Christmas 2022

Happy New Year. Thought a quick Christmas wrap up post was in order. We had a nice holiday at home with our kids. The usual: lots of food and gifts and merriment. I hope you all are well and wish for all a healthy and happy 2023.

This year Dean and I did all the decorating over Thanksgiving weekend. Boy, were we tired but it was nice to have it all done.

I have to have a kitchen tree. I spend so much time in this room that I love the glow of a tree. I bought some cupcake lights off of Amazon. I think they added a whimsical feel to the tree.

I am a vintage gal and I think I love how it reminds me of my mom's kitchen. Some of my Pyrex was hers.

The old vintage graphics on boxes were just the best don't you agree? I think they should go back to the colors and images of the olden days. I am so drawn to vintage Christmas gift tags. I think they remind me of presents under the tree as a child.

I found cute vintage inspired gift wrap at Walmart this year.

I just am a sucker for cute ribbon and kept some out so I could wrap extra little gifts I had picked up.

Happy little boxes of goodies ready to be handed out on Christmas Eve.

In the summer we had to say goodbye to our 17 year old chihuahua but we also have welcomed a new member of the family. Someone dumped a little cat near our house and she was screaming and crying and only 4lbs when we coaxed her to come eat in our yard. After a few weeks we finally caught her for a vet visit and some shots and then a week later to fix her. She has gone from a very scared feral little thing to feeling right at home and now spends most of her time sleeping on our furniture.

Her name is Peanut and you can see she has made herself at home.

Dean and I (and Tugg and Luns) wish you all the best and again a Happy New Year. Thank you for coming by and reading this very long post.

 

Sees Copycat Bordeaux Candy Recipe

 

Sees Copycat Bordeaux Candy Recipe

• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

• 1/4 cup Whipping Cream

• 1/2 tsp Instant Coffee Powder

• 1 pinch Salt

• 2 cups Powdered Sugar ; sifted

• 12 oz Chocolate or White Chocolate

Sprinkles or Jimmies for Garnish

Instructions:

1. Over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.

2. Stir in whipping cream, coffee, and salt and bring back to a boil. Stir constantly for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

3. Let cool for 10 minutes.

4. Add in powdered sugar and mix well.

5. Chill until mixture can hold shape of a ball. Roll into 1.5 to 2 inch balls. Chill again to firm.

6. For the dip, melt chocolate in the microwave in 1 minute increments or over a double boiler. Add the crisco to the melted chocolate and mix well. (I usually temper chocolate instead or use Ghirardelli melting chocolate) Melting Chips like Wiltons are the best. You can find them here: Wilton Candy Melts

7. Using a toothpick and fork dip candy balls to coat in chocolate and put on wax paper or parchment paper to dry. Add sprinkles on top before chocolate sets.

My Prim Christmas Decor - Dry Sink Vignette

I am always torn between my love of vintage Christmas decor and decorating for Christmas with primitives. In the den we tucked all our prim goodies come along and see our prim Christmas decor -dry sink vignette. Of course all credit goes to Dean. He does all of our decorating. #deandecorates

We made orange pomanders and salt dough ornaments and tucked the extras in my yellow-ware bowls.

I have a thing for rustic and prim candy canes. Dean tucks them throughout the house.

The black box in the background was a bread box from the thrift store that Dean painted and primmed up with a little sanding.

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Vintage Christmas - Blogmas Dec. 4th

Today I was able to do some girl time shopping with the Queen of Vintage Christmas, my friend Shelly.

This is the darling display outsider her door. Or really just one small part of it.

We went by her booth at the Pomona Antique Mart, space 16. It is always filled to the brim with vintage goodies. If you are in SoCal you should stop by.

How to Make Your Christmas Tree Fuller - Happy Blogmas, Dec. 3rd

Happy Blogmas. I decided I would try and blog each day of December starting this Monday. Just quick updates on the Merry Christmasing going on in our house. I am going to show how to make a cheap Christmas tree look fuller. Have a great Dec. 3rd everyone.

