2009

2010 

2011 … photo attached behind with washi tape. see here.

2013

i usually make our card, but this year i went with simple & ordered our cards from my dear friends, katy & lindsay, of the christmas collaboration on etsy! when they announced their christmas card line, i couldn’t help but order one of their beautiful designs. it was SO affordable, too! also, i loved the idea of supporting small artists.

they sent the design quickly & i had the cards printed at overnight prints for less than $10.  all in all, including stamps, it cost me less than $50 to send out our cards. i have loved making our cards over the years, but this year was so simple & truly wonderful. head on over to their shop before they close on december 10th & support these amazing ladies!

& before i go, i want to share a bit about our holiday photo… over the years we or our friends have taken our photos. we usually take a simple selfie (2011 card) or our friends will snap a quick photo during a special outing (apple picking in the fall, cutting down our christmas tree). this year we wanted to mark this special year of owning our farm with a really nice photo. we created the scene in front of our little chicken coop & set up the tripod for our photos. it was free & the outtakes of me running toward that chair are hilarious!

of course, we cannot forget an outtake of clover photobombing…

happy saint nicholas day, friends! we woke up to our shoes filled with chocolate & citrus along with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. it’s a snow day! yay!

love,

natalie

i recently posted our homemade advent candles on instagram & several had questions about them. they are super easy to make; it almost makes me giggle posting a how-to about them. of course, keeping with our traditions of use what you have & don’t spend an extra penny!, i thought i would share a quick little tutorial that might inspire you to do the same.

there is something so beautiful about lighting a candle each week in anticipation. it creates a feeling of warmth & allows us to slow down in the midst of the hustle & bustle of the holiday season. luke & i usually read a bit of scripture, share what we’re thankful for in this season & pray for those things heavy on our hearts. it’s a simple time & that’s honestly what we love about it.

let me know if you do something similar at your home! do you have any traditions leading up to christmas? please share!

love,

natalie

in december 2013, i will:

– share our holiday season with YOU!

– exude confidence.

– be kind to myself & others.

i am so very excited for this winter month & season of advent! november was indeed wonderful. i worked hard to prep for december, but there was still much needed rest. our budget didn’t allow for as many balanced lunches as i had hoped, but we did succeed in being thankful with our handy thankful jar. it’s still out just in case we want to add to it during this month of winter magic.

as for december, it was difficult to narrow it down to just three goals. there are so many thoughts swirling through my head, but these i find to be the most significant & meaningful. first up, i will share our holiday season with you! i have blog posts lined up to share how we celebrate the holidays well with our budget in mind. i hope to share some bits of tradition, elfing & money saving tips! i am also excited to offer a handful of giveaways from some amazing small shops throughout the month. {don’t forget about monday’s giveaway!}

i will also exude confidence. this year we are participating in two craft shows. we have completely re-branded our little handmade business & it’s honestly a bit scary. thoughts continue to creep in telling me i am not good enough. at the end of the day, i am gently reminded that i was made to create & i can only strive to be a better me each day. this month i will exude confidence in who i am & what i create. 

finally, i will be kind to myself & others. pinterest often reminds us of what we are not doing & what we really should be doing. if only we purchased that glitterly gift wrap, our gifts would be better received. blowing the budget, staying up late, fretting over what we don’t have can sometimes lure me into a bad december. this month i will be kind to myself & others. instead of focusing on things that don’t really matter, we want to direct our attention to others through random acts of kindness. it’s the season of advent & i hope to live in that peace this month.

—–

and of course – a little something extra…

each month throughout this year, i have kept three goals in mind. yet, as luke & i live day-to-day, we find we are missing out on the beauty of each season with our to do lists & busy schedules. during the winter season we tend to get a little down around january 15th after the christmas festivities & the hype of new years goals have passed. 

there is still so much meaning to be found in the winter! i recently read a quote that said, “what we allow is what will continue.” it’s so true! so we have written down a good list of what we hope to allow this winter season.

beside the twinkling tree, our little list awaits! thoughts of cookies to neighbors, sledding in the snow, hiking through the woods & curling up next to the wood burning stove while knitting will be sure to bring us through the winter months!

what are your goals for december {and throughout the winter months!}? please share!

love,

natalie