oh happy day

today was my last day of work for 2011! hello 12 days of vacation! i have so much to be looking forward to...

-in the next two days i'll be hustlin' and bustlin' [not to mention huffin' and puffin'] and hoping to finish making my christmas presents! if all goes as planned, i'll share after christmas so i don't spoil any surprises! (:

oh deer, you have no idea the [unrelated to christmas] plans i have for you.
let's just say hunting season isn't over in this home.

-john and i leave saturday for a road trip to the motherland, otherwise known as new jersey. we'll be visiting with my family for almost a week! 6 days of christmas festivities, eating holiday food, sleeping in, lounging around, and lots of relaxing, including some reading, playing wii with the fam, and seeing some friends who will also be in town! i'm so excited! i just can't hide it!

ok, yes, technically, this picture is from several years ago.
but really, is there anything better to associate
with things i get excited about besides ice cream?!

-and last, but not least... pinterest! i have given in. i have joined the dark side. i have made my obsession official. my invitation came this afternoon, the perfect way to kick off this little break (: come follow me!

i just love this time of year! (:

holiday decorating

oh friends, have you tuned in to the frank sinatra holiday station on pandora? it is the perfect music for sitting in the glow of christmas lights, drinking hot chocolate, and wrapping presents!

this week's inspiration workshop is holiday decorating. confession: i've been decorating since the weekend before thanksgiving! i knew i'd be visiting family thanksgiving weekend and i wanted to be able to come back to christmas!

here are a few pictures of what my home looks like for the holidays:

lots of lights and candles, bringing the outdoors inside with the berry wreath and pine cones, and plenty of nostalgia with a tree full of ornaments that i received growing up (:

how are you decorating for christmas?

foodie fun [inspiration workshop]

i couldn't resist posting on this week's inspiration workshop because today we're sharing recipes! i'm sharing a simple, easy recipe for one of my favorite holiday comfort foods: corn casserole.

no joke - my family and i fight over every last bite of this during holiday meals!

ingredients:

1 [15 1/4-ounce] can whole kernel corn, drained
1 [14 3/4-ounce] can cream-style corn
1 [8-ounce] package corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup [1 stick] butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

yep. these are all the pics i got. i was focused on getting everything together! (:

to prepare:
preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
in a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish.

bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
remove from oven and top with cheddar.
return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

that's it! so easy! if you love cornbread and cheese this is a perfect side dish for your meals this holiday season!

 recipe from the foodnetwork

what's your favorite holiday recipe?

i'm looking forward to finding more over at gussy's!