God Bless Us, Everyone!

There's no place like home for the holidays! I'm hoping you enjoy spending time with beloved family and friends at home, wherever that may be.  Meanwhile I have a few more decorating photos to share and one quick and easy craft for a last minute treat to include on a gift or stocking.

My favorite Christmas pitcher

Our kitchen shelf with a sock snowman I made and one of our Advent Calendars

 

A 'magical' snowman cookie jar. Treats from this jar have no calories - imagine that! haha!

Glass, fabric, wooden and bread dough snowmen

Our gingerbread house this year has a Kappa Alpha Theta theme! See the snowman flying a kite? I made the kite and put it on thin floral wire which I anchored under the 'snow'~

I saw this idea on Kelley's blog/Kelley Highway

and immediately went to Martha Stewart dot com to watch the video and see the pattern. I made a bunch of these to hang on gift bags & stockings. Then I had a brain wave and got the idea to alter the pattern and make an elephant since College Girl likes elephants. I just made the ears bigger, cut multiple slits for the candy cane trunk, and trimmed the top of the head flatter - voila!

 

      Merry Christmas. God Bless us, everyone!


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Christmas, Christmas Everywhere!

There are signs of Christmas everywhere you look. I like that! We've developed traditions over the years, some of which are silly and others more expected. They lend coziness and familiarity to our days each holiday season. One of the tasty traditions we enjoy is eating fresh Italian panettone. I love it for breakfast or tea. While lentils and rice simmered in the kitchen, College Girl joined me for a pot of Harney and Son's Earl Grey Supreme and buttered pieces of panettone this afternoon. The bergamot in the tea is great paired with the raisins and orange peel in the panettone.

 
We sat in the living room near the Christmas tree. Outside the window are two Camellia bushes bursting with pink blooms.

The afternoon was chilly for southern California, so I hung our Wedding Ring quilt over the chair in case we wanted to drape it over our laps. The tea table has pull-out shelves on each side which are perfect places for lighted candles.

From where we sat we could see the lighted Nativity set we've had for years. It is one piece and has the option to play music! It is unique, as I've never seen anything quite like it. There is an angel above the creche, Wise Men to the left, and the buildings of Bethlehem glowing in the background. Directly behind it are our two standing Advent-style storybooks; A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker.

On the tea table was a tin Mary Engelbreit tray, dishes, cups, a crochet teacup filled with 'gems' and candy canes.

I like the charming snow scene on my Lenox cup, called Sleigh Ride~ College Girl used my Cup Of Christmas Tea cup.

Being such a big fan of A Christmas Carol - my favorite version of the movie is the one with Alastair Sim - I keep this little box out year round!

I had to laugh when my daughter asked why I keep and display Christmas projects she made in elementary school. She thinks they are 'lame', but I think they are treasures! She'll understand when she becomes a parent~

On Christmas Day the tree awoke

To loud and joyous noise,

It saw the smiles of happy folks

And laughing girls and boys.

  Its limbs were draped with popcorn strings

And ribbons tied in bows,

And up on top with tinfoil wings
An angel proudly posed.~ B. Atwood

                                 

This evening I made a Christmas card using the same 'easel' style that Carol used on the card she sent to me (see previous post). It was quick, easy and different from the basic single fold card I normally create.

I used a Christmas teapot stamp by Too Much Fun Rubber stamps, and the card measures five inches square when closed. I colored it with Distress Ink and my Zig H2O Pen.

  
Merry Christmas, friends! Wishing you sugar plum dreams.


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SHare Your Cup Thursday 
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Winter- It's Official!

Happy Winter-time! Late dawn, early sunset. Short day and a long night. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year, after which the days get longer. I've been enjoying picturesque snow scene photos on so many of your blogs and it makes me wish for a white Christmas! Alas, here in southern California we have blooming flowers and swaying palm trees, so I have to enjoy your 'winter white' vicariously. Instead of snow dusted trees, we have bright yellow ginkos. 

