"Cottage By The Sea"

I'm baaaaaaack.  With an apology for being MIA for so long.  I've been visiting your blogs but neglecting mine.  I usually don't make New Years resolutions but, this year I did; and it's to post here more often.  I love to take photos and share them and I love to write but, I'm way behind. I got so behind that I didn't know where to start so I just avoided posting and got more behind.   Life has been happening at a frantic pace and I have barely been keeping up.  Lets see, what to post about first?  How about love?  My favorite subject.  There was a lot of it around our place in 2011.  My daughter Kate got engaged in February to her college sweetheart Justin.

It started off with a lot of this.

And this.
They both graduated University in Texas then moved back to their respective homes, his in Albuquerque, New Mexico and hers in San Diego, California.  Then they burned up the phone lines and spent all their money on plane fare.  Last February Justin planned a sweet and romantic proposal and this November they sealed the deal with a beautiful Nuptial Mass where they were united in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony at our home parish.

They say it never rains in Southern California but, when it rains on your wedding day we Irish believe it's good luck.  It rained from early AM to late PM.  The sunroof in my car leaked. I stepped in a deep puddle in the parking lot and spent the entire evening soaking wet. But, this couple is going to be VERY lucky because my Kate took it all in stride.  She was the consummate mello bride and set the tone for all of us.

My sons Cooper and Dylan escorted me to my seat. No tears yet.

My handsome and proud hubby walking his precious daughter down the aisle.  Isn't her dress beautiful?  And her bouquet?  And her beaming smile?

This beautiful sapphire and pearl neckless has been worn by every bride in my husbands family since his great grandmother.  I remember how honored I felt to wear it when we were married, and now two of my daughters have worn it as well.  It also covers the something old and something blue adage.

Do you remember Honey Heart? While trying to describe how much he loves his new baby sister to me, my youngest grandson who was four at the time said, "Grammy, I just love my new baby so much, sometimes I call her Honey Heart."  This is Abigail Rose all dressed up for her Auntie's wedding.  Her handsome escort is her daddy.

 In my last post  "It All Started With A Recycled Wedding Dress"  I shared about how I made the ring bearer pillow out of my old wedding dress.  Here it is, and here are the hooligans very reverent, aHem; hooligans full of shenanigans, who had the very important responsibility of carrying the rings.  Really, who are we kidding here, just take a look at those faces.  Who wouldn't trust them with their cherished jewelry?

 These are my daughters, Tara, Kate and Maggie.  All as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

Ya'll would have been proud of me.  I didn't cry all day.  (But, as my husband has pointed out, I've made up for it since.) On my daughters wedding day though, I was so sleep deprived from 9 months of wedding planning, terrified because I had to leave my cocoon, and hysterical because my baby was leaving me for good, cool, calm, and collected.  And in case you were wondering, since I've spoken about the fact that 99 percent of my shoe wardrobe is flip flops, I am proud to announce my friends, I kept my big girl heels on and danced my heart out in them all night long!

Why oh why do women do this to themselves?

Baby sister Maggie.  I loved the bridesmaids bouquets, so cheery!

Our little Emma was her Auntie's flower girl and she did an impeccable job.

These are Kate's new sisters-in-law.  They are sweet and adorable and also served as bridesmaids.  Not only that, they know how to tear up the dance floor!

They were a huge help with wedding planning, choosing the dresses and making sure that all five girls got one in their size. On sale too! I hate shopping so they're were my heros.

We got lucky in the in-law department.  Justin's family is so much fun, extremely generous and they love our daughter.  What more could you ask for when you join families?

This is my family with my five originals and our two sons-in-law.  I can only hope that my last three find spouses as spectacular as my first two have. They've set the bar pretty high!

It's the third week of Advent.  Are you ready?  I'm trying to still my heart and prepare for Christmas here at the cottage. Do you find it as hard as I?  Why are there so many functions, so many obligations, and while we're discussing this, why is there so much traffic?  Peoples of the world, I have a suggestion for ya.  Have your parties after Christmas.  December is already full.

 I am yearning to cozy-in and be quietly surrounded by peace.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word.  And the angel departed from her.

Don't get me wrong, the sparkling lights and the crisp winter air are alluring to me.  I love to deck the halls decorate the cottage for Christmas.  I get excited for every wreath, every creche, and every candy cane.
Each evening I go about lighting every candle and then before bed I blow them all out again.  I love rituals.  We eat all our meals on our Christmas china this time of year and inevitably one of my kids asks me, "Where did we get this stuff?" Wha, whaat?  I love traditions.  Yesterday we planted poinsettia's along our front walk way.  I've hung candy canes in magical places for my grandchildren to find on Christmas Eve, right after dinner, right before they get in their car, which will happily satiate them on their way home.  That's correct.  I had five kids of my own, lets hope all that wisdom I earned, not go to waste, and my white sofas we all live happily ever after!

