Friday Favorites: First Snowstorm of 2022

 We had a very snowy and cold week; it wasn't all bad as those cold and snowy weeks tend to be a bit lazier than others.  I did quite a bit of reading, crafting, and house cleaning.   


We had our first snow day in over 10 years-- being homeschoolers we've never taken a snow day off from school.  We always incorporate the snow into our lessons or shortened our work to go out and play but relished having more time off in spring and summer.  With Alec in public school once more and their decision not to turn snow days into virtual learning days (like last year) we had our first snow day last Friday.  It was nice to stay in our pajamas and just have a lazy day off from going anywhere or doing anything.







Saturday I spent the majority of the day working on scrapbooking and cardmaking.  I hadn't broken out my Cricut in months and it felt great to be back at it. 


My husband and Ian built us some new wood racks over the weekend (we're hoping these new racks will keep our new floors from being a mess of dirt and bark).  



Sunday night my husband and I finally sat down and picked the rental and final dates for our family vacation this summer.  I am so excited and can not wait!  We found this beautiful cabin on Airbnb near the Smoky Mountains that sounds perfectly sized to accommodate us and my sister and her boys. 



I got this new sweater in from Amazon over the weekend and loved this outfit I wore on Monday.  It was so cozy and cute.  I also stopped in to see my mom and drop off her belated birthday gift. It was so fun to visit for just a few minutes before I picked up Alec from school.



I've been determined to finish up the diamond painting crafting project I bought just before Christmas.  I finally finished it up Thursday morning. Now I just need to get a frame for it.  



It finally warmed up into the 40's on Thursday so after lunch Evan and I went hiking.  We stuck to some flat and shorter trails to try and avoid icy areas.  







Linking up with:











Comments

  1. Oh my gosh Joanne- that vacation location looks perfect- what a beautiful home! I know you will be in the smoky mountains- what exact state will you be in? What will the weather be like? Looks so amazing! Also- I just got the same sweater- ha! We can be twins- I love it :)

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    1. Tennessee... and I'm actually a bit nervous about the weather. I kind of assumed that it would be a bit cooler in the mountains but I'm hearing it can actually be really hot and muggy! I just hope we get at least one nice day for some hiking.

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  2. That cabin is incredible, what a fun thing to look forward to! You look darling in your heart sweater. Love the scrapbook pages! I would give anything for a big snowstorm, we’ve only had 3 inches this entire season which is so rare for Indiana! It’s beautiful!

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    1. We had 14! Most of it is gone by now but I am sure that is not the last we'll see of the snow this year. It has been so cold.

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  3. I used to live for snow days! My kids don't get them much since we live in the city and no one really takes the school bus. I love that cabin, what fun!

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    1. I've actually been surprised at how few snow days my sons school has had seeing as it's a regional school and most students take the bus.

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  4. That snow is just beautiful! We have a huge winter storm coming this weekend, but unfortunately, the snow is expected to stop just north of where we are. We are so disappointed! I hope y'all are staying warm!

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    1. We aren't forecasted to get any snow but they are warning wind chill temps around -20 to -24!

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  5. Looks so beautiful.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  6. That looks like a good amount of snow. We are supposed to have snow tonight, we'll see. That air bnb looks amazing!

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    1. Yeah, Ian told me we got around 14 inches in most places he measured.

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  7. The snow and ice look beautiful. As Lindsay says we have a forecast of snow this weekend. We live North of her so praying we do get some. We will believe it when we see it.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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    1. LOL. I don't ever pray for snow... though sometimes I'd prefer the snow to just the freezing cold wind. It's usually warmer while it's actually snowing.

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  8. That place looks gorgeous. We love the Smoky Mountains.

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    1. I haven't been back to the smoky mountains since I was a kid-- and we never actually went into the national park which I'm really hoping to do this trip.

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  9. I love your photos of the snow look so calming Joanne. It looks like you had a nice week and I enjoyed looking at the photos. Have a nice weekend.

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  10. Sounds like a great week! I love a good snow day when you can be all cozy in the house! We're supposed to get ice or snow this weekend and I'm kind of looking forward to it! I love the snow, but am unsure what it's going to be like here as far as potential power outages or anything. Fortunately I don't have to go anywhere! One of my goals this year is to get back into scrapbooking. Your pages look nice! And that vacation home looks lovely! We haven't been up to the Smoky Mountains yet but it sure looks nice there! And your new sweater is really cute!

