Deck the Halls....

This is all the loot I have collected over a ten years of marriage as far as Christmas Decor....

Ok...! I know, I have way more than I need. But its fun to pick through and dress up the house a little different every year! I have given some stuff away, and borrowed odd and ends to friends... Its all fulfilling its "Christmas Destiny!"

Here are just a few of the things that I LOVE... and hope will always be near me at Christmas.

Your thinking to your self... huh? But in reality this is the cutest paper-mache vintage replica Karate Chopping Snowman EVER! It even has a bum, but this is not an X-Rated blog, so I'll spare you. (trust me its UBER cute)

My Believe sign! I put it in the tree every year... and I love that it fits in my festive Charlie Brown tree. We actually drove three hours to get this tree... we got the LAST one( I begged to take the floor model)  and on our way Ryan got a BIG speeding ticket. The tree was totally worth it! 

This is not my ornament.... it Ryan's. But we all love it.  He's a Super Fan of Elvis and this is one of three Elvis ornaments we have for the Tree. "Love me Tender" was our wedding song, and we are renewing our Vows for our 10th Anniversary next year at the Little White Chapel in Vegas. 

These are our Mickey and Minnie Ornaments we got in Disney World in 2006. They were the only thing I brought back, and I think they are a great keepsake. When I was little my nickname was Mouse. (My Dad has nicknames for all of us, Crystal is Smurf, I am Mouse, Amber was Bunji, and and Adam is Sport or Big Guy.) 

My Top Hat Tree Topper is the Ultimate! Its so RED and Felty! Words cannot express my love for the hat! 

And here is the finished product. If you look real close, you can see the little Birdhouse, and the little snowmen heads and the postcards! The Top lights have now decided to go out on me... that will be the third strand this year. Seriously its like a conspiracy! Anyway, thats just a taste of our little Langlois' Christmas. 

Till next time...

Love : Melissa 

As soon as it was here... It was gone :(

Yesterday was Christmas of sorts for me and some Girl Pals! It was soo fun to wait in expectation for the annual Christmas Open House. The Ladies at 2dD's do such a great job! I must say I think my expectation level was very high... and with no specific things to buy, I came home quite empty handed!

My girls came home with a haul though. And I KNOW they were happy with the purchases made!  Here's a few (blurry) but fun pics to share the experience with you!

This is the Invite! SOO pretty and Festive! 

 This is the tree you see when you arrive! Its so full of FUN ornaments and Sugar plum dreams! BY this point (2 minutes inside) the home was filling with lots of people and excitement!

Next stop is the kitchen which is brimming with LOTS of treats and delights for the holiday party season and the OVER EATING that takes place this time of year! Such a pretty set up!

Then on to upstairs to hunt for more treasures themed by room! (its kind blurry, people everywhere) This is the view from the landing. This is at the ten minute mark... the house is FULL of people. My guess 75 peeps at  least! 

Here's the Newbie!! My friend Rita did AWESOME! Although she didn't get what she came for she left with some really great things for her and a few friends! (And she brought me a coffee, I love her!) 

Here's a sight to see... the front porch over flowing with shoes! (And that's not even as bad as 

inside the door.) 

And as we make our way out about 45 minutes after we arrived, you can see the literal SEA of cars

 in Neighborhood. 

Sarah with her haul, and Rita with hers, we were dreaming of the spring and what this fun girl day will bring for 2011. And as we drove away, we realized, as soon as it arrived, it was gone.  Now on to the Mall! 

Happy Christmas Shopping Everyone! 

Lots of LOVE:

Melissa 

ITS ALMOST HERE!!

So its Almost here..... NO, I'm not talking about Christmas!
BUT it is something I look forward to doing every spring and fall since I moved to Red Deer!

I bet I've got you guessing.... wait for it..... OK, Ill put you out of your misery!

2D's in a POD! Its one of the most inspiring and magical shopping experiences in these here parts.  Basically what these talented ladies do is transform a home into a shopping extravaganza for one day. EVERYTHING is for sale and is decorated to the NINES! You just put it in your pretty brown bag that you get at the front door when you arrive, or you write it on your "wish list" with your equally as cute pencil (also provided at the front door when you arrive.)   I love the concept. I usually come home with lots of fun goodies for me and the people on my list.  The best part is the anticipation.... You get your twinkly, beautiful invite a few weeks in advance and you can bring ONE friend to join you.

It reminds me of what us Courtney House Ladies used to do for our Christmas open house every year. Those years with the two Bonnie's and Lori ( and a few others along the way) are so precious to me. They were always so supportive of my creativity, and equally as patient with my control issues!

Some of the best memories were covering the windows with paper, ripping down the fall decor (carefully for next season) and putting together an amazing array of Christmas treasures for all to Enjoy.
Bonnie (AKA... Bonfire!) our boss, was always so excited right along with me to transform that space into a thing of beauty. We would start planning for the OPEN HOUSE every January. We had a blast putting it all together, staying late, falling off ladders and eating take-out on the hardwood floors. The other Bonnie (AKA... Monica...don't ask) was more of a silent partner, cleaning up after my constant messes and lugging bins up for me to not interrupt the flow of creativity happening in that 900 square foot space! Her servant heart never went unnoticed, I admire her for that among many other things!

Courtney House Gift Shop is long gone... We closed the doors a few years ago. I miss that place, and think about it so fondly every year around this time. I don't so much remember the STUFF, but I remember the amazing women I got to learn from. What inspiring people I had the privilege to do life with.

So I'm on my way Friday with a good Friend to what we now call 2D's. I get to bring along a newbie... and I know she will be blown away! But what I'm more excited about is creating some creative memories with them.

I'll try and post some PICTURES after Friday if I can ever figure out how to do that on here.

And to the Bonnie's and Lori....  Ill be thinking of you.

Lots of love,
Melissa

HUG someone today....'

So today is kinda a big day for my family. It's my sister, Amber's 27th Birthday. She is in Heaven, and not here to be with us to celebrate today.

Today started out kinda Suckey. I felt like because its been five years, no one really cared anymore. I got Jonah ready for school and got ready for an early morning coffee. I fought against the urge to just stay in Bed and wallow in grief, but pulled myself together, got ready and headed into Starbucks.

I'm kinda a day dreamer.... (like you couldn't have guessed that about me!) And I was thinking of how different my life would be if she was only here with us still. And that would be my wish, if I could have just one. But it dawned on me that today was a day of celebration, not of sadness. So on my way into Red Deer I put on my timer on my phone, let myself cry for exactly 5 minutes and then resorted to celebrate life today.

My mom gave birth to an amazing little (well not that little) baby girl 27 years ago today. And we got 22 years to enjoy being with her. No matter what I was gonna celebrate.

I arrived at Starbucks and no sooner did I have my Toffee Mocha in hand that I was celebrating life with a good friend. We always talk about FUN stuff.... shopping, our husbands, and God (And of course more shopping) Before I knew it I was laughing. In that moment I knew that Amber was alive in my laughter. She was always laughing.... Those memories of her laughing are the best ones!

So when you want to just shut off the lights and have one of those days, try and remember that we have a choice. We can choose to trudge through and push on to see what God has in store that day. Its not always easy, but it is worth it.  Today was worth it, that laughter in the morning was worth it.

I do have a favor to ask of anyone who reads this post. Not a big favor but one I think can make a difference. Hug someone you LOVE, or better yet, HUG someone you don't! Don't let the moment pass you by, LOVE is ALWAYS the answer. I never said it would be easy, I said it would be worth it!

Lots of Love,
Amber's Sister,
Melissa