Family, Love, n Laughter = Memories

Christmas time is for rejoicing and celebrating our saviors birth as well as adding memories to our hearts with family and friends. Joy can be found wherever you are IF you want it and you're willing to create it. Here on Lillie Mae Acres, we had a joyous Christmas this year and it continues in our hearts. And I'm NOT talking about material gifts! I'm talking about the fact that we created the spirit of Christmas with decor and attitude! A good attitude! That's what makes a house a home 365 days a year! (ever now and then 366) It comes from within...you're happiness in life is created by YOU!

It's a shame there are so many SCROOGES in the world today. I just read in our local paper a person's comment about "enough of the carols, we've been there and done that now let's move on". What a scrooge! Christmas joy and celebrations can last a little past the actual day, don't ya think?

Anyway, on to some of my favorite pictures of the season. I hope you enjoy!




The tree and gifts on Christmas Eve night, just before we went to bed to pray ourselves asleep and wake on Christmas morn with thankful hearts and joy.



My two favorite guys got their gun cases from Bass Pro that they asked for!






Below, you'll see why sugar plums were dancing in everyone's heads Christmas night at my mom's.

I made the red velvet cheesecake layer cake to take to my mom's, with a few jolly cuppycakes to tag along.

You know we don't have a big family gathering around without the boys breaking out their instruments.

Then we came back to Lillie Mae Acres to have Christmas Sunday with more family. Below is hubby's daughter, son n law, and granddaughter.

I kept my kitchen table very simple this year, ready at a moments notice for just us, a small crowd, or a large crowd.


Well, that's just about it! The end of 2010 is here and it was a good year. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for 2011. I hope everyone stays safe and warm this New Years weekend and have a good one!

A Very Happy Country Girl

Oh boy, you'd think this big box that Lillie Mae is practically kissing had diamonds, pearls, or maybe even some money in it! Nope! What's inside is exactly what the picture shows, a hand pump. You sweet ladies just enjoy all that jewelry that your hubby gave you for Christmas and I'll enjoy my hand pump. I had a jewelry Christmas last year so I don't need anymore of that. I WANTED this! I begged for this! I almost went and got myself one but decided to wait and see if I got one for Christmas. Ain't I a lucky lady?

I know what you're thinking, not everyone would want or actually ask Santa for one of these. It takes a lady with a "plan". My plan is to achieve a certain look in my farmhouse kitchen, using this on top of the dry sink my dad built. I'll make sure to show off the pictures when I put it all together. I can tell you right now that my sweet hubby is going to have to help me PRIM it up a little because it's just too "new".

Well, that's it for now because between me and my mom, we have to look at each others pictures and see who has the best ones. I'll blog about Christmas celebrations in a day or two.

Thanks for stopping by Lillie Mae Acres. I am so thankful for my online friends and this blogging community. I get so much joy and so many decorating and cooking ideas from reading your blogs. I do pray everyone had a wonderful Christmas and please stay safe during this week as we gear up to celebrate New Years. See ya later!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I want to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS from Lillie Mae Acres to your lovely families and homes. I pray you have a wonderful relaxing and joy filled Christmas, remembering the true reason we celebrate this day.

We've been trying to spend much needed cherished time together, hubby's work slowing down has made that easier. Matthew doesn't have any band dates for performing or practicing until January, so that puts him home more. Yesterday, I went to have an early morning coffee with just the sweetest friend ever and neighbor Dawn, then went to bake sugar cookies with the two sweetest little boys in the world (nephews)and enjoy hanging out with my sister and mom. Now the three of us are trying to decide whether to eat a simple lunch/supper here at home or go up to my sisters on Christmas day. Christmas night we'll all come together at my mom's for finger food and yummy desserts of all kinds. Then Sunday we'll be celebrating with hubby's family here on Lillie Mae Acres.

My sweet little Lily girl will be traveling with her parents so I'll miss her. This is just one of her Christmas pictures, she's growing way too fast.




