~New's Years Eve and A New Magazine~

Tonight is New Year's Eve. How do you celebrate this special night? Sometimes I fix a special dinner, but tonight we're going to one of our favorite little restaurants and then home for movies and watch the activities on TV. Tomorrow we are having a family favorite dinner....breaded veal cutlets and all the trimmings. I have all the Christmas decorations down and we'll be taking the tree down on Friday...maybe tomorrow.

I've set out my New Year's postcards,I love reading the sweet messages that were sent to friends and family and that's all I do for decorating for this holiday. Well I need to get moving, I want to get my groceries before the store gets too hectic, and when I come home........

I' m going to take a peek at the new Country Living. Patty at Attic Clutter had a give away earlier this year....a 1 year subscription to CL and I was the lucky winner. My magazine arrived yesterday and I can hardly wait to enjoy it. I'll be by for a chat later today...hugs, Linda

~Christmas Books~

Greetings everyone. Thank you for all the happy Christmas wishes...we had a lovely Christmas, hope you did too. I have been enjoying the past few days, actually basking in the after glow of Christmas, watching holiday movies and reading the beautiful books I received..... This is the sweetest book, filled with darling graphics and special sentiments.

Christmas Curiosities is very interesting and I love the book...but I have to tell you, Santa in the early 1800's was rather scary looking.....in many pictures he is rather devilish looking.

Oh, this is a book of heart warming Rockwell illustrations with wonderful hymns, poems and stories from contributors...such as Shakespeare, Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott to name a few. All these books are wonderful additions to my Christmas library, I'll enjoy them for years to come.

Lisa gave me a novel, I'm so looking forward to reading, but first I have to finish the third book in The Ladies of Covington series. I'm enjoying this series....I read about it on someones blog (I wish I could remember who's) each book is most enjoyable. As soon as I finish the third book I'm reading.........

Knit Two. This is the second book in the Friday Night Knitting Club series....which for me ended on a sad note....I can't wait to see how everyone is doing. See you soon...hugs, Linda

~~Merry Christmas~~

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. May the warm cozy feeling and the spirit of the season be ever in your heart. Linda

~Mexican Wedding Cakes~

Yesterday I baked my favorite Christmas cookies. Mexican Wedding Cakes. I've loved these little cookies since the first time I ate one and that Christmas 1951, the year I was in the second grade. Three classmates and myself were invited to our teachers home for dinner (a special reward for good citizenship) we were so excited and thrilled to be going to our teacher's home. When I was little we adored our teachers, they just were so special to us...well anyway, to dinner we went. It was magical. In her home the lights were low and her Christmas tree was so beautiful and twinkly, there were candles everywhere. My family never burned candles so I was in paradise. Dinner was served on pretty dishes...I don't remember what was served but for our dessert we had wonderful little cookies....Mexican Wedding Cakes. Oh, I had to have the recipe. When my mom came to take me home Miss Hill gave my mom her recipe and here it is........ I know it is in pretty sad shape....I don't care. It's in my mom's handwriting and there are wonderful memories attached to this recipe that I've made every year since 1952. If you click on the picture, I think you can read the recipe.

Cream the butter then add the other ingredients...mix well.

Form into balls, I make mine a little larger than a marble. I love parchment paper and line my cookie sheets with it...no need to grease them. Bake about 10 minutes (light brown) in a 375 degree oven.

Cool slightly, then roll in powered sugar.........and

Enjoy! Christmas hugs, Linda

~Sharing and I Won A Give-Away~

Mom, are we done yet? Lily and I have been wrapping packages all afternoon and I agree it's time to clean up. Just five more days until Christmas and I'm ready...except for baking cookies. Before I gather all the things up I wanted to share some stitched pieces with you..... I enjoy cross stitching and thought I'd share some holiday pieces I always have out. I have a small chest in my dining room and these pictures hang on the wall behind it.

The cute little Santa is a Just Nan and I stitched it last year.

I love this sampler...my Mom made it for me in 1989. Do you see my initials in the stocking in the left hand corner?

This is my most treasured piece. My sweet daughter stitched this as a Christmas gift for me when she was a teenager.....love, love, love it. If you see a little orange spot on the green Santa's outfit please excuse.... it's from the flash

One more thing I wanted to share are these beautiful coasters.

