Christmas House Tour - Come on in!

This sled greets you as you walk in the foyer. (I trash picked it probably 15 years ago, when living in Somerville)  Please notice this is where Sam (one of our elves) chose to hide this morning :)

This bowl is usually filled with beach rocks, but during this season it gets filled with Christmas Ornaments.

Our Christmas cards get put in the Merry Christmas sleigh.  This was my parents, but I snagged it a couple of years ago.  I went with white bows this year, and really like the simplicity. (I think I got the idea last year from "Journey to Our Daughter)

And here is our simple nativity.  It is paper cut out, and really beautiful!  I think it if from the Art Institute of Chicago.

This gets left for the big man in red.

Now on to the Dining Room....

above the piece of furniture we trashed picked back in the fall

wreath on the window (notice the lovely snow outside!)

and our table - sparkly silver topiaries.  I love em, John hates em!

And finally the Living Room

my collection of Byer's Choice carolers

Our tree.  This one has all the collected ornaments, including all the ones John got as a child

 

hey, we live on the coast, what can I say!

We have a tree in our room that has only gold ornaments on it, and an artificial tree (with colored lights!) in the playroom with nutcrackers on it, but those pictures didn't come out well...

Hope you enjoyed the little tour!

Christmas Prep

Well, here at Tickled Pink Casa we have been busy getting ready for Christmas! (and FINALLY got some snow to make it all perfect!)

We decorated gingerbread houses

Cookies were made for gift boxes...

(these are oreo bonbons - so easy and SO yummy!)

 

 

All packed up and ready to go to John's office... (well, I did stick some gingerbread house cutouts in that blank spot!)

The boys had their winter concert...

(hey, no chatting!!!)

J played the handbells (BIG deal for the 3rd grade!)

And we had our traditional lunch at the club after the concert!

So nice to see them all dressed up!  Although C did say to me while getting ready that he HATES the days I get to pick his clothes! lol :)  And then he asked, totally stunned, if this was what Daddy had to do EVERY day!  Yes it is...yes it is!

Christmas house tour coming as soon as I get some snow pictures from outside! :) Brrrrrr.

Not our Christmas card photo,

but I LOVE this picture of the boys!  It totally captures their personalities.  :)
Busy, busy with holiday prep.  Back soon with some pictures of our recent activities....

a few more glimpses of Christmas

Oh, where will you hide next, our elf on the shelf??

(this elf was one of my grandmother's Christmas decorations!  I always thought they were SO ugly, and now here we have it~and I think it's kind of cute..)

I needlepointed this for J and it was ready Christmas Eve on his first Christmas.

I'm still working on C's and he just turned 7 and is now attached to his stocking that I purchased at TJ's for 9.99 and put his name on.  Maybe the one I started for him will be for my first grandchild...

Our family room mantle.  The nutcrackers are from the show last year.  J's is the blue one and C's is red.  Surprised??  ;)

I think we are getting our tree tomorrow (after watching Santa arrive on the lobster boat) so I will have more pictures of that after it is up and decorated!

Christmas Craftiness

In becoming inspired by Pink, Green and Southern's craftiness, I have dragged the ole sewing machine out of the closet and attempted some sewing of my own this holiday season!  I am even reading the manual and really enjoying my machine!  I wish it had monogramming, but I did what I could!

Here is C in his new t shirt.  (I am even starting to figure out how to do simple personalizing!!)  J has one too (not sure if his 8 year old self thinks it's a little "too cute" but he says he likes it) only his has a blue "J".  I sewed teeny tiny buttons on for the eyes, but the rest is felt (most of which I already had!)  And the t shirts were on clearance for $3.00.  Not bad.... P,G & Southern, those curves are challenging!   Any pointers??
Both boys have said they will wear their shirts to our small coastal towns Christmas Tree lighting tonight.  Hopefully it will stay unseasonably warm :)
And I'm calling for hair cut appointments for the boys right now!  C looks a bit like a rag-a-muffin!

Book Group (otherwise known as great conversation!)

I hosted book group last night.  Only 4 of the 7 of us could get together, so we tabled book discussion and just enjoyed catching up!  We are a great mix of women.  Most have kids, but not all.  Many different choices for schooling our children:  Public, independent and Waldorf.  Makes for some great  conversation.  Some are work out of the home moms, some not.  We really have it all covered!  A couple of the women I really only see at book group, even though we live in the same small coastal town.  We have been meeting since C was a baby, so it has been almost 7 years!  LOVE IT!

I made recipes from the cooking classes I have been taking (YUM!)

Menu

Carrot and Parsnip soup with Grated Apple

Hearty Irish Barley and Bean Salad

Fresh Greens with pear, pomegranate and goat cheese

and chocolate covered pretzels for dessert!!

We were supposed to read this:

I have heard great things about it, so I'm glad we tabled the discussion until next time!

Instead, I read this!  I LOVED it!

The boys and I deliver the gingerbread house afterschool.  Keep your fingers crossed that we get it there in one piece!

The finished product

A group of Junior Aid members came over to decorate a gingerbread house last night.  I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  The first picture is what we started with (I made it using Bob Vila's plans!!)  Then we just went to town!  I am already looking forward to next year....definitely cutting out the windows and using Life Savers for the glass.  Maybe we'll even stick a light inside???  The possibilities are endless...

Now I'm off to deal with an exploded milk bottle in my fridge.  Yuck.