At the beginning of this Christmas season we had a talk about how to make this year more meaningful for our five year old, Kevin. He is young & very enthusiastic about gifts {which is perfectly ok}, but we wanted to help him notice all the other marvelous things about Christmastime. I’ve been seeing a lot of DIY Advent Calendars on Pinterest and was really intrigued by the idea of making one.

    I have never counted down the days to Christmas in this manner or had one of my own, so I had to do some research. I noticed that some of the Advent Calendars had candy or gifts for each day, and others had a daily activity written on them. I really liked this type of calendar. Kevin is a “quality time” child and it was a good way to do that. He was always excited to find out our activity for the day & it was a bonus that it was also a good exercise for him to practice reading aloud. It was also a way to add more structure & discipline to our evenings. He knew that he needed to eat his dinner & be respectful so that we could do our daily activity. Rocky has been traveling a little more often lately, so it was a good way to keep busy with the kids while he was TDY. Some of the activity cards were geared toward helping others or giving, others told him to open a little gift {Swedish Fish or a small pack of Jelly Beans}. I used the birdseed favor from a wedding I photographed and we made a mini DIY bird feeder {one of our favorites}.

    I wanted to design something that could be in plain sight of our home {match our existing Christmas decor} & that was large enough for my eclectic supplies. I ended up stealing the embroidery hoop filled with corkboard {my version of a memo board} from my home office & haven’t returned it yet! I used little odds & ends that I already had, sometimes borrowing from other pieces in the house. It was fun to make some of the ornaments & assemble this surprise for Kevin. Designing & creating this non-traditional Advent Calendar was a good pick-me-up for December & it was a fun way to help us celebrate Christmas a little bit every day. *

    *We didn’t do it everyday & sometimes I copped out with a “let’s read a dollar store Christmas book tonight” card. 🙂

    Kevin wasn’t particularly excited about writing Christmas cards to deployed soldiers, but I was proud of him for doing it. This is a picture of his daddy {Rocky} from basic training. He has been deployed over Christmas in the past, so it was important to me to do this one.
    He drew one of them receiving a present & getting “cheered up from it.”
    The DIY Birdseed Feeder was easier than I expected & pretty cute! Kevin liked making it & playing with the leftover gel {from the gelatin packet}.
    I made this reindeer ornament with a cookie cutter + sprinkles. Kevin is 5 and Damian {Ocean} is 18 months. Moments like these make my heart swell.

    The icing on the cake, was that on Christmas day {after we drove up to see my family in Findlay, Ohio}, we took the boys to ride the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation’s Polar Express {NWOR}. It’s a small “magical little train ride around our track decorated with sparkling lights and holiday decorations.” There is a little museum inside & lots of decorated Christmas trees + warm drinks. The staff was so cheerful & even had blankets waiting for us at the train since it was a cold evening. It was probably the best $6 {for all four of us} that we spent on Christmas! The boys had a lot of fun & it was the perfect surprise for them. You can find NWOR on Facebook, follow them for more information about train rides all year long!

    Thanks for reading my Christmas flashbacks this weekend! I am really excited to post more weddings & engagements
    in February {plus a special little DIY for Valentine’s Day}. Have a good week! ♥

     

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    I can not believe that January is almost over. Before the calendar turns, I wanted to squeeze in a few holiday posts {I hope you don’t mind}. Ever since I wrote this post, I’ve been really trying to make time everyday to “carve” {photograph} my “blessings…” so that I don’t forget how much they mean to me. Even seeing these pictures together here reminds me why I find photography so incredible. I never want to forget the slightest piece of any of this.

    You can read the story from these first pictures on my personal blog, “Sweet Threads.”

    Kevin looking up activities on my iPad on Pinterest.
    Made this ornament from leftover pieces from last year’s winter inspiration shoot.
    On Christmas Eve I woke up to the boys using my shoes & pillows for Angry Bird scenes. Birds were flying. It was awesome.
    The first picture on the left is from Christmas Eve 2011, the one on the right is from 2010. Damian has grown so much… too much.
    Rocky & I started a little tradition where Rock dresses up as Santa & rings bells outside of Kevin’s window on Christmas Eve. We go outside & check it out, just missing “Santa.” Kevin paused just long enough to give me an obligatory smile before dashing outside. The next picture was his reaction to the cookies & milk being gone Christmas morning.

    Hiding behind the kids who are ready to drive up to Grandma’s in Findlay. This year I have a lot of work to do to finally loose the “baby weight” {I pretend it’s still from Damian}. I would love to fit into my jeans again. {Inspiration & advice welcome!}

    I took these pictures for Christmas cards {that I never mailed}. Some of you might get a hello & Christmas greeting from us in February.
    The sky on Christmas day from the passenger seat… so clear & pretty. A little peek of my office. The rest was a mess during at this time.
    In my next post I want to share about a brand new tradition we started & what it looked like 🙂

    Thank you for letting me show you my little family album! I promise February will be filled with a special Valentine DIY & romantic weddings! ♥

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    • Jaclyn - January 29, 2012 - 7:36 pm

      Looovveee your red shoes…and i can’t believe how big your little men are getting! makes me sad…:(

    I imagined I lived in London today. The weather was all heavy fog and rain. Besides scaring myself {a little} by spinning my tires in some mud, it was a lovely day.

