Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe evening saying goodbye to 2022 and welcoming in 2023. 
Instead of jumping right into my word of the year or my list of 23 for 23 (both in progress), today, I’m simply sharing a few random things making me happy on our sunny start this brand new year.
A New Calendar, look at all those days just waiting to be filled! 
Black-eyed peas, grown in my own garden, soaking for today. 
Yes, I’ll be supplementing with a can from the store. I use this Paula Deen recipe each year.
The birdsong coming from this Evergreen tree
A Kansas City Chiefs Game to Start our New Year! 
(I’ll let you know tomorrow if that continued to make me happy to start 2023, ha!)
This basket, the base for a completely unexpected surprise gift from a friend 
I just love it. And how I wish some of you with the always cozy, inviting homes lived close enough to come help me decide what to put in it and where it would go in my home.
My holiday cactus about to bloom 
Champagne cake
I get the same one from a local grocery store each New Year’s Eve. There is something about the sparkly pink frosting! And also,I love the taste of the cake hiding beneath it. Only on New Years. 
(There’s a hint in the above picture as to my 2023 word of the year. Got any guesses? Stay tuned)
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Just a few small things bringing me small, simple pleasures today.
Blog 365: Day 1 of 365
And now, I need to take a moment to share that I’ve decided to join in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom for her Blog 365 challenge. A blog post every single day of 2023! Sometimes the post might be a full one but other times it might simply be a picture.
I love reading this and I also am cooking black eyed peas today.
Thank you! Hope your black eyed peas turned out well. We’ll probably be having ours again for lunch today.
Happy New Year to you and your family
Thank you! Happy New Year to you as well! Hope your year is full of wonderful things!
Happy New Year! I love that pink cake – so pretty and sparkly! Congratulations on the Chiefs win (barely), but a win is a win! We always do my black eyed pea chili for New Years – midwest traditions? My Christmas cactus are in full bloom up here in the pacific north west – they LOVE the cooler weather. I also LOVE a new calendae – there is something so magical about all the blanks and filling them 😀
Thank you! Yes, a win is a win. They sure better step it up in their next few games though. Maybe? I don’t remember my parents doing black-eyed peas but my MIL always did. Can’t wait for mine to bloom…I was surprised to see the blooms as I really didn’t do anything special with it. Hope you have a wonderful year!
OH, that champagne cake looks so fun! I love all the sparkles, so I would definitely be buying that too. Happy New year!
Carol recently posted…Weekly Menu Plan, 2023 Week 1
The pink sparkles are one of my favorite parts. Plus, it tastes good as well. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Jean! I had a great New Year’s Eve here! Spent it at Patrick and Amber’s. Wasn’t sure I’d make it until midnight, but I did. I probably shouldn’t do it again, but I’m working on a ’23 Things’ list, too. What a pretty new calendar! Super cute! And, wow! Black-eyed peas from your own garden! That’s awesome!!! I love the basket! I see a fall basket filled with things found in nature and draped with bittersweet. You’ll have to post pics of what you end up doing with it. My guess on your word for the year is SPARKLE.
Happy New Year! Funny story about the calendar, I ordered a different one (same pocket style) from Amazon and didn’t like it. Then, I saw this one at Menards and decided to go ahead instead of spending an entire year looking at a calendar I didn’t love let alone really like. Now, I need to figure out how to return my Amazon one. I’m hoping to plant more black-eyed peas this summer, they were surprisingly easy to grow (might have been our weather though). Nature things in the basket is a great idea. You guessed my word right though I changed it because another word kept speaking to me louder. I really did want it to be sparkle. SIGH. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Champagne Cake???? Yes, please!!!!
I’m so glad you’re also joining in the Blog 365. I think it’s going to be a challenge for many of us, but I think we’ll be able to do it.
The cake is so good. Not too sweet. Honestly, I’m not a huge cake person but I do love this one.
Happy New Year to you and your family, Jean! Just found your blog. What a truly beautiful blog! I love all of the photos and the simple but lovely day-to-day things you share! Will definitely be visiting again!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Glad to have you visit here. Happy New Year to you as well!
Thank you very much!