New Year's Party Anyone??!!

This Frosted Rose Statement piece is just looking for a place to be worn!
In case you wanted to know what my next favorite gift was….
this beautiful necklace is in the running with one other…A romantic vacation to Santa Fe in February. Yes it was a very good Christmas!
But this necklace takes center stage today…I don’t know the artist, but the necklace is from an Etsy Shop called LaViejaTunTun, out of California. You should surely check out this shop! She has some beautiful creations, but then again my taste is not typical! Just tell her 7thJOY sent you!
Anyway, my sweet Saint Philip happened to find an anonymous Christmas Wish email with this listing on it, imagine that! And of course, after I subtly mentioned that it was one of kind and would be snatched up soon, unbeknownst to me, he began snatching!! No, I wasn’t too disappointed when it wasn’t under the tree, snif,snif! I don't always get what I want. I figured he had just forgotten or that someone else had gotten to it first.
But then, when my older son and his family came for Christmas breakfast, he reminded the saint, who is also an absent minded professor type and/or an aggie engineer {ENOUGH SAID}, he had forgotten to give me one of my gifts. You see, the necklace had been secretly shipped to them so I wouldn’t know. Long story even longer, it was an unexpected surprise, thanks to his forgetfulness!
But I digress! Now I’m just waiting for New Year's Eve so I can put my party necklace on and usher in the new year with my Frosted Rose Statement Bling, not that I need a necklace or bling to make a statement!….OH, I’ve gotten quite outspoken since I hit this half century mark, along with some of my best friends; I’m in such good company! Especially you Darlene!
Thank you St. Philip for constantly surprising both of us! b

And so it WAS Christmas!

It goes by so fast, all the making of lists, shopping, preparing, checking the list twice, more planning, more shopping, more preparing and then…it’s over!
…No more Santa at my house, but it doesn’t change the excitement of it all.
My boys, in the goofy chartreuse hats, almost grown, still enjoy the excitement and anticipation of it all and the bonus is…after we have Christmas morning, just the four of us, my older son, sweet daughter-in-law and precious Jackson join us for more anticipation and excitement plus GramB’s MonkeyBread and Egg Casserole breakfast !!! I love every minute of it; it just goes by too quickly.

My favorite present this year, a song played by Cameron and sung by Garrison…”Come and Worship” by Bebo Norman (featured). I must admit, it almost sounds as good, especially to a Mom’s ears! Nothing makes me happier! It’s all I asked for, though I seriously doubted it was going to happen. Considering the bickering about who wasn’t learning their part, the directives between them about who was doing it wrong…I figured my request was just too much, so I suggested a gift card to my favorite fabric store as an alternative…..
And just when I least expected it, three nights before Christmas morning, a beautiful sound coming from the music room, two brothers in unison and perfect timing, playing and singing a beautiful Christmas Gift for Mom! You guessed it, tears and Joy overflowed, I am blessed!
Although it comes and goes more quickly each year, the gifts that mean the most will last forever! Thank you God for boys, yours and mine! b

Crazy Comes in Twos

Two Crazy Southern Christmas Bells
Well…the Bell part is debatable!
Crazy and Southern are true for sure!
It is official, together our JOY is more than a little
“out of control”.
Robin and I have officially hit the CRAZY part of middle age this Christmas, even though I made it there a little earlier than her!
It all started with the making of 4 Wise Men (Yes, there were four!)as we wore our Church Lady hats in mid-November for Advent Decorating at our church, then last minute preparations as I whined until she agreed to host our 2nd Annual 7thJoy Trunk Show...
Add to that “Move Over Martha’s”(that would be ROBIN’s) insistence that we take on an enormous Corporate home-baked gift basket job; And there you have it, Two Southern Christmas Bells,,,,ridiculously out of Control!
But is there any other way to spend Christmas? Wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of it all, plus some! I say no, as long as you remember to stop and smell the Christmas Trees, share good time and wine with friends, have fun Santa shopping for your own plus an Angel Tree Child or 2, listen to every Christmas CD at least twice (I have a few!), and bake till the house smells just like you remember it did as a child or at least imagined it should!
That’s what I’m talking about, baking, candy making and buckeye ball rolling! Both homes now are fragrant with the smell of cookies baking, chocolate melting and caramel corn popping, we had to share the messes, but it is heavenly. I think we’ve made enough, messes that is, for the next decade of Christmases…and I think the sweet smells should last about that long as well! At least the laughter and the memories of a whirl wind few weeks, jobs well done, a little profit made, and most of all much joy shared will!
Ahhhh, it is good to have a great friend to be “out of control” with! Makes CRAZY worth being! Merry Christmas from us two SCB”s, May sweet smells and Christmas blessings fill your homes as well! b

Pop 12/08/09

December is truly my favorite month of the year for so many reasons….
NOT ONLY because IS IT CHRISTMAS TIME…WE’VE PRETTY MUCH ALREADY ESTABLISHED I’M A FAN. But because it also happens to be full of other special dates! There is December 6th which is my anniversary with Saint Philip. Next is December 8th, the birthday of not one, but two extraordinary Aggies I know! My niece Jamie celebrates her birthday on December 10th and then of course, December 24th, my beautiful Mom’s Birthday, guess that’s why they named her Elizabeth “Carol”. …Add these to Christmas Band Concerts, the Christmas Museum Tour, Christmas with friends, then Christmas Eve Celebrations and Christmas Day ….and you’ve got a month of just plain JOY~
But before I get too carried away in my thoughts of this joyful month, I’m thinking today of one very special Aggie! That would be my Dad, well…my step-Dad, but that is truly an unimportant point. He is the man that married my Mom almost 30 years ago, who took a family of grown kids under his wing and never looked back. He has nurtured, instilled values, shared knowledge, supported decisions, given advice only when asked and cared for each of us individually like only a true father could. But most importantly, he has loved our mother, unconditionally…he spoils, conforms, lets her shop unnecessarily and dances without complaining too much! He loves God, his grandkids and a good beer occasionally. And at the distinguished age of 82, he still works when his expertise is called for and enjoys every minute of it! He is a man of honor and integrity and I am so blessed to call him my DAD!
I only hope and pray that in these years since he gathered us up, I have made him proud to be the Father I never had until him!
With my love and joy, I honor him today,
Noonan Albert, My Mom’s, Prince! Corny but True…Happy Birthday Pop!