A treasured tree....

You might remember the bridal bouquet I made for my daughter, Caitlin, in 2018:

These are the leftover jewels that I have been 'procrastinating' to make a Christmas Tree for my other daughter, Sara:

Two Christmas Homes....

This is a "photo dump" of  2 different homes, both are so festive and fun.  The first is an old friend who keeps Christmas up all year and the second is a new friend who adores MacKenzie-Childs....

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                     

Christmases Past

When I think of Christmases past, my mind is filled with images from my childhood home.

Cranberry/Elderberry Cocktails

Here's are a few easy and refreshing cocktails that can be altered and served a variety of ways. All you need is :

Vodka and St Germaine and Cranberry Juice

Cinnamon Pears

Growing up we called these 'Candied Pears' and Mom made them every Christmas.  They are so easy, very tasty and look so pretty on beds of lettuce on a platter at this time of year!

Christmas Trash

I have been making Christmas Trash for over 30 years.  I guess you could call it a family tradition because now my daughter makes it, too!

It is simply white chocolate poured over cereal, nuts, pretzels and M&Ms

The Sports Tree

When my grandsons visit, they stay in this bedroom.  It has a trundle bed, loveseat, TV and some tables.  The walk-in closet is filled with toys and can be a great "hideout"!

John's Sports Tree is in this room....

Parmesan-Asiago Potatoes

Here's an easy potato side dish - tasty and colorful:

An Easy Happy Hour Finger Sandwich....

This is an easy and quick sandwich to make for lunch or an appetizer for an afternoon Happy Hour!

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers are festive table decorations that make a snapping sound when pulled open, and often contain a small gift and a joke.

The History of Christmas Crackers:

Clay Charms for Gift Packages....

Sculpey clay is always fun to play with, and for under $2.50 it is a reasonably priced way to make a few button charms or ornaments!

Unique GIFTS - 10 on the 10th!

The goal of 10 on the 10th is for a group of us to create something that cost under $10.  Visit the bloggers at the end of this post to see what they created!  

This month's theme was GIFTS

Gift giving can be a challenge sometimes, especially when on a budget.

  Here are a few ideas for the one who loves to try a new cocktail during the holidays:

The price of mini bottles start at $1, so be creative and see how you can spend under $10 for a fun gift.  

You could give an assortment of minis

OR

Here are a few fun ideas:

There are a lot of Santas around here....

      Santa Claus

One of my favorite holiday collections are the Possible Dreams Santas.....

Christmas/ December Table Settings...I can't decide

Once again I am joining Rita @ Panoply for a Christmas Table setting Blog Hop

I am having trouble deciding which table setting to use this year, so maybe you can help me out.....

Tortilla Roll-Ups

Here are a few little wrap appetizers  - perfect for your holiday snacks!  They are easy to make and guests will gobble them up!

Sausage Balls

SAUSAGE BALLS

This recipe was given to me in 1981 from a neighbor who spent a lot of time in her kitchen.  She made them every Christmas and so do I!

Tales of the Traveling Tote #29

                    

Welcome 

The Tales of the Traveling Tote is a series of adventures that share where our Mackenzie Childs tote bags have taken us.  Four times a year a group of 10 bloggers each write a connected post about the places we have been. We also offer a fabulous MacKenzie-Childs giveaway on one of the 10 posts each quarter.  We have built incredible friendships through our blogs and we hope you enjoy our tales as much as we do!  To read about how it all began, go HERE

BBQ Dump Chicken

I love a meal that I can pull out of the freezer, put it in the crock pot and let it cook all day.  This BBQ Chicken is delish and so is our favorite, local BBQ Sauce, from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que:

Do It Over Designers - November

    Do it Over Designers

I am joining Ann, from Apple Street Cottage, for Do It Over Designers, where we transform something that needs a makeover!

This lamp blew over in the wind by an open window one day.  As I was taking it apart to put it into the trash, I decided to keep a few pieces for a project.

I cut the electrical cord and unscrewed a few of the pieces:

I kept the finial, base....

...and a middle section:

My first idea was to stack them for a candle stick, but it was a bit top heavy:

I pulled out the best glue ever:  E6000

I topped the largest piece with an old silver tray:

When serving food at a buffet it's always a good idea to have varying heights....

...so this piece will be used a lot...

for desserts, hors d'eouvres or cheese and crackers:

The smaller piece was perfect as a candlestick:

Most of my candles are battery operated, so this slender candle fit perfectly:

The last piece was the finial:

It looked much better on this lamp than the original:

These were very simple projects and a great way to upcycle a broken lamp!

I hope you'll visit my other creative friends to see their "do it over" projects:

Modern on Monticello

Pandora’s Box YOU ARE HERE!

Purple Hues & Me

Southern Sunflowers 

Unique Creations by Anita

My Hubbard Home

Interior Frugalista

The Apple Street Cottage

Birdz of a Feather

Exquisitely Unremarkable

A Thanksgiving Table for Two

   Just theTwo of Us

This table setting is a simple one for the two of us:

It's Hot Cocoa Time....

                  Hot Cocoa

My hot beverage of choice is always hot cocoa (second choice is tea).  I also have to be really chilled to drink a hot beverage.  Last year I set up a Hot Cocoa Station with chocolate spoons and lots of peppermints - and some Peppermint Twist vodka (in case I was REALLY chilled!)

Holiday Treats for children to make..

Here are a few easy sweet treat ideas for children to make  for their family and friends during the holidays:

Apple Gingerbread Cobbler

Apple Gingerbread Cobbler

Here's an easy cobbler that can be prepared in minutes - put it in the oven before you serve dinner, and it will be ready for dessert!

Ingredients

4 T melted butter    

2 21oz can apple pie filling

15 oz box gingerbread mix

Sausage and Peppers Dump Recipe

Here is another "dump" recipe.  This is delicious over white rice and is so easy to prepare!

Dollar Tree Holiday Craft

These wooden plaques can be found at the Dollar Tree.  They measure 12" x 3"...

I decorated them for Christmas - an easy craft for any age!

10 on the 10th: Ornaments

ORNAMENTS

Our theme for 10 on the 10th this month is "Christmas Ornaments"  

Do you need a way to store those very special, breakable ornaments?  I have some ornaments that were on my father's tree when he was young and they are made of glass.  I also have a few from my husband's family tree and would feel so bad if any of these were broken in storage.

Here's a way to keep them safe in storage...

Leopards and Checks - An Early Thanksgiving Table Setting Blog Hop

Once again I am joining Rita from Panoply for a seasonal blog hop:

A Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog Hop

My table setting is not traditional in anyway!

Cherry Bread...

Here's an easy recipe for  Cherry Bread - a delicious blend of cherries and almond flavors...and wait til you see the pretty glaze on it....

Some ways to get a head start on the holidays ....

Don't let the Holidays creep up on you!  Here are some ideas you can begin to work on now!

Oven Baked Pork and Apples

This was an easy meal to prep....2 pork chops, onions, apples, fresh thyme...

Honey Sesame Chicken

       Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Dump Chicken