I came across half a dozen Gingko trees in a large patch of deep green grass - each bright yellow tree had a 'skirt' of fallen leaves at the base of it's trunk. The day was slightly overcast, and the yellow was so bright and cheery that I just had to take a photo.

These sunny colored leaves danced and curtsied in the breeze. When I returned home I felt like doing a little dance myself; I had special mail waiting to be opened! 

 Thank you, Marjolein and Carol, for taking the time to craft a handmade card and send it to me! What a sweet surprise. I ooohed and ahhhed over them - love the tiny bell around the reindeer's neck and the nifty way the Santa card stands up.

 
  Here is a glimpse of the mantel. There are nutcrackers and soldiers made of wood, metal, cloth, glass and wax! There are nesting toy soldiers, a wee soldier inside a bell, and even a wooden bowling pin set. It is nice to have all the decorating done, and now we can do a few fun things before the big day. Today we went to see The Hobbit. Loved it!

 Hope you are caught up with your to do list and get the chance to enjoy this first day of Winter~

Fruit Jewels and Carols

 

There are just some cook books that you turn to time and again, and this is one of those books for me! Every recipe I have prepared using Gail Greco's Tea Time at The Inn has been delicious. Whenever I'm planning to have guests, especially for tea, I crack open my dog-eared copy. The book includes 200 recipes and detailed descriptions of the teas held at 41 inns, and Greco offers readers countless ideas for hosting their own parties. When College Girl said she was in the mood to bake yesterday I suggested making Fruit Jewels. So, she rolled up her sleeves and preheated the oven while I got a Christmas c.d. playing.

• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 TB lemon juice
• 2 and 1/4 all purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 each cinnamon and salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar, add yolks and lemon juice. Beat until smooth, then add remaining ingredients and blend into a ball. Roll into balls - 1 TB each and place in mini muffin tins lined with petit fours papers. Make a small dent in the center of each cookie ball and fill with an assortment of jams. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

    

When the cookies were cool I set up the living room tea table for an evening teatime by the tree~

 We used our Mikasa Holiday Season teacups and a festive striped cozy I made a couple of years ago.

I love the delicate embossed bells and holly adorning the saucer and sides of the cup - it's so textural, and I enjoy running my fingertips across it.

 There are two different Partridge In a Pear Tree pillows nestled with a Santa pillow on the sofa. The Santa pillow has a pocket on the back for last minute notes for Ol' St Nick - so we keep it near the tree in anticipation of his visit. :)

I could not decide between raspberry jam and plum jam filling, so I had one of each! I always mix and match dish patterns because I find it charming and less formal, especially at a cozy tea for two.  

 

I filled the lantern with ornaments from the 99 Cents store and some pine cones from our neighbor's tree - inexpensive, but pretty, don't you think? College Girl and I chatted about  this and that. Our thoughts turned to a recently acquired cabinet, placed in the dining room for now. It has dentil molding along the top and handsome Marlborough legs.

The front drawer is functioning and it has movable glass shelves. Handyman and I discovered this little beauty at a shop in Old Towne Orange, which has several inviting antique stores. We are trying to decide where to place it and what to display in it. We offered to let College Girl have it for her collectables, but we'll see - I am tempted to use it myself if she hesitates too long!

Keeping all those impacted by the tragedy in Connecticut in prayer. John 16:33

Also, remembering Megan Rough and the selfless gifts she bestowed so that others could thrive. Megan was a perfect example of Theta love.

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Making a List, Checking It Twice~

 

Scrapbooks etc. has a free printable photo check list for Christmas. Perhaps there are a few ideas on the list that you never thought to photograph. Speaking of free printables, look what I found today; I wanted some cute 'naughty or nice' tags to put on gifts and I found a darling one offered by Brooklyn Limestone .

I printed these festive tags on card stock, then inked the edges bright red. I used a hole punch at the top so I could tie them onto packages. Click HERE  to go to the free download at Brooklyn Limestone.

