of fun, she keeps everyone hopping. 😉 Then on Friday, the 27th, we went to Hal's parents' home for Christmas with his side of the family.  Whew!  We were all worn out on December 28th after all those get-togethers.        

   I decorated mostly the same way I do every year.  The emphasis was on Merry and Bright.       

      I added some faux fruit and red velvet ribbon to the mantel this year, and I love the way it turned out.  Also, our den got a mini makeover back in the fall, and we're really enjoying that.  I traded the valances we've had at the windows in here for the last 15 years or more for velvet, floor-length drapes.  I absolutely love them!!     

Also, this dry sink with the tabletop tree was somewhere else, and we moved it to this spot, where it fits perfectly.  Another surface to decorate. 😜    

Another part of the mini makeover was this desk.  I would have never shown this desk on the blog previously.  It was always a hot mess -- I mean a dumpster fire.  It was originally Hal's desk, where he sat and used the computer in the evenings.  But he's used his laptop for years, as he prefers to sit on the sofa, and this is where I usually work on my blog.  He has a small office area in the spare bedroom now, so I took ownership of this desk.  I cleaned it up, got rid of all the papers and files we didn't need, and put the others in the office.  I purchased a leather pad and matching desk caddy.  I brought the fox lamp out of storage, and it's a perfect fit for the desk.  I'm a happy camper now. 😀    

I've worked at the desk today and enjoyed the warmth from our "electric fire."      These days after the holidays are some of my favorites all year.  I'm enjoying my coffee with my new book in the mornings and relaxing in the evenings.  Do you like this time of year?  I'd love to hear about your Christmas and what you're doing in the start of a new year.  Thanks so much for stopping by; I so appreciate all of you who visit, read, and comment!  Have a wonderful weekend!!