I know it sounds like a lot and a busy schedule, but we've just been letting it all roll as it happens and not letting any of it become hectic. That takes the fun out of it, don't ya think?

MERRY CHRISTMAS with lots of luv n hugz to each of you!

I Feel Like A Queen

Hey there. I sure hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful season, celebrating Christmas with joy and love. It's been so busy here on Lillie Mae Acres, too much traveling into the city and way too much cooking and baking. I want next week to be calm and relaxing, don't you?

Our new living room furniture was delivered today and we are so happy. I feel like a queen because I've never had a brand new sofa for my living room. I've purchased new tables and hubby has made beautiful entertainment centers, etc., but never a new sofa. We were looking for leather, but the three of us also had a few different wants and opinions so shopping wasn't really that fun.

Here is the gutted living room this morning waiting for the delivery. Our voices echoed. If you look on the ceiling you will see that we still haven't replaced the ceiling fan that caught fire. That's on the to-do list though. I wasn't thinking when I started mopping.



I poured the soap out on the floor instead of diluting it in water. Poor ole' Lillie Mae mopped and mopped and mopped with rinse water. Finally the soap was wiped up. I guess I was just overly excited!





The end table you see in one of the pictures is not staying. That super sweet talented hubby of mine is going to build beautiful end tables out of tree stumps. He wants to use cedar stumps. I'm not sure yet if I'll get new lamps or not, I really still like these. My whole living room smells of leather. I love that smell. I wonder how long it will linger?

Well folks, that's it. That's about all the excitement that's been going on around here. I hope each of you have a blessed evening. Thank you for stopping by.

Prim vs Comfort

A great big hello from Lillie Mae Acres. I hope everyone is staying warm n cozy, enjoying this beautiful Christmas season, and spending valuable time with family and friends...not leaving God out of your celebrations.

We haven't been home long from the city. My sweet hubby came home extra early this afternoon so we could all three go and look at a beautiful leather living room group that I found at a local furniture store. I also had one picked out about 55 miles away, and if he didn't like this one tonight we were going to travel there tomorrow. Since all three of us live here and call this home, I believe all three of us should be happy and comfortable. He loved the one we all looked at tonight. That's it then, that's the one. As long as we're all happy and will be comfortable.

Prim or comfort? Which would you just have to have? Although Lillie Mae Acres is decorated in what I call primitive farmhouse, primitive style furniture would not be comfortable. In the olden days, husbands and wives did not pile up and watch a good movie. Families did not pile up, have a bunch of friends over and relax while watching a movie, picking instruments, playing games, etc. Hard working husbands didn't come home from a long days work, lay out on the couch and fall asleep (snoring lovingly) as supper was being cooked. The living room was for sitting...much more formal than today. I think they were geared more for talking and reading, rather than piling around in. Did those people ever just pile around? Probably not! Way too much hard work to be done, you've got to remember that those pitiful ladies didn't have washing machines and dishwashers.

So our family choice of new living room furniture had to be all or none! All three of us LOVE it, or we keep looking. I was more than willing to look for months if it took it. It's actually been about a month of looking.

To make a long story short, the new curtains and matching pillows (you've already seen these, they were made back in the spring I believe) are just waiting for the new furniture to arrive next Thursday. That sweet talented hubby of mine is excited about making at least one tree stump end table for a lamp, two if we decide we want a second one. I've already given my mom my coffee and end tables, my nephew has been told to come get the chair and one of the love seats, and our current leather love seat is going to the game room. Boy do I have my work cut out for me. I even have to move the Christmas tree to a new location across the room.

OK, so here is the stock photo found online of this beautiful furniture. We are getting the reclining sofa and reclining console love seat...they are power reclining.



Of course this photo shows it in a formal living room, way more fancy than around here. You know me well enough to know that there will be all our favorite throws draped here and there, along with the pillows. This modern comfort will also be surrounded by our cherished primitive decor. Oh yes, I'll be taking pictures to share with y'all.

Thanks for taking time out of your day/evening to come over and spend some time at Lillie Mae Acres. Stay warm and safe during your shopping and celebrations. God bless.

