holiday loveliness

I'm so in love with all of the beautifully green, elegantly rustic looks I'm seeing for holiday decorating inspiration. There is such a peaceful mood to the simplicity of a bit of greenery, twinkling white lights, and candles. With a little sparkle added, a little golden shimmer, a perfectly enchanting Christmas scene is created...

Happy holidays to you and yours. xoxo

{image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25}

Uncommonly Good

I'm just going to admit right now that I have not even started to shop for Christmas. I'm totally a last-minute holiday shopper. Ok, that's not the complete picture--I mean, I do think about gifts before buying them, I don't just grab whatever I find. But, sometimes, it's a struggle to think of something really special. Honestly, I would rather plan the food and the decorations than the gifts, for Christmas. It's kinda hard to find things for certain people. You know what I mean? Or maybe I need to get more creative and be a better planner. Anyway, since we are in the gift-giving time of year, I thought you all might like a few gift ideas from a fabulous company.

I want to introduce you to Brooklyn-based UncommonGoods, a site with truly unique wares. They are passionate about offering beautifully handcrafted items, being green in everything they do, and giving back, to share the wealth. Constantly looking for treasures from around America, and working closely with artists and makers to develop their collections, UncommonGoods is a great source for all of those hard-to-shop-for gift recipients on your holiday shopping list. I was seriously impressed, when I discovered their gorgeous housewares, gift items, and artwork. It was really hard to choose my favourites, but I've narrowed it down to the things I personally would love to have. I hope you will love them, too!

This picture takes me to my happy place.

 I just love the handcrafted, timeless look of these housewares (1, 2, 3, and 4).

 For a blue mood... this and this

 This rug would look so gorgeous in my lounge area!

Gifts for him and for her

 I love the abstract quality of this print.

I love the organic look of these decor items (1, 2, 3, and 4). They would all make great housewarming gifts.

 I love all things bird-inspired, like this print.

For a leafy look... this and this

 I could stare at this paper art for hours.

How adorable is this and this?

I love this beautiful piece, made from a real aspen leaf.

{This post was sponsored by UncommonGoods. All words and opinions, as always, are my own. I only share content with you that I truly love and believe that you will love, too.}

feeling it

I guess I haven't been here much lately... Real life and all of its messes has been keeping me busy. Not just busy...

Lately, I've really been feeling the weight and the joy of life. A few things going on, recently, have shown me just how fragile life can be. Like most of you, the Paris attacks touched me deeply. I don't need to say how terrible that was. You know, you get it. 

A few weeks ago, something happened in our family, which shook us to the core. Our little boy, now age 2, had a seizure caused by a fever, while we were driving home one afternoon. Glen and I didn't realize that Levi was ill. He had just been sleeping a lot in the car. Then his eyes rolled back and he started to shake uncontrollably. We called 000, but kept driving, because we knew we would reach the local hospital before an ambulance would reach us. Levi began to turn blue. He stopped moving. We thought he was dead. We were totally losing it, as you can imagine. No words can describe the terror we felt in our hearts at that moment. At the hospital, everyone rushed to care for him, cooled him down, assured us that he would be fine. It all happened so fast. A few hours later, we all went home, and tried to go back to normal life. We have admonished ourselves a thousand times for not taking better care of him, ignoring signs of fever. But Levi is fine. He's back to his adorable, cheeky self. I'm still trying to stop being paranoid that something will hurt him, every day. It's not easy. He is my only child, my precious angel. All of you moms understand where I'm coming from.

Then... Last week, a catastrophic bushfire swept across nearby farmland. I watched the sky turn pinkish-brown from smoke ("Pink clouds!" Levi kept saying), and then darken to purplish-black, as the fires came closer. I didn't have the car that day. I felt trapped. My dearest friend rescued me and Levi, and let us stay at her house for the rest of the afternoon, until Glen could pick us up. Luckily, the wind's direction shifted, and the fire didn't reach our town. Two people died, that day, and dozens of people lost everything. The fires got within five kilometres of where we live. I know we are in a safe zone, but that just came too close for me to feel safe here. I'm dreading summer, fearing more fires.

With all this going on... I just want to say that I'm feeling very thankful for my life. I have it pretty good. I have a wonderful partner, a beautiful son, lovely friends and family, and good health. I'm feeling pretty lucky.

{image source: Pinterest}