Happy New Year

Well, here it is, new year's eve!!!!  Another year over!!!  Where did it go, seems we were just doing bunnies and Easter things and just last week was fall and doing all those scarecrows???  Didn't we????  Time moves just way tooooo fast.  So, I suppose with a blink of an eye, 2012 will be history too!!!!  I always say I'm going to just sit and watch my flowers grow and not be crafting that I miss stuff.

I've had such fun visiting with old blogging buddies and meeting new ones.   I love visiting your homes and seeing how you decorate and what your making.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, fun New Year.

Lois

A Charlie Brown Christmas!!!

Hi
Hope everyone had a nice Christmas.  We did....Monica did!!!!! lol

Enjoyed looking at everyone's decorations.  Everyone's home was soo nice and inviting, I wanted to visit you all and see your homes in person and try your cookies.  Always like trying new things.

I got a Charlie Brown tree!!!  And not one, but two!!!!!  Monica couldn't wait till we did our Christmas on Monday night and I got it Sun. morning when we were over at her house to see what Santa brought.  Then in the afternoon, that is what my brother and his girlfriend got me too!!!!

I put it beside the big light up and by the tables with the Snoopy displays.

Then hubby says, you really can't see it down there, so put it ontop of the record player.  Yes, I have a record player that plays LP records!!!!!  It's also a CD player and radio!!!!  And the record player has an arm so I can stack records and listen and listen!!!!  A birthday gift a couple of years ago from hubby!!!

And then I put the 14" tree on the one display table .  My brother and his girlfriend got me the 14" tree and then in the right hand side on the round table, I also received a  Snoopy with Woodstock.  You can see Woodstock's Santa hat.  Snoopy has a Santa hat on too. 

Oh, and here's Monica's favorite gift from Santa.  She was singing a song she wrote!!!!  This was before our Christmas Monday night.

Hope your last 4 days of 2011 are great!!!!

Lois

Merry Christmas

Hi,

Well, it's almost here.  Are you ready????  I guess we have to be....ready or not..it's here!!!  THE BIG NIGHT!!!  Here in PA, we're not going to have a White Christmas.  It just feels more like Christmas with snow on the ground.  Who would have thought that living in AZ, you would be having the White Christmas!!!!

I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas.  I have met some wonderful people in Blogworld.  I want to thank everyone for reading and commenting on my blog.  Hope to get to know everyone a little better in the coming year.  (Maybe should make that my new year's resolution!!!)  I want to thank everyone for sharing their recipes, patterns, tips (household and crafting), and your life in general with me.  Bloggers are the best!!!!  Looking forward to a new year with all of you.

Merry Christmas

Lois

Samatha's Accessories Giveaway

Here it is, 2 days from Christmas, and Samatha is having a wonderful, generous giveaway.  She is giving tarts, room spray and an adult apron!!!  Go to her blog and enter.  She gives you 8 chances to win!!!  I really hate advertising this giveaway, as I would really like to have those tarts!!!!  They smell so yummy.  I was lucky last year to win her mother's feather tree giveaway and she sent some tarts.  So check her out if you want some good smelling tarts!!!!

Oh, and if you enter Samatha is also letting you pick one of her patterns just for entering ....for free!!!!!
Now how generous is that!!!!!  Thank you, Samatha.

Lois

Bah Humbug!!! and Snowmen

As promised, my snowmen on the tree and around in shelves!!!  There are alot of pics as I took closeups in sections of the tree.  And it's only a 4 footer!!!  Mostly, there's  glass, cut glass, some ceramic, clay,  a crocheted one, tin ones.  The mouse in the hat is an old Avon ornament I found for $2.

I think I should have waited till the sun moved.  We had finally gotten a sunny day, and I took the pics in the morning.  In fact, the sun was in my eyes as I was trying to focus and see what I was doing!!!!

 My favorites is the snowman sitting in the wreath, the snowman sitting on the red sled.  That middled hanging one is a jingle bell with a metal hat and nose.

 I painted the blue couple (wood).  The two ceramic ones above them, I painted.  The other guys I bought.

Got him at a craft show.

Now, for the Bah Humbug part of the post!!!!

This is my husband's side of the room!!!! 

 And he's a Stooge fan.  My brother gets him either something stooge or Penguins, as you see the hockey guy in the above pic hanging on an antler.  There's one behind Scrooge, that's why he's hanging cock-eyed!!!!

