best of luck 2011...

xo,
HBird

I CAN'T WAIT...

i get chills every time i watch. oh, the tragic life of Jane Eyre! it's one of my all time favorites. march 11th, i'll be waiting for you!

LUCKY DAY'S AFTER-CHRISTMAS SALE

25% OFF ALL CHRISTMAS ITEMS TODAY THRU SATURDAY @

LUCKY DAY EMPORIUM!!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.

Another Florida Christmas

I helped my mama decorate this year and I never realized how much work it really is, and we even tried to simplify things, ha!

My mom has such a beautiful Christmas collection, it reminds me of the trip I took to The National Christmas Center last year with friends. If you are even in the vicinity of Paradise, PA and if Christmas makes you happy- then it's worth the time & money, I promise.

The inspiration for our mantel this year were the homes of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Julia Daniels Moseley of Come to My Sunland, a local FL heroine. I stole the citrus from my dad's Valencia tree (shhh...don't tell!!). I hope you enjoy the details as much as I do.

I am so happy to be home this year. It's been a long time since I have seen a Florida Christmas all the way through, and though I miss the beauty of the snow, I am SO happy to have the sun this winter!

Happy holidays to all & wishing you a prosperous New Year...

xo,

HBird

p.s. the sweet felt mistletoe was a gift from my dear friend, abby of loveydovey designs

Rescuing the Golden Apples

On Tuesday evening, just before midnight, I was picking Navel Oranges from the branches of my dad's tree...

On the way home from shopping late that night, my sister, mother and I watched the temperature drop on the truck's exterior display as we neared home, here in South Florida. We ran into the house to wake my dad from a sound sleep as he lay near the roaring fire he had built a few hours earlier- we were determined to save his Navel variety from the freeze this year (last year he lost the fruit of all three of his citrus')!

My sister and I bundled up and put on work gloves while my dad grabbed the wheel barrel and lights. In 15 minutes-flat we had the tree cleared of oranges. As I gathered the fruit I looked up at the clear sky to see the stars and moon shining down brightly. It was a moment out of a dream or a Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings novel- I am just so happy to be home for simple moments like these.

Speaking of Marjorie (once again), this past weekend my family and I celebrated our Christmas early with a trip to Cross Creek and Micanopy, FL. It was so fun to see Marjorie's home all done up for the season in an Old-Florida Fashion. It was also special sharing the Marjorie "love" with my nieces and nephew and my brothers and their wives. Golden Apples is one of Marjorie's more popular works, but one I haven't read yet... soon enough and I will tell you all about it!

xo