Home Projects, Holiday Gatherings, and New Creative Beginnings
The kitchen is finally complete enough to cook in—what a milestone! We still have a bit of trim to finish at the ceiling and a few electrical faceplates to pop on, but the space is working, and that feels wonderful. Our oldest son came over and installed and grouted the backsplash, and it looks absolutely beautiful. My custom-designed wallpaper also arrived, and I gathered the courage to hang it in the little entryway nook above where the bench will go. My husband plans to make a cherry bench top to match the cherry windowsills, and I can’t wait to see it all come together.
As a family, we do our Thanksgiving menu planning with a shared chart—everyone signs up for what they’re making or bringing. It makes the whole weekend run smoothly, and this year was such a gift to spend with almost the entire gang. The kids’ table was a hit—nothing like a little peer pressure to encourage everyone to eat their dinner, haha! My she shed even got temporarily transformed into the “Sugar Shack” for all the desserts. Later on, we grazed on a board-game-night spread of veggies, cheese, dips, and crackers. So much fun.
My husband and I also snuck away for our annual anniversary trip to Williamsburg. The evening chamber orchestra concert at the palace is always a highlight—top-notch musicians and such a lovely tradition for us.
I continue to be thankful for my wonderful ladies’ group at church. We’re reading an excellent book right now, God Does His Best Work With Empty by Nancy Guthrie, and this month we also put together gift baskets for our shut-ins. It’s such a meaningful time together.
In mid-November we had a successful holiday craft market at Augusta Expo. It was great reconnecting with vendor friends and meeting new ones. We love bouncing business and display ideas around, and I truly enjoy helping both new and returning customers find just the right thing. We were grateful for all the compliments on our booth!
On the creative front, I’ve been working on a spring design with a coquette (bows) and feminine theme. I’m excited to get my hands back into making art and to experiment with different mediums over the next few months. My goal is to create a few more collections for next year.
I’m looking forward to settling into the cozy winter months—and I hope you are too.