It would take me an entire day to write a post to share with you my love for Christmas. My mom and dad made Christmas so special for us as children and I hope that I can always do the same for my children! I’ve started to put up a few decorations here and there and we hope to get our tree soon. We do have lighted wreaths on our windows that shine in at night and for now, that satsifies my “tree need”.
If you need some holiday tunes to get you in the mood for tree trimming, present wrapping, or cookie icing I want to share with those of you who love music some of my favorite Christmas tunes. First, Red Mountain Music‘s Silent Night. Red Mountain Church in Birmingham has an unbelievable music ministry, Justin and I have loved them for years {and maybe one day will even have a chance to worship there} and are always excited about each new album released. Second, Nathan Clark George‘s A Midwinter’s Eve, I don’t see a link to the actual album on his website but you can listen and purchase it through itunes. Like Red Mountain, we love all of Nathan’s work! From his mainpage you can open the audio player and listen to his Pull Up a Chair album {my personal non-Christmas favorite}! Third, Matthew Smith & Indelible Grace‘s Your King Has Come. You can preview, purchase and download the entire album. It’s just as wonderful as the others! And because I have bluegrass roots, I can’t leave my friend Patty Loveless off the list with her wonderful Bluegrass White Snow Christmas album, and I can even tell you that Pandora has a Patty Loveless Holiday station that is absolutely fantastic! And last but not least, Amy Grant’s A Christmas Album that we actually have on vinyl which is so fun to me and Tennessee Christmas will always make me wish I lived in Tennessee, or at least spent Christmas there! 🙂
I’ll be back soon with the new December sponsors! If anyone inquired about advertising but for some reason {probably because I’m very unorganized} didn’t get a response, it’s not too late… you can email me darby@flythroughourwindow.com.
Merry Christmas friends!!
E @ Oh! Apostrophe
December 1, 2009 at 12:31 pmI love your star garland! Did you make that? (You probably did!) Crafty lady 🙂
Kasey
December 1, 2009 at 12:32 pmI just love your blog. You have the coolest links and your pictures speak a thousand words!! I too love the Christmas season!!
Anna
December 1, 2009 at 12:44 pmYour mention of Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas album just took me back a couple decades. When I was a kid, we taped her Tennessee Christmas tv special and it was one of our most favorite things to watch at any time of the year. I’m sure it drove my mom crazy, just like when we got obsessed with Lady and the Tramp. I think I’ll try to find some of those tunes on Pandora this afternoon.
Remodelaholic
December 1, 2009 at 12:59 pmI love Christmas too! It is so fun to decorate and cozy up with your family on a cold day. My favorite is Gene Autry. When I hear his Christmas songs I feel like a kids again!
And if your are getting ready to decorate I am doing a 12 days of paper Christmas decorations on my blog. Some of them are really easy and would be fun to do with kids, if you have a second to check it out!
Merry Christmas! And thank heaven for the true reason we are celebrating this season!
Ivy
December 1, 2009 at 1:33 pmI LOVE Tennessee Christmas!! I think Patty Loveless is great too:)Love the garland! Thanks for getting “Cousie” in tough with me…I think we are going to be BFF!
Alexandra
December 1, 2009 at 1:34 pmI would love to hear about your love for Christmas and and of course what your parents did, which made Christmas so special. Please write if you can!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Ruth Williams
December 1, 2009 at 1:49 pmI love your stars 🙂 I want to come over and have tea with you. Why do we have to live so darn far away!?
Tara
December 1, 2009 at 1:56 pmI love your star garland as well! Not to mention the A-dorable christmas shot of everyone’s boots – amazing! thanks for sharing – your blog is a daily read!
