Christmas Recipes/Hall/Bath

In the Christmas Kitchen..Let's stop & get
some of my Favorite Christmas Recipes to share...
(Above) Is my "Chocolate Trifle Tower"
For the RECIPE CLICK HERE

(Below) Are my Fast/Easy "Chocolate
Peanut Clusters" ONLY 2 INGREDIENTS!!
For the RECIPE CLICK HERE...

(Below) Are party gifts for our "Christmas
Party" Guests..My husband & I have carried
on a tradition that my parents started when
I was young & that was to have a Buffet Dinner
for friends/neighbors. We usually have between
35-40 guests...We have been doing this for 20 yrs
& just LOOK FORWARD TO IT EACH YEAR!

Leaving the Kitchen Area..we are going into the hall

where hanging over us is our "Christmas Mop

Angel"

(Below) We are entering the Bath..

Who in their right mind would be

showing their bathroom?? I am

showing you..so that you can have

some fun decorating in the bath too!

By just putting a few touches here

& there it really makes the bath

as festive as the rest of the house!

Here I just put a Poinsettia (real or

silk) & a Christmas Tree (middle

size..about 20") One of my Favorite

things to make are Alpine Christmas

Trees 2', 3', 4', & 5' Tall.. (Below)Is my "Christmas Elf Clock"
He is made with Card stock, scraps of fabric,

red yarn, glue, small clock, black felt, couple

of buttons, a fine felt tip marker, & a bell.

Sorry I don't have a tutorial..He was made

before blogs!

Then moving down the hallway we have

our Welcoming X-Stitch Sign (I love

Cross-stitch) & a Snowman Quilt I made

a few years back..I LOVE Quilts &

Snowmen too!!!

(Below) Underneath the wall hanging is a

favorite little spot of mine where we have a bench

with goodies & gifts to give out when people stop by.

(Below) On each side of the bench we have

another one of my Favorite things to make...

Wooden Toy Soldiers! They take alot of

time & work but are SO Cute when they are

finished! My sister I think has bought 6 or

more from me & lines them up outside her

house & they are TOO CUTE for words!!

Coming to a close of our third day of

the tour..is the end of the hallway..

We have 2 pillars on either side of a round

table with my Decorator Alpine 2' tree,

sleigh, & a "Christmas Book..Christmas

Jars"..If you haven't read it you should.

It's wonderful!! Great tear jerker!!

Christmas in July (Tour day #2/Kitchen/Fast/Easy Tips)

Continuing on with our Christmas in July
Tour Day 2..we are entering the Kitchen
where I smell Gingerbread baking in the
oven...Can you smell it??? In the above
photo we are looking back into the Living
room..Notice the applique "Noel" wall
hanging on the entryway into the kitchen.
I have had that for many yrs. & love the
memories every time I put it up.

Upon entering the kitchen the china hutch has

my Christmas Village collection of dinnerware

that is so festive. Tip: An easy thing to dress

up your hutch is get a garland & wrap tiny

lights around it..Gives great atmosphere...

(especially when the lights are off)

Here is one of my favorite kitchen

wood pieces. It had counted cross-stitch

hearts in the four doors..However to

update my kitchen this yr. I replaced

them with black/white polka dots (but

always have the option of putting my

cross-stitch back. Easy to remove &

change fabric.

(Above photo) Favorite Tea kettle of all time..

I found @ a craft fair..if I ever find red tea kettles

I will make these to sell. Great decor item in the

kitchen!

I also love Christmas plaid & Carolers of any kind.

She's my kitchen Caroler. (Above)

Did I tell you I have a Gingerbread Wall? I

love anything Gingerbread..especially these cute

little dolls..and the one with the chef's hat holds

plastic bags! I also love quilts, wall hangings, &

hearts!

The Gingerbread people have even invaded the

top of my Refrigerator & Microwave!! Oh..By the

way....I did mention that THIS HOME BELIEVES..

Didn't I?

(Above) is the Stackables (Misletoe/Candycanes/

Sugarplums that I sell at my Santa's Gift Shoppe

Boutique..in Dec. 2010

(Below) is a picture of the Christmas

Countdown Calender I made and sold

a few yrs. back.

FAST/EASY TIP for the Kitchen: Just

replace your cutains with Red ones..What

a difference it makes..I change them for

my "Santa's Gift Shoppe Boutique

(I have in my home every 1st Fri/Sat

in December) & leave them up til after

New Year's..

ANOTHER FAST/EASY Kitchen TIP:

Just change your stool seat covers to

something Christmasy! And garland

around the breakfast bar/with red

bows doesn't hurt either!!

Remember my POST a few months back..where I

reupholstered 4 kitchen chairs for $1.25 each? Well

for these kitchen bar stools it was probably even

cheaper!!

I hope you have enjoyed the 2nd day tour & have

picked up some inspiration or Quick Tips for your

Family/Home. Next...The Family Room/Fireplace...

Hope you'll join us...Ya'll come back now..hear?

