What I Learned in November

Hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! For those of you out there battling the crowds today - GOOD LUCK!!!! For those of you staying home recovering from yesterday - ENJOY!!!

Tomorrow is the last day of November, but I've already got the whole Saturday Six lined up, so today I shall recap for you the things I learned in November!

1. There is a Coffee County in Tennessee.

We drove through it on our way to Atlanta. I don't know about you, but I think if we ever relocate...

2. Bee pollen cures everything.

Okay, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But we encountered a beekeeper at a First Friday booth, and he encouraged us to try bee pollen. (I honestly didn't know it was a consumable thing.) He told us it would keep us healthy and make our sleep amazing. I didn't get sick and I did sleep, but I have no idea how much of that came from a tablespoon of bee pollen.

3. Almost seven years married, and we still don't like to be apart overnight.

We were told early on that we'd "get over that." Hasn't happened yet. When I had to leave Ryan earlier this month to go to Nashville for four days, I cried actual tears - in public. (Possibly more than once.) I think Ryan cried in his heart. ;)

4. Why aren't deviled eggs on more menus?

One of the restaurants where our group ate in Tennessee served deviled eggs as a menu item. I've never seen them on a menu before, but they were delicious. Bonus: if you've never tucked a sliver of candied bacon on top, you should start doing that pronto.

5. Lots of people decorated early for Christmas this year.

No judgment from me, of course. But I just noticed an increased number of people saying, "I've never put up the tree this early before, but..." I think we all just need a little extra cheer this year. And by the way? I joined all of them. I don't apologize. Christmas is my favorite season and if I can squeeze a few extra days of joy out of the décor, I'm gonna.

6. The Christmas tree farm may be my new favorite decorating theme.

I decided to decorate our porch like a mini Christmas tree farm, and it turned out to be the cutest (and possibly easiest) scheme I've ever done. I told my sister it's the PERFECT plan for someone who doesn't like to mess with wrapping lights and hanging ornaments. (Clearly that doesn't describe me, but I'm just saying...)

7. Meeting blog friends never gets old.

Since I started blogging, I've made a handful of friends who have become real-life friends, and I've had a chance to meet a few of them in person! This month I met another one (more on this later) and she was every bit the delight I expected her to be!

And that's what I remember learning in November! I'm sure there were plenty of things I learned and unlearned all at once. I'll learn them again another month! :) What did you learn this month?

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! 

I blogged a few days ago about the decade photo challenge, and today I'm using that same idea to share my gratitude for life in 2019.

First, though, here's an updated comparison of our respective selves in 2009 and the update from 2019.

My goodness. Life is SO DIFFERENT for both of us than it was ten years ago. I actually went back to my Thanksgiving post from ten years ago to see what I was thankful for as a 31 year old single girl. 

Come to find out...my gratitude remains very similar. It just now involves an answer to prayer named Ryan.

2009:

Thankful for scrapbook days. Of course back in those days, the scrapbooks were the traditional kind with printed photos, adhesive, and big messes. 

2019:

Still thankful for scrapbooking days. Also thankful that nine years ago I learned about digital scrapbooking, which has made life far less messy and far more streamlined. 

2009: Thankful for game nights. I had begun meeting up with high school friends once or twice a year to play games, and even though I always lost, I was thankful for the friendship and fun.

2019: Still thankful for game nights. I had no idea that ten years later, they'd still be a thing. I'm still losing with finesse, but I'm still thankful for the chance to do this with my friends and that Ryan can join me now!

2009: Thankful for meals out with friends. I had a handful of friends who regularly joined me for lunches or dinners - and that made me feel so seen and chosen!

2019: Thankful for meals out with friends and a husband! Since we've moved and life has changed so much in the last ten years, the people I get to share meals with has also changed! But we do love getting to have meals out with friends whenever we can (and meals in our home, too!) and I really especially love the chance to eat out with my husband. That is a blessing I didn't have a decade ago!

2009: Thankful for coffee and movie nights. I was too cheap to go see movies in the theater, but I loved getting coffee with friends and watching movies at home.

2019: Thankful for coffee and movie nights. We're still too cheap to go see movies in the theater, but clearly we love to go out for coffee, and we frequently watch movies at home - rented or from TV!

2009: Thankful for new babies to cuddle. I'm not sure, off the top of my head, who had the new babies I cuddled in 2009, but it doesn't surprise me that I was thankful for it!

2019: Thankful for new babies to cuddle. She lives much too far away for regular snuggle visits, but meeting this sweet girl this year was a DREAM!

2009: Thankful for retreats. Back in those days, retreats were overnight getaways I went on by myself so I could spend time away with the Lord.

2019: Thankful for retreats. It would have blown my mind back then to know that in ten years, I'd be speaking at such events!

2009: Thankful for vacations. I didn't get to take too terribly many back then, partially because of lack of funding and partially because I was single and didn't like to travel alone. But I had just begun to branch out and take a few trips. 

