Meeting & Making New Friends

We just arrived home from a trip to FL, after visiting my Mom for Christmas.

While we were in FL we had the pleasure of dropping in on a blogging friend.

Many of you, like me, follow Katherine's blog at Yellow Rose Arbor. I have always admired her and the posts that she does. She has a lovely blog, please pay her a visit.

We spoke through e-mail and decided to meet on this trip. She graciously had us to her home where we enjoyed a great time of fellowship. We also had lunch at one of her favorite tea rooms. We had such a good time of shared fun and laughter.

This is the two of us in the living room of her lovely home.

The gracious hosts outside under their arbor.

Katherine and I outside the tea room and adjoining gift shop.

The four of us outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Inside the tea room at our corner table.

The two of us in the gift shop after browsing around.

Thanks again Katherine for being warm and for your friendship.

Thank you all for visiting today and may this coming year be one of health and seeing dreams fulfilled in your lives.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas to All

I thought I'd share the last of my Christmas pictures with you. The one room I had left is the kitchen. Here's a few items that set on the counter tops.

Notice the snowman on frig.

A pine cone under a cheese dome.

A centerpiece that sets on the pass through dividing the kitchen and family room.

My kitchen table with a candle, poinsettias and holly around it.

This is a favorite Santa print pressed onto wood that I used to sell at craft shows. We could not make these fast enough.

I found this little snowman on Hilton Head Island at a Reader's Digest Store. I never knew Reader's Digest had a store until I saw that one. Have you ever seen one?

He holds Christmas bulbs that have magnetic tops that stick on his hands. They are salt and pepper shakers. I just had to buy it.

On the island sets a trifle bowl with Christmas bulbs and garland to match.

A red charger on a stand with a candle in front.

A Christmas plate, cup with candy canes, & bowl full of apples and pine cones.



That wraps up the Christmas pics.

It's been an unusual couple of months at our house. With hubby's heart surgery, company from out of town, & preparing for the Christmas season, it has been a whirlwind.

God has given much mercy, grace and peace to sustain us through this trial. I know many of you know exactly what I mean and have had trials of your own.

It's been a honor to pray for some of you or a member of your family as you have shared a burden or pray request. WE have an awesome God who has an open ear to hear those requests.

Take time this week to reflect on the reason for this season and celebrate Jesus's birth and the sacrifice he made for us. It's a wonderful time of the year!

Merry Christmas to you all!

I will be out of town visiting my Mother this week. Looking forward to posting and catching up with you after Christmas.

More Christmas Decor

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

Thanks for visiting me and for all the sweet comments.

The following pics are of the family room, first ones taken at night and some by day.

It's a fun room to decorate for Christmas because the walls are green and the furniture is red and beige. Click to enlarge.

This is taken from the fireplace looking up.

We put our nativity set on top of the entertainment center. I didn't like the fact that the bulb showed at this angle and Ceekay suggested I buy a star and secure it in front of the bulb, so I did.

Now the light shines through the star and I like the effect. (Thanks Ceekay)

This is a glass block used in basement windows or bathroom windows for privacy. It is stuffed with a strand of white lights and topped with a bow.

A very old and tired Santa whose belly rises when he snores.

This Santa sings quite loudly "Santa is Coming to Town"

Jonas loves the pop-up present that plays music.

This is my snowmen collection behind the couch on a sofa table.

Centerpiece on the coffee table.

Oh look Santa decided to drop in for lunch today.---- Oh, my mistake, it's our new grand baby, Ivy Louise. It's her first Christmas and she's dressed the part.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some of the festivities in your town.

Awards

Kathy at Mimi's Garden has been so sweet to award me with these two awards. One is her own unique award representing her blog and the other she is passing on to me after receiving it herself. Be sure to stop over and visit her lovely blog, you won't be sorry.

I am so honored and thankful. Thank you Kathy!

The rules of the Butterfly award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you

3. Nominate 10 other blogs

4. Add links to those blogs on yours

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

I pass this on to the faithful readers of my blog. I truly appreciate your visits and sweet comments. They brighten my day! Take this Butterfly award, post it, enjoy it for you deserve it.

Great Little Gadgets

Thanks to all of you who visited or left comments on my blog Fri. You are very sweet and I appreciate all of you.

