So maybe our cookies didn’t turn out quite as cute as the recipe photo, but I didn’t hear anyone complaining.  :)

Squishing the candy cane kisses into the cookies was my favorite job of the evening.

My dad’s pecan puffs were the hands-down favorite of the evening – there were barely any left over for people to take home!  That’s pretty much always the case.

I went a little topping crazy.  Luckily, the extras came in handy when my sister hosted the gingerbread house extravaganza today!

I know a lot of you were curious as to whether the s’mores bars are as good as they look – and yes, I can attest that they are.  :)  Oh, and 5 cookies was waaaaay too ambitious for the evening.  We never got to these guys, and next time I’ll probably just go for one or two cookies.  We may have had a sweatshop vibe going at one point.  :)

Here is the gingerbread house that Jason and I made.  It was so much fun and we loved the way it turned out!  (And sorry for the sub-par iPhone pics!)

Here’s the little village of houses that the whole fam made.  (My sister and her husband made the one on the front left – it’s supposed to be the W Hotel in downtown Dallas where Khloe Kardashian and her husband are now renting.  :)  It even has a rooftop pool!)

My brother’s house was the winner, hands down.  It’s supposedly set in Santa Fe and boasts many eco-friendly features (according to him).

And that’s how we’ve been getting in the Christmas spirit!  I hope you’ve been having just as much fun, and that your holiday is very merry.  See you next week!

That’s right, we’re having a baby!  She’s due in early May and we are ridiculously excited.  :)

It feels a little crazy to put that little tidbit of info out there after keeping it under wraps for so long!  Happy holidays, peeps.  :)

( In case you’re wondering what’s going on, each month I’m posting a list of the 10-15 bloggers that have left the most comments on IGTBH.  I’m also posting links to their blogs in my sidebar that will remain active all month long, and these blogs will be added to the blog roll on IGTBH. At the start of each new month the list will start fresh! )

Links to their blogs will be in my sidebar all month long – I hope you get a chance to check them out!

Two years ago today we bought this:

And four years ago today we did this:

I think there might be something special about this date.  I can’t wait to see what happens next.  :)

But I think I’m ready to tackle a few more projects on my to-do list that have been waiting to be crossed off for far too long.  I joined Pinterest a few days ago and it’s got me feeling all inspired!

Here’s my list:

• Sew new pillows for den using this fabric:



Source: fabric.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

• Paint mirror from new flip for hallway, pick a fun color.
• Hang starburst mirror (seen here) in guest bedroom.
• Hang burlap or other inexpensive fabric on entryway walls & install chair rail (have to convince Jason on that one).



Source: karaskottage.blogspot.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

• Order Lotus pendant for entryway & have installed (make sure it can be changed to hardwire).  This will have to wait awhile until the budget allows.



Source: islandwoods.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

• Find pagoda pendant (?) for breakfast room (and paint red, maybe?).  Apparently I’m not real decisive on this one.  :)



• Make cafe curtain for laundry room – find cute fabric.
• Bring back neutral shower curtain for laundry bathroom – apply ribbon trim to spice up.
• Make cute roman shade or stationary shade for laundry bathroom, maybe using this tutorial:



Source: isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com via Liz @ It’s Great to be Home on Pinterest

• Find solid yellow lumbar pillow for master bedroom.

What’s on your to-do list?  And are you on Pinterest?  If so, leave your username in the Comments so we can follow you!

. . . that would be a lie.

It actually looks like this . . .

. . . because of this guy:

Riley looks innocent, but that’s all an act.  You see, he has decided that he wants to jump on top of our headboard in the middle of the night – but he’s too fat to really make that leap (most of the time) so he winds up dangling from the wood by his claws.  And sometimes he falls on our heads.  No bueno, as you can imagine.

We’ve rigged up a system of Euro pillows to keep him from taking the side route, and we’re currently using old-fashioned manpower to keep him from jumping up from the middle of the bed.  It’s really fun at 5 in the morning, I assure you.

Ah, the things we put up with for our pets.  Ha, or maybe I’m the only sucker!!

P.S. His little sister, Lexie, actually sleeps on the windowsill behind our bed every night – but at least she’s polite about it.  :)

( In case you’re wondering what’s going on, each month I’m posting a list of the 10-15 bloggers that have left the most comments on IGTBH. I’m also posting links to their blogs in my sidebar that will remain active all month long. At the start of each new month the list will start fresh! )

Links to their blogs will be in my sidebar all month long – I hope you get a chance to check them out!

What started as a simple quest for breakfast room chairs has now turned into the most drawn out project ever – I told you about Part I of the saga here, then about the chevron incident here, and now I’m telling you that I have two out of the four chairs finished.  Never ending, I tell ya!!

Just to draw this out even longer, I’m going to wait until I’ve finished all of the chairs before I show them to you.  But here’s a little clue as to what I’ve been up to:

I think you’ll like them.  :)

See this chick?

This is Katie, from the blog My Hotwheels.  She’s doing something pretty cool 36 days from today – she’ll be competing in the Boston Marathon, in her hot wheels.  Fancy, no?

Or, I should say, Katie will be competing in the Boston Marathon if she can raise the funds in time.  She had a sponsorship that fell through, leaving her stranded at the last minute.

Here’s Katie’s story in her own words, and how you can help:

My name is Katie Terry and I am a single mother of two children, Carter is 9, and Kindra is 7. I currently live in American Fork, Utah.