Amber E
December 1, 2009 at 3:12 pmCan I tell you that I just love you for including Patty Loveless?!?! She is one of my all time favorites! Your stockings are adorable (we have some from PB too, I just love how warm they look) 🙂
Talysa
December 1, 2009 at 3:13 pmIf you made those stockings and that darling garland…I do not want to know! Because then I may have to hate you. 😉
They are precious though…and if you get enough of these requests maybe you could share where you got them…and is that a dooor/headboard over your mantle?!?!? Love it!
Erin @ SYL: Slipcover Your Life
December 1, 2009 at 3:32 pmLove the sparkly lights… I’m rocking out to Last Christmas by Glee!
chesley
December 1, 2009 at 3:33 pmbeing that i’ve never spent christmas anywhere but Tennessee, i’d say it’s a pretty great place to be :-)!
Scattering Lupines
December 1, 2009 at 4:04 pmLOVE Red Mountain Church Band!
Shireen
December 1, 2009 at 4:40 pmDarby, I miss you. Remember this coming weekend last year? I’ve thought a lot about this time last year…I’m nostalgic about how the Lord has allowed me to spend time, if that makes sense, then I dream over it weeks, months, years later. Well, this time last year, I was coming to see you guys for the weekend.
I woke up one morning during Thanksgiving in LA dreaming of you, Justin and the kiddos. It was crazy…so real in my dreams. I really enjoyed your Thanksgiving post…the one with the pictures and the Scripture. I recognized EACH picture and remembered the posts they were originally in. That was a thoughtful post…simple, yet profound.
I wanted to ask a favor, Darby. Russell’s sweet parents gave me a Singer Simple sewing machine for Christmas and insist on me applying it to whatever I ‘really’ want. I want your suggestion…you don’t need to share too much…just whatever comes to mind. I can use that in my decision making.
I hope you’re doing well.
I do miss you, but I know we’re all so busy right now.
Love to you and each of you, Shireen
P.S. It’s really neat to see the stockings hung in your post and to know that I was just seeing them in person a year ago. 🙂
Bailey
December 1, 2009 at 5:04 pmDid you make those stockings!? If you did…possibly a how to? If you did not…where may I find such a thing? I need stockings for me and Pete as we start our christmas traditions!
Brittan
December 1, 2009 at 5:22 pmMerry Christmas Darby and family! We have all of our decorations up too! We love this season:)
Anne
December 1, 2009 at 5:57 pmWhen I saw the title of your post….I thought of RAFFI. We love his Christmas album and it has that song on it. Brenna is 24, Megan 21, we still love it and play it evey year.
Donna
December 1, 2009 at 6:45 pmI love that star garland…so cute! Love your blog, so many great things to read! I left you a blog award over on my blog,check it out if you get a chance!
Talysa
December 1, 2009 at 7:39 pmAhhhh Ha! I think i found your quilted stockings @ PB Kids! And if not they are a dead ringer! In other words…close enough!
Oh and I forgot to mention….Tennessee Christmas is one of my favs. Listened to it every year when I lived away from home…and cried of course. Now I’m back here and appreciate all there is about Christmas in TN!
kim
December 1, 2009 at 8:17 pmDid you see that Sandra McCracken (sandramccracken.com) has a free Christmas song download right now? Definitely worth a listen! Thanks for sharing your lives with the Internet universe — I enjoy it!
Christy Stargel
December 1, 2009 at 8:37 pmIt doesn’t get any better than Amy Grant’s A Christmas Album – it’s the first one I get out every year while decorating!
Amanda Thrasher
December 1, 2009 at 9:06 pmCAn my family of 4 come to your house for Christmas? We are loud, love to eat and I cry a lot–tears of joy, stress, etc.
Christie
December 1, 2009 at 9:15 pmOur Christmas decorations are coming out slowly but surely. I have been so excited to get them all out, but first I had to do some major cleaning! I have been listening to Christmas music for a couple of weeks now, but I have never listened to any of the albums that you suggested, so I will have to give some of them a try!
Merry Christmas!!!
