A Little Kitchen Started

I am home from my last BSF bible study evening class for the rest of the Christmas season.  We don't go back for about 4 weeks.  We are studying the book of Isaiah and it had been a little tougher than some of the other studies.  Some of the most wonderful prophecies about Christ come from Isaiah, but lots of woes too!  I am praying to come back refreshed and ready to go in the new year.

I'm still not done decorating in my kitchen and family room, but it's getting there.  I thought before I go to bed I would post a quick peek.

It's kind of hard to see, but I have some snowman mugs on the little window sill over my cooktop.  Or my McD's drive up window as I call it.  This little window looks out to my covered driveway.  You could conceivably sit in your car and I could hand you out your dinner.  Who knows why they put that in?

 I got a cute new plate and cookie jar ~ wouldn't it be fun to put presents for Jesus in this jar?  {Not likely to have cookies in it in my house}  I could catch the grandchildren, {or myself} doing something for someone, or being especially kind and could write it down and put it in the present.  Maybe a new tradition!!

Off to bed, and hoping to post something completed tomorrow~this is taking me forever!

Joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Tour ~ 2

Tonight I am ready to share my living room.  It is a small space, but it holds a lot of my favorite things.

The mantel is simply decorated, with the Holy Family front and center.  This year I added the gold beads that I leave off my guest room tree.  I'm still thinking about this.  I'm not sure I don't like it plainer and simpler.

 View from the dining room.  I noticed after I posted these pictures that I took most of these on the day that I only had 1 stocking hanging from the mantel.  It looks a little lonely, so I included the rest of them at the end.  I hung the adults stockings in the living room.

 A little peek on the hall to the family room.

 2 of my German smokers.  I haven't lit them yet, but I promised the kids I would this year.  I hope they don't get too dirty.  I love the one with the toys.

 A few carolers and a German pyramid.

 Love these little Santas, again, German.

 The tree, which I shared here.

Little musical angel.  { I have a small collection of these too. }

 A little German music box ~ and a book with the right focus!  I always read this book first and keep it on the top of the pile during the holidays.  Notice there is no pile yet, I haven't read any more of my several holiday books yet.

 Here we all are - the grandchildren are in the family room.  Hopefully I'll get around to that room soon!

Linking up with Susan for Met Monday and the Tour of Homes at the Nester's.  


Merry Christmas!

Rudolph

Another fun Christmas tradition today!  We took the 3 older grandchildren  to see a Christmas play.  This year's offering was Rudolph and it was pretty good.  Last year we weren't too thrilled, at least Bob and I were not impressed.  Here we are at the start - had to buy something that lit up!!

 Cute Ben.

 Elizabeth looked so pretty in her Christmas dress.

 We are ready for the show to begin - hey this picture looks familiar to me!

 This is last year, notice anything??  He's addicted, what can I say.

 After the show, we met some of the cast and collected autographs.  This was quite a thrill, let me tell you!

 We loved the show!

 And what could be better that ice cream after?

We had a great time - another fun Christmas memory.

Christmas Visitor

Our playhouse got a little Christmas cheer today.

 Jingle bells on the door.

 I made a little tablecloth today and drapes and decorated the tree and baked cookies!!  

 {Anyone who knows me, knows those green chairs are just bugging me.  They started life pink, and looked cute with the princess stuff, but then Halloween came and I painted them green.  I so want to get my red spray paint out and fix them, but my whole house is pretty much a disaster so I am going to try to ignore them.  I had planned on much cuter fabric anyway, but this is all Hobby Lobby had.  Next year I am going to buy in October!}

Like your family, ours has a lot of Christmas traditions.  I grew up with fun Christmas celebrations, but the fun was going to Grandma's and seeing my cousins.  We had a tree and decorations, and I loved all of that, but we didn't do a lot of story reading or the little things that are so special.  So, when I had children I was always looking for special things to do with them.  I think I knew that with just 2 children and no family around us, I would have to make the fun.  I think part of my fun as a child was the sheer number of us - 4 brothers and sisters, and 8 cousins.

  I would have LOVED all the ideas that can be found in blogland, but I didn't have resources like that.  I just stole gleaned ideas from other people or adapted things I heard about.  One tradition we had was "the elf."  Now I know today there is the elf on a shelf, but I had never heard of him, or anything like that.  Our girls were in 1st grade, and Jessica came home from school early in December with a note from "the elf".    He said "this desk is so clean I would like to live in it"  and she was one excited little girl.  That was all it took.  A few days later I left a note in their room from "the elf."  The next day he left a hershey kiss on their pillow, and on it went.  It developed into a tradition that began on December 1st when I got out all of our advent things.  The elf came for 24 days in December and left candy every other day and a little gift or note the other 12 days.  This was a great opportunity for me to give them the things  I had purchased 50% off last year - Christmas socks, toothbrushes, hair things, pencils, etc.  {Remember this was the olden days, no dollar spot at Target or Dollar Stores.}

Once I had grandchildren I thought I would continue the tradition, but I was overruled, and my daughters have taken the tradition.  Of course, that 's what traditions are for, continuing on through the generations.  But, I have decided when they visit the playhouse in December, they just might find the elf has been to Grandma's too!!

