The Family Tree: An Oakland Outing

For the past few years, we've bought our Christmas tree at a lot in Oakland.  We head out early on a Saturday morning to select the perfect pine and then head over to Pizzaiolo for some sweet treats and yummy coffee.  This has become a tradition that we all look forward to.  

I hope that you are also sharing many special moments with your family.  Moments that will forever mark your holiday seasons.  Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Life Happens

Every now and then I get sucked into looking at family photos.  Last night, as I scrolled through the years the experience truly felt like time travel.  I'm not sure whether it was my recently celebrated 44th birthday, or just the pace of time itself that sparked this reflective journey into the past.  It was amazing to see how much our children changed; while some of their infant features remained, others have clearly matured.  It was joyous and also a bit sad to notice the changes both in them and in me.  Life happens quickly and sometimes we need to be reminded to slow it all down and savor the moments.

Snap Shots: A Family Picnic

 A late California afternoon was the setting for a recent family photo session.  After deciding on a spot we threw down a blanket and began setting a picnic so that everyone  [including me] could relax for the camera.  I wanted to share a few shots with you.  The rest of the photos have been well received by the family and some have even become Christmas cards!

Many thanks, AT and CT, for the opportunity to photograph your lovely family.

Stairway Photo Walls: 7 Images & 7 Tips

After seeing photos hung along a stairway in last week's The Way We Live, a reader requested more examples of this win/win decorating trend.     Take a look at these 7 images and get ideas on creating  your own stairway to family 'haven'.

Do you have a photo wall?  If yes, my readers and I would love to see it.  Send your images to debra@cocoonhome.com.  Many thanks!!

Images: 1./2./3./4./5./6./7.

Moving Mode: A Family Wall Before And After

Hanging our framed photograph collection of friends and family in the new house really made the space feel like home.  As I hung each photo, my emotions took over:  memories of family events, friends' weddings, younger days and people no longer with us.  Having a designated space for family pictures, i.e. either on a wall, resting on easels atop a console,  is a very nice way to take in memories at a glance.  I'm looking forward to adding more photos as we explore new places, meet new friends and host old ones already dear to us.  Below are some before and after shots of our new family wall and a sneak peek at the one we had in Cambridge.