Changing Names

Hi All!  Can you believe in the middle of all the hub bub of the holiday season here I am thinking ahead about the new year.  Seriously?  Yep, it's true! 

Calm down now, I am not thinking about celebrating...yet.  LOL!  With the new year fast approaching I am eager to move towards change.  Next month I'll be refocusing on my priorities and what to do towards getting there.

  One thing I know I am going to do is change the name of my blog.  Why????  Well, it just doesn't fit anymore!   Yes, yes, I am SailingSimply through life but my blog is not primarily all about sailing.  I need a name that fits my blog.  After nearly a year of blogging I have a better idea of what that is.  Well actually, I have a better idea of the importance of naming your blog appropriately.  

Good news is, I have one!  I love it!  It fits!  Now all I need to do is figure out how to change it?  Do I just change the settings on this one?  Should I just create a whole new blog?  Creating a new blog would mean possibly loosing the few followers I have who may not change over or whom don't look at my blog often but do enjoy occasionally dropping in.  That being said, I am more inclined to change the name of this one.  However a new blog would give me a fresh start on picture space, wouldn't it?  Just thinking!

My next question has to do with owning your own domain. I don't quite have a total understanding of  all that, but think I kind of understand what that means.  Please, feel free to comment on exactly what that means!  This is not something I feel the need to rush into (the domain thing) but definitely will want to consider this since the name I have chosen would be one I want people to associate with me.   I may want to use this new name in the future in any personal business adventures as well so I want to make sure it is all mine.  I have no clue how to go about doing that and would appreciate any and all advice on that. 

  

  I am really looking forward to a new year, a new name and a fresh start!  Well ladies, what do you think....what's your best advice?  I would love to hear from you on this!  Thanks!

Sharing the Decor Party "Simply"

So sorry to be late to the party again!  Whew!  There is just so much bloggy fun out there to join in this time of year!  Ooouu, I am lovin it!  Do I sound like a McDonald's commercial?  LOL!

Any who, I really did want to go to this party as I have had it on my sidebar for awhile now because I thought this one would be really fun.  Yesterday, I just couldn't get it all together to "make it" on time but lucky for me, we bloggers are a lingering bunch.  So, I am happy I have finally made it to the Share Your Decor Party over at No Minimalist Here's site.  What fun!

As if you have seen quite a bit from me already, I've taken advantage of this party to condense it for you and me!  Part of blogging for me is enjoying learning how to use all this fun photo shop stuff.  I haven't "made" a collage in some time, so for this party I decided to have a little fun!

Yes ladies, this is my den!  As you can see it's quite colorful and sweet!

My kitchen is just as sweet!  I used a candy theme in both my den and kitchen this year.

In the dining room it's all about white, silver and gold.

Our upstairs foyer is filled with precious childhood mementos for my sons.  This is their space after all!

And here is a few odds and ends that you've already seen before.  The foyer, my Christmas gift projects, the snow village on the back porch and new wreath on the front porch.

I've still got plenty new photos to share next week from both of my front and back porch's.

I hope you aren't totally sick of it yet. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit and if you've got more time, be sure and visit the link above.  I am sure there will lots there to see and inspire you.

Have a great day, and Merry Christmas!

Mary

Winter White Tablescape

Good Morning Ladies!  Boy am I glad I am an early riser!  This blogging business during the holidays is tough!  I can't believe I almost missed a party, the White Christmas party to be exact.  You can check it out at the link above.  I had been thinking about what table scape I would do for Tablescape Thursday but hadn't come up with one yet.  I didn't want to use my Christmas china just yet, so I was pretty happy to find this party this morning.  Sorry, I am not on top of all these parties unless I get a personal invite or just stumble upon them as I did this morning.

Lucky for me I am quick, cause I've got to be out of here by 9:30am to pick up a friend for shopping.  Woohoo!  Since I now had a clear direction (make that a white direction) on my table scape I was good to go.  So I threw this one together this morning and on one cup of coffee too I might add.  I hope you like it!

Here it is!  My winter white table scape.

You are just gonna have to overlook the green votive candles, okay?  Can you believe I only own one white votive candle?  I will have to remedy that today.

Of course I knew I would pull out my new Lenox for this setting.  You knew that too right?

I just love it!  If you read this post all the way through I'm going to tell you a big surprise at the end you may not want to miss.

Christmas settings deserve the good silver too, don't you think?

Clear crystal goblets and wine glasses were a must.