Nine years ago, I was in an auto accident that left me paralyzed from the hips down…and they discovered I was pregnant with Kindra. Let me just say that when it rains, it can sure pour! I played soccer in university and have what I call “the athletes mentality” which is “Go. Fight. Win!” I knew that everything somehow and in someway was going to be ok. I was going to hit this challenge head on and live a great life!

It took some time learning how to “re-live” again, one day at a time, but I did it. I made a list of all of the things that I was going to do again and one by one, I checked them off. I soon realized that everything is possible even if you have to be a bit more creative doing it!

It was then that I realized in the ability within my disability and that I could be an example of dedication, commitment, endurance, and hard work. And doing it with a fun and positive attitude. “It’s all Mental” is another one of my favorite quotes.

3 years ago, I decided that I needed to find an activity that would help me with a great cardio workout. That is when I borrowed a hand-cycle from the “National Ability Center” and began riding 12 miles 2-3 times a week. During one of my rides, I decided that I was going to see if I could participate in the “St George Marathon”. They gave me the ok and I did it! It is impossible in words to describe the emotions that occur when you’ve completed something like a marathon. It was awesome! I also found out that I was also the FIRST EVER FEMALE hand-cyclist to participate in this marathon. WOW! How great was that?!

That was when I was invited to become a member of “The Utah Hand-Cycle Team” which gives me the opportunity to race all over the country on a National level. It was great to meet others who had the same passion that I had. It also allowed me training tools that helped me to become better also being the FIRST EVER hand-cyclist in the “Ragnar Relay” series and to qualify to participate in the “Boston Marathon”!

I have been asked numerous times if I would ever take back this “trial” and after reflecting on all of the great things that I have been able to be a part of, my answer is simply “No. I really wouldn’t. The example that I’ve been to my kids is worth it. The knowledge that I’m helping others to see what they can truly accomplish is worth it! The tears of gratitude make me understand that it’s been a blessing. To realize the ability within my disability.”

I am asking for donations, big or small, or for a company that would be my sponsor for both races locally and nationally. It would also be a perfect way to advertise. I would also promote the company’s name in any way that they’d like. I know that sometimes the need to donate to an organization that has a tax id# is one that is most preferred so if this is the case, please feel free to let me know. i am working with a few oranizations that would have that available for you who would then help me out. Just please let me know and i’ll get it right over. But let’s be honest, funds straight to “my cause” would be the most “selfishly preferred”  :)

I would be very grateful if this could be possible and would love to get involved with other ways that you are giving back to the community.

Thank you for your time and for looking into this opportunity. Every little bit counts and every little bit would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks again,

Katie Terry

If you’d like to join in the effort to send Katie to Boston you can donate through her paypal account, or if you’d like more info you can just email Katie.  Thanks for your help, and spread the word!

( In case you’re wondering what’s going on, each month I’m posting a list of the 10-15 bloggers that have left the most comments on IGTBH.  I’m also posting links to their blogs in my sidebar that will remain active all month long. At the start of each new month the list will start fresh! )

Links to their blogs will be in my sidebar all month long – I hope you get a chance to check them out!

I was also so excited to receive blogger awards from Chandra, Laurie and Samantha – thanks so much!!  Both of the awards, Stylish Blogger and Versatile Blogger, have the same 3 rules so I’m just going to combine the two:

1. Link back to the person who gave you the award,
2. Share seven statements about yourself, and
3. Pass on the award to 15 of your favorite bloggers!

I’m hoping I can come up with 7 “things about me” that are remotely interesting – you be the judge.  :)

1. When I was little I was obsessed with animals.  Obsessed.  I had hamsters, turtles, fish, dogs, cats, hermit crabs, lizards, and just about anything else you can think of.  I love a story that my mom tells about how she was so worried that I’d be heartbroken when one of my hamsters went missing – instead of crying when she told me, I just said “Oh well, now we can get another one!”  Turns out I was quite a fickle child.
2. You know those superlatives in high school?  Like Most Popular, Best Dressed, and all that good stuff?  Well, I was runner up for Most Intelligent.  I knew I should have taken down that smartypants Laura Smith when I had the chance.  :)
3. My senior year in college I rented a house with 3 of my best friends, right off campus.  It was awesome, and that year was so much fun.  One small drawback is it turned out that not a single one of us had the slightest urge to pick up a sponge, take out the trash, or have anything to do with household cleanliness.  I hate to admit it, but things got so bad that my sister refused to stay with us one weekend!  Luckily I’ve gotten a bit better about that!
4. I took 5 years of French and remember a pitifully small amount of the language.  Someday I’d like to get back in the groove and try to learn it again.
5. During law school, I participated in my school’s Criminal Defense Clinic where people who had been charged with misdemeanor crimes could receive free legal representation from law students.  It was an awesome experience and I even got to go to trial once!  My very first client was a grandma that had been charged with prostitution – what a way to ease into being a lawyer!
6. I’m one of those people that gets on a kick and eats the same thing over and over again for weeks on end.  Right now I’m living on homemade breakfast tacos and those 99 cent boxes of pasta that I spruce up with spinach, bacon bits, red pepper flakes and dried, minced onion.  Sounds kinda gross but I love it!
7. In elementary school I used to enter the crafting competitions for the State Fair of Texas.  I got a blue ribbon one year and was so excited – although I can’t remember if it was for my sock puppet or a diorama of a bedroom that I made for my toy bears.  Good times.  :)

I’d like to pass on these awards to all of the bloggers that are part of this month’s Top Supporters list – they rock and certainly deserve an award, don’t you think?