This bubble light is my most favorite Christmas decoration.  It has such a pretty, soft glow and it reminds me of when I was a little girl and many of the lights on our tree were bubble lights.  Do they still make these for the tree?  I need to get out more.

The tree is up, the mantel is dressed and so we go about enjoying in anticipation the Advent of Our Lord.


Finals are in full swing which means my boyo will be home from school soon.  I hope he loves his bedroom Christmas tree.  I filled a jar with things that he loves and dropped a starlit tree inside.

Last Christmas he came home and made a tent in his room.  It was pretty cool until a candle he lit almost burned the cottage down.  He's gonna have to enjoy his room outside the tent this year no matter how much we and the dogs all loved visiting him in there.

 I don't think there is a nook or a cranny that I leave Un-Christmassed.  Yes, I said un-Christmassed, (it's a real word).  Just ask my husband who refuses to play scrabble with me anymore.  I don't cheat.  I just happen to know a lot more words than anybody else.

 I have no treater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  Aint that the truth?

The greatest gift you will ever receive will never be found under a Christmas tree.  It is far too valuable to be stored in any other place but in the depths of your heart.

 A gaggle of hooligans up to shenanigans.

 My Honey Heart and her handsome daddy.


Just one more thing; happy 1 month Anniversary to my daughter Kate and her new husband Justin.  May your first married Christmas be as blessed as you have made us this year.

To all my friends, family and dearest bloggy friends, may this Advent Season find you at peace.  It's been a busy year, so while I wait for Christmas I think I'll go take a nap.  I'll be dreaming of you and wishing you Blessings!

Love you more than Christmas,

Tia

Now that my second oldest daughter Kate, is getting married, I got out my scissors and recycled my dress once again.  I'm not a seamstress, (I may have mentioned that once or twice before) but I can sew a somewhat straight line in a pinch.  I cannot measure worth a darn, so I eyeball the project and hope for the best.  I've got three more kids to marry off and I hope to force them carry on the tradition of making from my own wedding dress, their ring bearer pillows with my own little hands.

My wedding dress was ivory satin with a sheer overlay.  I let Kate choose some of her favorite sea shells to embellish her pillow.  They were a salute to all the happy memories she has had living here, from bright days basking in the sunshine, to competing in many surf competitions all through high school, and to bonfires and parties by moonlight. I'm just guessing about the bonfires and parties by moonlight because I'm pretty sure her father and I didn't sanction very many of those.

Kate and her favorite surfing partner, her baby sister Maggie.

I used the satin material from my dress to cover a pillow which I formed from batting.  I then glue gunned her favorite shells right onto the pillow before I covered it with the sheer overlay and ribbon.  Do you think it is appropriate to use the terms,"glue or gun" when one speaks of weddings?

This is Kate and Justin when they first met at college three years ago.

This is them all in love and mushy-like, just before they got engaged last February.

Last summer I snapped this photo of the love birds and if only someone would get the engagement pictures off their fiance's computer and email them to their mommy, I'd have some really, really, cute official engagement photos to show ya.  You guys are always so patient with me though, so I know you'll hang in and when you're a captive audience again, I'll have all the engagement pictures, various parties and such and the official wedding pictures to share very soon.   Because you know I love you like that.

Of course my pup Saint Kieran, was "helping" by giving me moral support through my entire pillow project.  He made sure that none of the batting got away!

I'm not sure what kind of help this gal was.  Perhaps she was supporting me in spirit.


Oooh, so many pearls to choose from. I sewed the (faux) pearls on by hand during the many hours I have spent sitting on the sofa watching Mr. Cottage By The Sea, pace the floor and say bad words while watching The Charger's lose football games this season. OH FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY CHARGERS - BRING IT ON!  A woman can only take so much pacing.  The man is beating a path in my rug.
We held auditions for the job of ring bearer, and although this guy was a close second...and very hard to resist -


This one succumbed to the tickle monster and won out in the end.

This is what the website, "The Knot" has to say about the duties of the ring bearer.

The ring bearer, traditionally a small boy aged four to eight, walks 


down the aisle just before the flower girl (if there is one), carrying a 


pillow with two rings tied to it. Since it's not the greatest idea to 


entrust gold rings to a rambunctious 6-year-old, the rings are usually 


fakes.