sadie olive ~ le journal

the goose is getting fat

I was trying to think of a clever title for my post and I just keep singing that silly song now... "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, then a hay-penny will do, if you haven't got a hay-penny then God bless you! God Bless You!" I have no clue if I got the words right, or spelled them wrong, but do I have you singing it now too? :)

Sorry I took so many pictures of this thing... they just happen to be the ones I like the best. I like this one because it shows the vintage Christmas tree I made with some old jewelry glowing in the background. My grandmothers both have one, and my mother in law and Josh's family all have them, so I have been envious for awhile. I finally gave in and made my own two years ago. I didn't get any great shots of it yet, so I'll save that for another post, so I can show you how nice it came out for a non-crafty person like myself to have made it. I made sure to use pieces that have meaning to me, so I just love getting it out each year.

I bought these very large mercury glass ornaments last year, so I strung them up and hung them from a chandelier I have in this corner. I love mercury glass for the holidays.

This sweet little thing I found a few years ago at one of my favorite stores. "Regalo" in San Juan Capistrano. It's a little red reindeer on a rolling sleigh with a pull chain.

I like to put green garland in my chandeliers and while I was up there, I thought it made a pretty picture....

I'm still not bored with my pedestal plates and cloches on my piano, I have them all decked out for Christmas.

I hope you are having as much fun decorating as I am. I can't wait to get my tree and pick up a few new decorations this year! 

c'est tres jolie

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Josh worked late tonight, and I am home alone and nesting like my dear friend, Tara, so I decided to get out the Christmas decor. I lit a fire, burned a few candles, put on my favorite music (Patty Griffin and Hem) and was feeling inspired. I love the smell of candles burning (gingerbread and cinnamon candy are the two lit right now) and the mood they invoke. I'm not finished with the decorating, but I captured a few shots to share the mood with you.

That chocolate brown blob (lab) in the middle is Hannah trying to participate.  She wasn't much help, as she just wanted to eat my stuffed snowman.

The stockings were hung.....

I adore the cranberry and aqua in this photo.... isn't is beautiful? My tree skirt is this aqua color....

Is lavender Christmas-ie? Well..... it reminds me of France and it's one of the only living plants in my yard... so today it's in my dining room and mingling with the holiday decor. 

I took a few more shots, but maybe I will share those tomorrow. Thanks for peeking in. :)   

 

inspiration abroad

1. mille soleils, 2. Untitled, 3. mourning, pt II: (acoustic) pianist., 4. cozy, 5. Paris Filmgrimage: Jean-Luc Godard & Agnes Varda, 6. workin wheels, 7. around the bend, wooden, 8. flying high., 9. the side show., 10. behind this curtain., 11. carousel venitien, 12. Untitled, 13. MNTMRTR, 14. Kensal Green, 15. The Hearts of Angels Weep Too, 16. Paris toujours Paris (XIII), 17. St Medoc's Chapel near Monreith, 18. Groom's Job, 19. Paris Filmgrimage: Jean-Luc Godard & Agnes Varda, 20. number two, 21. Park Art, 22. Paris street, 23. Door details: keyhole and handle, 24. Alhambra ornate arch, 25. Street lamp detail, Place de la Concorde, Paris, 26. Paris street, 27. Paris Trip 198, 28. Paris Trip 236, 29. Veules-les-Roses house, 30. Kitchen Storage, 31. Bourbon & Whiskey, 32. ephémère for my Maestro, 33. Au bois Dormant, 34. snif'bon:), 35. Untitled, 36. rencontrer les chats de hasard...

time flies

Are we really only days away from December? I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. It's seems like only yesterday I was trying to start up my new business and balance my two jobs, find time for our ongoing construction, and all my other headaches...

I can't say I ever imagined how far this little adventure would take me. I feel blessed to have made it this far and hope and pray I will be this happy with my adventures next year at this time.

I still struggle finding balance with it all (as you can tell by the time passing between posts these days). We still have our construction to finish, although the list is getting shorter.....(thank goodness!). The major items being the pavers in the backyard, the railing for the stairs on the new porch, the sidewalks, and paint! I am hoping we can get our final inspection before Easter 2008! I got a call from the assessors office, and finished or not, we are going to start paying taxes on the new room, so I would love to have it signed off on. Time and money are in short supply for the final stages, so keep your fingers crossed for us that we can manage to get the darn thing done!

I am going to get the Christmas decorations out in the next week or so, and I will be sure to share pictures. I am looking forward to the smell of the tree in the house and all the fun holiday candles. I have been lighting fires in the fireplace this last week, which always gets me in the mood for the holidays. I need to find my Sarah McLaughlin "Wintersong" cd for the tree trimming. I love it so much, I kept it out past the holidays last year, and now I can't find where I put the darn thing! She and James Taylor are the two that really get me going. I heard Josh Groban on Oprah the other day signing Christmas carols, so I may have to go and buy that one too. :)

Anyway... thanks for checking in with me. Sorry I haven't been a very active blogger lately. I hope to have some fun house pictures to share of our finished addition, holiday decor, and much more soon!

a little holiday bijou

I have been slowly but surely restocking the store. There are some new goodies sprinkled all throughout the categories, but these new jewels have to be my favorite of all the new items.