Sugar Plum Friends

Ah, the time for stories about sugar plums, spices, candy and tea has arrived! By the way, do you know what a sugar plum is? Try looking it up online and you get a variety of answers. But I prefer to go by what Dingy Sharp had to say on the matter. She is the great-great granddaughter of Clement Clarke Moore who wrote 'The Night Before Christmas'.

Nowadays these sweet treats are a thing of the past, but when we rolled fruit in sugar it preserved them to last. We'd take a fresh plum which we'd generously glaze, then wrap it in fabric and let it dry many days. Months later this fresh-coated fruit would become the delicious jeweled candy we called 'sugar-plum.'

The teapot is full and there are cups to spare.  Won't you join me? 

A package arrived today from a beloved friend in Texas. Let's see what's inside.

Please forgive me while I get up and do a happy dance! Eeek! Isn't he whimsical? Isn't he nice perfect for my collection?  He looks ready to give a tea party and let the other Nutcrackers and Toy Soldiers on our mantle do guard duty! Ha ha!

He has glittery saucers on his head, striped mint candies on his jacket, and tall green boots on his feet. This festive fellow remembered to bring a pot of sugar for our tea - how thoughtful! I wonder what kind of tea is in his pink trimmed pot? Russian Caravan?

 With a hairdo like his I wouldn't mind going out in the rain and wind - no worries!

What a sweet way to celebrate Advent! Thank you, Texas Star, for this jaunty Nutcracker. You are a Sugar Plum!

 

 Here is a modern version of sugarplum candy:

Recipe and photo from Saveur

  1⁄4 cup honey
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 cup finely chopped pitted dates
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then finely chop.
2. Meanwhile, combine honey, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl. Add almonds, apricots, and dates and mix well.
3. Pinch off rounded teaspoon-size pieces of the mixture and roll into balls. (Rinse your hands often, as mixture is very sticky.) Roll balls in sugar, then refrigerate in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers for up to 1 month. Their flavor improves after ripening for several days.



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Teacups and Music

Last Sunday evening we went to 'The Circle' in Old Towne Orange which is at the cross streets of Chapman Avenue and Glassell. In the intersection is a fountain, surrounded by small circular park, around which cars drive.

It is picturesque here and this area has been used by the film and television industry. On Sunday the city held a tree lighting and concert in The Circle. All traffic was blocked from driving through the area. There was a choir and small orchestra in the intersection as well as a stage. The Circle is now decorated with a creche and Nativity scene, a lighted Santa and a lighted toy soldier. 

 
 Vendors had booths from which they were selling hot chocolate, tamales, s'mores, cider, popcorn and even burritos!

 
 Santa and Mrs. Claus were available for photos. We had such a nice time listening to poems and stories, interspersed with beautiful music and singing. Everyone stood for the finale, which was a stirring performance of Handel's Messiah. We all sang along and I got goose bumps.

Can you guess who is in this spiffy red car? You can just glimpse Santa's white fur collar through the window as he and Mrs. Claus drive off at the end of the evening - the reindeer are at home resting up for the Big Night!

For Teacup Tuesday I thought I'd share a Christmas themed find I spotted at TJMaxx last week.

I love using teacups and saucers but there are times when I want a big 'cuppa' and I reach for a lovely china beaker like this one! I like the raised image of the holly leaves, don't you? It has a roomy handle, which would make it comfortable to hold.

Used my cell phone camera so this shot is a bit blurry, but you can see that the maker is Lenox and the pattern is 'Holiday' (It would hold a good six ounces of PGTips, Ruth!). There were some other fun tea service pieces there that day, like these owl cups.

...and this charming teapot and sugar bowl. I love the birds and bright red berries~

 This would make a lovely place to store tea sachets~

With all this talk of tea, I think I'll make a cup of Kusmi Troika tea  and play Handel's Messiah while I wrap gifts. Happy Advent!

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.
Bess Streeter Aldrich, Song of Years




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Mosaic Monday 
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Time Travel Thursday, The Brambleberry Cottage