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    1. Thank you! It is super cold here this weekend but no snow in the forecast. I don't mind snow when I can just stay home but really dread having to drive in it.

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  11. Those first pictures of the snowy landscape are just beautiful. I love that your guys made a metal wood container. Hope you have a good weekend.

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  12. That is a lot of snow! And what a amazing cabin! That will be a fantastic vacation!

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    1. I hope so! I am so excited to see my sister and her kids and explore the area together.

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  13. There's a snow storm headed my direction, we'll see how it transpires. There hasn't been a big snow storm in years. I enjoyed hearing about your Friday Favorites. Blessings.
    Visiting today from Friendship Friday #18&19

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  14. The snow looks beautiful in your area! Love your new cute sweater. That cabin is AMAZING!

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  15. What a beautiful cabin! Yes, it can still be warm even in the mountains of Tennessee. But the scenery is beautiful! The snow looks so peaceful and I'm impressed with that wood rack. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. I do remember some pretty mountain views from our last trip; sounds like we'll have some great ones just from the decks of our rental this time. They aren't quite finished with the racks (we do have 2 though I only photographed one). They still want to paint them and add some casters to the bottom when spring rolls around.

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  16. We have had just a dusting of snow here in central Indiana...so I'm very jealous of your snow! Those pictures are just amazing! And, that sweater is really cute! I love the Smokey Mountains. I'm sure you'll find plenty of places and times to hike!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. The snow is so pretty when it coats everything.

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  17. Wow, that vacation rental looks amazing - you all are going to have such a great time. Your heart sweater looks great on you Joanne!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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  18. Oh wow! Your snow days put ours to shame! Snow days are always fun here. A day off school and an excuse to stay home in the warm in our pj's.
    The wood rack looks fab! Well done your husband and Ian and the cabin looks beautiful. x

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    1. LOL. We got around 14" by my son's measurements. Ian was thrilled because he got to go plow. He loves plowing snow.

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  19. I never thought about that home schooling wouldn't have snow days. I think it's a great memory of growing up sometimes. We used to do a jigsaw puzzle or coloring project on those days.
    And I adore that heart sweater Joanne.
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com
    That vacation place looks amazing!!

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    1. It depends on the homeschooling family; I know many that embrace the snow days but my boys and I decided early on that we'd rather tackle our schoolwork in the winter and enjoy lots of spring days at the beach, park, and museums before all the school kids got out of school. We always called them our "sunny" days!

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  20. I always enjoy seeing your nature pictures! These snowy photos are gorgeous! We've had two snow days this year already, but more due to the frigid temps and high winds than because of snow. I don't know if it's just a Midwest thing, but every time it snows here, the temperatures drop so drastically and then stay that way for a while! Doesn't make for a fun winter!

    Your scrapbook pages look so nice too and love that sweater from Amazon! And I think that AirBnB looks fabulous!

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    1. Thank you! Our temps have been all over the place. This morning it was 4 with a windchill of -15 so we definitely get our fair share of cold days too but they don't always coincide with snow.

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  21. I was so happy that we got a snow day Friday too! That Airbnb looks beautiful! What a great summer trip! Hope you have a great weekend!

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  22. Replies
    1. It sure is! I love when the sun first comes out and everything is all sparkly.

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  23. That’s nice that the kids still got a true snow day! With the advent of virtual learning, I’d been wondering if snow days were a thing of the past.

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    1. My son was actually hoping they'd keep the virtual snow days so they could get out earlier in June but we made it a fun and relaxing day.

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  24. gorgeous photos - this is the way I like to see snow! #MMBC

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  25. Winter Wonderland! Can't beat a view like that.
    We bought a cool red sledge (for adults, lol) and so far not a flurry in sight :(

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    1. Bummer! We have a few sleds but rarely seem to break them out anymore. Our best sledding spot lands us on the ice so we need a nice long cold spell to go along with the snow so it's safe enough to sled here.

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  26. My daughter gave me a diamond art kit but I haven't tried it. I struggle a lot with doing tiny things with my fingers these days. How difficult is it? What a sweet piece you created.

    Love love love the snow photos. I think it is so interesting that we know snow is white but in the photos you shared it is blue. Would enjoy using your photos with children and encouraging them to see shades of color in the white snow.

    What a fabulous house for your Smoky Mountain vacay this year. I would love going up there with my family. It has been years since I meandered and hiked the Smokies.

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    1. I didn't find the diamond painting to be difficult at all since it comes with a tool that I used to place the pieces where they belonged; but I did find it to be rather tedious.

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