CHRISTMAS 2010

The past week or so has all been a blur but here is a brief recap of the events.

I received this beautiful giveaway prize in the mail that I won from Marie's Maison.

It is a ceramic cupcake that holds a pot scrubber!  Adorable!  Love it!  Thanks Marie.

My colleagues decided to hold our office Christmas Party in-house this year as opposed to going to a restaurant.

My good blogging buddy, Lisa, from Serendipity Chic Decor lost her blog, somehow, in Cyberspace.  She was distraught, as you can well imagine, after all the hard work she put into her blog.  I'm certain a lot of you already know of Lisa, she made my beautiful Winter sign. 

Within a week she had a new blog up and running so please go take a look at her new blog.  Lisa is a makeover guru and design diva whose blog is always a delight to visit.  You can find Lisa and all her great makeovers and projects HERE at her new blog, Serendipity Chic Design!

 

Although we didn't host Christmas dinner at our house this year, I still baked up a storm.  I always take the desserts to whichever family member is hosting Christmas.  I made shortbread cookies, peppermint meltaways, carrot cake, maple syrup tarts, two different flavours of fudge, peanut butter cookies, molasses cookies, 7-layer bars and raspberry squares.

My Dad was released from the hospital on the 23rd of December.  The hospital sent as many patients as possible home for the holidays.  With assistance, he was able to attend Christmas dinner.

Food, fun & family was plentiful!

Boxing Day was when our guests arrived.  Hubs has four adult children who came to spend a few days with us.  We visited Hub's Mother's house in the morning for brunch and then back to our place for dinner & gifts.  We also spent an afternoon at the movies and held our first ever bowling tournament.

Up for grabs .... my vintage wooden bowling pin!

And no, it didn't come home with us!  Darn it ... maybe next time!

So, in summary, the past week or so has been spent cooking, cleaning, eating, baking, driving, laughing, dog walking, bowling, smiling, doing TONS of laundry, visiting and all related activities associated with the holidays! 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas 2010!

Cheers - Lisa

OH-OH ~ CHRISTMAS TREE?

This year is not the norm for me as I am usually much more organized with respect to Christmas.  I am behind on EVERYTHING although I did manage to get the main level of the house decorated.

There was more pressure last year as we were hosting my family Christmas dinner for 25!  Every nook and cranny of my home shouted "Welcome Christmas".  The message is much more subtle this year.

This is a small green tinsel tree I purchased a few years back for a mere $10.00.  I put my larger tree downstairs in the family room so this wee tree is perfect to display on my sideboard.  I must admit, I started this post several days ago and since then I have seen some VERY impressive trees out there in Blogland!  I do feel my efforts pale in comparison to what some have accomplished!  KUDOS to you (and you know who you are with those very impressive feather trees; tinsel trees; Canadiana themed trees; pink trees; traditional trees covered in sentimental ornaments; white trees and 14 trees!!!)  Yes, one of my blog friends has assembled and decorated 14 BEAUTIFUL TREES!  Nevertheless, I am feeling mighty festive today with the Christmas music blaring in the background and the snow on the ground outside! 

So, I share my little Christmas Tree!

These are some of the little Victorian figures I've displayed under my tree.

Don't they all look so happy?  I'm hoping you're feeling Joyous too as we near Christmas Day!

I'm linking to

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday Holiday!

Please join in the party if you have something Festive to share or grab a glass of eggnog and go visit the others!

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!  

Cheers - Lisa

SILVER & GREENS

This is my grouping of mercury glass that I've collected over the past couple of years.  I've displayed it on top of my china cabinet with some natural greenery and pine cones gathered from the garden.

I've added a few little floral picks with silver coloured beads just to pretty it up further!

This pretty silver 'heart' ornament hangs from my cabinet door.

The silver sparkles and glows in the light of the candles.

Thank you SO MUCH for your kind comments & prayers with respect to my Father.  He has now been moved to a rehab wing in the hospital where he is starting to get some physiotherapy to assist him to walk again.  The process is so slow due to his age and right now we're taking it day by day.  I need to get back to work this week so I will be sure to visit each of you to see what exciting things have been going on during this festive season!  I'm embarrassed to admit that I still have my tree in the basement set up, but undecorated!  And who knows ... with the way things are going, it just may have to stay that way this year!