 

They are bracelets made from vintage jewels. Each one is unique and handmade.

They are all tastefully done and come in a few different color combinations. This one was done in all blue.

I think they would make lovely gifts for the holidays for all you vintage lovers out there.

You can find these new bracelets here.  Happy shopping! 

more flowers

I'm still feeling inspired by the lovely flowers in my home. I mean who wouldn't be?

These cheerful bright red tulips make my dining room look alive again....

These fuchsia peonies look fake they are so flawless.

Even the mini pink roses I bought at Trader Joe's look happy in my front room. 

I never buy myself flowers, I have a terrible tendency to kill all the living plants I receive in a matter of days. I'm sad to say these pretty's have all faded and wilted away (with the exception of the mini pink roses which are still on life support). But they certainly look gorgeous for the day or two I have them healthy.....  Maybe that's why I'm prone to buying botanical prints for my home? I can have the look of flowers without the risk of killing them....

Thanks for the compliments on my photography on my last post! I have always wanted to be great at photography and I feel I am getting a little better with my shots. Speaking of great photography... have you seen this girl's photos on flickr? I am in LOVE with her eye for detail and use of color.   

flower power

Flowers always have the power to make me feel inspired. They make me see my house in a fresh new light, give me design ideas, brighten my room, and all around make me feel cheerful. I love to take pictures when I do get flowers for the house because they never last as long as I want them too, and this way I can remember how they made me feel.

Did it work? Are they making you feel cheerful? 

I'll tell you a few other things that make me feel cheerful.... saying goodnight to my computer, eating rocky road ice cream while relaxing in my hot bath, and watching all my favorite shows tonight with no commercials (thanks to Tivo). Here I come Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters.....

the Tongan ceremony

I wanted to share some photos from the Tongan ceremony I mentioned in my last past. Mike's family went all out to make it special for us and it really was amazing to see. Mike's mother made special garments for them to wear, and they both looked beautiful in them.

The ceremony wasn't in English for us to understand, but the customs were very fun to watch and learn about. It typically is a ceremony just for men, but they invited three of Morgan's family members to join in (Mom, Dad, and sister Lindsey who was the maid of honor). I think it's called a Cava ceremony, if I remember right? They make a special drink (alcoholic) that they offer up to God to bless and then pass on to each man in sort of a highest ranking order. As the bride to be, Morgan was offered the first drink by Mike.

The most beautiful part of the ceremony is when they all break out in song ( a few songs also not in English). They have the most harmonious voices and the baritone of all the men singing with only a few women brought me to tears. It was an amazing experience to say the least.

And then it was on to the feast. We were seated at the table of honor and showered with offerings, including Wilbur above.

Mike and Morgan were also given handmade quilts and blankets as offerings for their wedding. There were toasts to welcome us to their family and island dancing. An amazing experience all around. Thank you Liti family for a special night! :)      

my little sis gets married...

This last week was a whirlwind of events to prepare for my sister, Morgan's wedding. Thursday was the rehearsal dinner and Tongan ceremony, Friday was girls day at the tanning and nail salon, Saturday was the wedding and Sunday was Disneyland. It was a blast, but I am exhausted! I can only imagine how the bride is feeling this morning....

Morgan married her high school sweetheart, Mike after dating for five years through high school and college. He is Tongan and his family hosted the rehearsal dinner at their home and gave us a Tongan ceremony and feast fit for royalty. I have a ba-zillion pictures to share, so I thought I would break them up in a few posts.

I was in charge of photos for the rehearsal dinner and the pre-wedding activities all the way up until ceremony time. So most of my photos are of the bride... but she should be the center of attention anyway! :)

First a few getting ready shots....

Morgan wore the necklace I bought for my wedding, as did my sister Lindsey for her wedding, which is very special to me. She also wore her grandmothers pearl necklace on her wrist, and our other grandmothers ring. That took care of the something old, and something borrowed.

We got ready at Disneyland hotel (which is also where the ceremony was) so we had to walk quite a ways to get to the car to head for the church. It was quite the spectacle, but made for some fun shots.

The flower girls in the brides room waiting for the wedding to start. (They both forgot to drop the rose petals until after the wedding was over). ...lol...

The programs.

I have no wedding shots, since I was in the wedding.... and I thought it would be tacky if I had my camera on the alter, but here are a few reception shots....

The bride and groom.....

Josh and I all dressed up.

My sisters and I. Morgan is wearing her Minnie Mouse bride ears. :)

Our husbands. They all get along great, so these were fun shots to take. They hammed it up the whole time (of course!).

Thanks for letting me share with you. Congrats Morgan and Mike!