I have moved around a lot since junior high, and one thing my family and I have always made sure we do is go home for the holidays–home as in Mississippi.
The older I get, the shorter my Christmas wishlist becomes. After moving about ten hours away from family, I found myself begging for a Christmas at home–where my heart is…in Mississippi. Thankfully, Santa has been pretty on point with making sure I get to see family for the holidays *wink*
So, in celebration of the joyous holiday, I went through picture boxes with my mom this afternoon looking for pictures from Christmases past. Now, while I scurry off to bake some holiday cookies, y’all take a look at some fun throwback pictures from my Christmases at home. Ah…I kind of miss those days….
Is it safe to say to say that I have always had a thing for rock n’ roll? *wink*My Paw Riley and I opening a Christmas present!The only cat I ever truly loved–Gracie!We had a real Christmas tree once…once (we found out we have allergies *wink*). We adorned it with butter cookies–yes, edible ornaments!One of the few photos I have with my late Paw Hathorn. I am not going to lie, I teared up a little bit when I stumbled upon this picture in my mom’s photo boxes. Miss him so much!Current mood: #SoSleepy *wink*My dad and I Christmas shopping a few years ago.Paw Riley and his elf *wink*
AHH! Y’all will never believe what I found at EarthFare today while picking up some gluten-free pizza….A TINY CYPRESS CHRISTMAS TREE IN A BAG WITH COLORED LIGHTS AND ORNAMENTS! How darn fabulous and precious is that, right?! Coolest part is I will be able to plant this sweet little tree in my parents’ yard –after the holidays are over. Oh, I cannot wait :)
In addition to sharing my sweet little Charlie Brown Christmas tree with y’all, I am going to share the rest of my holiday decorating with y’all! Come on–let’s take a look :)
My very well-planned tacky Christmas tree *wink*
This fabulous ornament was handmade by my jewelry-making friend Heather O’Cain of BluKatDesign!To learn how to make YOUR own ornament like this, check out Heather’s DIY post HERE!Let it snow! This floor rug was just too cute to pass up at Wal Mart *wink*
ALSO, the VIP’s sister-blog, Sweet Sorghum Living, is hosting a week-long blogging home tour about the decorations at Hathorn Hall. The first part of the tour was published today–check it out here!
Hello, fabulouses, I have missed y’all so much! It is amazing how addicting blogging everyday can be–but it was good to take a break:) It was great spending uninterrupted time with family and friends this holiday season, and now I am going to share some of the special moments with y’all! So, come on, let’s take a look at the VIP’s Christmas 2013 Scrapbook! Whoo hoo!
At one of the family Christmases in Mississippi, Paw Riley and the VIP played with silly gag gifts. Don’t we look fabulous *wink*Santa Baby was so sweet to the VIP this Christmas and themed all of the gifts to be very colorful and fun:) Thanks so much Santa Baby for the watch, purse, and stamp from Kate Spade, the thigh-high socks from Free People, the super cute Cynthia Rowley shirts, ceramic owl from Urban Outfitters, the sparkly Pandora ring, and the kaleidoscope from Restoration Hardware!When I found this super fabulous gift hidden inside the tree, I screamed like a little girl at a One Direction concert! Oh, how I adore my new Tiffany’s bracelet!He went to Jared–NOPE–He went to Tiffany & Co. *wink*Santa also got me some amazing Kate Spade goodies! A new watch, purse, and stamp for letters! Yay!From Pandora, Santa picked me up this lovely heart ring! So sparkly :)A peek inside of my awesome kaleidoscope! So colorful and inspiring!The Aftermath of Christmas morning at the Hathorn House haha
Hello, my fabulouses, I brought back the pretty pink cords for today’s Outlet Shops of Grand River Grand Haul outfit and paired them with a black, floral button up from Aeropostale. This look is lovely for running errands, casual coffee dates, and not to mention that I snagged the blouse, trousers, and shoes for some fabulous prices! Oh, shopping at The Outlet Shops of Grand River is always a grand experience–see what I did there *wink*
Before I show y’all my OOTD…take a look at some of the fun the VIP had at The Outlet Shops of Grand River’s Grand Light Spectacular last night! It was a bit chilly, but the VIP and her team had lots of fun:)
The Southern Women’s Show was four days of fabulous shopping, fashion, shows, food sampling, and pampering. What more could a girl ask for? With vendors from the Magic City area and beyond, everyone was sure to find something to suit her fancy. On the last day of the show, fans crowded around the stage and waited excitedly for the beloved celeb guest. Who was the 2013 Southern Women’s Show special star? The one…the only…Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty!
