Christmas Get-Away

Christmas eve eve, Mr D and I did a local, twenty-four hour get-away, with a part of it gifted to us from our children LAST...yep - 2010...Christmas! Being a homebody myself, this get-away was enormously fun and was just a twenty minute drive away but felt like we were in another state.

 A delicious Italian meal served to us with all the flourishes of the elite! A fun and interesting event, which is what this twenty-four hour get-away was all about!

Romantic? Yes, indeed! The entrance to our little cottage.

 We took these goodies home with us. I ate most of the chocolate coated pretzels, leaving the ends for Mr D...I know, I know, but it sure was de-lish and I love me some choclate more than what he does! :)

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

Well, almost! The last cabinet man left last evening at five PM and I put a few simple Christmas decorations up this morning in the kitchen. Fun, fun!

Shepherd with his sheep and the angel worship the Christ Child displayed on an aged piece of wood.

Mantle in the living room.

 My first banner - well, the second one...the first was enormous!
Decorating is made simple by adding greens to what is already there.

 Mother and Child.

These last minute Christmas decorations are simple and I don't mind missing out on all the link parties that were happening all around blogland. There's always next year!

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas

and a wonderful New Year!

Kitchen Sneak Peek Three

I know, I really thought it would be a complete show; however, we ran against time and other plans for the week end. So I'm back to another tease!

The tile is coming next week - yea for that!

Kitchen Sneak Peek No. Two

It's coming together, people...it's coming together!

Kitchen Sneak Peek

The kitchen is coming along as scheduled - yea! Being without water in the kitchen hasn't been bad at all; it does reminds me how blessed we are in having running water at our finger tips. The worst of the dirt and dust is passed for which I raise a hallelujah! Being a barefoot gal in the house, walking on a clean floor is wonderful again! Here's a few pics and what needs to be done yet.

These are the hardware that will be used on the drawers with matching knobs for the doors. This is another piece that will be in the kitchen that has been transformed from a sad-looking cupboard.

In the meantime, at the suggestion of our contractor, the 'knobs' are designer knobs, made out of painter's tape...they perform well! :)

What's happening on Monday:

• the counter top is coming - yea!
•  the hardware goes on
• a light needs to be moved
• the plumber will be here

What I hope will be happening next week:

• the quirks will be fixed
• the electrician will wrap it up
• the crown molding finished
•  missing shelves will appear

In the meantime, with the kitchen out of commission, there's time to tinker around with a few Christmas crafts that I'm working on.

I'm blessed!

Stars, Stars and More Stars!

Making these stars is as simple it gets and mindless to boot! I did 'em all by hand, too - not that I wouldn't want a Crikket (see, I don't even know how to spell it!) but I don't do a lot of crafting. Any-hoo...these are easy and slightly addictive and would look wonderful in Christmas trees!

After I took the time to make my own star stencils... 

I found this at a local thrift shop for 75 cents...woo-hoo!

I used sheet music (OF COURSE!) but for directions, plain paper is easier to see. Trace the star with a pencil - it's less noticable than a pen...

and start folding...so easy!

Like so...

on all five points. 

...ta-da, it's that simple!

I used three different sizes...two to five inches. The mercury vases are from TJmax and Home Goods and the doves are from last Christmas season, bought at a small local shop. This display is sitting on the living room bay window and is another peice of my minimal Christmas decorations. 

Link to:

Fall into Fall  White Wednesday Thrift'n on a Thursday 2805

Vintage Inspiration Friday SNS

Christmas Tea, Antiques, Glass Ball(s) and Kitchen

Last week was our annual church Christmas tea and I was a part of the committee. My love of sheet music was evident in the decorations! We lined the lobby with these candles and used it in the centerpieces.

The finger food was delicious and plentiful!

////////////////////////////////////////////

Saturday DIL M and granddaughter S did some window shopping in an antique shop in a local town that also had an indoor Amish farmer's market. Though I walked around carrying an old picture frame, I left it there but I did eat a moose tracks ice cream waffle cone for my lunch. Yes, IT WAS GOOD AND WORTH E.V.E.R.Y CALORIE! :)

Our second shop that had thirty rooms.



///////////////////////////////////////////////////

I had lovely plans that included sheet music for this fifty cent bargain from a thrift store but alas, they were shattered - literally!

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 The first piece in for the kitchen...

...and the dinning room looks like this.

I'm hoping by Wednesday to be able to put things back in the new cupboards, though the counter top won't be in until next Monday. I can live with that!

Christmas Mantle

My Christmas decorations are minimal right now due to the kitchen re-no but our bedroom has a new headboard mantle that I'm linking up to several lovely Christmas Mantle parties.

Old books add an ambience all of their own! Our DIL gave me a stack of books and I simply tore the covers off of most of them. The faux mercury votives are a GW buy.

I love this reminder of what Christmas truly is - the presence of God in our lives!

The lights are too bright to let on at night, so I guess they are for show-off times only! :)

Link parties:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
From my Front Porch to Yours

Kitchen at the End of the Day

The carpenter.

The plumber.

The surprise.

The origional wallpaper (EEK!!).

12:00 noon.

4:30 PM.

The electricians at 7:30 AM this morning.

Things are moving right along!!

Old Mother Hubbard...

...went to her cupboard.

But when she went there,

her cupboard was bare!

Out with old - in with the new...TODAY...actually, this week!

A Lovely Coffee Filter Project

I saw this on a blog and loved the idea (oh help! will my blogger friend contact me to get the credit!)! Several days later I found a stamp at our local thrift shop for a buck fifty and even though it isn't in French, it is a lovely script and a lovely verse. Needless to say, I was delighted! All it takes is a brayer, ink, coffee filter and a stamp. It's the first EVER stamp project for me! I discovered it's easier to ink the stamp and press the coffee filter on it with my hands, centering it, then doing the outside edges. Easy-peasy!

PLEASE, do not leave this unattended! The paper gets warm and the votive hot. The candle was in the votive already and it's possible a tea light may not get quite as hot - just don't leave it alone. Such a lovely idea for Christmas!

Edited: Cottage Living suggested battery candles which is a great idea! Thanks, Mariaelena!

Featured!

Speaking of Christmas...I was at Wal-Mart this morning and Breath of Heaven was coming over the speakers - LOVE this song!

Linking to:

Treasure Hunt Thursday, Under $100 Linky Party, Time Travel Thursday,

Thriftin' on a Thursday, Transformation Thursday,