I hope your week is not too frantic with last minute things to do.


I want to share a little gadget that has made my life a whole lot easier at this time of year. It was introduced to me by Ceekay at http://thinkinofhome.blogspot.com/ . Even if it don't have one or can get one this year, you may want to keep it in mind for next year.


I know looking at it, you might say what is it. It is a little plug that goes into your outlet to plug an appliance or a Christmas decoration into. The great thing is, it comes 4 in a package and has a remote control with it. This is what the remote looks like with 4 buttons on it, one for each plug. The pic below shows three of the remotes, meaning I can have twelve things controlled by remote. (I only have ten right now. ) I know --- that sounds like a lot but if you look at my latest posts and see stairs that are lit, Christmas tree, Santas, outside lights, fireplace, etc. you'll see what I mean.

The great thing is I don't have to run all over the house or outside plugging things in. I just pick up the controls and push all the buttons and voila, there is light.

I keep them in a little box on the back staircase. I turn them on for the day or evening and when I go up to bed for the night, I just stop and turn them all off at once. It makes life easier and who's not for that.
You can get them through QVC.

See, I need a plug for each banister, tree, etc.

I know you will just love them.

Charlotte at http://char72.wordpress.com/ has given me this beautiful award for having Christmas spirit.

Thank you Charlotte, I'll try to be deserving of it.

She is so sweet and has a wonderful blog, so be sure to pay her a visit.

Here are the rules for this award:

You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award. The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas. You must link back to the person who gave you the award. You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas. If you can’t limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space! Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 50. It’s up to you! But, you must pass it on to at least one person in order to keep the Christmas cheer going! Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.
The five things I love about Christmas are:

l. The celebration of Christ's birth which was a sacrificial gift to all of us.

2. The family traditions and family gatherings.
3. The programs, plays, & concerts.

4. The Christmas Carols.

5. The wonderful food.

I pass this on to:

Ceekay at http://thinkinofhome.blogspot.com/

Katherine at http://thingsienjooy.blogspot.com/

Mimi at http://mimisgarden.blogspot.com/

See you all in a couple of days. Try to pace yourself and enjoy the season.

We Elves Have Been Busy

The other day I posted the outside of our home and today I want to invite you to come in and take a peek around. You enter into the foyer and make a left into the L.R. and we'll start there, ok?
A chair in the corner welcomes you with a Merry Christmas pillow. You should be able to click to enlarge pics.

In front of the window are some cute snow people with snowballs made of grapevines with holly berries.

Since hubby's surgery was so recent, we just went with a small table top tree this year. I know, a little disappointing but next year will be different.

Here's a full pic of the room taken from the staircase.

My sister was here in Oct. visiting from MI and she bought the candle holders on the end tables. Aren't sisters grand! smile

When you leave that room you enter the foyer and see a few more decorations on the Bombay chest and an old travel trunk.

I just added some greenery and bow to some flowers on top of trunk.

A view from a different angle.

The picture above the chest is a manager scene I did twenty two years ago. I had just started painting, I think. I put it out every year. Here's a better pic.

A table and mirror behind the front door with a snowman and his family.

On your way out the door, as you're saying goodbye to your host, you see the front staircase with Santa on the landing.

Now hurry back for another visit and sit by the fire for a cup of tea and a nice long chat, ok?

Have a Merry Week!

Welcome to our Home

Come on in and sit a spell! I wish you all lived close enough to visit. It would be so nice to get to meet some of you in person. Since that's not feasible, the next best thing is to invite you in through pictures.

Usually we have wreaths on all the windows and lights across the front of the house. With hubby recovering from his heart surgery, it wasn't possible this year. We did manage to wrap the poles and do a little decorating though.

He really missed doing more but put the spot lights out last night.
When you walk through the front door you face our front staircase. Uh oh, someone is trying to take Santa for a walk or take him home, I'm not sure which. Oh, it's just Jonas, our little grandson. He's two and really liking all the decor this year. (Last year not so much, all my animated things made him cry).

We just sat that little fellow down and plopped a hat on him and sat him next to Santa for this pic. That worked for about two seconds and off the hat came.

Check back often as I bring you inside to see the rest of the decorations! I hope you're having a great week.

Thanks for coming in.