Morning Musings #3 – December Decorating, Calendar & Fun!
First I’d like to wish you a happy December and apologize that it’s been so long since I’ve written a musings post!
It’s a busy time of year as a blogger and lots going on at home as well. Before I get into it, I hope that if they suit your needs that you download the free printable Christmas planner and/or the newly released calendar for 2022. Those calendars make great gifts and will only cost you the price of paper and ink. Find them on the printables page here. You’ll need to be a subscriber to access them 😉
LET’S GET PERSONAL
Several of you have been kind enough to reach out to me and ask about our darling Cavalier pup 🐶 Bartley. I talked about his illness in this post. We had quite a scare in that he could not catch his breath a week or so ago and we rushed him to the pet emergency room. He stayed a couple of days and was on oxygen and got to see the cardiologist that we know from our previous Cavalier named Murphy. He changed some of his medications and added a couple of things and Bartley seems stabilized for now. We enjoy him immensely and are taking it day to day 🙏🏻 with this sweet boy.
On a happier note, we are so looking forward to our daughter and her husband coming home for a couple of weeks this month for the holidays! It’s been far too long since they’ve been here and it has been impossible for us to travel lately. My adult kiddos are very private and don’t like me to share much, but I’ll try and share when I can!
WHAT I’M LOVING IN DECOR
At the moment it’s all about Christmas decorating here and it definitely brings some joy into the home🎄 I haven’t shared our bedroom this holiday season yet but hope to soon. It’s looking similar to last year’s Christmas bedroom above (see the post here) with one new addition. I searched far and wide for a velvet quilt in a robin’s egg blue and finally found one that I adore! This lush quilt is on sale in the Annie Selkie Outlet for 30% off and worth every cent. Find it HERE and check out their sale, which is almost over. There is nothing as luxurious as velvet for winter, and if there is one area that I feel deserves the best quality I can afford it’s bedding. A couple of quick iPhone shots from this morning below…
I’m always looking for sales though, and over at Serena & Lily everything is currently 25% off…with the code ITSHERE. My warmer weather quilt (color – Sky) can be found HERE and the sheets that we use are HERE. I’ve just purchased a second set of these sheets while the sale is running.
Another GREAT sale is the GAP HOME line that is only available at Walmart with 20% off for a limited time. Shop a few favorites below. I ordered the towels, since the kids are coming to stay and I like to freshen up the guest bath!
WHAT I’M WEARING
There’s a huge sale over at CHICOS and I’ve picked up a couple of new turtlenecks for the cooler season. This FEATHERWEIGHT TUNIC hides just what you want to keep covered and at under $30 this turtleneck is perfect too.
Favorites At Chicos
BEAUTY PRODUCTS I’M USING
My skin has always been oily, which I hated as a teen but am grateful for now! I do make sure though to moisturize my eyes and love this anti-aging serum. I have my husband using it too, as it’s not greasy. These days it’s all about that anti-aging and we also both wear this sunscreen on our faces daily. It doesn’t matter that the sun isn’t as strong in winter, as it can still cause damage. A couple of other serums that I feel help and sink right into your skin are this one and this one. All of these are found on Amazon and are budget friendly options.
WHAT I’M COOKING & EATING
With the weather turning cooler here, I’ve been making a couple of favorite soups. Today I plan on making a batch of red lentil curry coconut soup in my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. If you don’t have a Le Creuset cast iron pot, this is a great time to snap one up with the sales. Wayfair is having a great sale on them right now! I’m cooking on one of their skillets below.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
I’m probably late to the party with this one, but I binged Belgravia last weekend, streaming on Epix Hulu. It’s written by Julian Fellowes, the same chap who wrote Downton Abbey and although just one season definitely deserves more! Catch the trailer here and see what you think.
INSTAGRAM LOVE
If you’re not following me on Instagram yet, find me here. Some accounts that I always enjoy following are those of designers, such as James Farmer, The Enchanted Home (great shop!), Gracie Studio (wallpaper mavens) and new to me Sarah Bartholomew Design.
WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Too much to mention really, but some popular November posts were holiday related! See them below and enjoy your day! xoxo, Janet
Happy December to you too Janet!
Have a wonderful holiday month Ann!
So happy Bartley is doing better! The thing I dislike most about being a pet parent is that they can’t talk and tell us exactly what’s going on and how they feel!
Bartley is adorable and I will pray he has no further issues. Your Christmas tree in the bedroom is super attractive! I’d put it in my living room any time!
The pretty calendar is for November not December
There is a page for each month if you go to download the yearly calendar. The November shown is just a sample of next year and shown framed as inspiration of what you can do with it ☺️
So pleased to hear Bartley is doing well . A wonderful , early Christmas present . Nearly every morning on our walk we pass a lady with 2 King Charles and I am reminded of your little dogs as they are the same colour . Thank you for the update on Bartley , he has been in my prayers .
Good wishes for the best of health this holiday season to Bartley and your whole family.
Janet, thank you so much for the 2022 calendar; I look forward to it every year. Several years ago I printed the calendar for two friends as Christmas gifts and with the calendars I gave them 11×14 floating wall frames with chippy white wooden frames (Hobby Lobby). They simply center the current month’s calendar in the frame and hang it allowing their wall color to show through the glass. It was the perfect gift….so perfect that they expect a new calendar every Christmas!!! I do give them something else to open but I believe that if I didn’t deliver your calendar—well, I’ll just say “it wouldn’t be pretty.”. Your photography is gorgeous, and I always breathe a sigh of relief when you release it….means two gifts can be checked off the Christmas List. So glad Bartley is doing better…enjoy every day with those guys.
Dear Janet,
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Bartley is a doll. We have a beautiful beagle boy who will be 15 New year’s eve.
So happy he is doing better. They are our angels with fur.
XO, Cheryl