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I realized earlier today that I need to start doing some Christmas meal preparations soon. Do you realize it's less than two weeks away? Seriously, where does the time go?!
Monday — We're having the always easy and equally unhealthy hot dog for dinner, because we have some, and because we have free tickets to go to the Redwings hockey game. But we're eating hot dogs at home, not the ones you buy at the game. That way everyone will hopefully be full by the time they get there and feel like they got game-type food. Genius, huh?
Tuesday — Beef and Noodles. I never made it last week, or the week before, it's cold, and I want it.
Wednesday — Leftovers.
Thursday — Tacos with homemade taco seasoning. I've had a request from one of my kids, plus all my kids love it.
Friday — as usual, I always make enough taco meat for Taco Salad the next day.
Saturday — I had a couple of people suggest chicken and dumplings recipes last week but didn't get a chance to make them. I'm going to try this week. The links I have are here and here, but I don't know which I'll be using yet. Maybe I'll try one now and another later!
Sunday — Eat out since we ate in all week!
Go visit The Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday participants.
I did a separate post about our whimsical tree, now I'm going to share more — from ornaments to the nativity to all sorts of decorations throughout our house.
I hope to find some Christmas pictures on sale at the end of the season that I can switch out with the normal pictures that hang on the wall behind the Christmas tree. I just can't bring myself to see a bare wall or the nails hanging there.
Ornaments that are special all because they were handmade by my friend, Bonnie.
Ornaments that I've had for at least 20 years, many for more than that:
Some of my Snoopy ornaments, again over 20 years old (probably exactly 29 or 30!), except for one new one:
Other special ornaments — I could tell you something about each one:
Hubby's sports ornaments:
Some of my favorites:
Buddy's baseball ornaments:
Some of the ornaments that specifically remind us or are each of our kids...Chatty:
Sparky:
Buddy:
Caboose:
Some favorites with short stories to tell...this one is self-explanatory, and came from my uncle, aunt, and/or cousin before kids when we had two cats. It tickles me every year when we take it out. The cats were our kids before we had kids.
This came from a good friend my senior year in high school. Her mom and stepdad were just opening up a Hallmark store.
This little painted glass ball came from a shop in Hermann, Missouri. If it's as big as a quarter around, that's all it is. I got it in the early '90s when we lived in Missouri.
This is a new ornament this year. It's a little 2-ounce ornament version of the 18-ounce Starbuck's mugs I collect. Cute!
This is also a new ornament for Hubby and me this year and represents one of our favorite Christmas movies, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's Cousin Eddie's RV, and it says three phrases. Unfortunately, both of us could quote them all. Fortunately, none of them have any cursing.
When we lived in Illinois and the boys were much smaller, they made styrofoam/pipe cleaner turkeys and brought them home from church one Sunday. They stuck them in the Christmas tree, so now every year we just save them and stick them in the tree like they are supposed to be a decoration.
And don't forget about the Sheep Babies if you haven't seen them yet!
These quilted fabric ball ornaments are not even hanging on our tree this year. I have them stuck in a hurricane thingy in my living room. There is one that I put some extra fancy ribbon on one year, so I have it sitting at the top. I laced a red, green, and glittery silver ball garland through as I put the balls in.
I could do a tutorial if someone is really interested in making them, but you start with styrofoam balls. Take scraps of fabric (holiday or not), and using a craft knife, or your butter knife if you're like me and never use it, push the edges of the fabric into the styrofoam ball with a little craft glue along the edges to keep it in place. Cut some ribbon, or strip of fabric, for your ornament hanger. Use a straight pin to push it into the styrofoam ball. I have found that it's a good idea to stick a dab of glue on the end of the pin before you push it in. Then when it dries it probably won't slip out.
My friend Melinda taught me to make these our senior year in college, right after winter finals, while we were watching The Sound of Music. It was my first time to ever see the movie (hard to believe!) and instantly became a favorite.
My friend Marsha sent me this angel in the late '80s or very early '90s, which in other years has graced the top of my Christmas tree.
Two of the three Christmas wreaths I made this year...the other one is similar and is on my front door, but a few hours ago it was 16 degrees, so I'm not going outside to take a picture!
Caboose thought he needed to do a little decorating around the one that was in front of the fireplace, so he added some wildlife. There are a couple of penguins and a snowman that aren't in the picture, too.
There are actually two of these trees. One is flanking the other end of the two shelves. We got them on end-of-season clearance last year for our front porch. After they blew over in the 20 mph winds just before Thanksgiving, we decided they weren't going to make it outside and brought them inside. I got two of those super soft blankets in red from Wal-Mart to use around the bases as tree skirts. We ended up getting smaller trees with heavier bases for the front porch, but they've even been going over the last couple of days and nights in the 40-50 mph gusts.
Some more of the first floor decorations, which other than the tree on the second floor is about it.
I switched out the fall ribbon I had around the lamps to a sheer blue ribbon with silver snowflakes. It really sets off the blue and white snowflake lights around the garland.
I even tied the whale's tail with some!
Some of that blue ribbon even ended up on this $1 white bucket (last year from Target) with a sprig of berries left over from the wreath-making.
A light-up, Kitty Cucumber music box from many years ago.
I've had this Snoopy for about 30 years too. Can you tell I loved Snoopy growing up?
The extent of our bedroom decoration, a pillow. But the fact that it matches so perfectly is not lost on me. When I was walking through Joann's Fabrics and saw it, I couldn't believe that there was something that would match my Ikea pillows so perfectly, with a snowman on it. Someday we'll have more decorations for upstairs, but that will come with time.
Our nativity that we purchased while we were living in New Jersey. Baby Jesus will make his appearance on Christmas Eve. That's the way we do it.
Our wise men aren't there yet. It took them a couple of years in the real Bible story.
So they're across the top of the cabinet.
Merry Christmas!!!
This post is linked to Show and Tell Friday hosted by Cindy at My Romantic Home, Hooked on Holiday House Tours hosted by Julia at Hooked on Houses, Holiday Tour of Homes hosted by Laurie at Tip Junkie, the I'll Be Home for Christmas House Tour at The Inspired Room, and The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes 2009.
Although you probably can't tell yet from these pictures.
Or even this one.
But the bottom of this one is the dead giveaway.
I boxed wrong the first time and then tried to box right. It didn't quite work.
I do know how to read a pattern. I also know that when I'm cutting strips that are 1 1/2" x 5" that they aren't going to be very big when you sew them with 1/4" seam allowances on both sides.
Here is one set sewn together.
Here both of them are once the seams are ironed. They stretch out quite a bit.
Here's a close-up of the botched-up box bottom.
Still very cute, but not the handbag-type carryall I thought would be perfect for Chatty right now. Because my brain wasn't thinking about the size of those little strips. So Caboose is using it to carry a stuffed animal around the house.
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