See, there he is!
{this cute guy is a treasure from my grandma's - plastic mistletoe and all}


Merry Christmas!

O Christmas Tree ~ 2

 This is the tree that you see when you enter our home.  It's in the entry/living room and is full of blown glass ornaments.  This is the one I have to watch the grandchildren around!  I begin by filling the tree with poinsettias.  They add a great punch of red throughout.  Then I add the gold beads, which is my least favorite chore of tree decorating.  It is so hard to get those beads to drape the way I'd like.

 After that comes a few dozen red glass balls and then the ornaments.  They are all my favorites, so I am going to restrain myself and just show a few.


This was purchased for my grandson Jackson last year on his first Christmas.

 Granddaughter Elizabeth's

 Benjamin and Cooper are 5 weeks apart in age, so they both got these darling blue booties.  I always hang them near each other:-)

 This is where we are going {Walt Disney World}

 This is where we have been.

 And this is where we are now!

 Thanks for stopping by to see our 2nd tree.  I'd better hurry up on the rest of them!

Linking to the tree party at Thrifty Decor Chick.
and the party at French Country Cottage

Merry Christmas

O Christmas Tree ~ 1

This is the Christmas tree in our bedroom.  I changed it up a little this year and I love it.  We have 4 full size trees in our house, and the other 3 have been the same for a long time.  This tree, in a previous home was our travel tree and all of the ornaments we collected on our travels went on it.  But it didn't look right in our room.  A little too "cluttery" for me.

So this year it is a "Family Tree"  in every sense of the word.

 I just stuck a few picks in the top.  Hobby Lobby was out of everything in the pick department right after Thanksgiving so I had to take what was left.  I like it, I just wish I had a little more.

 This is my most treasured ornament.  The ball with my name hung on my paternal grandparents tree.  On Christmas Eve when we arrived at their house we would rush to the tree and search for our names.  I am so glad I have it, it's the only ornament I have from when I was little.


  I also hung Bob's and my silver baby cups on the tree.  I wish I had Laura and Jessica's.  Do you girls want to give them back??


And I have a lot of red frames from Pottery Barn Kids.  I have put old pictures of our family in them.

 Here is a pair of our girls baby shoes and a picture of them more than 20 years ago.  {Wow it felt weird to say that!}

 I used my daughter's Cricut and made these initial ornaments for the whole family.  I think I need to fill them with something white.  I bought artificial snow but that was impossible to get in the top so I need to look for something else.  I think they will stand out a little better if they had some white in them.

 I had all of these initials, just missing the T and J.  They were gold, but a little spray paint fixed that.

 Pictures of the grands 1st Christmases.  This is cutie Cooper.

 And to finish it off, 2 yards of red burlap makes a nice tree skirt.

I love our family tree!    and my family:-)


and I'm happy to announce that Debbie from Words on Wheels won my Christmas giveaway.  Please email me with your address Debbie and I will get your goodies out to you.


I am linking to the party at Thrifty Decor Chick


Merry Christmas

Christmas Tour 1

Welcome!

I don't know about you, but I can not get going this year.  These are just a small group of pictures, because these are the only areas clean and presentable.  I guess I'll be done by the 25th no matter what:-)

Come on in!

 Our staircase and first tree greet you as you open the door.

 Looking into the one clean and decorated room - the dining room.  Do you notice something on my newel post?  Part of the strand of lights just went out.  It happens every year somewhere!!  Drives me crazy, but I'm not searching for the problem this year.  I just don't have the time or the patience.

 The centerpiece was new last year, and I leave it out all winter.  I just add a little greenery and baubles to the light, the shades are on all year too.

 I put some red Christmas dishes in front of my regular dishes and that's about it.  I did decide to wash everything in here because it just looked a little grimy.  I like that Christmas sparkle!

 This is the best shot of the plates.  They are tin, and there are 4 different designs.  I've had them for years.  {click to enlarge}

 My little server is home to our nativity.  This is granddaughter Elizabeth's favorite.  She knows that I hide baby Jesus in the drawer and she always takes him out, just for a minute.  We don't tell the boys, for I am afraid that we would never find baby Jesus again.

 The pieces are newer {since I've been married} but the creche was my grandparents and I used to play with it at their house a long time ago.  I don't know where the figures went, but I'm happy to have the creche.

 Our little wine closet is spiffed up for the season.  Santa swinging from the bottle....

 And a shot of tree #2.  This is in our room and I think it's my favorite.  Tomorrow I am going to show and tell a little about these first 2 trees.  

Until then...


Merry Christmas!


I'm joining Robin for her All Things Merry and Brite Party
and Kim for her Boring to Better Party