Last Minute Card Idea & Christmas Cookies

 Wednesday morning, right before I left for work, Glenn asked me for a Christmas card.  He accidentally gave all our cards to Margie so we didn't have anymore.  So I improvised.  I started with a blank card.  Then I grabbed a card that someone sent us last week, cut off the cover, and glued it onto the blank card.  Voila!  A new card!

 My sister wanted to see photos of the finished cookies.  I didn't take as many as I usually do but I did snap a few after they were wrapped & ready to deliver.  These are the kiss pies.

 Here are the toffee squares.  Cookies are really hard to photograph through plastic wrap!

And this is how we delivered them this year.  Not very fancy.

My Newest Ornaments

Lauren texted me last night from Peet's to let me know that they had ornaments similar to Starbucks.  Since Angie was so good to find this year's Starbucks ornament for me I already had it.  So I met Lauren at Peet's today after work & used a gift card to buy their ornaments... and cups of coffee for me & L.

And I'm not sleepy at all right now!  Maybe I need to drink some Peet's every afternoon.  lol...

Christmas Cookies

The unbaked Kiss Pies.

Today we're delivering our Christmas cookies.  We didn't bake as many this year as in the past.  Well, Jordy probably did if you count all the ones she took to school.  I tried some new recipes this year & saw LOTS more that I wanted to try so I'm making this post to keep up with all of them so I can come back & try them later.  Hopefully before next Christmas!

These are the ones I made:
Kiss Pies from Picky Palete  (Pretty & easy, but more time consuming than I thought.)
Toffee Bars from The Pioneer Woman (These were soooooo fast & easy.  And delicious.)

These are the ones I want to try:
Candy Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwiches, kevin & amanda {blog} (Made these before, but used chocolate.)
Brownie Covered Oreos, Picky Palate (Think I'll try these with Candy Cane Jo-Jos!)
Pine Bark, Paula Deen (a girl at work makes this for us every year. Mmmmmmm....)

Unbaked candy recipes:
Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark, Recipe Girl
Easy Chocolate Pretzel Bits, Recipe Shoebox (Angie makes these.... sooooooo good!!!)

Other goodies to try:
Candied Pecans, kevin & amanda {blog}
Lots of last minute recipes here, Picky Palate

I'm running out of time now but I'll be adding to this list!  I may even mark it on the side column so I can find it easily.  Then I'm making a directory of cupcakes that we want to try!

Silent Night

Here's another of my favorite Christmas songs.  Even better because it's sung by my daughter!

Just to lighten things up a bit...

...this is not one of my favorite Christmas songs but I thought it was funny.  Hopefully some of you will, too.  Don't feel bad about saying "Merry Christmas!"

 Here are the pictures I promised.  I took these before I sent the Bible in to Somerset.  I decorated the cover with lace, paper, and vintage rhinestones.

 I added some of my favorite verses inside the cover.

And decorated the place marker, too.

I Learned How to Set Rhinestones!

A newer recording, but becoming one of my favorites.  Our choir is singing this on Sunday along with our children's choir -- don't miss it!  If you're in our area, come see us, if not you can watch online on the NorthCreek Church website at 9 & 11 am Pacific time.

I'm going to have a new item at Room With A Past this weekend.  I learned how to set rhinestones so I made some earrings from these old 1940s rhinestones I found.  The green are vintage Swarovski rhinestones & the clear were made between 1945 & 1949 in Ally-occupied West Germany.  Kinda neat to know where some of the vintage jewels come from.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

Here's another of my favorite Christmas songs -- "The Hallelujah Chorus".  We sang The Messiah last year and it was a wonderful experience.  Wish we could have sung it at Macy's like these people did:

Today was my day off.  I think I actually finished my Christmas shopping.  I bought everything except perishable foods that I'll have to buy next week.  At least, I think I did.  I'm wondering what I'll remember on Christmas Eve.  And so far, I haven't lost anything...lol.

 I got an email a few days ago from a Stampington editor that my work is in another magazine.  This time it's the Somerset Studio Gallery - Winter.  I have two projects in this edition.  I haven't received my copy yet but I did find it at JoAnn's today and took some pictures on my phone.

The first is a little carte de viste photo that I altered.

The second is a Bible that I altered.  I also did some things inside.  I'll try to find the photos I took and share these with you later.

