Almost Christmas!

Less than two weeks to go, wow!






I have had some requests to post our Christmas decorations here for you to see - if you have been at our house any Christmas - then you know each room is decorated. (Well, except the toy room and Karisa's - she has a tree, but the older she gets the less motivated she is to put it up!)



Here are just a few taken from the family room - if I have time, I will try to get some done of the dining room and kitchen. This isn't all that is in the room, but some of my favorite snippets:)


This is a huge cross-stitched Santa - complete with both our family's names on his list. Serg made it about 15 years ago, but we can tell it wasn't finished then, as the list ends with my niece Lexi and sister in law Cari (if you joined the family after then, you are outta luck, sorry Makenzie!)

And to prove it isn't just the girls in my family that are crafty, along with Serg's cross-stitch here is a bowl that my brother in law, Kurt, carved for us! It is out every season, at Christmas it holds a mix of potpurri. The silver tree is from Tonya - granted it saw better days when it was new and owned by someone else, but I love vintage style ornaments - the handkerchief I got from a garage sale - $1!
These are just under the Santa hanging - my ode to the 50's - this year I got some tiny colored rice lights to string in the garland. Colored lights seemed right to go with the bright Japanese figurines that I have picked up here and there. But, Serg and Karisa picked the pattern - I wanted flash on and flash off - but instead my colored lights flash rather psycho!

Our tree is one of the shortest ones we have had. It is real - we do have a fake one in the kitchen. When we got the house with the cathedral ceilings I knew I would want tall trees! This is just over 9 feet, but one year we had one that you could touch the angel on the top from my loft office! The picture window on the side has a large metal nativity. When the sun shines in the morning, it casts a huge nativity shadow on the opposite wall.

This is a mish-mash of things - my grandmother's nativity and an wire angel I have from when I was a child started the theme, which includes Japanese glitter houses, pink trees and minature nativities - some with their original boxes.

Along with my 50's figurines is a fun ode to the 70's - a 7up bottle tree - on heavy canvas with jewels as decorations. Love this piece too, a gift a few years ago from Tonya.

Three more samples using new stamps - made by Nyla, Annette and Susan.

This and That!

This fun card was done by Andrea.

And another bright and cheery card done by Theresa.

Finally, here are the projects for this week's Camp - the last of 2007. We are making a Family to frame, a snowman gum pouch, a trio of notecards, a snowburst card and a New Year's Eve party in a box!!

Doesn't this look like the perfect spot for a snowy evening?? Snuggled asleep under the tree with puppy nearby! Bliss.

Chipboard Calendar

This can be used as a journal, birthday book or a super simple do ahead scrapbook for 2008 (or slide your pictures in from 2007 while the memories are fresh, and viola' the year is done!)










We woke up to a beautiful snowy morning - will be putting up some of those pictures in a little while!

Christmas Inspiration and Class dates

Here are some fun things I got last night at our group's Achievers Night

The Retired List is up

If you want to have a look to see what you may need to get before your chance is over....

Need your Help!

Countdown Two!

Countdown to Christmas Class ONE!

A vellum votive candle decoration - one side has the angel, the other the Nativity

More Garlands

Here are two fun garlands made by my friend Susan. It amazes me that we can start out with virtually identical supplies and end up with such a different result (you can see my fall/noel garlands several posts below).

Last night I got out the Thanksgiving decorations. I like to wait for Nov 1 (I am funny about decorating at the right time, you will never see a Christmas thing here til the day after Thanksgiving) - I had to rearrange several things in order to get my ginormous garland on the entertainment center, but was pleased with the end result!

Fun Fall Treats!

Last year at Regionals, there was a great demonstration on Boo Treats - and this is a perfect time of year to whip it out again!


Simply decorate a container of some time - here is a totally adorable idea.....fill it with BOO tags AND a treat (see my recipe below) and hang an explanation on the outside. Spread some holiday cheer:)

The idea is to hang your treat on a neighbor's door (without getting caught). They take out their treat and place a new one in and the next night hang it on another door. Everyone keeps a boo tag on their door to show they have already gotten a treat.

If you need something EASY and oh, so, tasty to fill your bucket...... try one of our family's favorite fall snacks:

Autumn Party Mix
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Mix together in 9x13 pan.
11 oz pretzels
10.5 ox Ritz Bits (peanut butter)
1 cup peanuts

Mix in saucepan:
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup light corn syrup
bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in:
2 T vanilla
1 t baking soda
Pour over mix in pan and stir. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in one 18 oz bag of m&m’s and 10 oz bag of candy corn.
Cool.

Oh Joy!

Last post for this week