2019: Thankful for vacations. I never would have dreamed that I'd get to see some of the places I've visited in the last seven years since marrying Ryan. We still don't have many funds, but we try to be frugal and go where we can on the money we have. And this year? Ryan's birthday cruise took me the farthest from home I've ever been! 

2009: Thankful for seasons of TV shows. I wish I would have been more specific to see what I was watching back then! Could have been a little bit of anything! But I will say that in those single days, TV kept me sane when I felt lonely. 

2019: Thankful for seasons of TV shows...and Hallmark movies.  I'm also thankful that I have a husband who finds things like HGTV and Andy Griffith reruns to be solid viewing material. 

2009: Thankful for days at the lake. Back then, I was new to lake life, but I had a couple of friends who invited me to join them at the lake whenever I could, and that's when I managed to fall in love with the lake.

2019: Thankful for days at the lake. And who knew I'd marry a man who also loved lake life??

2009: Thankful for Bible studies. I loved being part of them with friends from church and individual friends, too!

2019: Thankful for Bible studies. I didn't know my appetite for them would grow so wildly, and that I'd not only do as many as I could on my own, but I'd also host them in my home - with Ryan. (Or that we'd be given leadership of the whole ministry at our church!)

2009: Thankful for cookouts. I was just getting into entertaining at home and loved it whenever I could take the party outside!

2019: Thankful for cookouts. Still love them and still host them as often as we can. And now I have my own grillmaster!

2009: Thankful for upgrades to the house. I don't know what I did to my (now former) house in 2009, but it certainly saw many upgrades in the time I lived there. That was such a sweet house.

2019: Thankful for upgrades to the house. It's been a good year for making it pretty - and I think the porch is my favorite!

2009: Thankful for concerts. I'm going to guess that year included a trip to hear David Phelps. I had no idea that the following decade (mostly from my few years in radio) would send me to dozens of concerts!

2019: Thankful for concerts. We don't go to as many anymore, but I love it whenever we can go, and Ryan is the best concert partner! 

2009: Thankful for conferences. I'm not sure what conference I went to that year, but I'm guessing I took a lot of notes!

2019: Thankful for conferences. It was hard to be apart from Ryan for this one, but I am so thankful I was able to go to the leadership forum and learn much!

So as you can see - not much has changed in ten years...even though everything has changed in ten years!

Also in 2009, I wrote, I'm thankful for these blessings, because I know a lot of people who had a memorable year, but in their case, memorable didn't mean great. And yet I've been so challenged by their decision to hope. Their resolve to move forward. Their choice to proclaim that God is good, even when life is not.

I still see people who fit into this description, and I am still challenged and convicted by their determination. 2019 has been a difficult year for us in many ways - but it has also been a tremendous year of seeing God's hand of provision and mercy at work in our lives and home. 

For that, we are both thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving from Shafferland! 

Christmas in Shafferland...The Christmas Tree Farm

I cannot wait to show you this last bit of our Christmas decorating. I am so excited about how it turned out!

Ryan and I had some upgrades made to our outdoor living spaces this year, and one of them actually gave us an enclosed porch area, which has been one of the absolute delights of our year. And from the moment it all started to come together, I began scheming about a Christmas tree for that area. (I may or may not have mentioned this to the construction guys who may or may not have rolled their eyes.)

Originally I wanted a great big tree, but I found a seedling of an idea on Pinterest that changed the entire course of my decorating scheme, and I absolutely fell in love with the outcome.

A Christmas tree farm.

It all started because I found a sign on Etsy for a personalized Christmas tree farm sign. The original sign said "complimentary cider and hot cocoa," but I asked the maker if she could replace cider with coffee, because it's us. She did! And I loved the outcome! (FYI, this sign was a digital download that we could print wherever we wanted. It was extremely affordable in both purchase and printing. AND it's on sale right now. Don't tell Ryan.)

I had much of what I needed already...with a healthy collection of small trees gathered throughout my years of decorating. Ryan and I went to Hobby Lobby when they had trees 50% off and got about five more small ones to add. We also found some inexpensive small, plain wreaths and a roll of plaid ribbon so we could hang wreaths from the windows.

I found a little lantern at the Goodwill for almost nothing...and I shopped the house for other lanterns. AND...when we pulled the décor out of the attic, I remembered that I'd found some toy snowballs at a garage sale this summer for just a couple of bucks! I was able to find a free printable on Pinterest to go with that.

The crowning part was the addition of a couple of light strands. Ryan's sister got married in a barn a couple of summers ago, and his mom and Allen had purchased dozens of light strands that decorated the inside of the barn. His other sister had some of them just sitting in storage, so she brought me a couple of boxes, and we draped them among all the trees.

Oh! I almost forgot! Our Christmas gift to each other this year is this heater that looks like a miniature cast iron stove. We went ahead and did our gifting early so we could enjoy the porch! I pulled the coffee pot out of my kitchen décor and added a couple of little stoneware mugs I found for less than $2.00 (total) at the Goodwill, and that completed the look!