Now that my shopping is done (and just in time... it just started raining) and the soup is boiling I need to go upstairs and make room for Mark & Lauren who'll be here Thursday.

Please pray for them as they travel.  Mark is sick today, too -- got the stomach bug from kids at school.  And pray for my sister who found out today that the baby is breech.  She's going in later this week to see if they can turn her around.

Don't forget that Room With a Past is open this weekend!

Twelve Days...

...til Christmas!  Glenn has mentioned several times what a great time of year this is when you can go into public places & hear people singing about Jesus.   Mark & Lauren are sharing one of their favorite Christmas songs on their blog every day from now 'til Christmas so I thought I'd join them.  I may not make it every day but I'll try to share a few anyway. Here's my very favorite... "Oh, Holy Night."  One of my favorite versions is by Josh Groban:

Dreaming of a Pink Christmas

I sat up at Room With a Past today for next week's sale.  The shop will be filled with more Christmas decor & gift ideas.  I had a lot of pink Shiny Brite balls, so PINK is my theme this month.

I also made more French inspired necklaces with fleur-de-lis, Eiffel towers, and rhinestones.  My close up photos didn't turn out too well.  Not enough light in there today.

I also ordered two more "necks" so I'll go in & add those this week.

Jordy had plans with friends today so we took the opportunity to go out to eat breakfast at IHOP and do some Christmas shopping.  We almost finished.  Like I've told you before, we don't buy much for Christmas gifts.  I try to make as much as possible.  But there are a few people that I live with that I make things for all the time that "needed" some store bought things.   And Margie is still saying that she's cold so we bought her some more fleece tops.

And if you need pink Christmas lights to go with Shiny Brite balls I found some at Amazon.com:

Some of my favorite ornaments...

Our tree looks beautiful this year.  I still haven't taken a picture of the whole tree but I did take pictures of some of my favorite ornaments.  I've been buying the Starbucks ornaments every year... still haven't seen any this year.  Are there new ones?  I haven't been to Starbucks in a LONG time!

(NOTE: I'm linking to Flamingo Toe's Favorite Ornament Party.  But I couldn't choose just one ornament!)

Bought this one after we moved to California.

 One of our choir members gave us this one.  Is reminds me of my sister!  lol...  Love it because 1.) it's Kermit, & 2.) he's singing.

 Bought this one at a thrift store!  I love the "space age" graphics on it.

 One of my after Christmas buys last year.  It's a little bigger than my usual ornaments but I love it.

 Bought this one when the girls were little.  It's a Hallmark.  I like how it clips onto the branch.

 Another Starbucks ornament... I really need to go to SB & get this year's.

 Another Christmas sale purchase.

Another Hallmark.  Bought when I was expecting Lauren!

Christmas Party At Margie's Place

 Saturday was the Christmas party at Pleasant Hill Manor, where Margie is living.  I wasn't expecting too much, but WOW - we were amazed by all they did for the residents!  I took lots of photos especially so other family members & friends can see where Margie is living & who's helping take care of her.  This is one of her favorite ladies.  She helps Margie shower, washes her clothes, & other general care.








Margie loves this little girl!  Her parents run the home & they bring her almost every day.  She rides her tricycle up & down the hall & goes into the rooms.  Glenn walked in one day & Margie was reading her a book.

This is the couple that runs the home.  They are really sweet & loving.

 This is the hall Margie lives on.  There were so many at the party they had tables set up.

 This is the dining room where she usually eats.  They had their singers & dancing going on & it was too loud in there for Margie on Saturday.  But it was a lot of fun.  Boy, can they sing!

 And cook!  The "boys" cooked all this.  Margie sometimes doesn't like what they cook but they did a really good job for the party.

 I didn't take a picture of the whole room but it hasn't changed too much.  I was trying to take pictures of her decorations.  This is the little tree we found at a thrift store.  Not bad for $1.00, huh?  We tied on the tiny ornaments with ribbons.

 Trying to remember where I got the ornaments... I think the wreath came from JoAnn's.  Maybe the ornaments, too.  The bow came from my box of stuff that I've had for YEARS.

 This is another of Margie's favorite ladies.  As I was taking a picture she said, "I call her my Momma.  She's just like a mom to me."