Italian Stone Giveaway...WINNER

We have a WINNER in the Italian Stone Tile
GIVEAWAY..Entry #2 which was GINA (from
New York) & her comment: "I'm a FB Fan"
won her the Giveaway. That little extra effort of
becoming a Facebook "Fan" on Santa's Gift
Shoppe Year~Round made all the difference.

She has already confirmed herself the winner by
contacting me with her address so her Stone will
be made & sent very soon.

***If anyone is interested in purchasing an Italian
Stone Tile (with Monogram) they are for sale &
reasonably priced in my ETSY shop (Link is on
the sidebar) They make great Wedding Gifts!

Thanks to everyone who entered.. We will be
having another Giveaway very soon so keep
checking back.

GIVEAWAY/"Marketing Monday" Blog Hop

Before we begin the Blog Hop, if you are
here for the GIVEAWAY of 1 of the 3 Stones
Tiles w/Vinyl GO HERE & you'll be able to
SEE THE RULES & ENTER!! GOOD LUCK!!
GIVEAWAY Closes tonite 6pm (PST)

Now on to the Blog Hop!! "Marketing Monday"
is for anyone who has an ETSY SHOP,WEBSITE,
BLOG, whatever you want to show the world
& "Market"...this is the place to do it. This blog hop
originated @ Trendy Treehouse..Thanks to Trendy
Treehouse..Have Ques. about the Blog Hop???
See Rules @ http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com/

Please tell everyone that this is a FREE way
to advertise their Shop....HOWEVER this
is a FAMILY FRIENDLY WEBSITE!!!!!

Have Fun & get to know some great new friends
Visit their sites...leave comments!!

"CHRISTMAS IN JULY"/GIVEAWAY

WELCOME to "CHRISTMAS in JULY" @ my home.
We are going to start the month off with a "Home Tour"
of sorts.

But before we get started if anyone is here for
the ITALIAN STONE GIVEAWAY Click HERE
& it will take you to enter the Giveaway....

We will be going through the house as if we
were a guest..Consider yourself as my
Honored guest!

So the first thing we see is the PORCH...I really
want people to feel a Warm Welcome as they
approach my home. (Usually there is something
baking in the oven & the smells hopefully will make
your mouth water)...

This Santa I made @ a Beverly's Christmas

Workshop with a wonderful friend teaching us

how to paint them.

A few yrs. ago I was in Target & found this darling

"Welcome to the Warming House" sign & thought

"I know right where that will go!" The Snowmen

caught my eye in Walmart about 10 yrs. ago. & they

are a darling pair on the window sill each year!

The standing Santa alot of us women

made for Super Saturday at church

(when it was August or Sept. yrs. ago) The

lantern I just love because of the English

"Dickens" feel it gives to the porch.

I love cute signs..This one says "Home baked

Cookies", Hugs and Kisses, & "Lots of Giggles"...

And then there's Santa's mailbox which of course

says "Ho Ho Ho"...

Upon entering the house you probably smell

Cinnamon Rolls coming out of the oven..That happens

alot in this home. Then to your right are collections..

Does anybody else have alot of collections that they

have started over the years??? This started out as

my mother's little ski village 40 yrs ago. & now it

takes up 3 long Living room tables.

Do you see the Chalet in the back? My daughters

lovingly got that for me because I really liked the one in

"Christmas Vacation" & everybody should have a

wonderful "Advent" calender to countdown for Christmas!

I love all the village people & the square..

Sorry the next two are so blurry!!!

This is part of my Angel Collection.

I love my Nativity Collections of all

styles & sizes.

I got this Nativity in Australia 35 yrs.ago

And the beautiful velvet angel @ Costco a

number of yrs. back.

Costco was a great place to find the Caroler's I had

always wanted.

Another Caroler only she is holding a light..Would you

believe another find @ Costco about 25 yrs ago?

All my fellow buddy Teddy Bears &

Santa from "Polar Express" Don't you

just LOVE that movie??? Do you have a

"BELIEVE BELL?" I do..I make them to

sell @ my Christmas Boutique & "I hear the

BELL..Do YOU?

I really Love Christmas Trees.
All styles & shapes.

Below is my "Atonment Tree" sharing

the Best Reasons for the Season!
Inspired by a lovely gracious friend who

had one in her house & I thought that was

an inspirational idea!!! The PRESENTS

& GIFTS which are freely given to each

of us are THE ATONMENT, HOPE, JOY,

& LOVE..

This is one of my Favorite & Best Christmas Sellers

I make each year for the Santa's Gift Shoppe

Boutique I have in my home. Little tip: Just place

mini lights behind the glass & you have a beautiful effect.

One of my favorite things to make/sell & have in

my Home all year long...."Christ is the center of the

HOME, a guest at every meal, and a quiet listener

to every conversation." There is Peace & Harmony
more..just having this saying in our home.

I hope you have enjoyed our Christmas Tour

of the first room (our living room) & have gotten

some inspiration for your own "Christmas Home"

(If there is anything that I make/sell & you

would like to order..just let me know by email)