Did I forget to say that this is my Christmas gift? It is, it's my gift. So I get my gift early and spread out all over the room instead of under the tree.

Precious Baby, Mighty Savior

I love the holidays. I love fall's crisp new look and feel when Thanksgiving is approaching. Followed by Christmas, oh how this is my favorite. I love it's beauty and all it means to us and our lives. I love placing nativity scenes around our home, tucked in corners and shelves. I thought I'd share a few with you, they aren't anything fancy but we enjoy seeing them throughout our home.


The cute little piece above was a small souvenir one year from a trip to the Smoky Mountains. There is a button on the bottom and it used to play Silent Night. It no longer does, but it's still one of my favorites.


Every year we seem to change the stable for this set. This year I grabbed a handful of fresh hay and added to it.










This little inexpensive plastic nativity is just like one I had as a child. When I seen it at Walmart years ago I just had to get it. I couldn't believe they were still being made.






Don't you just love this song?

What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping

This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary

Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding
Good Christian fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh
Come peasant king to own Him
The King of kings, salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him

This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary


Have yourself a wonderful evening. Florida has really been cold with more to come before warmer temps start creeping back in. It's beginning to feel like winter here on Lillie Mae Acres, the fireplace has had a beautiful flickering fire in it each evening, outdoor plants and pipes wrapped up, extra hay for the horse and extra blankets on our beds. We are loving it!

Getting the Farmhouse Ready for Christmas

Oh what a wonderful Tuesday evening on Lillie Mae Acres. The farmhouse kitchen smells like peppermint cookies.

I just love this little Gooseberry Patch Cookie Swap booklet. It has some yummy recipes in it and these Peppermint Cookies just might be my favorite.

While I was in the kitchen baking, my two favorite guys were down in the living room browsing the internet for Bluegrass sites and picked a little Bluegrass themselves. I've had Christmas music on all day and a Christmas movie has been on all evening.
Beautiful Florida is experiencing VERY COLD weather right now, so for hours there's been a roaring fire.

I don't know about you, but I've been slow about decorating this year. It's just a bunch of things and reasons that have kept me from decorating early. Normally almost every inch of the house is decorated but I've kept it very simple this year.

Look real close at the picture above and you can see a pumpkin pie in the oven. One day last week, I had a yummy roast in the crockpot and baked a homemade pumpkin pie for dessert.

This is the first Christmas that we've had the beautiful prairie hutch my dad built. (the above picture) If you remember, earlier in the year he passed away and this is one of the pieces of furniture that I just could not let go of. I remember him working so hard on it, and he did a wonderful job.

I have so many ideas for my dry sink, which my dad also built. I have that sweet hubby of mine looking for a hand pump to mount on it. Maybe that'll be one of my Christmas gifts.

See the little gingerbread house in the above picture? I found this at Kohls, they have the cutest little nightlights this year.

I love all the sweet little Christmas ornaments and crafts Matthew brought home from school when he was little. They are cherished and safely stored in my cedar chest, inside our home, at the foot of my bed, close to my heart.

This cute little guy watches Lillie Mae cook. He's had a lot to watch, the kitchen has been pretty busy with freezing greens from the garden. Our fall garden did real good, everything but the collards. I have a freezer full of mustard greens and am fixing to pack it with turnip and turnip roots. My canning shelf is also freshly stocked with stewed Georgia tomatoes. I still have to make salsa. wayne is fixing to make pepper sauce. matthew has only killed one deer this year and if he gets another one we may have to go get another freezer.

Well, I'm so glad you stopped by Lillie Mae Acres again, if this was your first time WELCOME. I hope to take a few more pictures, some of the outside decor and get it posted. I've been furniture shopping, researching, etc. I am probably getting a leather living room group for Christmas and the choices are too many. I think I have it narrowed down but my sweet hubby needs to go with me and see if he loves it also. I'll let you know!

Please come back soon. Keep God in all of your Christmas plans and activities.