Christmas Crafts and Cookies

This is the current state of my craft table and I haven't even started ONE thing! But today is the day! All the other Christmas chores are done and I am free to let my imagination roam.

I got a few vintage style bottle brush trees from KD Designs and plan to embellish them for boxtop scenes.

I was so inspired by the sugar-coated creations made by j.nichelle on ebay that I had to try my hand at it myself! You wouldn't believe how talented that lady is!

My vintage junk awaits.

My daughter is also working on quite a few projects. Here is her work table. Unlike myself, she has completed many necklaces (for gifts) and is close to finishing a beaded mini Christmas tree and a gorgeous tree made out of vintage pins and brooches!

One thing I have accomplished is my cookie baking.

Every year I make rollout sugar cookies. It's the best recipe from Wilton that requires no chilling. http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Roll-Out-Cookies but I don't add almond flavoring to mine.

This year I only made boys, trees, snowflakes and a few retreivers for my dog-lover friends.....

Well, I'm off to start my crafts. I probably won't be finished before Christmas but better late than never. Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!

Christmas Decorations

In order to save myself some work, we decorated for Christmas and held two parties on the same day! That way I only had to clean house ONCE! I held a Christmas Tea Party for the ladies in my church in the afternoon and then a party for the youth group in the PM. The kids made quick work of the sweets left over from the afternoon party, not to mention the two 24" pizzas.


This year we did not cut down our own Christmas tree. The fam allowed me to put up my two white trees and they let me have a PINK Christmas!


This is a pic of a little set I found at a flea mkt last summer for $5. The little elf is so cute, holding a snowball with the other arm wrapped around her dog.


This is an AWESOME vintage store poster that I got last year at the thrift store. There were two and I got them both for a couple of bucks. The frame was $10 at Salvation Army.



Below are just a bunch of pictures of some of my favorite ornaments:




I love this little girl because she reminds me of the doll on the Island of Misfit Toys.

10 cent Santa!

I love bottle brush trees.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas. Don't forget, it's really Jesus' birthday! Merry Christmas!

Shhhhhh! Don't tell Dad....

When winter sets in sometimes our Homeschooling gets off to a slow start in the morning. It's chilly and no one seems to want to leave the warmth of cozy blankets. Recently, the kids woke up and held a much TABOO'D dog party on my bed! Actually, I think I instigated it but it's something you can do only after my husband leaves for work. He is not fond of having a dog on the bed, let alone all THREE at once! But, Sweetie, we almost NEVER do this and I was sure to shake off the comforter when we were done! ;)

Below is a little treat that God blessed me with recently....Just after Thanksgiving I was driving down one of our country hwys and a glint of COLOR flew past my periferal vision. Mind you, all the trees are bare, so everything is grey. Any color sticks out like a sore thumb. I turned the car around, pulled ove and dug around in the glove box for some scissors (doesn't everyone keep scissors in the car?) "WHAT are you doing, Mom???" Me: "I think I saw something..." Usually, the kids know better than to ask too many questions. The last time I stopped on the hwy they saw me get out and chase a purple crinoline rolling down the grassy median like a fluffy tumbleweed! (But that's another story...)

I got out of the car and sure enough, there were 2 or 3 separate vines of Bittersweet growing twisted among the bare tree branches. It took about 5 min for me to snip away with my "kindergarten" scissors but I managed to gather a good bit.

Even though it was almost time for Christmas decorations, I couldn't resist spreading the berries throughout the house for one last touch of Fall.

(You can click on any pic to enlarge.)