 Hazel had every inch of this place decorated.  This scene was on the front table where we usually sign in & sign Margie out.

 There's a dining room that visiting family can use. We used it last week when Margie's roommate was asleep when we were visiting.

Here's Margie & Glenn by the big tree in the entry way.  Hope you enjoyed your little "visit" of Pleasant Hill Manor!

Too many exceptions...

OK, this photo has nothing to do with what I'm posting about tonight.  I just wanted to show you one of the things I made today.  Would you wear a bracelet made out of a dog tag & a rhinestone button?  :-)  I just thought they looked good together.

Tomorrow the "30 Days of Thanksgiving" is starting.  If you're just joining us this year you may not know that I've had a strict rule in my house over the years -- we celebrate every holiday, in order.  That means, no Christmas decorations or music is allowed until the day after Thanksgiving.  I've had to make a concession in years past for music because to put on a Christmas musical (especially "The Messiah" like we did last year) we have to start practicing in at least October.  So we've already been singing Christmas music & listening to it in the car for a few weeks.  But this year there are a few other changes.

1. Our Christmas tree is already set up.  If you read about Jordy's birthday party you know why.  It's not decorated for Christmas right now so I guess it's officially a Halloween tree right now.  Next week it's going to become a Thanksgiving tree.

2.  Since I have a space in a local shop that has themes every month and the theme for November is "Christmas," and I have to create what I'm going to sell now, I am already making Christmas decorations.  I may show you one from time to time, but my blog won't be too Christmasy until after Thanksgiving.

3.  Again this year, everyone who receives a Christmas gift from me is getting something homemade.  So I better stop blogging and go start crocheting!

Those are all the exceptions I have so far.  Maybe I won't have to add any more this year.

Oops, I just realized that I'm starting the "30 Days of Thanksgiving" before Halloween.  Oh, well...

Winter White Swap

I hadn't done a swap in a while so when I heard about the Sparkling Winter White Swap over on the Sweet Goodness Swaps blog I thought I'd join in. My partner was Rachel from Chippy Cottage Charm House. And even though the theme was sparkling white she noticed that we decorated in red & gold this year & sent me lots of red, too! Thanks, Rachel!!! [SPOILER: Rachel, if you're reading this & haven't received your package there are photos of what I'm sending you at the end of this post.]
I love the old pin. I've been using a lot more old costume jewelry/rhinestones/etc in my projects this year so this one will find a place! Rachel collects doll heads & included some in my package. These remind me of the little angel ornaments we used to make. Maybe they'll be angels next Christmas.
Lots more crafty goodies, including a big "G". Ha ha ha.... I'll have to make something for Glenn with that one.... ooooooooo, maybe for Valentine's Day?
And look at this cute little house she made me. My snowman & deer love sitting out in front of it.
Here's another unique ornament she found.
And here's some of what I sent her. She was decorating for Christmas with white, pink, & aqua. Cute little chocolate snowmen, a mirrored snowflake (she also collects mirrors), and a pair of my fingerless gloves.
These birds were a project I've been wanting to try for a while. We saw this on Martha Stewart. This was a little figurine I found at a thrift store. I think they were goldfinches. I spray painted them with several thin coats of white and added a few glittery touches.
A spoon magnet & Christmas ornament in the background:
A found frame with a Photoshopped picture:
I also found a box of satin ornament so I strung them on a thick pink ribbon for a garland.

Merry Christmas, Rachel!

Christmas Card Album

I always hate to throw away our Christmas cards. I've seen lots of projects that reuse old cards to make new ornaments or things like that. But we've been getting more and more photo cards each year and I really wanted to keep them to be able to go back and see how families have changed over the years. So I made this last year.

Really all it is is two covers cut from an old Scrabble board that I bought at a garage sale. I picked out my largest card and made the cover just a bit bigger. Then I decorated the front and drilled holes in it. (This year's album will be much easier since I have a Crop-a-Dile now!) I believe the book rings are 7 Gypsies. Then I just punched holes & added cards.

This year it's laying out on an end table in our living room so we can see how the kids have grown during this year.

BTW, I bought some cards last year after Christmas & I think they got repacked back into the ornament box & are back in the attic. I'm not going back in the attic 'til we put up the Christmas decorations. Now I have to think of something new to do for our cards.....