Now that most everyone has received our Christmas cards in the mail, I thought I would give you a little peek at our “festive” photos.

I mean it looks all authentic – roam through the woods, find a tree, cut it down. Simple, right? At least that’s how it all played out in my mind. Unfortunately, life’s not quite that perfect, so you just make do. Stand in your Dad’s yard, with your tree from Home Depot and hold a saw from your Dad’s basement. That’s real stuff.
We had every intention of cutting our own tree this year, but to make a super long story short, it just wasn’t in the “cards” this year. Ha!
We still had a little fun with it…

What’s that you say Mr. BEY? Did I get my tickets?

Photos by Blue Eyed Yonder

I hung my very own vintage stockings by the chimney with care. (When you’re thirty, I’m pretty sure your handmade childhood stocking classifies as ‘vintage’.)

I set the tree ablaze with tons of terrific colored lights. Big colored bulbs and even a few strands of vintage bubble lights. (You know, these guys.)

Photos by Blue Eyed Yonder

Do you have any photos of your Christmas decor? I’d love to see what your neck of the woods looks like this time of year. Post a link in the comments section or feel free to post pics to the Blue Eyed Yonder Facebook Page.

Hoping your Christmas is Shiny & Brite!

I usually keep most of my Christmas decorations downstairs, but this year I decided to let a little Christmas cheer tip-toe upstairs to our bedroom…

There’s something about having too much to do that forces me to add even more to my plate, it’s a problem, I know. But I have to say I’m glad I added this extra project to the list. There’s something quite cozy about twinkling lights and warm fuzzy spools of yarn in the bedroom. I mean, I couldn’t let all of my decorations from last year’s Winter Whimsy just sit in the attic.

I was glad to finally be able to put some of my industrial spools to use. Now my Dad can take back that “what-are-you-gonna-do-with-those” look he gave me when I bought them.

If you ever have the hankering to wrap some wooden spools of your own, I’ll give you a little helpful hint: Wrap the spools with a small hand towel first to “thicken” it up a bit, that way you don’t have to use your whole week’s salary worth of yarn to make it look full.

Photos by Blue Eyed Yonder

I’m happy to have more than one tree in the house, but vow to never be that I-have-a-tree-in-my-bathroom lady that I ran into at Home Depot. Yikes.

Do you decorate your bedroom or (cough, cough) your bathroom?

William Pinckey Shingler House circa 1857

So… amidst all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I turned 30! What’s that you say? I don’t look a day over 25? Aww shucks, you’re making me blush.

For the big 3-0, we skipped over to Charleston for a fun weekend full of sweet, southern charm. Mr. BEY found the most charming little cottage for our stay, and it was historic to boot! (That boy knows the way to my heart.)

We strolled the streets of Charleston, did a little shopping, a little site-seeing, and a whole lot of good eatin’. For my birthday dinner we went to Husk. Oh lordy! Wrap me in a dinner roll and send me down the Ashley River! I’m still trying to rack my brain and to see if I’ve ever had a more delicious dinner. The menu changes daily, and for that night I had the Bev Eggleston’s Heritage Pork with Smokey Field Peas, Braised Greens and a Beer Mustard Glaze and Mr. BEY had the North Carolina Duck Breast with Foie Gras Buttered Farro, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Napa Cabbage with Edisto Island Chestnuts. Making you hungry?

For dessert I had a slice of sweet potato pie with gingerbread crust and a dainty dollop of caramel ice cream. It was the perfect birthday “cake” for this southern gal.

So, hello 30! Lookin’ good so far.