And thank goodness I polished my silver last month!

Silver and white...so pretty!

Of course since I'm using winter white, I had to bring in a touch of gold too!

How do like my centerpiece?

I think it's simple and stylish.

Yes, this is where I really wish I had those white candles on hand yall.  Ughh!

My winter white birds made their way back to the table too, they just couldn't resist.

Aim and shoot!  Not bad!  LOL!

And for the grand finale, I lit up the Christmas tree for my backdrop!

I love it!

Did you like my beautiful winter table scape?  I think it is easy to throw together a beautiful table scape when you have beautiful china to work with.  If you like this one you are going to love what I have coming soon.   I feel so blessed to have this china and am even more blessed then you can imagine.  Ladies, I have won 8 settings of Lenox china!  I am serious!

THANK YOU LENOX!!!

  Lenox is having giveaways all this month on Facebook.  All you have to do is post a picture of your favorite holiday setting ( I am assuming it needs to be Lenox, but not sure) on their facebook page and give it a name.  That's what I did and they chose one of my pictures.  It is not a condition of my win to tell you this, I am just sharing the news so you can get on over there and add your beautiful photos too.  I know you will want to win some too!  Good luck!

Thank you so much for visiting me today!

I've really got to go now...shopping!!!

Happy Holidays!

Mary

Hand painted Ornaments

I have a friend who has always been like a spiritual mentor to me.  She is older then me but young enough to always understand where I am at, through the seasons of my life.  I have been blessed by her wisdom for sure.  I always like to give her a little something for Christmas and this year was no different. 

Today I delivered her gift, so it is safe to post about it now.  I'm not sure if she visits my blog often because she is very busy running a local non profit agency.   She has visited before so I didn't want to take any chances posting this any earlier. 

Do you remember not to long ago I posted about painting Christmas balls?  Do you also remember I painted a bird on a Christmas ball?  Yes, I know you do!  My friend like most of us, loves birds too!  It is one of the things we share together, a simple love for birds.  She can quote you all of the bible scriptures relating to birds in a heart beat.  That's not the only scriptures she is very familiar with by a long shot,  just one's that she shares with her other bird loving friends.  Anyway, long store short, the bird I painted on the Christmas ball that you saw in this post here, was a test bird.  I knew I wanted to include something extra special in addition to the hanging ball bird seeds that I gave her.   I knew I wanted to paint a bird too, but I wasn't exactly sure of what bird I would do until recently.

I was so inspired by Happier than a Pig in Mud's post about Christmas symbolism's and was totally thrilled to see a paragraph about the Red Breasted Robin.  You can see her post here, if you missed it.  When I saw this I had my answer on which bird to paint.   So today I finished up the details on both my test bird Christmas ball and my gifted bird Christmas ball and delivered.  I am now able to share them with you.  Here are both of my hand painted bird Christmas balls.

Here is my test bird.  You remember this one don't you?  Kinda serious looking, like the Mr.

I added a branch of holly and berries since you have seen this last, after completing the second bird.

I also added the ribbon and filled the inside of the clear ball with faux moss such as a birds nest would be made of.

And here is the bird I painted for my friend.

It is a Red-breasted Robin.

Also sitting on a branch of holly and berries.

This ball is also filled with faux moss and tied off in a pretty striped bow.

I just totally adore how this bird turned out.  Isn't is precious?  I think it was totally blessed because look at the photos of this bird again.  Did you notice each photo shows a glare from the ceiling lights that is in the shape of a star?  I surely did! 

Well, I couldn't stop with just the painted ball and the bird seed.  I was so inspired by the symbolism of the Red Breasted Robin I had to include that as well.  So, I printed it off to include in a pretty font.

Cut it out and used my craft scissors to pretty it up a bit.

Then I packaged it all up, and delivered. 

The other bird, my test bird, claimed his place on my tree this year.

And is resting peacefully!

I am linking this post to the following fabulous parties.  I hope someone will remind me if I forget to link up on Friday to Inspiration Friday.

I am also connecting this post to

Craft Envy for one of the

Holly Bloggy Christmas parties.

and to Outdoor Wednesday .

How about you?  Have you made any handmade gifts this year?  Have you started delivering gifts yet?  I'm so excited, I get to go shopping with my BFF tomorrow.  We always have such a great time, and even though we still exchange gifts this is the best gift of all, our time together.  It's almost time yall!  Hope you are about ready. 

Have a wonderful day!

Mary