Good morning! (Is it okay if I start every blog post that way, regardless of what time I’m writing? I mean, I feel like it’s tradition. You know? It’s one of the things I miss about Instagram. ) You know what today is?? It’s the day I”m launching my website! Is it done yet? No. But who knows if it will EVER be done. So, I’m going to write this post and then I’m going to launch it all. And you guys can watch it develop along the way. Is that cool? I hope so.
As you can see below, today is also eyebrow-dying day. Aaaaand I got my hair cut. Can you tell? You know what else I’ve done with some of my extra time lately? I gone to the doctor. TWO of them. I went to the eye doctor–I was REALLY hoping to need glasses, but was out of luck. I guess I’ll never be able to look sophisticated–AND I went to the skin doctor. She burned a spot off for a second time and told me my eyelid age spot is just that. Nothing to worry about. (Nothing except people wondering why I always have one weird blob of eyeshadow on my right eyelid. Sigh…) She also prescribed me an antibiotic for this dumb pimple rash I’ve had around my mouth and nose for four months now. So that’s good.
I’ll tell you what, guys. Going to the doctor has made me feel so rich and fancy! As you know, we don’t have medical insurance of any kind so we’ve always kind of avoided going to the doctor unless absolutely necessary. Thankfully, we’ve continued to be in good health, which has been such a huge blessing. But in the past, we’ve chosen to spend money on things that make us happy instead of on optional, extra-type medical appointments. You know what I mean? We’ve never been able to afford both. So while we’ve had pimpley rashes and grimy teeth and stuff like that, we’ve also been able to enjoy an occasional dinner out, some entertainment, and lots of toss pillows. So it’s been worth it. Ha! So to be able to get my skin and eyes checked all in the same month AND get a new rug?? Goodness! I feel so rich. I really do feel so grateful. We have sooo much to be grateful for.
But anyway….
While this is the time I’ve got pumpkins on my porch and an autumn candle burning, it’s also the time I start thinking about decorating for Christmas decorating. I tend to change up my Christmas decor just a little bit from year to year–but it’s always really important to me that my Christmas decor coordinates with the regular decor of my home. So often times, the new things I purchase to decorate for Christmas aren’t Christmas items at all. For example, this year, I decided to incorporate lavender into my Christmas decor. So you know how I’m going to do that? Three things–ribbon (this one and this one, pillows and and a new entry rug. (Goodness, I’ve gone through a lot of entry rugs. Gulp.).
Ensuring that my Christmas decor coordinates with the orange elements in my home is always the trickiest part of holiday decorating. Thankfully, blues, greens, and purples all look great with orange accents, since they are opposite from orange on the color wheel. If you look closely, you can see that the plaid fabric I ordered has just a touch of orange striping that runs through it! Perfection! By the way, I hope this plaid fabric made you swoon the same way it made me. I’m a sucker for wool, guys. My grandma, who was always my greatest inspiration when it comes to design, always had wool blankets in her home. There is just something verrrry cool… and (playful) preppy… and warm! about wool. This particular wool fabric is Harris Tweed, which is made of pure virgin wool and spun in the hoes of islanders in certain parts of Scotland. Cool, huh?? It is actually protected by an act of parliament–the Harris Tweed Act of 1993–too! Very cool, indeed. So anyway, I”m super excited to make pillow covers out of it.
Just to give you an idea how these lavender elements might look in my home this Christmas, here are a couple pictures from last year.
Well, guys. I hope this maiden post hasn’t bored you to tears. If so, just know that it can only get better! Thanks sooo much for reading. ( I would add a heart emoji here if I knew how to do it. That’s one of the 1899 things I still have to learn. )
Oh man! I’m so happy to see your smiling face with eyebrow dye. I’ve missed you terribly. You and my kids are the only notifications that I allowed on IG. I miss your DIY’s & beautiful home decor and watching you embrace new seasons in a fresh way (love that Harris Tweed and lavender). But I get it. Your kids are only with you for a short season. So good to see you again!
Thank you! I am so flattered. And I’m so glad you like the Harris Tweed wool I ordered!
great job on your maiden publish❣️!!! i clicked on your new entryway link. love the design! a full size rug pad for underneath it will be the ticket. dhurries are challenging on hard surfaces bc they’re not actually rugs…they’re more like a heavy woven cloth. it should look great!
i almost bought a beautiful handmade dhurrie “rug” while in an alaskan village one year. it was colorful and stunning but a native person i was chatting with pointed out stuff i hadn’t thought of 🤦🏼♀️. so, i didn’t end up shipping it home.
anyway, i can’t wait to see yours down on the floor!!!
Hi Marsha! Thanks for that added info! Yes, I think you’re right about a rug pad! I need to look into one asap!
I’m so happy to have a place to continue reading your words and seeing what you’re up to! I hope you’re finding more margin in your life off of IG. Thanks for sharing with us!!
Thank you, Annie! The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the conversations I’m having with my family members. So many conversations I fear I would have missed out on, had I still been active on Instagram. Thank you for still being here. ❤️
I’m so excited to see you online! I miss your daily instagram posts and I hope that you are finding some time for yourself and your family since you left IG!
Great job getting the ball rolling on your blog- I look forward to reading your updates!
Thank you, Shannon! I really miss being on Instagram (stories, specifically), but yes! Being off has allowed me to keep my mind focused more on my family. I’ve had so many good conversations with my kids and Brian, after which I found myself thinking, ” I wouldn’t have had that conversation if I had been on Instagram. ” It makes me so grateful!
So nice to be able to connect with you again! Congrats on the website, it looks great! Just like your eyebrows! 🙂 I had to laugh at your “I bet we’ve got something in common” section as there were at least 4 of them I can relate to. Can’t wait to see more posts! Have a great day!
Ohh, thank you, Andrea! I’d love to hear what we have in common! 🙂
Hope you are doing well! Miss seeing you.
Dance on~
Thank you, Lynn!
Hello Ann! You look absolutely adorable in your new hair cut! So stinkin’ cute! I read everything in ‘your voice’, as if you were talking to me on IG. I hope your antibiotics works for your skin care and it’s wonderful you had 2 appts. We found if you go to dentalplans.com you can get individual or family coverage and there is no waiting. We haven’t had dental insurance for 6 years so it’s great to find something we can get them cleaned 2x year and get my husband’s periodontal work done.
Oh, gosh. This is so good to know. Thank you, Terri!
Late last week I started taking the antibiotic I was prescribed for my rash, and about 24 hours later, I started experiencing some major vertigo. Yesterday, I finally called in and told my doctor and she prescribed me a topical gel instead. Hopefully it will be a better option for me.
ANN! I love everything about this post & website. It’s so great to “see” you and read your stories. You’ve got this 🧡
Pro-tip for emojis: Ctrl+Cmd+space will bring up the emoji keyboard on your mac 🥰
Taylor! You are the absolute best! Do you see the emojis I’ve been able to add to my responses?? Yeah, baby!
I was so excited when I saw your name in my email. And then to read that you have a website…woo hoo! You were the highlight of my Instagram scroll every day and I can’t wait to dig into your blog.
Oh, Melissa, I could kiss you! Thank you! 🥰
Oh man I didn’t even see this 1st part of you blog. Now I’ve got it right. Good job Anner!
Way to go, Mamacita! Thank you for reading.
Ann! I was so giddy to see you pop up in my email. I love your website! Thrilled to hear how well you are doing and the increase in quality time with your sweet fam. You were a light on IG and you will be a light on here too. Thanks for the updates. Prayers and hugs!
Thank you so much, Colleen! I sure appreciate your kind words and support!