He's baack

Charlie's back from his stay at the Pet Hotel.  We're so glad to have him home.  Though we trusted the employees to care for him, we worried he would have a terrible time. 
  

Perhaps my fears were a bit exaggerated.

Hubby's fears seem a bit more realistic

Luckily, we were both wrong.  He did great.

It's the most de-li-cious...

time of the year...

One certainly cannot celebrate the holidays without feasting!  Below are some highlights from our aunt's holiday meal:

VIEWER BEWARE:  Looking at these photos will cause your salivary glands to become overly excited.  Drooling will probably occur.    

Welcome to the holiday table!

Let's take a closer look at some dishes:

Shrimp baked in butter and garlic, then sprinkled with salty parmigiano reggiano

Roasted prime rib covered in a delicious coating of garlic cloves, mustard, and crushed black pepper

Apple, walnut, and craisen salad with mustard and maple dressing:  a wonderful mixture of textures 

Color me Christmas

Sadly, Christmas has come and gone.  Luckily for me, our aunt's decorated house helps carry holiday cheer into the New Year.

Five little snowmen send their season's greetings.

This tiny tree puts me in a wonderfully sweet and girlie mood.

Somewhere a tiny Santa Clause is running around naked.

Holiday message

Here's a photo taken from a local Antique store.

Can you see the (not-so) hidden holiday message?

Hope you have a happy and restful holiday season.

Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

or a dog.  We miss Charlie!

I bet if he were here, he would comfort us like this:

Aww, I feel better already.

On the road

Today hubby and I are driving back east to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.  Sadly, Charlie won't be coming with us. 

He's going to stay at a doggie hotel.

We will miss him dearly.  

I will miss his special corn chip smell,

his tendency to follow us around,

his tongue tickling my toes,

and his snuggles at night.

But not to worry, we'll soon see him again in a week!

Holiday attire

Wondering what to wear for those special meals this holiday season?  Look no further, here are a couple of suggestions:
 

How about a bow tie for breakfast?

Perhaps a quirky tie for lunch?

Tweed for dinner?

Or velvet for Christmas cocktails?

Sweet dreams

Nothing says family fun like gingerbread, icing, and candy.  

Last year's family fun

I can't wait till this Christmas. 
Oh the icing we'll squeeze!
Oh the candy we'll eat! 
Oh the memories we'll make.

Christmas store

A couple of nights ago we ran across this wonderful store in Grand Rapids.

What luck!  It was open.

Isn't this stained glass beautiful?  I love dogwoods.

We stepped inside and were enveloped by Christmas magic