My Day #10 Winnings

As promised, here is what I got from Traci....York Mountain Primitives, when she was having the 12 Days of Christmas giveaway.

Here is how my box came with this cute snowman for the address label.

I didn't take pics of the contents before, I was so excited and just started opening.  A card was on top.

 I had mentioned I love her spring tulips that she had in the spring.  She was having a giveaway then and that was the gift.  Soooooooooo, guess what I got????  A tulip arrangment in a cutter quilt "basket"!!!!  I  LOVE IT, TRACI!!!!!   Thank you sooo much.

 And I got a little bag.

And there is everything together.  In the spring I will show where I put it.  Thank you again, Traci.  I love everything.

Lois

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Hi,  Everyone busy???  Some of you have the countdown on your blogs.  I hate being reminded how many days I have left to get things done.  And then to top it off, I thought I had another week!!!!!  I DON'T!!!!  Maybe I better start accepting this countdown and realize I only have 9 days!!!! YIKES  And now, almost 8!!!!  I'm almost done.  I think I'm going to do the wrapping tomorrow.  And what little baking I do, I only need one day, so I think I'm good!!!!   A friend of mine had back surgery a month ago and I said I would help her do some of her baking.  She had two different doctor appts. this week.  I think next week looks good for both of us.

I delivered the last of my orders today.   These are Renee Mullins snowmen.  I had to put names and dates on these.  And changed some to favorite colors.

 But, I had another order from  Monica!!!!  She wants a tooth fairy pillow.  She's had a loose tooth for awhile now and I was hoping not till after Christmas, so I could wrap it up!!!  We get a call tonight.....the tooth is out!!!!  Is the pillow done?????  I am the great putter-offer of some things, but I did sit down last week and worked on it.  All that I had to do was stuff it....luckily!!!!  So, while they drove over to get the pillow, I'm stuffing!!!!!  DONE!!!!  Waiting for the tooth fairy as we speak!!!!

As you see.....sequins!!!!   She's into blue, but learned she also likes pink and purple.

So, put her initial on a piece of fleece...for the tooth.

 Took a piece of purple fleece and made the pocket for the money.  That pocket looked straight in person?????

A hole!!!!!

Hope everyone is getting it all done. 

Got my box from Traci today ---York Mountain Primitives from my winning #10 of the Twelve Days of Christmas, so come back tomorrow to see what I got!!!!  I still don't know myself.  I was away all day and just wanted to eat supper and chill and then got that phone call, so my evening was a little hectic.

So till tomorrow,
Have a Fabulous Friday!!!!!

Lois

My Sister's Rum Cake

My Sister's Christmas Rum Cake Every year around this time, my sister makes an attempt to create what she says is her masterpiece of culinary delight (in fact, she usually makes two or three attempts) but alas, I have yet to sample even a tiny morsel of it. Here is the recipe she uses: 1 or 2 quarts rum baking powder 1c. butter 1tsp. soda 1tsp. sugar lemon juice 2 large eggs brown sugar 1c. dried fruit nuts Before you start, sample the rum to check for quality. Good, isn't it?  Now go ahead. Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc.  Check the rum again.  It must be just right. To be sure rum is of the highest quality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can.  Repeat. With an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again. Meanwhile, make sure that the rum is of the finest quality-- try another cup. Open second quart, if necessary. Add 2 arge leggs, 2 cups fried druit and beat till high. If druit gets stuck in beaters, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the rum again, checking for tonscisticity.  Next sift 3 cups of pepper or salt (it really doesn't matter which). Sample the rum again.  Sift 1/2 pint lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained nuts. Add one babblespoon of brown thugar, or whatever color you can find. Wix mell.  Grease oven and turn cake pan to 350 gredees.  Now pour whole mess into the coven and ake.  Check the rum again, and bo to bed. osli

A Doll, Penguin and Poinsettias

I had picture overload in my last post, I thought I would add her today!!!!  This is my walker doll I got in 1952.  She sits all year in her original dress.  But at Christmas she dons her Christmas dress.  Actually, it's a leftover Cabbage Patch doll dress that didn't sell!!!!  So, it's now hers.

I want to thank all my new followers and hope to get to know you all better.  Write to me anytime.  It's fun meeting new friends.

I love seeing all of everyone's decorations for Christmas in your homes or your outdoor decorations. 

I have seen on blogs, what's your favorite Christmas memory or story.  But I want to know your favorite Christmas song/carol?  Mine is the Carol of the Bells.  I love that song but I think it is the shortest!!!!  I could listen to it for hours.  Also, I like Mary, Did You Know?  by Kenny Rogers.  So, lets hear what yours is.

