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Better Late Than Never

This year the whole holiday season has been a little off for me. Since Tim and I are on our own, we don't have a big family to celebrate with. Plus, I don't have a traditional work schedule where time off signifies that it's holiday time. We also skipped the tree this year - more for reasons relating to our hyperactive cats than anything else. BUT - this is not a boo-hoo kind of post! Nope, I was just letting you know why it hasn't felt like Christmas...until today!

What finally got me in the mood? A combination of things, including:

-Twinkly Christmas lights hanging up in the house:




-Christmas themed Jeopardy clues on tonight's show (yep- hubby and I watch it every night at 7:30!)

-Frosty mornings. It may not be snow, but it's close enough to get me excited.


Courtesy of Hubby


-Christmas crafts and decorations that make me smile:

Glittery Pinecones
-Christmas crackers. Because it's not Christmas unless you get an ugly paper crown and a cheap, tiny magnifying glass in a toilet paper tube, right? Does anyone else have Christmas crackers every year?

Anyway, I feel a lot more festive now, and I'm finally ready to wrap up the presents for hubby. I bought them and them shoved them into a closet (no peeking Tim!) but I think tonight I might actually get around to wrapping them up nicely. Maybe with some Christmas music on in the background?

By the way - see those nice photos at the top of the post? Yeah, they're not mine. You can pretty must rest assured that any great photo on my blog is taken by the hubby. The mediocre one of the pine cones is more up my alley.

Is there anything that makes it really feel like the holidays for you?
Usually it's the last day of school or work, but I guess putting up decorations really helps get me in the spirit of it all. 


Anyone else love watching game shows? Secret Jeopardy fans?
Although there are probably 6,459 reasons NOT to watch TV while you eat dinner, it's the background of every nightly meal, and I love it. 

Remember: The last chance to enter the Aspearis pivot shorts giveaway is tonight at midnight! Winner will be posted tomorrow. AKA - this is your last chance to suck up to me so you "randomly" win tomorrow. I'm kidding! Kinda. 
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Comments

  1. Lisa@The Daily RUNdownDecember 20, 2011 at 8:53 PM

    I watch jeopardy every night. My 18 month old knows the jeopardy song.

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  2. Britt @ Chicago Runner GirlDecember 20, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    your house is so cute, i love how its so open. gives it a nice homey feeling.

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  3. Meg O @watchmegorunDecember 20, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    oh man, Ryan and I have jeopardy battles. Full out shouting out the answer battles. What doesn't put in the holiday spirit? music, movies, decorations, all of it. PS - can I come live in your house? So pretty

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  4. KaraDecember 20, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    We love Jeopardy around here too.

    I finally put up the stockings and busted out the Christmas dining room table stuff, so our house looks a little more Christmas-y now. :)

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  5. KarenDecember 20, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    I love love love Jeopardy! Like it's me and 800 old ladies tuning in each night. I'm so glad I'm not alone in that love! :)

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  6. Running RicigDecember 20, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    We do Christmas crackers too. I like to dress Bungee up in my crown.

    I'm loving the lights on the exposed beams in the house!

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  7. Christina @ The AthletarianDecember 20, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    Decorations for sure!! And all of the holiday themed foods in stores. Candy cane tea is my favourite so far :)

    I'm not a game show person, especially not Jeopardy! Maybe because I never know the answers!! I love to watch cooking shows like chopped and Iron Chef now! I don't know why but I'm hooked :)

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  8. ChristineDecember 20, 2011 at 9:12 PM

    I love the lights on the beams!

    I haven't really been in a festive mood for a few years- I go through the motions and all, but I think it will change when we have kids.

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  9. StephanieDecember 20, 2011 at 9:12 PM

    Your lights look so great on the beams!

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  10. MichelleDecember 20, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    YAY! House looks beautiful! You sure have a talented hubby. Pics are wonderful!

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  11. jenn from midlife modernDecember 20, 2011 at 9:20 PM

    Man, I covet your space. What a beautiful house!!

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  12. Beth (i run like a girl)December 20, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    I love the lights!
    Hubby and I both traveled so much for work this month that decorating seemed sort of silly. (Kitty home alone with tree = bad news!) I'm still waiting for the holiday spirit to hit!

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  13. CynthiaDecember 20, 2011 at 9:53 PM

    LOVE your house! I showed it to my fiance cause I loved it so much. He loved it too. I love the openness of it and the floors and beams on the ceiling...beautiful!

    Ok I love Jeopardy! I don't watch it every night tho, and my fiance always beats me at it. Sad I missed the holiday one.

    The last day of work which is Thursday will help it feel more like the holidays for me. But we do have our house decorated. Just not the outside this year.

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  14. Stephanie FDecember 20, 2011 at 10:07 PM

    I'm a bit confused about "crackers." To me, crackers are things you eat. I've definitely never heard of Christmas crackers! Like... jokes?

    ReplyDelete
  15. UnknownDecember 20, 2011 at 10:09 PM

    Your house it so bright and modern. I imagine all sorts of black and white family photos to decorate the walls like a museum on day. Our house it very "Texas meets pottery barn" with a dash of red kool-aid.

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  16. BethDecember 20, 2011 at 11:36 PM

    You haven't put up pics of your house recently (stalker alert!). It looks gorgeous!,,

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  17. NicoleDecember 21, 2011 at 12:14 AM

    I LOVE Jeopardy!! I used to watch every night with my grandma, it's such a great show! I think I need to start having the girls watch it.
    Peppermint mochas at Starbucks signify the start of the holiday season for me. Then I seek out all my favorite holiday foods after that, yum!!

