A Very Merry Christmas

I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas

May your day be made of memories for years to come

I hope you whispered to Santa what you wanted

May it be such a happy day you want to jump out of your chair with 

excitement and happiness

Merry Christmas from A Sentimental Life

ANN

I Have Been Celebrating the Holiday!

Oh my I do not think I have gone this long without posting 

OR

this long without reading your blogs.

Seems this time of year every second is taking up.

I just got back from spending a week at 1515.

The days leading up to my getaway and since coming back have been days spent at work from 

0530  to 10pm, I am poop!

But come with me and see what I have been up to.

when I got there, snow was on the ground and by Saturday

it really started snowing!

but tonight was my Christmas party!

So as I baked I looked out the window.......

the flakes were huge

But I was rescued by cousin Max again,

do you remember last year?

he cleaned everything off so the party goers could get in

cousin Jerry's Grandaughter even came

my auction buddy Cheryl and cousin Phil's wife Joyce

I wish my dear Daddy was still here to join in the conversation with his 1st cousins

Susan, myself and cousin Jerry wife Juliene

I could not find my camera most the night. darn!

so I missed a picture of my Peppermint Punch made with Baileys

all I will say is YUM!!!

Sunday was Church, lunch out then a Charleston Riot meeting

afterwards they film crew was working on our documentary

my friend David who is a historian and genealogist

and my idol historian Nancy Easter Shick

We chose the old part of the Charleston Library

it is beautiful, built in 1904 and has Paul Sargent paintings about the 

twin fireplaces.

Monday was our baking day and our

"Christmas"

the table is set

I had a pork roast and hash brown casserole ready to go

How wonderful it was to have my Grandmother's Hoosier cabinet this year

Quality control/taste tester!

The twins and I have so much fun!

I had to move to the utility room, it was a great set up

I love the peppermint fudge I made!

the fake tree did not turn out too bad and when I left I did not have to spend time taking it down and hauling it out to the front porch.

I doesn't take much to make us happy as we unwrapped our gifts!

I was thinking of my sweet cousin Jennifer who wrote this, as we

were celebrating her wonderful MIL passed away in her sleep.

Christmas can also be hard on many, I am thinking of my cousin Bob's wife,

her first Christmas without him.

So Susan is waving Merry Christmas to all!

Buffet Decked Out

My oak buffet is one of my favorite things to decorate.

As I unpack the items, I think of where the items came from, or who gave them to me.

I have basically done it the same for the 20 years I have had the buffet.

A collection of china, and silver..some new some vintage.

I put white lights on the buffet then dress it with cuttings of our Frazier Fir

Christmas Tree

I have a holly celery dish

Old English Rose Christmas pattern, the first pieces my Mom and I bought in London

another vintage find, a bowl decorated with holly

A Portmerion plate and cup, purchased in England

And my first Christmas teapot, a gift from my Grandpa many years ago.

a few years ago I found these mercury glass candle pillars at Home Goods

look close....a snowman face!

the sterling silver creamer and sugar my SIL gave me for Christmas a few years ago

takes center stage

But at night everything just sparkles

so as I sit in my living room I can look into the dining room and see the glow

Hope your Sunday is nice and shiny and bright!

We have snow on the ground but snuggled up on this cold morning, enjoying my lights.

My Angel

You may of remember from years past I had shown my 

Angel Tree Topper

she has adorned my trees for many many years

I saw her in downtown Greenup at the Western Auto, I just had to have her!

I asked my sweet Dad, and we went up and got her.

It makes me think of the magical way my Dad made Christmas.

1972

there she is!

On top of our tree, I am not sure if that was her first year but a picture from 1970 she is not there.

When I got married and left home, she went with me.

Of all the pictures I have, I do not have a picture of my Dad and I together at Christmas.

But he is in my heart every Christmas and every time I look at the top of my Christmas tree.

Decorating Always Starts in the Kitchen, and With the Memories

The first thing I decorate every year is the kitchen.

Nothing says Christmas like a decorated kitchen.

Reminds me of sitting around the kitchen table with my Mom and Grandmother.

The first thing to go up is the curtains my Mom made me so many years ago when I moved into my house.

the kitchen window all decorated

love the light in the window at night.

cute scene on the curtains of Christmas cookies and cakes

how sweet

and my Hoosier cabinet

A Christmas present from my Mom and Grandfather one year.

I always hang my Christmas apron with my Mom's and the 

"hostess Apron" on the left is a gift last year from my sweet friend

Paulette from A Cheerful Thrifty Door

How generous and thoughtful, it mean so much to me.

oranges in my Pfalzgraff bowl

I can remember reading about my Dad getting them in his stocking

a vintage cookie cook book, bell mold, Rudolph mold and some red sugar for decorating

from Sears and Roebuck and Co.!

it is still full, I guess someone did not get their cookies decorated?

I love reading these and getting some tips

From Aunt Jenny at Spry Shortening

never heard of it, have you?

a quilt potholder made by one of my best friends years ago, it has always hung here

I was thrilled when I found this years ago...I knew it was just like my Mom and I.

It was on her refrigerator, I sure miss our annual cut out sugar cookie baking.

my little shelf

adore bottle brush wreaths

I used them for my Barbie's when I was little

sweet little snowmen to great me

This was a productive day.

I was suppose to work but I got a call on Wednesday

"would you like Friday off?'

You bettcha!

I don't go back to Tuesday so I should have most of my decorating done and to

start packing for my week at 1515 in a couple of weeks.

What did you do on this Black Friday?

Joining Marty at
A Stroll Thru Life 193rd Inspire Me Tuesday

Jann at