Christmas Eve

I love the warm, coziness of Christmas time.

We are having dessert for breakfast.

These lovely holiday flowers are from my brother-in-law.

We open our gifts this evening. 

Christmas Day is a time for relaxing with the family and sharing a big Christmas dinner.

~~~♥~~~

{Pine Branch Frame}
~~~♥~~~

Merry Christmas to You

I hope you all are having a joyful Christmas season with your loved ones. 

Christmas is a time for families. 

~ Celebrating the moments of Christmas ~

~ Selecting the tree ~

~ Christmas Baking ~

~ Cozy evenings by the fireside ~

 ~ A little Christmas humor ~

{A comic I made from my children's conversation.}

 ~ The night before Christmas ~

~~~♥~~~ 

  ~ I am taking a Christmas holiday and will not be back until after Christmas ~

How to Dress like a Millionaire

Just look at Lauren Bacall.

She is always classy - and her hair is always perfect!

Her Green silk chiffon evening dress with fur trim from
How to Marry a Millionaire
is one of my favorite dresses.
~~~♥~~~

Lady in Spring Hat

I have not had much time to use the computer lately. 

I stayed up until 1:45 last night (actually - this morning)...

Slept on the couch and got up at 5:00 A.M..

This is what I have been up to...

Creating new cards.

My sister is always asking me why I don't make my own cards.
I am sending a sets of these to my sisters for Christmas gifts.

~~~♥~~~

Memorable Moments

A Nativity scene made by my husband's mother while visiting us one Christmas 

when my children were very young.  

 My daughter and I regularly go to AMPM weekend mornings 

to get our pumpkin spice coffee.

The sweet girl who works there is always so kind to everyone.

This weekend, she eagerly presented this gift she had waiting for us.

Isn't it just the cutest can of popcorn!

~~~♥~~~

Christmas Cards

I just had to post something today to move on from my last post and that photo of me. Do you ever post something and later want it gone? I am tired of seeing that picture of myself.

So, I decided to show you my Christmas cards. I did not even know that I had them. They were packed away with the Christmas wrapping, which I just dug out yesterday. I bought the cards after Christmas last year, thinking I would be all set for sending them out on December 1 this year.

I know that I just posted that I was going to be very GOOD for the next three week, but I had forgotten that this evening I will be going to a friend’s house for pizza and dessert. Although I don’t have my calendar full, as some of you do, this was planned months in advance.

 {Inside of Nativity card}

Oh, So Many Tasty Temptations!

This is a photo from another year, but it still represents me BEFORE I started my diet (August 27 - 14 long weeks ago) this year.

After three days of delicious Thanksgiving feasting, I slipped up four pound on the scale. I have been working hard all week to shed that holiday cheer.

Last night, I was SO tempted to eat a slice of fresh homemade BREAD with BUTTER! But I made it through the evening, and I am happy to say that this morning, a week later, I am back to where I was before Thanksgiving.

I am determined to work diligently for the next three weeks before the Christmas Eve– hoping to lose five by then.

Focus! That word keeps me on track. It is a simple word, but so powerful.

So many tempting delights EVERYWHERE I look. Pinterest is such a wonderful distraction. However, I try to avoid the food world on Pinterest. Instead, I look at cozy rooms and holiday settings.

I wanted to post a photo from Pinterest, but I was not able to get permission, so you get a picture of my living room, instead.

~ Now you can see where I sit when I am visiting you ~

Through My Window

~ A View through my front window on this first day of December ~
~~~♥~~~
I am come a light into the world,
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
(John 12:46  )

 ~~~♥~~~

Look What the Mailman Brought Me!

Stephanie's pretty Rose Petal Blessings tea cup coasters have arrived.
I could not be MORE delighted! They are lovely.

She packaged it all up so beautifully adding extra touches...

The bookmark with a special message written on the back,

A lovely card and envelope,

A decorative NOEL clothespin and flower blossom,

And a delightful gift label: 

BE HAPPY; BE BRIGHT; BE MERRY

Thank you, Stephanie. I really love them!

~~~♥~~~

Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

 (Matthew 5:16) 

~~~♥~~~ 

Holiday Fun

Since the season goes by so quickly, and there is so much to do,
I like to start decorating for Christmas as soon as possible after Thanksgiving Day.

Today, I set the tree and put the lights on it...
12 strings - 6 white and 6 colored.

 ~ Stringing popcorn ~

This evening, we are stringing popcorn while watching White Christmas.

 ~ Placing popcorn on the tree~

I am still in the process... We need more popcorn strings.

~ Christmas lights ~

 My husband put up the lights last weekend to be ready for Thanksgiving Day.

I Appreciate Your Sweet Comments

It's Thanksgiving Day!

~5:00 a.m.~

Both of my older children came home to spend the night with us. What joy to have all five children together! We watched a couple of movies last night, and then enjoyed a bit of Brian Regan on Youtube. At 11:30, I headed to bed and left the children to their visiting. They did not go to bed until around 2:00 this morning. 

I got up at 3:30 to straighten up the house for our big day. I love the quietness of the early morning - enjoying the fire in the wood stove, morning coffee, and preparing for the day.

 ~Breakfast~

 ~ Thanksgiving dinner ~

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Chronicles 16:34

{Pinterest}

~~~♥~~~

Sketch of Thanksgiving Day

~ A drawing I did nearly 30 YEARS ago ~

This was drawn from my own imagination.

I usually draw from some photo or picture inspiration.
My drawings tend to be SO two dimensional. 

You can see where I messed up - 

See the patch on my paper in my struggle to draw the father?

I don't draw men well.

~~~♥~~~

Tomorrow IS Thanksgiving Day!

{Pinterest}

~~~♥~~~

My Rose Petal Blessings

I got up at 1:00 this morning to check the fire in the wood stove. It had gone out – completely.

I knew it would take a while to get going again, so I decided to chillax using the computer while I waited.

For entertainment, I went to Rose Petal Blessings Stephanie’s Etsy shop to browse her lovely handmade gifts.

 

These two beautiful tote bags were my favorite items. I thought about how nice it would be to send one to my sister Rita. I also thought about what fun it would be to have one for myself. But I could not decide between the two.

At 3:00 a.m., I decided to go back to bed. But I could not sleep. For 45 minutes I lay awake, imagining all the good ways I could use Stephanie's tote. I decided to get up and purchase both bags.

What lovely gifts they would make. Although I really wanted one for myself, I could not justify spending the money on myself, so I settled on sending both totes to two of my sisters.

My sister Joy is always doing nice things for me. She sent me this adorable teapot picture frame...

And this very homey tablecloth. 

I think she would like to receive a special something in the mail.

I am excited about these totes arriving at their destination and the pleasure they will bring to my dear sisters. Thank you, Stephanie, for your pretty little totes.

 

By the way – I did get myself a little something extra special - 

Stephanie's Tea Cup Coasters.

~~~♥~~~

Only 2 days until Thanksgiving Day!

 {Pinterest}

~~~♥~~~