Yesterday when I got home from running errands there was a large envelope waiting for me... all the way form the Netherlands. Heidi at Needle Necessities was having a give-away and I was one of the lucky winners. Hedi was giving away sets of her beautiful handmade coasters. She asked what colors we liked and the set she made me is just perfect....I love the colors and the pattern....and the sweet card too, thank you Heidi. Heidi has a lovely blog and she is very a talented stitcher, quilter, and makes the most beautiful lace. If you have never met Heidi, stop by for a visit, you won't be disappointed.

Well, back to cleaning up and then time to start dinner. Happy rest of the weekend to all....Christmas hugs, Linda

~ Christmas Tree~

Hi everyone. Are you ready for Christmas? I'm getting there.... I don't know about you, but for me there is just not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to do. We did get our tree up and decorated this weekend and I did something a little different. For a closer look you can click on any picture.

I love and collect vintage bead garland, but this year I just didn't want to decorate the tree with it, but I did want to put it out. What to do? I think Christmas ornaments look so pretty in glass containers so I thought why not put the garland in a large glass vase.

What do you think? I love it! I have to tell you when I first started putting the garland in the vase, I thought to myself, this is one of your crazier ideas, it's going to be a tangled mess to get out, but I put it in carefully and I'll just be careful taking it out. Until then we'll enjoy it.

Be seeing you soon....hugs, Linda

~ Father Christmas ~

Look what my Santa just gave me, Father Christmas. Carl went to his regular little Saturday flea market and on the way home stopped at a garage sale and found this rather regal fellow. He has a beautiful green cloak edged with fur and I think one of the sweetest faces. What is so ironic I have been seeing some beautiful Father Christmas's on several blogs and in my comments I had mentioned I'd love to find one for my collection...but I hadn't said a word to Carl. So, you can imagine how surprised and happy I was when I found this Santa on the dinning room table. I love him and you too honey. Hope everyone is having a jolly day....hugs, Linda

~ Santa's~

Here is our hutch and look who has it taken over......Santa. I wish I could remember which Santa is the first one that started my collection , but after all these years I'm not sure. You can click on the pictures to get a closer look at these little Santa's and there are a couple of Mrs. Santa's too.

I always say the Mr. and Mrs. sitting in the chair is Carl and me.

Ho~Ho~Ho.......if you look closely you can see Santa bunny.

Do you see the little Santa to the right...he looks like he's peeking over something...Lisa painted him when she was about ten and just to the left of him an old Santa pin, Carl found and his nose still lights up.

The center Santa is a Jim Shore and the chubby Santa on the right might be the first of my collection...I'm not sure, but he is very old.

I love all these Santa's....some are very old, there are new ones, and hand crafted...and many have been gifts. I always try to choose a favorite, but I can't. Did you see a favorite? Have a happy day~~HO, HO, Ho~ Linda

~Santa Is Coming~

It's Santa time. I have always loved Santa's and have been collecting them since 1962. I generally buy one each year and have received several as gifts. Here are some of the stuffed Santa's..... I think this little one is so cute.....I just love his suit made from a bright plaid blanket....his beard is so fluffy all you can see are his eyes and button nose. He is sitting in a wonderful old rocking horse that Carl's grandpa made.

Little Santa's in traditional red suits...........

I really like the fancy cranberry colored jacket the Santa in the middle is wearing.

Cute fuzzy beard, and look at his fancy green suit.......he has button arms and legs too. More Santa's will be coming soon.
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Thank you Mama Bear for this lovely award. Please stop by Mama Bear's and say hi....I know you'll enjoy your visit. I have met so many interesting and creative ladies since I've been blogging and if you are reading this please take this award home with you and display it on your sidebar.......it would make me most happy. Hugs, Linda

~Little Pinecone Elves~

Oh, I just love these cute little pinecone elves....... I remember them being so popular when I was growing up. They just make me smile...when I saw them at the peddlers fair last year I knew they'd be coming home with me.

These little fellas are clustered around a very old glass Christmas tree decanter that's been in my father's family for years.

