Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year's Goals

Since I've made such a big hairy deal to everyone I've talked to about not making "resolutions" but "setting goals", I guess I'm going to have to follow through. I really do need to start restricting my sugar and white flour intake, cut back on caffeine, drink more water and get moving!! It's not so much that I feel bad all the time, I just never feel good. Does that make any sense at all??

It's not going to be hard to eat healthier, walk more and drink water, except for the eating healthier, walking and water intake. That's the hard part.

It means less of these...

And more of these...

Not so many of these...


And more of this...


And probably none of these, at least not very often.

I miss them already!!
What are YOUR goals for the new year?
Happy 2010!
Cathy




Have Yourself


A Happy Little New Year!
See ya next year! Be careful and have fun tonight!
Merry, Merry!
Cathy

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas Eve table and Christmas morning love!

This is what our Christmas Eve table looked like:


The dishes are my Nikko Classic Christmas. The tablecloth I purchased several years ago, but I can't remember where. The centerpiece was a gift last year from the boys..I added the greenery, the red balls and the mercury glass votive cups. I use tealights in the votive cups, and it sparkles so pretty!!

Here's Jonah just prior to opening his Santa stack...

And Benjie loved his Johnny Popper boots more than anything! Even anything John Deere, which is his favorite anything.



Hope you had a great Christmas. Happy New Year!
Merry, Merry!
Cathy






Sunday, December 27, 2009

Still Celebrating!

We're not done celebrating here at the Hamlet. We have stretched it out this long, might as well keep it going!

I won't take my trees down until after the New Year. I will enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas, which actually began on December 25. The days leading up to Christmas were Advent. THIS is Christmas! Until January 6, I shall keep Christmas in my heart (and in my home).

But after that...it'll be on to Valentine's Day! I have a whole bunch of winter projects in mind, and I'll be sharing them, along with my New Year's Goals (I don't make resolutions, just goals) in the days to come. But in the meantime..

I'm still watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music (thank you, KLOVE for realizing that Christmas is not just one day...) and drinking eggnog and eating bon-bons. Time enough for resolutions and taking down decorations after the new year.

How are YOU celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas?

Merry, Merry!
Cathy

Friday, December 25, 2009

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

I hope your holiday is filled with


and

and that it's very


Indeed!
Have a blessed holiday! See you after Christmas for the big wrap up!
Merry, Merry
Cathy

Monday, December 21, 2009

Home Tour-Final Post!

Come in for the final day of the tour. It's cold again...and supposed to get colder. Would you like a cup of hot chocolate? I added whipped cream and caramel syrup because I know that's your favorite! Bring your cup and come with me...we'll start in the master bath.

This is the Nativity set that is on the antique dresser in the bathroom. The dresser belonged to my great aunt and is one of my cherished possessions.

This Nativity set was a wedding gift 11 years ago...Lynna and I were blessed with a Christmas shower, hosted by a good friend who knew I loved Christmas and would need new decorations for my new home. This set was given to us by my mom's best friend and her daughter, who are very much a part of our family, by heart if not by blood.

This is the top of the linen cabinet. See the three snowmen angels? I love the way they look all vintagy and old, even though I purchased them about 5 or 6 years ago at the dollar store! The Eiffel Tower was a gift from the boys last Christmas. The hat boxes came from Tuesday Morning.

This is the tree in the bathroom. I bought it several years ago, also at the dollar store. The needles are just about gone in spots, but I think that adds to the vintagy feel. The lights on this tree are pearl lights, one string only, so that they give off a soft glow. I love the look. The amber crystals came from the Christmas shop in Branson several years ago. I use them on the fall tree and this year I didn't want to put them away after Thanksgiving, so I moved them into the bathroom and added silver balls. I just love the way the brown and silver look together.




This red compote was my grandmother's. It is not expensive but I love the ruby colored glass and the way the glass and glittered balls look in it, perched on the side of the bathtub.


The seat of the tub...more vintage balls. The brown ones, both plain and glittered, also came from the Christmas shop in Branson. Got them all on sale for 75% off! I grabbed up all the brown and amber ones they had! They had a limit of 7 per customer, so I divided them all up into groups of 7 and paid for each group at a separate register!

Silvery glittered pine cones!

A stack of silver gifts, all wrapped up with brown and cream brocade ribbon. I found this ribbon at Wal-Mart in the craft section. All of my ribbons came from the craft section this year, instead of the Christmas section.

