Thanksgiving & A Little Catch-Up

Good afternoon my dears, 

This year, we've stayed home, stayed safe, worn a mask, and socially distanced ourselves on the rare occasion we are out in public. There are many reasons as a family we have chosen to do this; in particular because at the beginning of the pandemic I was pregnant, we had a newborn with no immunity, for our elders, and for cancer patients (like my dad was) who are immunocompromised. Pediatric cancer has especially been on my heart lately, and I have shed many a tear because innocent newborns, babies, infants, and toddlers have died because their immune systems have been compromised. I couldn't ever live with the thought that I could've in any way contributed to their demise. 

- Thanksgiving - 

For that reason, we decided to forgo our annual tradition of going to The Biltmore for Thanksgiving. Instead we celebrated, just the 3 of us, at home. It was the most prefect day - the weather, the food, and getting to see Drew in his cute Thanksgiving outfits.

We have been ordering our groceries through the instacart app most of this year. A few days before Thanksgiving the food was delivered to our front door, I rolled up my sleeves, and I spent 9 hours in the kitchen, yes, you read that right...nine hours, preparing our Thanksgiving dinner. 

Menu 

Turkey, ham, popovers, sweet potato casserole, au gratin, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, and cranberry jello. For dessert, we had pear and apple pies and pumpkin spice choc-chip bundt cake. 

The floral arrangement was delivered a few days before. 

Drew and Daddy 

Drew and Mama

- Virtual Tea Parties - 

One way I've been entertaining myself while staying at home, is with virtual tea parties. I had one with my dear friend, Sherry, from the blog Our Love Story and one with author, Susan Branch, along with 1,000 of her other fans. I sipped on Earl Grey tea with honey and nibbled on homemade sugar cookies. 

My Susan Branch Christmas books. Her latest, Home For Christmas, is about her 1956 childhood Christmas. 

- Granny and Grandpa- 

Before I say goodbye to you, I wanted to share a picture of my Granny Smith. Growing up, we would often call her Granny Apples because she always had curtains with appliqued apples on them in her kitchen. 

My Granny's life events all happened in December. She was born on December 27th, 1938 in Kudowa-Zdrój. During the second world war she was sent on a cattle train to West Germany to work on a farm because she was from Lower Silesia  - German, but not German enough, I guess. She married my Grandpa on December 12th, in Yorkshire, England and followed his career in the British Army all around the world. She gave my Dad and Auntie Di an idyllic childhood in the 50's, 60's and 70's and and was an involved Granny during the 80's, 90's, and 00's. Sadly, she passed away suddenly on December 8th, 2010. 

This year was 10 years. Yet it still feels like yesterday. She loved Christmastime and was one of those Christmas in July shoppers, so preparing and having a happy Christmas is how she'd want all of us to celebrate her, and her life. This year I finished converting her 8mm film reels into digital videos. She was a keeper of memories, a storyteller, and loved by her children and grandchildren - the best legacy of all. 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2021. 

Stay safe at home, 

Kiki Nakita 

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Baby's First Halloween & Fall Catch-Up

 Good afternoon my dears,

Its been awhile since I did a catch-up on my blog. Things are starting to get into a routine with Drew, which makes time for blogging, etc. much easier. 

- Decorating the Porch - 

Our Halloween tradition was a little different this year. Instead of going to the pumpkin patch, we walked around our local garden nursery, Pike's Place, for fresh flowers and pumpkins to decorate our front porch. I even got my boys, Cory and Drew, to wear matching denim shirts for a front porch picture.  

Momma and Drew on the front porch.

- Drew is 5 Months Old - 

Drew turned 5 months old a few days before Halloween. We've given him the nickname, Drew Bear, ever since he was born, so we decided to dress him up as a bear cub for Halloween. I may be partial, but isn't he an adorable bear cub?