Day or night, we love this room so much.

Want to see?

This is the main collection of trees. I pulled plaid throw blankets out of the guest room and draped them over end tables and ottomans so I could have places to elevate some of the trees.

Isn't it just the cutest little heater?

Snowballs and a sign! (The snowballs are meant to be an indoor game, so at some point, I fully expect a Shafferland snowball fight!)

Another little tree corner!

At night, it's just as swoonworthy...

Here are some closer shots of a few of the detail pieces:

We love our tree farm! Hope you do, too! :)

Christmas in Shafferland...2019

Before I do the big Christmas reveal, I have to do the big podcast reveal! It's podcast Tuesday, and we have some turkey talk coming your way!

 Listen here

I've waited as long as I can!!! Can you handle a little Christmas peek at Shafferland?

In some ways, Christmas looks pretty similar every year, because we're in the same house with (mostly) the same decorations. But I never do everything the same way twice, so today I shall unveil this year's Christmas look!

Yes, we have a tree in our kitchen. I do that because (a) I can and (b) we have this big beautiful picture window that faces the front of our house, so this is the tree people see from the street. I still love this tree so much. I have owned it for a dozen or so years, and it's still going strong! It's a tall, skinny tree that fits neatly at the end of the table and holds all my s'more and gingerbread ornaments that I've collected over the years. I throw in some red ball ornaments and red glittery sprigs just for fun, and I never get tired of this one.

(Yes, that's part of our coffee bar next to the tree. Syrups match trees, right?)

Last week I hosted my women's ministry team for dinner, and I just about melted over the cuteness of a table set for Christmas with the tree at the end!

We have just a few other decorations scattered around the kitchen, mostly above the cabinets:

(Yes, the tree on the left is made from coffee filters, but I didn't make it. It was a gift - a perfect gift!

Overall, this tree isn't new this year, but I did make a few changes in presentation. I love having a tree in our bedroom, so I can fall asleep and wake up to pretty twinkly lights. And for the last several years, the theme of that tree has been the names of Jesus. I've told you many times about Ever Thine Home and their Christmas collection of ornaments. I was so sad to find out some of their earlier sets are no longer available, because I love recommending these ornaments to everyonoe! (I actually emailed them to see if they were just temporarily out of stock, and they said no. Great sadness!) Last year, after Christmas, I bought two sets I didn't have, and now I only have two mores sets to get to have the full collection. (And now I feel like I need to hurry and get them in case they end up retired!)

I did move the tree to a different spot in our bedroom, and rather than accenting with gold balls, I used blue this year. We love this tree!

Here are a couple of the newer ornaments from collections I added this year.

Fun fact: This is Braeya's favorite tree in the house, and even if I don't have the lights plugged in, I can usually find her underneath this one!

Some of you may remember that one of our (many) Christmas traditions is getting a live tree each year. We just picked him up last weekend, and he's full and beautiful!

You might also remember that another of our traditions is to fill this tree with ornaments we've collected throughout our marriage. Our souvenir from every trip is to get an ornament from the places we visit. We also get an ornament to summarize our year, and we also keep a sliver of the trunk from every Christmas tree. We have almost eighty ornaments now that represent our 7 years together. I take a picture of every ornament and write its story on the back. As we decorate the tree, we read the stories, and that officially takes a while now!

Because it's a live tree and the branches are a bit unpredictable and unable to handle large amounts of weight, we limit the decorations on this one to lights, ornaments, and a bit of garland. (And this is the only one of our trees to sport multi-colored lights.) It looks so pretty, though!!

Some of you might have seen this on Instagram, but back at Mother's Day, we all received ornaments in memory of Ryan's mom. A woman at their church made them for all the kids in the family, and they are just beautiful. They're filled with flower petals from her funeral flowers, and pieces of her obituary and funeral program. They have bling on the outside, which was so her, and we saved that ornament for last and Ryan gave it a place of honor in the front of the tree.

We have a few other living room decorations too: stockings, nativity, family Bible, framed copies of our Christmas cards through the years, and of course...the Merrcy Hristmas sign is back. It's not Christmas without that!

I put a small tree in our guest room. This is the only white tree I have, and I accent it with red and silver. It's little and cute and brightens up the guest room!

We did have a couple of new additions to the décor this year, and the first is in the office. I have wanted a big tree in the office for several years now, and we found the perfect solution. It's big enough to be a "big tree," but small enough to not be in the way of my work. It's also my first flocked tree, and I adore it as much as I hoped I would! I've wanted a flocked tree forever! It's pre-lit, which I'm not a fan of, but hopefully it will restore my faith in pre-lit. I put gold balls and sprigs in it and called it complete - and beautiful!

I love having it keep me company while I work!

I know this has been a pretty long post, so I'm going to save my favorite part for last...come back tomorrow? It'll be worth it!