Advent :: How Pinteresting!

As we approach the middle of November and prepare ourselves for the feast of Thanksgiving, I am getting ready to begin traditions with my Husband! We missed our first Christmas as husband and wife and this year I am working really hard to make the most out of the holidays since we get to spend them together! First and foremost we are going to start an Advent tradition!

Pretty Packages!

I found this wandering around on pinterest and have decided we are going to make something similar this year! What a fun weekend project! We are headed to Michaels or Lowe’s today to maybe get a board to paint and decorate! clothespins are an easy find at the Dollar Store and we can paint those with craft glue too! I’m thinking this will be the perfect piece to hang over our fireplace!

We also have set a budget of $100 per person. I wanted to go with $50- that’s $2 a gift on average. Hubs was not at all feeling that challenge and wanted it increased. Fine, on average you get $4 a day for cute little gifts! Every day in december we get to open one and spend a little quality time with each other celebrating. I think the fun part will be shopping for each other and really finding things that speak to each of us. I already have a few thoughts in mind for things I’m going to make him! Sneaky, sneaky!

The most fun will be making these this year, and having them for years to come to celebrate the season! It is also killing me to wait until the 25th of November to place out my Nativity! It was a wedding gift from Nan and we have yet to enjoy it!

I know we’re still celebrating Thanksgiving, but we’re preparing ourselves for Christmas too!

Take The Last Train To… Boot Camp?

This two months of pre-deployment prep are going by too quickly for my liking. The fun part is spending time with Hubs and of course, documenting this separation in our life with an awesome pre-deployment photo shoot! I have been giddy planning this shoot! Oh, and of course running thoughts through my head for one upon his safe return (which of course is going to be in his Army uniform-duh. We think it will be ACUs?)!

Our engagement pictures were jeans and white button downs. We did the Coronado Ferry Landing last deployment with the San Diego skyline in the background. Hubs in his dress uniform and me in a pretty tweed dress (which was actually my homecoming dress from the previous deployment!). We have our awesome beach pictures from this summer. I wanted something different and reflective of the time of year: AUTUMN! Oh, and a little bit of Christmas since we’ll be doing them in early December. We are going to be taking them in an old train station in San Juan Capistrano! Hello amazing architecture!

This morning with the help of some awesome facebookers I worked my way through our thoughts (argyle sweaters, bright funky colors, peacock accessories, flannel and cowboy boots, among others). I ultimately decided on my go to black dress for me with a red three-quarters length sleeve sweater and some amazing shoes I bought about 4 years ago and just unpacked from our HHGs. I’m thinking gray dress pants for hubs with a black or gray shirt… (or perhaps his really pretty purple one?) with or without tie.

I was at the thrift store today arranging a pick up of some of our old furniture when I saw the most adorable accessory across the room::

Only $3!!!

A lady bug found me taking pictures and definitely gave it her seal of approval! Eeeek! I am so excited! Even more exciting is since we’ll be doing them in early December, we will definitely be doing this to send out with our Christmas cards! The hunt now begins for candy canes that big!

Going out in our Christmas cards! Except... of us!

I can’t wait to have the shoot and show you some of the pictures!