I've only been able to decorate the family room this year, since the rest of the house is completely discombobulated  by the ongoing renovation project.  It made it a little easier this year (I kept telling myself that)-- only one room to decorate. 

So...here is Christmas in our family room.  I wasn't able to share anything about Christmas last year, so I was especially determined to post something this year, even if it was just a little bit... 





This is my chance to really break out all the red.  So cheery and Christmasy!  I don't think I could ever go with a 'blue' or 'green' color scheme. 













I went with a small Christmas tree this year.   And even at only about one week old, it's already dried out and drooping, thanks to the heat and winds that have plagued southern California over the past few weeks.  

Since we are so fortunate that we were not affected by the terrible fires that have raged (and still are as I write this) across the southern half of the state, I certainly won't complain about this very minor and inconsequential side effect of the horrible Santa Ana winds that just won't go away.



This year it was all about nostalgia and things that spoke to the little kid inside.  All my favorite little Christmas creatures and whimsical ornaments remind me of that magical, excited feeling I got every Christmas morning when I was little.  That feeling that impelled me to jump out of bed at around 5 am and wake everyone up!  (I'm happy to sleep in these days, no need to get up that early to open presents). 







Update:  Is this a Blogging No-No?  I don't care-- I was in such a hurry when I wrote this post that I forgot to include my favorite Christmas doggy (after, of course, my real, live doggies). So here he is...






I always bring out Teddy Bear Angel from his box every year, no matter what.  My mom gave him to me, so he is especially dear to me.




Mr. Foxy demanded that I take him home last year, and I agreed wholeheartedly.  I can never resist a cute animal of any sort and I loved this little guy's dapper outfit.  

Although it is risky to put him within reach of the dogs.  Especially right now: I had to hide their chew toys since Rosie must not play and romp about because of recent surgery, and she may be tempted by Mr. Foxy.  Sometimes they have a hard time distinguishing between their toys and mine ;-)

I'm slowly working my way through all the photos I took at the cabin over Thanksgiving, however this effort has been hijacked by major renovation efforts currently happening in my office.  In fact, I have no office right now: my desk and bookshelves are scattered in pieces across several rooms upstairs, and my computer is hiding under a dropcloth, along with the WiFi, so neither gets covered with all the dust from the sanding going on in my office... so it's a little hard for me to make any headway on photo editing.

So in the meantime, I thought I would give you a recap of the cabin journey from start to finish.

Water and Power

Our property had no water or power, so we had to bring it in from the main road a half mile away.  I'm still amazed that we managed to dig a half-mile long trench, get all the pipe and utility lines in place, get it inspected and approved, bury everything, and actually end up with running water on our property in one week.  

For more information on the first step of what has been an incredible journey for my husband and I, click here (this is also the very first post of this blog).





Weather-Tight Cabin

Originally my husband had wanted to build the cabin structure himself, but luckily the voice of reason prevailed and we hired a contractor to build the finished shell.  

For more on foundation building and framing fun (courtesy of our contractor), click here. 





Septic and Water System and Starting on the Interior

Once the weather-tight cabin was finished, it was our turn to step in and get to work on finishing the interior and installing the septic system and water tank and pump.  This was two years ago-- I can't believe I actually thought we were 'almost done'!

For more on this, click here.  





More Work on the Interior

We had to go back several more times to get the interior finished (my husband made several more trips than I did).  Finish work not only included installing the 'salvaged' wood ceilings and floors, but also installing and painting the tongue and groove ('shiplap') walls, staining and installing the window and door trim, installing the custom shower and converted vanity sink, the galvanized feed tub kitchen sink...

 Click here to see more on this.



Passing the Final Inpsection


Last September we passed the final inspection.  The week before we took care of some final details (including installing the kitchen cabinets, butcher block counter tops, open shelves, finish painting, among many others...).  We were beyond elated; we celebrated by going out to dinner with my brother. The whole evening was a blur, I was so tired and relieved that we finally did it.

Click here for more on this.   




Finally We Move in the Furniture

I can't believe it's taken us an entire year to get back to the cabin and furnish it, but we did it... here are a few photos of us getting stuff put in place.  More photos of the finished cabin to arrive soon...