Hey, y’all! It’s Miss Kay!
As I walked around the show, I stumbled upon Happy Pappy’s Glowing Balls out of St. Augustine, Florida. Happy Pappy’s Glowing Balls is all about infinity lights–which is a unique, self-assembly lighting system where you can create thirty interlocking quadrilaterals. If my math teachers would have had such a thing when I was learning my shapes or taking geometry, class would have been more interesting. Note to Self: Buy a Happy Pappy’s Glowing Ball to revive my geometry skills.
Abby: Tell me a little bit about Happy Pappy’s Glowing Balls.
Kara: The lights are based off of the paper lanterns from Thailand, but this is just a modern twist on it. If you put it outside, and it get’s rained on…it’s no big deal–unlike a paper lantern….Happy Pappy lights will not rip or tear, so they are great for kid’s rooms. Another cool thing about these lights is that they are puzzles–You can take them apart and put them back together in all kinds of different shapes.
Learn more about Happy Pappy’s Glowing Balls by visiting their Facebook here.
At the Southern Women’s Show, I had the opportunity to chat with a fellow Alabama blogger, writer, speaker, and teacher Kathryn Lang.
Abby: What is your style of writing?
Kathryn: I would have to say hope. My fiction books have an element of hope, my nonfiction books have hope, my newspaper column has hope, and even when I teach there is always a hint of hope….I believe in helping people find their uniqueness and passion because once you find your passion, you never really work a day in your life!
Check out all of the awesomeness that Kathryn Lang has to offer you! Click here to visit her website.
When it comes to dressings for my salads, I am a very picky girl. I am not a fan of ranch dressing. I know, call me crazy, but I prefer the tangy taste of mustard or flavored vinegars….When I saw the Grapes & Olives On Tap booth, I just had to stop to talk to flavor specialist and co-owner Diane Lopez.
Abby: I see that y’all got an Award Winning Exhibit, congrats! How do you feel about getting this award?
Diane: Oh, we are so very excited! We love the Southern shows, and we are thrilled to win the award! We are one of the top ten vendors out of 300, and it is quite an honor for us.
Abby: What all does Grapes & Olives On Tap offer?
Diane: My husband and I are the owners, and we sell naturally flavored balsamic vinegars and olive oils. They are extremely healthy for you and they taste delicious too! Here at Grapes & Olives On Tap we are all about helping create tastier meals for healthier lives.
To learn more about Grapes & Olives On Tap and browse the tasty options, please click here.
Are you ready for Christmas? I know I am!Totally my style right? Hey, deddy! This pretty pink Chevy Camaro convertible would make a perfect birthday present…*wink, wink*
Oh, the 2013 Southern Women’s Show was lots of excitement! I learned a lot about funky modern lighting, hope, embracing your uniqueness, and probably my biggest realization was that people really love Miss Kay, Duck Dynasty, and their books, calendars, coffee mugs, wine glasses, bandanas, sunglasses, t-shirts, socks, night lights, stuffed animals, table lamps, bobble heads, blankets, boots, necklaces, Halloween costumes, posters, iPhone cases, camouflage chairs, Chia pets, coozies, and – wait – it gets better. Did you know that you can purchase a Duck Dynasty Camouflage Segway X2 for only $8,500? Yep, it is true. Here is the link…see it for yourself. http://bit.ly/15lDlSn
To learn more about the Southern Women’s Show, please click here.
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