New Year's Getaway with Friends

We are with some great friends up in NH for a few days before we head further North to our condo in VT. We have spent the past 8 years celebrating NYE with these friends alternating between our houses. Fun times are always had :)
We arrived yesterday afternoon to a winter wonderland. Enjoyed time by the fire with some wine and now the kids are all out enjoying the snow. We may head out cross country skiing after lunch.

J in his snow fort

Afternoon Tea

Two of my very dear friends and I have been going to Christmas Tea every year since we were juniors in high school.  We figured out today that next year will be our 25th Anniversary! (we started going when we were 2!!)

Almost every year we have gone to the Four Seasons  in Boston.  We have had 3 years when we ventured to other venues, but the Four Seasons is hands down our favorite.  So much so that we have changed our date since the FS is only serving tea on the weekends.  (we used to always go on the 26th)

This arrangement greets you in the lobby.

Christmas tree made out of teddy bears.

 Me with my two friends, J and A.

 Our delicious treats! Scones on top, finger sandwiches and then some yummy desserts.

 All the fixings for scones.  Strawberry jam, lemon curd and Devonshire cream.  Yum!

 We also enjoyed a bottle of Veuve :)  Always a good thing!

 My friend J with our full table.  She and I have been friends since nursery school!

A very very special tradition that I hope continues for at least 25 more years! :)

A little Christmas recap...

I am starting this post off with a picture of Hubby's Christmas outfit :)  We went to a cocktail party the Friday before Christmas and when I friend asked me what Hubs was wearing, she didn't know whether or not to believe me when I told her he was wearing candy cane pants :)  I don't have a picture, but I was wearing a red corduroy skirt with green Christmas trees embroidered on it.  Love.

 Our filled stockings hung in the family room.  Everyone is allowed to open their stocking as soon as they come down.

 our tree in the living room.  We all have breakfast together before we start opening gifts.

 Waiting for everyone to sit down!  We always have scrambled eggs, bacon and homemade cinnamon buns.  Yum!

 C gave J Battleship Deluxe.  We have played each day since. :)

 Santa always brings the boys a new nutcracker each year.  This is C's.  J also received a skier.

 C's big gift from us was a drum set!  He is having a great time with it and I look forward to some lessons starting soon ;)

J's big gift from us was a GoPro to use when skiing and surfing.  I'm sure he will have fun testing it out next week when we head North!

And Santa's gift to the boys was an Xbox.  They have been in the playroom pretty much since Christmas!

I hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday as well!

Monogrammed Canvas

My niece (age 7) had wall decor on her Christmas List this year and when I asked her if she wanted a giant monogram, bless her heart, she gave me an enthusiastic YES!

I have been working away, using supplies I had on hand, to create a monogram for her to hang on her wall.

I had a 16x20 canvas left over from another project and I always have plenty of paint.  I used Benjamin Moore Stem Green (that I had from the boy's old bathroom) for the background.  It coordinates really well with her bedding.  Then I took a few colors I had and mixed away until I got the blue that I wanted.  I googled "vine font" and drew the letters from the computer screen.  And then I added the light yellow polka dots. :)  

I hope she likes it!!

In the kitchen with the boys Holiday edition :)

We have been baking up a storm and making treats here at Casa Tickled Pink :)  I think we have made about 200 Oreo Bonbons and I have made about 10 dozen cookies.  My thumb hurts from all the icing of cookies!  Perhaps I need to change my icing bag grip... ;)

our supplies for the bonbons.  These a just so yummy!  We give these as teacher gifts along with some cookies.  We actually make them for all the boys past teachers as well.  I honestly start getting requests in October!  It's a good thing the boys have had the same teachers for each grade, or I could be making double what I am already ;)

 C rolling the Oreo mix in melted chocolate.  Mmmmm.

 J doing the oh so serious job of adding sprinkles :)

Some of the finished product:

 The cookies I made for C's class party that was today.  He chose the snowflakes in hopes that it would encourage snow.  Doesn't look like it will happen before Christmas though.

 I did these ornament cookies for a friend who is having a family Christmas party on Sunday.  Wasn't sure for awhile there that I was going to be able to get these done, but I finished them this evening.  And was still able to get dinner on the table!  

Are you doing a lot of baking this season??  What are your traditional Christmas cookies?  I have gingerbread dough in the fridge that will be turned into cookies tomorrow, and then I hope to decorate with the boys after school. :)

Christmas Tour - Second Floor and Playroom

My Christmas Tour continues with our second floor and the playroom:

This is the tree in our bedroom.  I know it is a bit much for us to have a tree there, but I LOVE it!  And it all started about 5 years ago when I took the boys to the Boston Ballet Nutcracker...While we were gone, Hubby had gone out and bought a tree (this one is always real) and decorations, put the tree up and had it decorated!  What a thoughtful gesture!  Needless to say, we do it every year now!

 our little elf, Sam hiding in the tree...

 This is J's tree.  C gave it to him for Christmas last year.  He REALLY wanted one for his room :)

 Some favorite Christmas books sit under it.

 C's little Charlie Brown tree.  It is a real tree.  He loves it!

 And his little basket of books:

 The playroom tree.  This is the only one I allow colored lights on!  And this is decorated with nutcrackers and silver balls.  Oh, and some fake cranberry strands and paper chains that the boys made.

 And on a side note, our new chair came for the room.  They made the ottoman wrong, but let us keep this one while a new one is being made for us. (the piping was supposed to be white, like the chair)

ho ho ho!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hi!  Welcome to my home!  Just a little Christmas house tour.  We will start with the first floor and head to the playroom and upstairs tomorrow...

Come on in! 

The kitchen (pay absolutely NO attention to the dishes in the sink) ;)

C gave me this gingerbread house a few years ago.  It is plastic!  Whew.  One thing I can cross off my list!

Moving into the dining room..

 Baby Jesus never shows up until Christmas morning :)  I have him hidden until then.  This creche was a gift from hubby and my parents a couple of years ago.  LOVE LOVE it.

The Living Room:

 My carolers.  Don't think I have room for anymore! :)

 Some Santas.

 The tree.

And our family room.  This is the nutcracker room!  They boys each receive a nutcracker each year, so the room keeps getting more crowded.  I needlepointed J's stocking and finished it Christmas Eve of his first Christmas.  I started one for C when I was pregnant with him, and still haven't finished it.  (he just turned 10)  For his first Christmas, I needlepointed his name on a stocking I bought at Marshall's and he wants nothing to do with any other stocking!

This cookie tray is back from the days when I had my children's hand painted furniture business.  I sold a TON of these!  

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Linking up with Kelly's Korner for her tour of homes.