Hope everyone is getting it all done....without stressing about it.  Funny, it seems to get done without worrying about it.  I found that out years ago!!!!

I'll be back with my snowman tree whenever that gets done!!!!

Take care,

Lois

More Snoopys

Are you ready for more Snooopys????  You don't know how many you have till you start taking pictures!!!

 I did the latch-hook rug.

 My Santa Snoopys.

 The lights were a gift from Deb...Crows on the Cupola many years ago.

 The back table, the doghouse, Sally, and Charlie Brown are porcelan.  The doghouse lights up with the lights on it.

 Snoopy plays the piano.  There are two displays that are from Hallmark.

 I filled in the tree with gold decorations this year.  Every year, I have a different color scheme going.  I think I did white/pearl decorations last year.  I do music/candy/red.  Haven't done candy in awhile, maybe next year!!!!

These are nylon guys that were on Whitman's candy years ago.  They don't do that these days.  They sit on top of my paints.  That's basicially the blue section there, so anytime I want a blue color I have to move a Snoopy.  Oh, there are plain Snoopy's that sit there all year round.



Then I took a picture of my narrow cupboard that showcases the different seasons.  Here I have a reindeer/moose collection going on.  And of course, there's a Snoopy in there too!!!!

Then the shadow box right across from this cupboard going back the hall to the bedrooms.  An assortment of Christmas items here.  The bells are Christmas gifts I received when I taught Sunday School many, many years ago.

My dining room wall.

A candy cane Santa...got at a craft show.  The Santa...got at a So-Fro Fabris after Christmas sale.  Any of those left anywhere???  My half tree with minature ornaments on and a crafting friend made the star at the top.  An elf... got at a craft show.  That's a red tin cone...got at Jo-Ann's after Christmas sale and filled with pine and white poinsettias and there are tiny gold stems at the top.

Well, I think I bored you enough.  Will show pics of my snowmen tree when I get it decorated.  It's up, the lights are on and that's as far as that got.

Everyone have a great weekend.  Am enjoying everyone else's decorations.

Lois

Sharing....

Hi, 
Love seeing everyone's decorations.  I wanted to take pictures of the rest of my Snoopy collection but it was quite dreary here today.  It was snowing BIG flakes.  Didn't start laying till after sunset.  I just looked, we got some snow out there!!!!   Oh goody!!!

Wanted to share my peanut butter fudge with you.  I never made fudge till I found this recipe.  And it's quite easy too!!!!
Peanut Butter Fudge
2 Cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/3 cups peanut butter, but I use the whole 18oz. jar
1 jar (7oz) marshmallow creme

In a saucepan, bring sugar and milk to a boil;  boil for 3 min.  Add peanut butter and marshmallow creme, mix well.  Quickly pur into a buttered 8" square pan.  Chill until set..  Yield 3-4 dozen.  (those are little pieces) cause once you start you can't quit!!!!!

Then this was in our church newsletter.

The history of the Twelve Days of Christmas

From 1558 to 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law-the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit:  Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking are the eight beautitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit --Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness. Gentleness and Self-Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

This is the history of this song! Maybe we can think of the hidden meaning when we hear it this Christmas season!!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Lois

Some decorating done

Everyone is getting all decorated for Christmas.  Love looking at what everyone is doing.  Me, same ole, same ole.  I keep a little 4' tree in the living all year round and decorate for each holiday.  I seem to had collected alot of Snoopy's and now this little tree holds my collection.  I mostly buy the mini ones, sometimes someone gets me a bigger Snoopy ornament.  Whitman candies used to have some hard plastic figures on top of their sample boxes and then they put bigger nylon dressed in holiday attire.  Will take a pic of them later.  So, just showing my Snoopy tree today.  When I took the picture, that about all I had done.  I finally decorated my hanging tree in the dining room with minatures yesterday, but didn't take a pic.

Oh, I see in the background, my feather tree I won from Sandy...Old Country Cupboard when she was having a giveaway last year.  I had the little red balls.

This is the swag I finished up for an order today and delivered it this afternoon.

Notice I still haven't changed my fall tablecloth yet!!!!  I think that's the only fall thing that is still around.  One of these days when I clean it off, I will change it.  I painted wood dics like peppermint.  Added some plastic candy and lollipops!!!!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me.

Lois