    Part is me is chuckling that I can find this winter to be so pleasant.
    I hate winter.

    For many years I have believed that since my ancestors lived under a warm sun all year round, I just do not fit in here. The cold & grey tend to depress me after a while. My white skin makes me feel like a stranger in my own body. I anticipate the longer days & constantly yearn for July. I thought that the perfect answer was to pack up & leave this state for a warmer climate.
    And maybe it would be awfully nice, but I’ve been reconsidering this magic bullet concept.

    Becoming content, {and more importantly}, relishing in thankfulness, has changed me.

    Can the fog become beautiful?
    Can the cold inspire me to make this little cottage a cozy place?
    Can the grey skies cocoon me in a thick layer of serenity?
    Can the rain on pavement give even the smallest light a stage to illuminate & shimmer?
    Can this season of winter bring forth just as much growth as the spring?

    I used to acknowledge the grey as a one note tune.
    Just an ugly mass of monotony.
    I’m starting to see the nuances of pigment & light in this grey.
    As my eyes adjust, it’s like detecting another spectrum of color.
    I’m finding there are notes so subtle you have to stop & press your ear to the Maker in order to hear them.
    The depth of its potential is what I make of it. What I have the patience to notice.

    I’m starting to carefully navigate my way through the obscurity of this fog.
    Sometimes it is so thick that I stand on my tiptoes & try to catch a glimpse of the elusive horizon.
    It still hides.
    Soon it is quietly swallowed up in the darkness of the early night.
    There is a mystery in the destination & I accept that I don’t know what the future looks like.
    I have simply concluded that if I can find my way in this place,
    it is possible to be fond of it. ♥

    Kevin & Damian walking to Grandma’s in the fog
    {instagram andreadozier}
    ♥
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    Today was the kind of day we needed:

    A {planned} two hour delay for Kevin.
    Tim Horton’s for breakfast.
    Gas that was cheaper than the advertised price.
    A cheerful Damian.
    A tidy little house & clean sheets…
    and freshly sharpened pencils.

    ♥

    If that wasn’t enough, I received the pictures from Erin & Pete’s vintage wedding featured in The Knot Ohio’s Spring/Summer 2012 issue! I’m really honored to have their wedding included as a real wedding, but they put together a beautiful & very special event!


    Now if only dinner were already finished ♥

     

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    • Michelle March - January 25, 2012 - 7:51 pm

      Congrats!! This is wonderful! 🙂

    • Emily A. - January 25, 2012 - 9:39 pm

      Wow! That’s so exciting! 🙂

    • Mary - January 26, 2012 - 6:15 am

      Congratulations!!
      Very Proud of you..and for you!

    • Andrea - February 1, 2012 - 10:10 am

      Thank you all! My bride had worked so hard on this wedding but was so very very sweet… I’m glad they picked her!

    Today’s wedding from Dayton, Ohio was a very classic, elegant event. You might remember Abby & Brett from their garden engagement session that was featured on Green Wedding Shoes. Abby emulated vintage taste & also added playful elements that made it perfectly suited for her. I loved her classic updo & glittering gold flats {super comfy, right?}. Abby’s bouquet was wrapped with vintage lace from her mother’s wedding gown. Her Grandma sewed the gown for her mother and saved the extra lace. So Abby & her older sister have both used this beautiful lace to wrap their own wedding bouquets. I love personal touches like that.

    Emily & Abby are good friends and were in each others’ weddings in the same month 🙂

    Â Miami Vally Golf Club
    Wedding Dress Wendy’s Bridal
    Jewelry Swaroski crystal earrings
    Makeup Leslie Randall {Facebook @ Ruby’s Traveling Beauty Show}
    Hair Brenda Chapman
    Shoes Steve Maddon
    Bridesmaid Attire Carrie Karibu
    Hairpieces birdcage with rhinestones
    Groom Suit tan 3 piece from Barclay’s in Piqua
    Tie & Cufflinks Tie from Macy’s
    Shoes & Belt Barclay’s
    Floral Design Oberer’s Florist
    Invitations The Envelope
    Cake Rinaldo’s Bakery
    DJ & MC/Music All the Right Tunes
    Catering Miami Valley Golf Club
    Cake Balls from Laney Baldwin
    Officiant Pastor Marie Smith

     

    Thanks for having me along, I really enjoyed your wedding & your family! It’s been wonderful to get to know you & your sisters better,
    and I’m so glad we realized we are pretty much neighbors! All the best to you all! ♥

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