- Mary & Martha- 

A few months ago, I signed up with Mary & Martha. They are a Christian based company that sells faith based items. I was able to get an early start on buying Christmas presents 25% off for Drew. I especially love the items from their All Creatures Great & Small, God's Rainbow Promise, and Woodland Friends collections. 

- Fall Baking - 

We've been staying at home as much as possible during the pandemic. We're both homebodies, so Cory working from home has been ideal. Its given me a lot more time to cook homecooked lunches and dinners, and time to bake delicious treats. 

These pumpkin spice cupcakes were from a baking kit at Aldi's, the cupcake liners were from Sophistiplate (which I caution you to only take a peek if you have some sense of control), and the toppers were from Michaels. They were the perfect Halloween treat.  

These mini banana bread loves were homemade using Grandma Griffith's recipe. They were so delicious, even without the chocolate chips. In a small loaf pan they only take 25 minutes to bake. Delicious sliced with a spread of unsalted butter. 

We'll be taking down our Fall décor and putting up our Christmas décor over the next few weeks. I like to have everything decorated, the presents bought and wrapped, cards addressed and stamped, and the pantry stocked before December 1st, that way I can relax and enjoy the holiday season. 

Hope that you're all doing well. 

Stay safe and cozy, 

Kiki Nakita 

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Bloglovin' 

Master Bathroom and Closet Tour

Good afternoon my dears.

Today, I'd like to share a glimpse of our master bathroom and closet. Lets rewind back to March, when I was around seven months pregnant, and had the strongest urge to decorate around our home. My hubby started by painting the walls Valspar Sachet, a soft lavender-grey color, which makes the room feel both relaxing and romantic. Then, because of stay-at-home orders, I shopped our home for matching accessories. I was able to find this framed floral rose print and faux flowers which helped cozy up the space.

~ I enjoy playing relaxing music, taking a warm bath, and drying off with soft clean towels. ~

~ Someday, I'd like to update our lighting. If you have any ideas, let me know. ~

~ Built-in that I use for our towel sets, bath salts, essential oils, etc. ~

~ I love this painting of a magnolia above our lavatory. ~

~ View from the closet, looking into the bathroom. ~

~ I love our view, overlooking acres of forest. ~

~ My side of the closet. ~

~Hubby's side of the closet. ~

 Whenever my hubby has a special occasion, he'll buy a new shirt and donate a shirt. That's how it stays organized. 

~ Video ~

Includes a before and after from when we were building our home. 

Kiki Nakita 

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Bloglovin' 

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Grace at Home #390

Cindy's 62nd Birthday In Charleston, SC

Good morning my dears,

We've created so many memories over the years, and I've enjoyed finding ways to preserve those memories, whether it be digitally on my hard drive, or on social media. But one of my favorite ways to preserve memories is to write blog posts and edit videos that we can look back on over the years.

Lets rewind back to early February, 2020. That month, I was 6 months pregnant with Drew, and we made a long weekend trip down to Charleston, SC, to celebrate Cory's mom's 62nd birthday. Cory's parents, Kerry and Cindy, live in Kennewick, WA, and this was their first visit to the Carolinas. 

In the video, posted at the bottom of this post, we share our itinerary; a tour of where we stayed, where we visited, and the places we ate. But first, here are our favorite pictures from our trip. 

~ Cory ~

~ Cory and Cindy (his mom) ~

~ Cory and Kerry (his dad) ~

~ Kiki and bump ~

~ Cory, Kiki, and bump ~

~ Cindy and Kerry ~

~ Palmetto Tree ~

~ Cory, outside the Calhoun Mansion ~

~ Kiki and bump ~

~ Cindy and Kerry ~

~ Cory at the Pineapple Fountain ~

~ Cory at The Fish House Restaurant ~

~ Kiki and bump ~

~ Kiki at Patriot's Point ~

~ Cory ~

~ Kiki and Cory on the ferry to Fort Sumter ~

Here's a video of our trip to Charleston, SC. 

Kiki Nakita 

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Bloglovin'