I bought this iridescent mini tree at Target several years ago at the dollar spot. I can't remember if they were $1 or $2.50, but either way, it was a bargain. This year I found these fuzzy tailed birds at the Dollar Tree, all three on one card for $1! Score!! They are so cute!


Now, on to the bedroom! I adore cream and cranberry, which our bedroom is decorated in year round. In the fall and through the winter, I add chocolate brown. Here's my reading nook! I made the paper banner last year. The red berry wreaths stay in the windows year round. In case you can't tell, the toppers are red/cream checked. I have plans to re-do them after Christmas. That might be a good Met Monday project. Stay tuned!!



This wall tree is directly across from our bed. Normally I put it over the bed, but this past summer we raised our bed about 6 inches and the tree just didn't work this time. So I moved it to the other wall.

More of the bargain brown and glittery ornaments from Branson...

And a close-up of the sheer ribbon I used on the silver balls. I love how elegant it looks together!


Mr. and Mrs. Lovebird Snowmen always reside in our bedroom or bathroom during the holidays. I usually put them on the vanity between our sinks, but this year they seemed to fit better on the dresser, in front of my jewelry box.

And finally...the love seat in the bedroom. My Mom made me the red, cream and green afghan a few years ago..it has sparkly threads in it! And the pillow came from Wal-Mart several years ago. Thanks so much for touring my home. I hope you have a fabulously wonderful Christmas and in case I don't get a chance to get back before Christmas, Joyeux Noel!

Merry, Merry!
Cathy


















Sunday, December 20, 2009

O Holy Night-Good Tidings of Great Joy!

So it was, that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.


Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joywhich will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this well be the sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager.


And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying


Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men."
Luke 2:1-14

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Day 4 of the Virtual Holiday Home Tour!

Just a few little odds and ends from around the house...

This snowman has a face...and I have no idea why it didn't show up in this picture! But it really is pretty cute! It's in a compote that my mom gave me, along with some "snow" made from salt and plastic snow!

The light over the table..I love that mercury glass ornament on it, don't you?

My colorful vintagy tree in the kitchen...I added some vintage glass balls from the flea market.


I have several little snow village pieces, but this year I didn't do a whole big village thing..just scattered them around the house on pedestal cake plates and silver trays...this one is a tree stand, with many comings and goings...


This one is just a little village scene..a house and a church, with Santa posing for photos.


Look at the picture below and you can see a young fellow making snow angels...


I just love these little vignettes, even better than a whole village grouped together. I have my big village up, too...I'll show you that in another post later in the week.
Next up: the master suite! Doesn't that sound fancier than "our bedroom and bathroom"?
Only 8 days left!!
Merry, Merry!
Cathy














Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Christmas Brunch for Tablescape Thursday

And Part 2 of the kitchen tour!
I hosted my company's Christmas brunch this morning. We had a great time of food and fellowship, with each of us contributing a dish to the meal. We had a breakfast casserole, a hashbrown casserole, fresh fruit, muffins, biscuits, croissants and sticky buns, along with coffee, hot apple cider and an assortment of juices. It was all so good! So, I decided to combine the rest of the kitchen tour with Tablescape Thursday from Susan's blog, Between Naps on the Porch. I am feeling especially warm and fuzzy toward Susan, because she hosted a giveaway on her blog recently and I won!!! Details and pictures will be forthcoming!

So, here's an overview of the kitchen, all dolled up for the holidays.

And here's the brunch table. I love black and white checked, and I especially love it paired with a red tablecloth and my Christmas dishes. These were Lynn's mother's dishes, which she gave to me when she sold her home and moved in with Lynn's sister. I adore the Nikko Christmastime pattern and the fact that they belonged to Lynn's mom is just icing on the cake!



This centerpiece is always a fun one. The crystal bowl was a gift from a friend for my first ever Mother's Day, 17 years ago. I love it filled with strawberries in the spring, or with cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, but this is my favorite way to use it...filled with red glass Christmas balls! These are hand painted with white snowflakes by yours truly.



Here's the place setting I used today. The "crystal" glasses were Dollar Tree finds several years ago, and the holly patterned stemmed glasses were also my mother in law's, as were the napkins that match the dishes.






Now, on the rest of the kitchen!

A candelabra on the microwave, all dressed up with ivy and ribbon.


The red berries again..


The wreath in the window...


And Santa in the corner! My mom made this plate for me a few years ago.
Don't forget to stop by Susan's blog and see what pretties are awaiting you!
Next up:
Village vignettes from all over the house!
Merry, merry!
Cathy