Day 1, 2 & 3 of 25 Day Photo Challenge: Christmas!

As I said yesterday I am going to do the new 25 Day Photo Challenge: Christmas! by Positively Present.  So let's get started since I am a few days behind!

Day 1: Lights

I kind of cheated on this one.  I knew we were going to Enchanted Airlie tonight and I would be able to get a really good lights photo.  Airlie Gardens is a local garden you can tour any time of year but at Christmas they do special Enchanted Airlie Nights.  They have beautiful lights set up all around the gardens, Santa to visit and a whole Lego Village.


Day 2: Decorations

This is the ONLY Christmas decoration we have up right now!  I totally forgot I ordered this wreath back in October from my neighbor's daughter who was selling it for something.  But they brought it by the other day and it's a beautiful and smells so good!  I just got finished with my semester at work and the end of the semester is busy so we haven't gotten out all our Christmas decorations yet.  That is coming next week.

Day 3: Gifts

We have just started Christmas shopping.  We picked up this video camera for my son Noa.  He loves to take pictures, so thought this would be fun and James found a really good deal on it.  He also got the activity book for Marley who loves to color.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  What book, movie or song has made you want to travel to a particular place? (eg. I went to Prince Edward Island because I was such a Anne of Green Gables fan)

I have always wanted to go to Japan but after reading Memoirs of a Geisha and seeing the movie it made me want to go even more. 

2. Aside from your significant other, who would you want to take with you on a dream trip?

I would have to say my Nana.  She loves to travel and it would be a nice way to say thanks for all the incredible trips she has taken me on.

3. Where would said dream trip be to?


Japan, Australia and New Zealand

4. If you were hosting guests or providing tips, what three things would you show visitors to your hometown? (be it where you live now or where you grew up)


Well since we are the beach and it's a great beach we would head to Wrightsville Beach for a morning or day.  Historic downtown Wilmington is so great with museums, historic homes, river walk, shops and restaurants that it would have to be a stop along with a USS North Carolina Battleship tour. 

And for the last tour stop would be Airlie Gardens especially in the spring. 

5. If you had a long weekend ahead of you, where you head – beach, city or country/mountains?

Since I live at the beach it has lost some of it's appeal at least as far as vacations or long weekends go.  I would head to the mountains.  I am a Colorado girl and I love the mountains and I miss them.

6. Do you have a passport? If so, did you get it for a particular trip or just to have, in case?


Yes I have had a passport since I was 16.  I got it to go on a tour of Europe with my high school chorus.  That was such a great trip!!  We his 7 countries in about 2 weeks!  We sang at about every stop and the highlight for me was my solo in the La Madeleine Church in Paris.

7. Are there any travel souvenirs you collect? If not, is there something else you collect?

I don't have a standard thing like shot glasses or spoons that I collect but I always get extra post cards to take home and I try to find some sort of wall hanging or local art to bring home.  And thanks to my wonderful Uncle & his partner I have lots of framed artwork from my travels (visit their website for their Frame shop here).


8. If you could name a paint colour, what colour would it be and what would you call it?

Hmmm .... this one is a stumper for me.  I love blue so I would choose a bright almost indigo blue color and call it True Blue Katie.  Not very original at all I'm afraid...


9. If you were heading away for a weekend city break solo, where would you go? (forget about practicality here and flight times, assume you can get to any city in the world for the weekend)

I would head to NYC to stroll the streets do some shopping, see some Broadway shows and just enjoy being in a big city.


10. Is there a song or a smell or something that you strongly associate with a particular holiday/place/time, such that it always takes you back?

This is random but my mom had this little ghost coming out of a jack-o-lantern wax or plastic (not sure which I was young and don't remember) figure from Avon and it smelled like vanilla but it was a very distinct vanilla one that I haven't encountered much at all.  Anyway when I do get that exact vanilla smell it always reminds me of Halloween during my childhood.