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  18. Run Stephie RunDecember 21, 2011 at 12:16 AM

    Your home looks amazing! The wood and white walls make the house look bright and nature themed with a mix of modern. I like the exposed beams. Beautiful.

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  19. Cory ReeseDecember 21, 2011 at 12:32 AM

    Those are awesome photos! Seriously.

    I used to like Price Is Right but after seeing approximately 1,283 commercials for motorized wheelchairs during the show I start to go a little nuts.

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  20. ElleDecember 21, 2011 at 1:01 AM

    Love love twinkly lights. I like to call them WINTER lights cause then I can have them much longer than the Chrismtas season.

    Never had Christmas crackers till I was an adult at someone else's home. Silly hats and silly toys, but kinda fun!

    We love Jeopardy, too.

    ReplyDelete
  21. UnknownDecember 21, 2011 at 1:20 AM

    I love the exposed beams in your house, especially with pretty lights on them. I only really feel like it's Christmas when I go to my parent's house - they decorate really well and it just feels so magical there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. The Hungered OneDecember 21, 2011 at 2:19 AM

    I love Jeopardy. I watch Jeopardy every night that I can with The Boy. I have been told soooo much that I should go on that show haha. I feel like I watch Jeopardy like other people watch sports.

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  23. Beth @ RUNNING around my kitchenDecember 21, 2011 at 5:12 AM

    Great photos! I love decorations and Christmas music and I think those two things help me get in the holiday mood :) And I am not a fan of Jeopardy at all…I actually can't really stand it!

    ReplyDelete
  24. LauraDecember 21, 2011 at 8:09 AM

    LOVE the pics of the house! I am not a game show fan at all..I get bored for some reason..

    ReplyDelete
  25. kristenDecember 21, 2011 at 8:35 AM

    I love Jeopardy. My husband and I like to play guess the answer (question?) based on the final Jeopardy category during the commercial break between the category and the reveal of the question (answer?). Much to our delight, we have each been right once (out of hundreds of guesses).
    A couple of weeks ago, there were TWO Twilight themed Final Jeopardy answers. I felt like Alex Trebek died a little inside.

    There are certain Christmas albums that really make me feel like it is finally Christmas. They are ones that my parents always played when I was growing up, so when I hear them, I think of being a kid at Christmas.

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  26. RachelDecember 21, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    What are Christmas crackers? I have never heard of them!

    Our cats have pretty much destroyed the bottom of our tree. So good call on not having one. We put it up every year and every year I get mad when they mess with it. I will never learn!

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  27. turnerlifearoundDecember 21, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    Wow Christmas crackers equals Christmas for me haha I thought we were the only silly family that did those :) I love love love your house- so different and you're making it cozy at the same time...and I also LOVE jeopardy- I'm really sad now that I won't be home tonight at 7:30 to see the Christmas episode- now I know I need DVR for Christmas :)

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  28. LisaDecember 21, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Nice twinkly lights - they are cute in your house.

    I'm struggling to "FEEL" like it's Christmas this year - no idea why. We have some decorations up, and I'm wrapping gifts everyday. It's raining and uppper 40's this week around here so perhaps that's a big reason why.

    I hope you two have a wonderful holiday despite not having the typical cues that it's the holiday :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. MissieDecember 21, 2011 at 9:46 AM

    Love the lights around the beams- looks so pretty! My family does the Christmas crackers every year too. My aunt who is from England brings them and we all have to wear our crown while reading the trivia question that comes inside. So goofy, but I can't imagine Christmas without them!

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  30. Ali McDecember 21, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    your home is so beautiful. I need to get a better job :)

    pretty and I love the hubby pics of that beautiful landscape

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  31. Cait the Arty RunnerchickDecember 21, 2011 at 11:45 AM

    hey, u are still ahead of me in terms of decorating! :) nawww, i've got the xmas spirit but it's mostly in me and not twinkling from the eaves...i hope santa doesn't hate me!

    i'm not a big jeopardy fan...mostly cuz i'm not smart enough. :P

    ReplyDelete
  32. Jenny December 21, 2011 at 12:10 PM

    Your home is beautiful! I love the exposed beams with the lights!
    We don't have cable, but when we did, we used to watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune at night while eating dinner. Sometimes we'd switch it up and watch Cash Cab. Yep, nerd alert.

    ReplyDelete
  33. UnknownDecember 21, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    Vanessa - your house looks amazing! It came out so gorgeous! That top pic is really cool too, kind of panorama-ish :)

    What are Christmas crackers though?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rachelle WardleDecember 21, 2011 at 12:23 PM

    Your house is flipping gorgeous. Like seriously can I move in? I'm pretty sure you and your hubby need a grown child right?

    I agree that Christmas has been "off" this year. Just came way to fast!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. michelle marieDecember 21, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    so.... "christmas crackers" are toilet paper tubes stuffed with little magnifying glasses?

    please 'splain!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Lisa JDecember 22, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    so i know that you've posted photos of your house before, but this one really puts into perspective how monstrous and open it is.... absolutely gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousDecember 23, 2011 at 5:54 PM

    We have "Christmas Crackers" every year but my Mom makes them so the prizes are always good!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Suz and AllanDecember 24, 2011 at 2:05 PM

    One of my college roommates and I watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune together every night!

    ReplyDelete

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