Christmas Roundup, new year, new me!

Christmas was so sweet and quiet this year.  We had a couple of friends over that would have otherwise been alone and that was nice. I collect nativities and this was the new one I got this year. 

 It is tiny but there was just something I loved about it!

This year was the year I fell in love with gingerbread cookies. I can totally say that my taste in food has changed since I've gotten older. I have loved these soft Gingerbread Krinkles for many years but I  have a goal to try and find a new holiday recipe each year that I can love and this year it was definitely this recipe! I could not stop eating these cookies and they looked so cute!

We had crazy warm weather over the holidays and on one such day Kirstin and Kyle had their engagement photos taken. 

They turned out so beautiful. I'll only show a few of my most favorites!

They went down to the Kitty Hawk pier at the beach. 

 Our sweet friend Hayley Huggins-Diegelmann and her husband took them. They have a photography business called Coastal Shots. Check them out! 

They are a pretty cute couple! (I'm not bias at all..)

So I typically don't make a big deal about resolutions but I do like to hear other people's. I always have gospel based ones about reading the scriptures but those I tend to look at more as ongoing goals.  However,  this year I decided I wanted to work on serving my brothers and sisters better. These are relationships that I treasure but that often get overlooked because of distance or time or a million other reasons. So hopefully I'll be better about calling or writing and checking up on them since we live thousands of miles from one another. Maybe even a package if I'm doing really good. In a family of 10 that can be a challenge!

Chalk Art

After reading this blog post I decided that the other thing I wanted to do was to learn a new skill. I have to say I'm in love with all the chalkboard signs and I'd like to become proficient in creating word art in chalk and hand lettering. I would love to be able to address cards this way! Come join me- we can do it together!

Hand Lettering which is a lot like calligraphy.

 I love words and this just really draws me in. Plus it would be a good skill to have for parties, weddings, my business. I've gotten a book, some pens and today I'm getting some chalk! I'll keep you updated on my progress. Just from my first attempts I'll say this, it's not as easy as you may think but I can practice and improve. It's not about being perfect, it's about getting better. That should be my new motto. Maybe I'll make it into a chalkboard sign!

That's all for now. What resolutions have you made?