a precious baby stocking

i am so excited to share this christmas card with you guys.

but it isn't an ordinary christmas card,,,

it's a "we're having a baby" announcement!

how cute is that baby stocking?

#cantgetenough

when i was asked to help make their big announcement, 

i was overwhelmed with excitement and happiness. 

i first got to know this sweet couple back in college at Texas Tech, and i am so grateful to still call them friends!  they are going to make fantastic parents. and i can't wait to see how the LORD blesses them over the next nine months as they await their beautiful baby b! :)

i'd be honored if you would check out my etsy shop:

gracefully made designs

merry january from the chastains!

merry christmas january from the chastain family!

"for unto us is born this day, in the city of David, 

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

luke 2:11

christmas cards are probably one of my favorite parts of the holidays. 

i love checking the mail,

i love getting mail,

and i love decorating our refrigerator with photos and beautiful cards. 

me + christmas cards = m.f.e.o.

i will probably leave them up until valentines day.

#notashamed

do you have a special event coming up?

check my etsy shop for custom invitations and party designs:

gracefully made designs

new designs are going up soon!

our christmas vacation

bub-hub, raider and i had a splendid time on our christmas vacation adventure.

raider is king of the road.

 we were blessed to be able to spend time with both of our families over the break. 

nothing beats family time.
especially when family time involves watching movies and
eating yummy christmas goodies in your sweatpants.
we went on long walks, enjoyed yummy peppermint lattes from starbucks, and ate a few two many fajitas. can't beat it.

bub-hub and i feel so blessed.
nothing is more refreshing than being surrounded by loving friends and family, and after almost two weeks of goodness, our hearts are officially full.
now, time to gear back up for the real world and a brand new year.

how was your christmas break?

merry christmas ya'll

Source: falalalovely.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

merry christmas ya'll! :)

 

 

a candlelight tradition

Source: livin-on-lovee.tumblr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

 

for as long as i can remember,

my family has spent christmas eve attending a candlelight service.

different families take turns standing at the front of the church reading pieces of the christmas story and the musicians sing beautiful christmas songs.

at the end of the service,

everyone lights their candle while we all sing silent night.

it's so beautiful and so peaceful.

the perfect way to remember the true meaning of season.

 

do you have a chrismas eve tradition?

 

just keep shopping....

i think i'm finally done with all of my christmas shopping.

then again,

i thought i was done yesterday,

until i remembered those last few things.

#neverending

 

here are a few cute gifts i stumbled upon on pinterest this week

for the early morning newspaper reader:

Source: ruffledblog.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

for the DIYer:

Source: texascottage.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

for the kiddos, or the kiddos at heart:

Source: somewhatsimple.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

for the foodie:

Source: centralbottle.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

for the one who likes to be pampered:

Source: etsy.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

and don't forget your puppy!

Source: etsy.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

have you finished your christmas shopping yet?

charlie brown: a christmas tradition

maybe i never really grew up,

maybe i'll be a kid forever,

but i love the charlie brown christmas special.

 

each year, my family watches the charlie brown christmas special together.

my mom even gave me a little stuffed linus doll that tells the christmas story when you squeeze his hand. #linusspeaksthetruth

i love how honest and simple the story is.

i love that scripture is being read on tv.

i love that the truth is the same today as it was in 1965.

 

this year, i watched it with bub-hub and raider.

"that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

 

do you have any favorite christmas movies you watch every year?

do you still watch cartoons?

 

 

tis the season to be tacky

saturday, bub-hub and i hosted a house warming/tacky sweater christmas party.

my sweater starred a family of polar bears.

bub-hubs featured santa and a snowman.

raider, of course, rocked his red and green sweater with pride.

#whatastud

 

before the guests arrived,

we snuck in a family portrait.

#raiderneversitsstill

 

here's a few photos of the snack spread,

because, let's be real,

a party isn't a party without snacks!

here is a recipe run down:

yummy fudge,

sausage cheese balls,

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies,

craisin oatmeal cookies,

sangria spritzer,

sweet tea (duh...).

 

sunday was a day of relaxing,

and raider took full advantage.

what a snoozer.

 

how was your weekend?

 

crazy for cranberries

christmas=cranberry treat season.

duh.

maybe it's becuse they are red,

maybe becuase they are just yummy.

i don't care. i love them!

 

everything about this sounds fantastic:

brie, cranberry sauce, walnuts, crackers....sign me up!

Source: simplebites.net via Katelen on Pinterest

or how about this teeny tiny appeteezer...too cute!

Source: skinnytaste.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

or what about this christmas tea?

Source: whatmegansmaking.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

copycat starbucks cranberry bliss bars, yes please!

Source: whatmegansmaking.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

just reading this recipe makes my mouth water,,,,

Source: whatmegansmaking.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

what are your favorite holiday treats?

 



a post about peppermint

 peppermint is a go-to holiday flavor.

just warms me up all over just thinking about it!

 

there are so many ways you can use peppermint around the holidays:

peppermint bark,

Source: marthastewart.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

peppermint sugar scrub,

Source: inbetweenlaundry.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

peppermint stir sticks for hot cocoa,

Source: itswrittenonthewalls.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

and my favorite...peppermint ice cream,

Source: acouplecooks.com via Keyuri on Pinterest

and don't forget yummy peppermint icing for cupcakes, or for your spoon...

Source: toostinkincute.blogspot.com via Sarah Grace on Pinterest

what is your favorite holiday flavor?

do you love icing as much as i do?

our advent calendar: a christmas tradition

every december that i can remember,

my brothers and i would take turns putting the felt ornament on our felt tree each day.

each year, we would rotate the order we went in so that we each got a chance to put the santa ornament on the tree on christmas eve.

i know there are a lot of different types of advent calendars out there,
but this is the one i grew up with,
and i couldn't imagine celebrating christmas without it.
for a hot second, i thought about making one myself,
until i had a meltdown in the felt aisle of hobby lobby.
too many details for a saturday morning.
luckily, i stumbled upon this one on etsy.
#meanttobe #christmasmiracle

now, bub-hub and i will get to start our own tradition of arguing over sharing who gets to put santa on the tree on christmas eve.

do you have an advent calendar?
what is your favorite christmas tradition?


don't forget to link up this week for thankful thursday!
 

a beautiful and warm weekend

i'm having difficulty believing it's really december.

it's so warm.

i'm still wearing shorts.
#thisisntflorida

even though i think it is completely wrong that it is 85* outside in december,

the warm weather does have a few benefits.

bub-hub and i spent saturday afternoon at the golf course.

beautiful day to spend in the sunshine!

raider spent his saturday afternoon on the patio.

from our patio, you can see the sidewalk, and raider loves to watch and talk to all the people that pass by. #creeperstatus

saturday night, 

raider helped us deck the halls.

what can i say,

the puppy has a gift for holiday decorations!

 our mini tree:

how was your weekend?

are you still wearing shorts in december?

happy friday!

the week following a holiday tends to last forever.

especially when the weather is beautiful,

and especially when you have a cute puppy waiting for you at home.

one: sweet raider and his giant rope. that boy loves to chew, and i'm grateful it's not my shoes!

two: we didn't win the lottery jack pot,,,,did you?

three: my favorite christmas cd: chris tomlin, glory in the highest.

four: my mom found these super cute gift tags, looks just like raider with a santa beard!

five: i love my family! great photo op at the tech/baylor game last weekend. according to my brother, the bears don't kill their opponents, they only bruise them, because the Bible says murder is wrong.

#privateschoolproblems

 

how was your week?