Show Us Your Life @ Kelly's Korner: Christmas Traditions

oh, how i love traditions, especially around christmas time! head on over to see other blogger's christmas traditions at www.kellyskornerblog.com . here are some of the traditions (some of them which we just started last year since that was our first year as a married couple at christmas) that i would like to do every year.

1. having christmas "crackers" at christmas lunch. this is a tradition we just started last year but that i really want to keep up! it's a british tradition. everyone gets to crack open their cracker which has a crown in it for you to wear and a surprise of some sort.

2. decorating a gingerbread house together. it's so fun and then you have a lovely decoration for your kitchen!

3. making ornaments. my fav way to make homemade ornaments is to make them out of cinnamon and apple sauce. all you do is mix the 2 together, lay it out like cookie dough (use a lot of floor), then use christmas cookie cutters to make different shapes. i make a whole for the using a straw. then you lay the "cookies" out for a day, flip them over and lay them out for another day. after they are dry, you glue glitter on to the ornaments. wa la! i do this every year with my students but i always make some for myself, too.
4. sending out christmas cards with our picture on it.
5. driving around and looking at christmas lights. i always did this in my hometown with my family growing up and now adam and i like to drive through traditional, older neighborhoods near downtown austin and also, drive through the funky areas like 37th street to see their unique decor. this also used to include the zilker trail of lights but i heard last year was the last year for the trail.

6. going to the lighting of the texas capitol's christmas tree. we went for the 1st time last year and had the best time! it is a huge (and even better, free) event! before the tree is lit, you sing christmas carols for about an hour with a huge crowd. after it's lit, there are performers all throughout congress ave to watch. a must-see event!

7. shopping with my dad right before christmas to get my mom's christmas gifts. i've done this since i was little and it's a tradition i hope to keep up.
8. of course, we always go to the christmas eve service, then all of the extended family gets together to eat tamales and open gifts. growing up, we opened our immediate family gifts christmas morning.

waiting for you...

is our finally put together guest room! and, oh i love how it turned out! i especially love that it was completely free. the joys of being cheap. i compiled a list of where everything in the room is from. i am probably the only one interested, so feel free to skip over it!

1. the bed spread--my aunt nancy made it for me when i was single. i couldn't bear to part with the blue toulle so here it is again!
2. the yellow and blue quilt and pillow--believe it or not i sewed these! hah. i can't believe it. in a class in college, i had to learn a new skill so i "learned" how to sew except i forgot quickly after!
3. the bed frame--was adam's sister's when she was little
4. the bed--my brother's going up
5. the dresser--from IKEA when i was single. warning: don't try to open the drawers or actually use the dresser, it doesn't work really! i put the dresser together all by myself and it took me 10 hours. i had never put anything together in my life. i was so proud of myself until one of the drawers completely fell out!
6. the mirror--got it was i was little and had it in my room growing up
7. the blue quilt hanging over the mirror--adam's aunt made for us when we got married. the reverse side is so detailed and impressive. it must have taken her a LONG time!
8. the lovely framed flower--5 years ago from tj maxx

this comfy bed is now waiting for you! hah. if you ever need a place to stay (and we know you), we have a special place just for you!

a time to celebrate

as ecclesiastes 3 states, "there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens." today was definitely a time for joy, love, laughter and celebration. my only living grandparent turned 80 today. she flew to texas all the way from florida. it was wonderful getting to share the special day with her.

how many people does it take to light 80 candles?
can't have a big bash without party hats!

cake with 80 lit candles

grandma blowing out her 80 candles

and here she is doing it! hah.

priceless.

funny.

funny II.

the back of a cone head.

grandma opening her first pair of jeans ever! they're still classy, dressy jeans though.

laughter.

me and grandma in front of her birthday banner.

this is the 1st banner i've ever made. i had so much fun making it!

grandma's glowing. we also went to dinner. a delicious restaurant in new braunfels called macadoos. i totally recommend it. upscale seafood. great ambience.

ted and andrew. single ladies, these 2 boys are both single!

group pic 1

group pic 2

happy 27th, christina!

thanks for being a great friend!
jason and christina celebrating at the salt lick

adam and i with leanne and josh

my brother was there, too

christina and jason stayed with us and we woke up to a delicious breakfast that adam made: fruit salad, swedish pancakes and eggs.

what a man, what a man, what a MIGHTY, GOOD man...he's a mighty, good man

for your viewing pleasure, i had to show the last bit of fall decorations that we have added lately. i had adam write a U across our plain pumpkin.

and i added glitter to these plastic pumpkins to give them some pazzazz.

AUSTINtatious times

la dolce vita.

i love living the good life in the ATX. here anna and i are at the oasis.
can this view be any better?

at the lakeway resort and spa. getting manis with a great view of the lake.

fondue fun in downtown austin. yum. yum.

you're "juan in a million"

adam's family had a big get-together for adam's grandmother's 90th birthday!

the youngest nephew, so cute.
the adam's family...
adam's mom's mom who turned 90!

adam's dad's mom who recently turned 84!

and one of my besties came to visit from fort worth. here we are at "juan in a million," a uber fun taco joint downtown. recommendation: only go to juan hungry!

p.s. for those of you noticing my hair's dark roots, no fear. i am coloring my hair as we speak. it's a lot of work being a blonde--at least a fake one! ha.

fall=festival fun in fredricksburg...and some indian dancing, too

guten tag from fredricksburg!a lovely wreath overlay (eee--i know there is a real name for what these are, but oh well!). this is made from all real plants not the fake ones from hobby lobby. ah, it's my favorite!

a picturesque pumpkin patch at oktoberfest a building on the main street in fredricksburg

pure class

europe? nope, but it sure looks like it with the brick walkways, older buildings and vines growing on the outside walls

here we are

a lush garden

at the townsquare

czech dancers from west, texas! there were REALLY good. now, i want to learn how to do the polka! never thought i'd say that.

i also want to learn how to dance to traditional indian music. these girls were amazing! they preformed at the pecan street festival in austin last weekend.

i wonder which costume i'd look better in? indian or czeck? heh. =)