Their cute little faces are made of celluloid.............

Each little elf has a pinecone body and little pipe cleaner arms and legs. Their outfits are made from tiny pieces of brightly colored felt. I think much attention to detail was made when creating them.

Such cute little impish faces.....I think they are keeping lots of holiday secrets. Have a lovely evening...hugs, Linda

~~Christmas Is Coming~~

Hi everyone. Time just got away from me this week....I was away from my computer for two days and I'm so far behind visiting and really behind decorating...but this weekend I'll be catching up with my visits and I hope to get the tree up and finish decorating. I have some some Christmas out......let me show you. Please come in.

On the sofa table is my granma's crystal bowl, filled with greens, little scented pine cones and sugared fruit.

I tend to decorate the same way each year...on either side of the the bowl are Santa pictures. The black and white ones are of me and the colored ones are Lisa. Each time I put these out I always wish I had one of Carl visiting Santa....he remembers visiting Santa but doesn't remember getting his picture taken.
Oh, such sweet memories and how time flies...Lisa is all grown up...but we both still believe.

Part of my Christmas post card collection. I love these little cards. All are stamped and have been date cancelled...the oldest in this grouping is the Victorian girl on the left side...dated 1910. It's from a young girl living in San Francisco, inviting Mrs. Tyler...(her mom's friend) to come and visit her mom for two weeks. I wonder if she did visit.....I hope so.

Well I better get busy...see you soon. Hugs, Linda

~~Christmas Tag~~

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your blog friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do. Just copy this entire post and paste into a new post on your blog. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag 5 people to post this on their blog. How simple can it get! Hope you'll join the fun.......1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper......in fact I've always wanted to work in the gift wrap department during the holidays.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? During the first week in December.
4. When do you take the tree down? January 2nd.....but one year I left it up the entire month of January.
5. Do you like eggnog?No, I don't like eggnog...I LOVE it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My first Bible...from my granma.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Maybe my honey....he already has lots of toys.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Our daughter....she gives lots of hints and loves everything.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I love to mail my cards.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't think there is such a thing.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story.
13. Better to give or receive? I love to give.
14. Favorite Christmas Food? Mexican Wedding Cakes (cookies) and Christmas dinner.
15. Favorite Christmas tradition? Going to The Nutcracker Ballet.
16. Colored lights on the tree or all clear? Clear, plus I have a clear strand that is musical.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Happy Christmas~(War Is Over).....this is the second song on my Christmas playlist.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes, and don't forget Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually neither...we have a sweet little bear atop our tree.
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? We open one on Christmas Eve and the rest in the morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Last minute shopping. 23. Favorite Ornament theme or color? I love an old fashion Christmas tree....we have ornaments we've collect over the past 47 years. When I unwrap them I am overwhelmed with wonderful memories of years gone by.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Leg of lamb, mashed potatoes and zucchini casserole.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Good health and happier times for all.

Andi ~~(from Andi's Everyday Adventure) this was so much fun...now I'm tagging ~~~~BJ~~~Brenda~~~Denise~~~Mama Bear~~~Nancy~~~warm hugs to all, Linda

~~An Award From Nancy~~

Nancy gave me this sweet award and I love it...thank you for thinking of me. Since I've been blogging, I've met some of the nicest people and Nancy is one of them.........Not only is...... she a lovely person, she is very talented too. Nancy is a gifted knitter and a wonderful cross stitcher.....plus, she make the most yummy pies. Stop by her blog~Knitting Paths of Life ~and say hi, you'll enjoy your visit. Now I'm to pass this award along to six others. I'd really like to pass this on to everyone but I'll follow the rules......here goes ~~I'm sending this award to~~~

Andi at Andi's Everyday Adventure~~~ Patty At Attic Clutter~~~Michelle at Back Through Time~~~Jackie at In The Land Of The Living Skies~~~Lib at Lib's Private Paradise~~~ Kathleen at Yesterday Embroideries.

It is terribly foggy this morning, I think a perfect way to start the month of December. I'll be staying in, decorating a little and just enjoying the day.....have a great Monday and let me be the first to say Merry Christmas on this first day of December....hugs, Linda