Christmastime in New Orleans

We sat back and watched 3 proposals happen in the lobby of The Roosevelt after arriving and promptly ordering a fancy drink at The Sazerac. This lobby is a pretty magical place in December.

I have gotten in a bad happen of ordering room service coffee. I am pretty dang lazy but also must. have. coffee. asap.

One of our newly favorites on Magazine is La Petite Grocery. They have a great brunch.

Another one of our favorites is antique gazing on Magazine.

And always a macaron snack. 

Even though our loyalty is with The Roosevelt, we spent a lot of time in the courtyard at The Ritz Carlton. It was also pretty magical during the holiday season.

There was something about sitting in this courtyard with Christmas music piping through and Peter Pan Live playing in the room behind me.

Our favorite bar goes to The Sazerac. They have the best drinks hands down! 
On our way out of town the next morning, while waiting on our car to come around, Wesley noticed Drew Bree's wife, the three boys and little girl getting out of an SUV right in front of us. That is proof right there I would never notice a celebrity if they were right in front of me. But where was Drew?? Maybe there's a chance I would've notice him had he been there too!

Dec 2014

favorite Christmas songs

The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to you) {1961 version} - Nat King Cole

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - Bing Crosby

Silver Bells- Bing Crosby

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Michael Buble

Sleigh Ride - Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

Carol of the Bells - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

O Holy Night - Susan Boyle

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Casting Crowns

You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch - Sixpence None The Richer

Christmas Canon - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Silent Night - Amy Grant

The Christmas Waltz - The Carpenters

The Night Before Christmas - Brandon Heath

All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams

Who am I kidding, the list could go on forever!

favorite Christmas movies

One of my favorite things about Christmas is watching Christmas movies. It's hard to pick a favorite but these are a few of my favorites:

At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell. But as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found, one Christmas, that she could no longer hear it’s sweet sound. Though I have grown old, the bell still rings for me. As it does for all who truly believe. - The Polar Express

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said unto them, ‘Fear no, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.’ That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown” - A Charlie Brown Christmas

This is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back. No toys, nothing but Peter, Kate, Buzz, Megan, Linnie, and Jeff. And my aunt and my cousins. And in a few years time, my Uncle Frank. Okay? - Home Alone

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled until his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. – How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Arthur: Iris, in the movies, we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are the leading lady, but for some reason, you're behaving like the best friend.
Iris: You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained anything to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant. - The Holiday

OK, if I had to pick a favorite I would have to go with The Polar Express. Home Alone is a close second.

Christmas lights & candlelight

   

it's looking like Christmas around here

easy wrapping

I tried hard to not labor over wrapping this year. I love wrapping since it's part of Christmas, but wrapping dozens of gifts is not so good for this back of mine! I did a few "gift baskets", which were either nice huge serving bowls or seagrass baskets that included all the gifts inside going to that one person and then wrapped it up in cellophane and tied up with a bow. For the rest I had boxes from years previous but using only the ones that still looked new, I tied them with bows and then I purchased ornaments {2 for $1 at Dollar Tree} to tie on to the bows. It turned out to be much less work than normal wrapping!

The Christmas Story Quiz

Have you ever taken the Christmas Story Quiz? I received it in my inbox again this year and wanted to share my favorite Q&A's from the quiz! It brings to me all the majesticness of the night Jesus was born! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Question:
18. Where do we find the Christmas story?
A. Matthew
B. Mark
C. Luke
D. John
E. All of the above
F. Only A and B
G. Only A and C
H. Only A, B, and C

Answer:
G. Isn't it amazing how God divinely inspired these two gospel writers to write His exact words, but, yet, He used their interests and professions to recall different aspects of Jesus' birth. Matthew, a tax collector, records the genealogy of Jesus (used for taxation) and the story of the "magi" - men of means from a foreign country. Luke, a physician, records the pregnancy and birth. {Luke 1 and 2}

Question:
7. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? {Luke 2:10}
A. One
B. Three
C. Multitude
D. None of the above

Answer:
A. Luke 2:10 "The angel of the Lord said unto them "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people"."

Question:
8. What did the angels say/sing? {Luke 2:14}
A. "Glory to God in the highest, etc."
B. "Alleluia"
C. "Unto us a child is born, Unto us a son is given"
D. "Joy the world, the Lord is come"

Answer:
A. Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward man."

Question:
9. What is a heavenly host?
A. The angel at the gate of heaven
B. The angel who serves refreshments in heaven
C. An angel choir
D. An angel army
E. None of the above

Answer:
D. The word means "army" - literally thousands. Now, since there was a "multitude" of the heavenly army (hosts), there could easily have been from 10,000 - 100,000 angels there that night! No wonder the shepherds were "sore afraid"!

Fear Not

The radio station I often listen to pointed out that when Linus reads Luke Chapter 2 and says, "but the angel said to them, 'Fear not!'", he drops his safety blanket. I love that!

Isaiah 41:13, "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

Live in faith and not in fear!

5 days before Christmas...

What we are doing 5 days before Christmas...

Getting crafty and making gifts for mine and Wesley's co-workers, {I saw this on another blog and it looked so easy that I decided I could do it!}

Getting crafty with gift wrapping....
Spending time with family.... and extended family, {my sister-in-law's adorable Westie!}

And Wesley's new obsession: making smoothies. So much an obsession that I get asked every morning, "coffee or smoothie?". Um, coffee please! {This is a 10:00 PM smoothie by the way.}