Cheers - Lisa

SAY A LITTLE PRAYER

My dear 78-year old Dad suffered a stroke a couple of years ago.  As a result, his balance had never been the same.  Friday night, while on his way into a restaurant for dinner with my Mum, he fell and shattered his hip!  After running various tests at the hospital to determine whether or not his heart and lungs were strong enough for surgery, he underwent a hip-replacement yesterday afternoon.  He came out of the surgery just fine as he is a tough old bird but the road ahead of him is going to be very long and difficult.  We already know he will not be home for Christmas and the only thing he repeats, over and over, is that he wants to go home!

I haven't had the opportunity to visit any of you and I'll be away for a short while.  I know you're all posting lovely photos of your beautiful homes, decorated for the holidays and probably some delicious recipes that I would love to add to my Christmas Goodies List!

Please keep my dear Dad in your thoughts and prayers in the next little while because I suspect he's going to need all the help he can get!

Lisa xox

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY WINNER!

The Blogging Community is unlike anything else.  While preparing for my Christmas Giveaway, Hubs questioned why I would go through all of this effort to actually give a gift away to a stranger?  That is how he phrased his question.  It made me contemplate my personal experiences with Blogging.  Somewhere, during the visiting of others' blogs and posting comments and in turn sharing projects and having comments left for ourselves, we develop relationships.  What is amazing is that over time we actually feel like we know some of these people because we've made some kind of connection with them.

They offer support and praise and sometimes the relationship spills over from simple blogging to actually emailing one another on the side.  And I've witnessed, on others' blogs, people actually meeting, in person, and feeling as if they've known one another for EVER!  So I was quick to correct dear Hubs and let him know that my Blogging Community is not filled with strangers, but a wonderful, supportive group of creative individuals who constantly supply me with inspiration and joy each and every day!

Instead of concentrating on work yesterday afternoon at my office, I printed off my Followers list.  I then photocopied the names of those who kindly promoted my Giveaway on their Blog so they had extra credits.  I painstakingly cut the lists up with my scissors and deposited them into an envelope, which was sealed once my task was complete.

I asked Hubs to draw the winner from all the names in the envelope just before bed (in case there were any new entries before day's end).  I was so excited once he had selected a winner and he looked at the tiny slip of paper and got a funny grin on his face.  He said "You won't believe it"!  I figured he's yanking my chain and ordered him to just tell me who won!

Hubs had that silly grin because he knows that Chris is one of my special 'Blogging' buddies!  She is probably the first person I made a 'connection' with in Blogland!  I don't know how we came together but I think I found her blog first and her profile caught my eye because her daughter lives in Toronto, which is close to where I live.  That, along with the fact that she has 3 dogs (like me) and lives in an old farmhouse on 20 acres.  I'm a wannabe FarmGal stuck in Suburbia!  She's living my dream.  Chris extended a helping hand to me very early on when I was having some difficulties with Blogger.

Congratulations Chris!  If you haven't already paid her a visit, please go visit Chris at

Red Gate Farm. 

EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT

I've had my eye on this chair for quite a while now.  Believe it or not, I found it at a local nursery way back in the early Fall when I went to purchase my garden Mums.

It was 'LOVE' at first sight (sigh)! 

There isn't anything about this chair that I dislike.

It has a beautifully 'aged' chippy finished on it!

The fabric is lovely.  It's very neutral with a small stripe pattern.

I 'visited' this chair on several occasions.  Do any of you do that when you're undecided about a purchase?  I went back to the store three different times, driving out of my way with the intention of buying it.  I would seek it out in the store and sit on it (to try it on for size) but the truth be told, I didn't need it so I held off.  Christmas is NOT the time for personal frivolous purchases!

But then Hubs came to the rescue!!!!!  He offered to buy it as my early Christmas gift (and because quite frankly, he was sick and tired of listening to me moan & groan about the chair).  So back we went, and on a day where all the items in the store were 20% off, and the chair finally found its new home with me! 

I finally started on my holiday decor this weekend.  This is the first thing that came out of the tote!  He was laying on top of the pile of decorations, waiting for his time to be displayed and SHINE!

He was a gift to me several years ago from my sister-in-law and he remains very special & sentimental!

Hubs does not like him.  Maybe it's the not-so-friendly expression he wears on his face.  When Hubs saw him hanging from my light he commented something like, "Oh no, not that thing again"!  THING  ... he is not a THING, he is a scowling jester!  The holidays evoke so many memories (lol)!

I am so excited, tomorrow evening I will select the winner of my

Christmas Giveaway!

It's not too late to enter if you're new to this blog.  One more day!  

GOOD LUCK!

Cheers ~ Lisa