A time for Relaxing and enjoying eachother..

I hope that everything in your lives is going smoothly and the Christmas days were filled with love and laughter with your family and friends. We have been busy here at the Coastal Nest, and now it is time just to sit back, unwind and have a laugh or two. Put together some Lego's, read great new books and just honor the time of family togetherness. Wow, I got teary eyed just typing that...

I am happy to report that Santa was just a great a present giver as ever, here. He was very generous to the children and left wonderful surprises for everyone. Sweet Rea got a wonderful old fashion Kitchen that Santa had quite a time putting together, until wee hours of the morn. (hehehe) I told him to get a start on it earlier. Crept into bed @ 2:20am. What a love. She hasn't came out of her room almost since we took it up there. The boys, bless them, are LEGO FANATICS-- I love the fact that 8 years difference just melts away when they are in legoland together. The boys just play and play and play with those little pieces, building fortresses, going on mars missions, just incredible imaginations. Added bonus..quiet time for mommy.

I love it just after Christmas, being in retail and owning a small business, you REALLY don't get to enjoy the pre time as much as the post time. Although, yes, you who have been with me a while know, that this year has been much different than last year, with the weather and all its devilish tricks that it dealt us here in Washington state. It has been a year, alright..to say the least.

We have been having family night movies here, watching great old Christmas shows, including Its a wonderful life, which STILL makes me cry, all the little kids shows from the early 70s, and of coarse, never to be left out my favorite Griswold movie, Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase is the very funniest. He is so SO hysterical!!! All those relatives are just the BEST. Cousin Eddy in that leisure suit, LORD! or that black dickey under that white sweater knocking down the Christmas
decorations, gulping down the eggnog in those wally world eggnog cups. CRACK UP!!!

We will be around, enjoying the Christmas lights and Tree, eating all the Christmas treats, loving all the family togetherness and waiting to greet Baby New Year, I, for one am ready to toast 2008.
All the best--
Lisa

Merry
Christ-
Mas!

Its Christmas time at my house!

Merry Christmas! As I was sitting here this morning with my cuppa coffee in hand enjoying all of my decorations, I thought I might share a few views of my home with you all.

At my sink are my very favorite pieces. The Santa's that are here I just adore, especially my Nancy Thomas articulated Santa smoking a pipe on the black and white block. He has so much soul I think he might get up and walk around and check his list twice! My tree, all 9 feet of her, I adore my ornaments! Especially the ones my kids have made over the years
Dining room chandelier adorned with alot of vintage and a few of my Grama Marys ornaments. These are treasures to me. I love the way this looks, photo makes it look washed out.
This Snowman and reindeer have been with me most of my married life and still adore them as much as I adore my hubby!

This candleabra is taller than me as it stands on my sofa table here. This is not the best decorating job on it, I really could have done a much better design, but- I wanted to get it done, so here she is for this year.

I hope all of you are enjoying your cozy nests and the beauty of the season. My best to you and yours for a much blessed holiday with family and friends.

Merry Christmas Everybody!!

xoxox

Lisa

Happy Birthday My Husband!

Today is my best friends 43rd Birthday.

Top ten reasons why I am so happy hes mine (ours)

1. 
   
   He is a man of integrity.


2. 
   
   He is a lover of all things FAMILY


3. 
   
   He loves to make me happy


4. 
   
   He makes his children laugh


5. 
   
   He loves my mother
   
6. 
   
   He is a wonderful provider


7. 
   
   He loves a good cocktail with me
   
8. 
   
   He is an excellent roll model


9. 
   
   He makes sure all the doors are locked at night before he goes to bed


10. 
    
    God couldnt have given me anyone better!

You are the finest treasure I have ever found, I woudnt be anything without you!!!

Thank you for choosing me to tag along in your life

Happy Happy Birthday My Love!

Cherry Street Christmas

Hello everyone, here I am posting a few photos today, like things are normal...not. But we are trying. I love this little miss photos, what a charming young lady.
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...
I adore my mantle this year. Although the photos kind of turned out dark, wonder why..oh, its only 5 am..
not a very good photo of the tree, but you get the idea..

As for you all wondering about the Grand Heron, There have been insurance adjusters by the handfulls, assesing all the damage, movers all over the place getting the dry stock out of the shop, ect. Lots and lots of work to record the damage goods and find the correct pile to throw it in. I, in a million years would never thought this could happen to us.

We carry on, move on, and hope for the best..
Take care--
Lisa

Is this a dream?

Here are more photos from our disaster. They are painful for me to post and very painful to even look at.

This time of year should be full of dressy clothes, a deluxe gift wrap job for all the gorgeous gifts purchased, and smiles of delight from customers checking off their to do lists, because everything anyone could dream of gift giving was here, as the high season was, and I think is, in full gear. Not so, not even close

.......NOT FOR US!!!!!!!!

As you can see, there was a lot of water, and alot of damage in the shop. Luckily, after daybreak we got inside the Grand Heron and got tarping. Which saved a majority of stock. My brother is a painting contractor and had tons of this plastic runner, he did a great job.

There is over 1million dollars worth of damage to our baby, this is only structural. This is heart wrenching.

Last photo. My mom and dad book ending my 3 delights, after a hard day of work,
We are all safe, our electricity is back on, and the love still flows. Like water through a building.

take care-
Lisa

Disaster Zone and High Anxiety

Hello out there in normal land. I am having a difficult time looking at all your wonderful Christmas delights today, It seems as though we here in Washington State are in a cloud pure misery - windswept debris, downed power lines and trees everywhere, not to mention the water and mud. The power at home is thankfully back on and we are finally warm and clean.

All traces of any sell able merchandise at the shop has been moved to higher ground. The roof at Grand Heron was, and still is, laying in the parking lot. They say our building might have to come down!!! Too much water fell inside. Can you believe that?Any insurance adjuster wont be able to be here for 4 or so days.

The most scary thing I have been through in my whole life. Mother Natures Fury- not to be reckoned with!!!The wind was over 100 mph here on the coast. So frightening.

It was black- black- black outside for, what seemed forever, then last night the Calvary!! crews and crews of beautiful linemen from other public utility companies arriving in their huge rigs from all over the state(we live one block away from the Public utilities for all of Grays Harbor) It was so eerie because it was so black, then the trucks and trucks came rolling in with all this gigantic equipment. I have goose bumps while I am writing this. What dangerous work they have ahead of them. Thank you linemen! I think that is a thankless job, to say the least.

As for the Grand Heron, my beautiful wonderful shop.. we were insured to the hilt, which is good, but it truly is like a death in the family, with no body. It is so painful to go there and see the ruination...She was so beautiful!

I feel so full of anxiety, for my parents, they are the ones who own the building and the shop, although she is my baby too- Thankfully ALL of us are okay.

Please keep me and my family in your thoughts today, there are gigantic decisions to be made, we need all the good karma we can get..

Lisa

a sad, sad day

This is our parking lot at work, That black ball of stuff is our roof.
Remember how beautiful this window was 1 month ago today when I posted?
And this one?
We have been reduced to nothing but sopping wet goods. The 100 plus mile winds we had Monday night ripped off our roof,blew the windows in and spilled so much water into the shop. There was nothing anyone could do... except cry.