The Birthday Princess

I have been MIA for a while now for a very good reason!!!  My sweet baby girl turned 5 last week and we celebrated her big day at Disney!

We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.   We were upgraded to the club level!  Woohoooo!  We had the absolute, hands down best time ever!!!

We arrived Wednesday evening and went straight to Animal Kingdom.  We didn't have long, but would love to go back and visit again.

The next day, we went to Epcot.  Our little trooper walked (for the most part) from 11 a.m. until we left the park at 9:30 p.m!!  She was awesome and we all decided that Soarin' is our favorite ride at Epcot!

Her birthday arrived with a birthday phone call from Goofy!  The grandparents came to spend the day with us since they live about an hour away.  It was so nice to have family with us on her actual birthday!  We headed to the Magic Kingdom around lunch and rode a few rides before her big birthday surprise.  We took her to the castle and told her that we had an appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!  She couldn't even talk!  She just hugged me!  That was enough for me!!!  She picked out the Tiana dress and then had the full works done.  The were wonderful there!  Then her invitation from Cinderella arrived where she was asked to join Cinderella and the princesses at the castle for dinner!  She was giddy!  We had dinner with the princesses and then joined Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!  It was an absolutely wonderful birthday!

She rode her first roller coaster and loved every minute of it!  The next day, we went back to ride Big Thunder Mountain again and the Haunted Mansion.  She kept talking about what we would do next year when we go back for her next birthday.  Sounds like a plan to me!!!  I will not bore you with anymore details, but share a few pictures!  O.k.  a lot of pictures, but hey!  I can't help myself!

I do believe that this is the happiest place on earth!

Cheery Living Room and Dining Room

I have had so much fun decorating this year!  I am just loving all the little touches and things.  It has been so festive in our house!  Here are a few details around the living room.

My $13 reindeer from Marshall's.  He called to me.   I couldn't leave him!

Our unit that we had built is decked out for the holidays

I have had this nativity for years.  It was from a candle party.  A tea light in the back makes it glow so beautifully at night.  I copied the lyrics to Silent Night from Jennifer at Dear Lillie's blog.  

She is amazing!

Sorry for the poor quality of these shots!  I was on my tippy toes!  These are some of my smoking men that I collected while living in Germany.   They are wonderful!  You put a cone of incense in them and the smoke comes out of their mouths.  I love them.  The BHW got me the blue and purple one on his last trip to Germany!  He loves me!

I added snow and trees to the top of my unit in my German village.  This church is handmade to replicate a church in Freiburg, Germany which wasn't far from our house.  

A collection of my Santas on a table behind the sofa.

This is one of my most cherished pieces.  This arrangement was made by my stepmom for me several years ago.  She made it in a basket that my dad made when he was 9 years old at 4H camp.  He was supposed to be 10 to go to camp, but got in at 9 somehow!  I love this basket and treasure it.  Thank you Gaga for one of the best gifts of all time!

Now, on to the dining room!  This is the view when you first enter my house.  The centerpiece is my pride and joy right now!  It is in a sleigh that my stepmom bought me years ago.  I was always inspired to do something in it after seeing one similar in my Southern Living Christmas book, and this year, I did it!  I went around my neighborhood with giant clippers and a laundry basket.  I cut cedar, pine and magnolias from all around.  I only cut from the common areas!  I swear I didn't go into anyone's yard!  My stepmom cut the nandina berries for me from our house in Tennessee.  I just love how it turned out!

View from the kitchen

I only did two place settings.  This may break all the rules of tablescaping, but I didn't have room with the snow and the sleigh!  The charger is from Big Lots and the Christmas china was a gift from my stepmom.  Yes... she is very good to me!  The crystal is Jamestown Gold from my wedding.  The sherbert glass is a Heisey pattern called Minuet.  My inlaws collect pieces for me.  It is gorgeous with such magnificent details! 

The bronzeware was given to me by my dad.  When he was in Vietnam, he wanted to get something to give his mother that could be passed down.  He selected this handmade bronzeware.  It is unique and beautiful.  This is the first time I have used it and I love it.  All of it is stored in a rosewood box lined in green velvet.  It has all dumped out and I have to put it all in it's spot soon.  It is just extraordinary.  I love that my dad thought about an heirloom piece as a young man far from home.  The placemats are actually napkins that are part of a tablecloth that I bought in Venice, Italy.

Well, the princess turns 5 on Friday (sniff, sniff) and we are taking her to Disney for a magical birthday! Let's just say a Fairy Godmother in training and Cinderella will play a major part!  I will take lots of pictures to share!  Have a great week everyone and see you soon!