Thanksgiving is gone, Christmas is coming...

Is it just me, or is this year flying by super quickly? I can't believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone. This was my second Thanksgiving with Jonathan's family. He works a lot during the Holidays, so I can either be with him or my family. He wins. Still, I normally go see them for a few days before Thanksgiving and Christmas and then come back. This year I didn't get to go see them, but it made me even more thankful for such a wonderful family.

I miss my family, but I love my new family as well. I guess that's what happens when you get married. You make a new family together with new traditions.

I love my man! Also, please notice the stickers on my sweater. Haha. Apparently I went traipsing through the forrest or something...

Now moving on to Christmas!!!!

Yesterday I started on our Christmas decorations. I get so excited about putting up the Christmas tree and hanging the stockings every year. I love how cozy our home feels during this season. I used most of the things I bought and made last year, but I made a few new things too. Here's a few easy projects...

Glitter Candle Holders &  Pine Cone Garland

To make the glitter candle holder you will need a few glass containers, glue and glitter. I used 2 mason jars and some tea lights left over from our wedding. For the mason jars, I painted the inside with glue and sprinkled the glitter inside. For the tea lights, I put a layer of glue, sprinkled the glitter outside and waited for it to dry. Then I put on a top coat of glue to seal on the glitter. I love how they look on our little makeshift mantle.

Now the pine cone garland is the easiest thing to make. Just tie some pine cones a few inches apart with some twine. That's it! It's so incredibly simple. You can add a little glitter to the edges of the pine cones if you like as well. The more glitter the better, I say!

I also put up our tree and worked on putting decorations up through out the house. I'm sure this will be the first of many Christmas decor posts! I'm a little addicted to Christmas crafting.

My friend Ellen was so good to let us borrow one of her trees this year. Last Christmas we had a cute miniature tree. It was so small that I didn't need too many ornaments. I made the sheet music tree topper and the book page birds last year and I still love them! However, this tree has a lot of bare spots and I hope to fix that soon. I want to make some more ornaments soon if anyone has some cute ideas!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Autumn is in the air

Autumn is in the air these days. I can smell it! The past few days have been a bit cooler, so I've opened up the windows to let it all in. I was so excited about the weather that I pulled out my boots too! I really adore this time of year! I can't get enough of the crisp breeze, sweaters, scarves, hot apple cider, pumpkin bread and warm soups. Mmmm! Oh, and my birthday is in the fall too! :) I get more excited about this season than any other. I've already put away all my summer decorations and filled the house with fall!

What do you love about the fall!

Exciting News!!!!

Well, for starters I bought the camera I've been wanting for FOREVER!!! I love it, I really do. I am about to start a new venture in photography. I have always loved the creative process behind photography. I started using my Dad's old manual film camera when I was a kid and continued to play around with my trusty ole' point-and-shoot just to be creative. Now, the timing is finally right to pursue this passion more seriously.

I now reveal to you..........(drum roll please)...........

Jennifer Blair Photography!!!!

Go ahead and check out my new website and facebook page! This is really a dream come true. Even so, I know it will take a while to get rolling, so there are more job opportunities that I'm praying about. Still, who knows where this could go? To be honest, I have a lot of fear and feelings of inadequacy. (I mean, there are a TON of great photographers out there for goodness sake!) Still, I know this is the direction I am supposed to go. I know this is going to be tool to bring glory to Christ. I pray He uses it for His Name or takes it away. How will photography accomplish that? Well I'm not sure, but I know this is what He called me to and that He can do anything. He doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. So here I am on the brink of a new journey. I'm excited to see where it will lead. I'm learning to trust His voice and depend on Him for each day's purpose. I'm so grateful that He has put a new tool in my hand to use for Him! I really pray that it NEVER becomes about me and what I can do, but about Him and about what He can do through a nobody who is willing to be used.

Can you tell how much I love this little guy? :) I feel like a kid on Christmas morning these days!

Well, if any of you guys live in the south-eastern states and need a photog...you know where to find one!

Happy birthday husband!

Today is my husband's 24th birthday! I am so incredibly blessed to be his wife. Since it's his special day, I thought I'd take a minute to brag on him just a little bit...and to let you guys get to know my better half. :)

He is a natural leader. It's one of the things I love most about him. I love to watch him take on the responsibility that leadership demands. He is especially good at leading worship. He is not afraid to go against the flow. He is passionate and determined. He does his best when given a task. He is also an absolute goof ball and I adore it. We are so silly and playful together. He loves to tickle me too...I pretend that I don't like it. :) He is so committed to our marriage as well. I think he understands "being one" far better than I do. He is always telling me that I am not alone and that we are in this together. He gives me everything he has with no restraints. He shares all of his life with me, and he wants to involve me in his passions. He protects me and keeps me safe. He guards my heart. He sees my weaknesses and helps me to be stronger. I am so blessed to be loved like that!