Kellie
December 1, 2009 at 9:29 pmThanks for sharing- I LOVE Red Mountain Music!!! I think you shared that with us maybe last Christmas or sometime and I have loved them ever since! I’d love to go worship there sometime too! Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!
allyson
December 1, 2009 at 10:53 pmHey D! I am SO STINKIN EXCITED about Christmas, too!! I put my tree and decorations on the inside up a couple of weeks ago (I know early, but I couldn’t stand it). I didn’t put the stuff up outside, but secretly I was enjoying it all already :)!!
I’m headed to Enterprise to hang out with Ashley Thursday – Saturday. If you want to get together we would LOVE that just let me know!
I ALWAYS think about you and E and tender Tenn. Christmas! Did you know we spent almost all of our Christmases in Tenn, but I didn’t know that song until you came along:). Love you dearly!! Oh and of course I agree with all the comments above that your star garland is cute as can be! I think you are the coolest!!
Chelsea
December 2, 2009 at 8:28 amDarby your stockings and garland look so devine!! Cant wait to see what else you do with Christmas at your house! Thanks for Sharing!!
Tiffany
December 2, 2009 at 10:26 amI love the star garland! Too, too cute!
Also, I am a huge Amy Grant fan! She seriously has the best Christmas music. Tennessee Christmas is such a classic! : )
chelsea
December 2, 2009 at 7:46 pmHello,
I love reading your blog!
I was wondering if you made those adorable stockings…if you did could you post your tutorial? 🙂
Merry Christmas!
Brandi
December 2, 2009 at 8:00 pmDarby, what are your stockings hanging from? Is that always on your fireplace, or only there for the holiday. It looks like an old door hung there. Just curious. It looks beautiful. Lovely stockings and garland. You have such talent and I enjoy looking at your creations.
andi
December 2, 2009 at 8:48 pmLoved catching up! 🙂 Ummmm, the boot photo is way cool.
You need to be schooling me with my camera….
Can’t wait for some laughing Friday night. 🙂
Lauren
December 2, 2009 at 8:52 pmI LOVE your stockings!!!! Did you make them yourself?? Really enjoyed this post.
Jennifer
December 2, 2009 at 10:38 pmDarby, would you mind sharing how your parents made Christmas so special for you as a child? I’m looking for ideas on how to share the season with my little ones (4, 3 and 1). I’d love a post on your traditions etc… P.S. The mug photo with the blurred wreath lights in the background is very cool. Love it! Thanks! Merry Christmas!
kendall boggs
December 3, 2009 at 4:45 amI wanna go on a hayride!
Okay the cotton. For my Thanksgiving table this year I had a friend from Mississippi send me a box full of cotton cut with the stalks (I guess that’s what they’re called) still attached. I did two large vases on the end and three small ones in the middle. It looked really cool like flower arrangements of cotton! Just an idea if you ever run out (which I know will never happen!) Great post!
Paula
December 3, 2009 at 9:00 amI’ve always loved Christmas. Although my childhood wasn’t the best, Christmas was my time of dreaming and feeling that everything was ok.
And today that I have a loving husband, I cherish Christmas even more and I thank God that I’m alive and that I have a house of my own to decorate!
🙂
terri smith
December 3, 2009 at 12:22 pmAhh, my husband and I hail from Chattanooga, TN! We live in Sugar Land TX now, and we haven’t lived in Chatt town for almost 30 years – miss is so… Anyway, on my blog I’ve posted a wonderful youtube music video of Sixpence None the Richer singing “Silent Night”. I think your children would enjoy watching it on Youtube! They also have one to “Angels We Have Heard on High”. Merry Christmas!
diane reeves
December 3, 2009 at 1:14 pmWe are big fans of Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace. Our family has been enjoying Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums this season.
I too would love to hear about how your parents made Christmas time so special for you.
Kate
December 6, 2009 at 12:47 amDarby,
I set up a Pandora account after reading this post, and I am already hooked! Patty Loveless is amazing. 🙂
Kate