I love you with all that I am. I look forward to spending the rest of my life by your side!


Happy birthday love!




PS: This post was scheduled because I am without a computer for the moment. I hope you all have a great week! I'll be back soon...I hope!

My latest DIY projects

I may be jobless at the moment, but I refuse to be lazy.  I really can't stand it. Turning on the TV during the day might as well be torture for me. (I know, I'm really an odd ball!) Don't get me wrong, I like some shows but I don't like wasting the day away. I love to focus on a project and get it done. That being said, I have kept my hands (and my mind) busy with these little projects. 

These are my favorites thus far:

A few days ago I posted some inspiration. I'm so very happy with how this next one turned out! It really looks like us and I have been wanting to add a few more pillows for a while now.

We've sort of developed our own 'sides' of the couch, so the beard is on his side and the lovely hair is on mine. I really like Jonathan's 'side' better, because it has the side table...but I let him have it anyway! Ha!

What do you guys think? Would you rather have the ruffle lampshade or the his & hers pillows?

A waterfall adventure...

While we were in the mountains, we decided to go on a little adventure. (I love adventures!) We drove on a little winding road through the mountains until we reached Gatlinburg. Just a little outside the town there is a hiking trail to Rainbow Falls in the middle of a beautiful forrest. I am so glad that our country has preserved such beautiful wildlife. I'm sure we would have commercialized all of our national and state parks if it was left up to the general populous!

You just can't recreate the feeling of being in the middle of nature, far away from the hustle and bustle of life in our media driven world. It is good be with the rocks, trees and moss...away from it all for a while.

As Mary Bennett said in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, "what are men compared to rocks and mountains?"

Now, this hike was not for the faint of heart...or the out of shape! None of us hike a lot by any means, so it was very challenging indeed! There were 3 miles of going up hill on a very rocky (and often wet) path.  We passed some people who had given up half way and others who were trekking right along.

Despite the challenges, the journey was beautiful. The farther we went up, the air became cooler and more delicious.

At last we reached the falls! Can you tell how sweaty we are? All of my clothes were seriously drenched. Jonathan put his shirt back on just for the picture too! (Pardon my granny shorts and sweaty make-up less face! Ha! Hiking isn't very flattering!)

These photos don't even come close to doing it any justice. It was magnificent. It is also said that on days when the sun is shining brightly that there is a rainbow in the waterfall. I wish we could have seen it!

And now I leave you with this! Haha! My hubby and brother in law discovered that they were wearing the same underwear. Apparently is some special you-can-wear-it-for-weeks-and-it-won't-smell kind. Some guys hiked the whole AT in them and took a picture like this...thus this picture. Ha!

On a more serious note, this little hiking adventure reminded me of a book called "Hind's Feet on High Places." (I don't know if anyone has read it or not.) It is an allegory about a girl named Much-Afraid who follows the Chief Shepherd who is helping her grow as she climbs the mountains to the heights. It is especially profound to me these days as the Lord is teaching me how to climb over rocky, not so fun places with Him.

"The sovereign LORD is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

He enables me to tread on the heights."

(2 Samuel 22:34)

PS: I am also over here today!

I'm a mountain woman

Do you ever feel so immersed in the beauty of nature that it takes you to a dreamy sort of state? On our vacation I almost felt like I could inhale the mountains with the breeze. I don't think I could ever become so accustom to the sound of a babbling brook or a cascading waterfall that I didn't take a few moments to soak in the beauty and peacefulness. Sure, I love the beach but there is just something about the mountains that leaves me so refreshed and so in awe of the Creator.

One thing is for sure, I'm a mountain kind of gal. After this vacation I'm convinced we should move to the mountains. This summer has flown by so quickly (can I get an amen?) and this trip was just what we needed. I needed to clear my head with the cooler air. I needed to hike a mountain to reach a waterfall. I needed to simply be still, instead of always on the go. Everything I needed to do was left behind and I took the time to be free with the ones I love.

Jonathan's Dad's side of the family goes to the same spot Smokey Mountains and now I see why! I hope we can make this our family's summer tradition!


What about you guys? Are you a mountain or a beach person?


Oh, stay tuned for our our mountain trek to a gorgeous waterfall!