Had a busy weekend of finishing our Christmas tree. We took a very cheap sparse artificial tree and really dressed it up and all with ribbon we already had. The wide mesh red ribbon was the key to filling all the the center of the tree that you could see. The we added two more layers of ribbon and then some bulbs and wa-la! I think it came out lovely.

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A Quick Visit To Shelly's Bliss Cottage

As always one of my highlights of the holiday season is a visit to Shelly's vintage Christmas cottage. I apologize that I did not take more pics of her cute vintage holiday decor but we were talking and sippin' coffee and time got away from me but it is too cute not to share even after Christmas. I visit every year and you can see part one of last year's vintage holiday home tour.

Vintage Christmas Cottage

Her tiered tray is filled with darling Christmas cups. So cute with those vintage deer cups. Have you ever seen those? 

This was my favorite corner and her husband was the inspiration for the little tree in the corner and it nestled in the red enamel pot set on the old red vintage stool is just perfect.

Her jadeite collection is huge and just a bit of it is on this cute red kitchen cart. I wish I would have taken more pictures of it.

How cute is this Christmas doily valance? Retro red and green canisters and kitchen items top her darling shelf. Make sure to click here  see all of her Christmas home tours as she changes it all up every Christmas.

This pic I stole off of Shelly's instagram. Her sweet vintage red and green Christmas bedroom is so adorable I had to share. Hop on over and follow her on instagram as she does not have a blog but posts pictures of her decor and antique booth regularly.

Christmas Coffee Love

If you follow my Facebook page you know I start every day with a love of coffee. Christmas coffee love is even more cherished by me as I get my days going and prepare for the season.

This coffee lovers Christmas ornament was found at Hobby Lobby. I had to have it. It is my ornament purchase of the year. I always buy one for myself.

I have a small collection of vintage Thermos and this tin with vintage Thermos images has to come home with me. Dean put a small tree with peppermint lights on it.

An I love coffee Christmas tradition is some sort of hot drink station in the kitchen. We have done large and small. Check out our best hot drink tray idea.

 Even a simple basket of hot cocoa near the coffee maker is fun and lets the kids get involved in the holiday drink making. I did a whole post on hot cocoa station ideas.

Christmas for lovers of coffee is made even better with a fun Santa mug. Check out my knock off recipe for Starbucks peppermint white mocha. It is so yummy!

2017 Christmas Kitchen Tour

Welcome to our 2017 Christmas Kitchen Tour! Woo-hoo the kitchen is decked out in traditional red and green Christmas decorating ideas.

Our Decorating Agreement

As always, I buy and collect the holiday decor and Dean decorates. In fact on my Instagram I gave him his own hashtag #deandecorates. How's that for a hoot. They guy has no social media but has his own hashtag. Come follow and see his decorating skills at work. Lol! But first, check out his doings in our Christmas kitchen this year!!

Picking A Christmas Kitchen Theme

From our Christmas cookie baking center to a nod to our love of camping, our kitchen really represents our family. I have some old pieces of my mom's and things my kiddos have given me. It is where I spend all my time and I love what he did this year.

Video Tour Of Our Vintage Christmas Kitchen

Please also take the video tour of our kitchen (click the arrow below) and click like and subscribe while you are there. We would so love that!! Thank you everyone!!! You are always so kind to Dean and I with your comments about our festive decorating.

Monday Musings And What is With All The Christmas Decorating?

Now I don't intend to cause any controversy but I am noticing more and more people already have their houses decorated for Christmas. Now this may make me a bad blogger but we do not and here is why....

This was a darling Christmas vignette at a local store. I snapped a pic and bought the candy canes for hubby to recreate as I already have the tree, candle and gingerbread boy. Isn't this sweet?

Why We Don't Decorate Early For Christmas

1. The plain and simple reason is my husband, as you know, does all the decorating and he refuses to rush any holiday. I suggested maybe just getting a few things up early this year because we are throwing a big party in December for his birthday, and he said no way. Enjoy each month and holiday at a time is his philosophy.

2. Putting up the decorations too early makes me tired of them by the time the holiday arrives. Anyone else like this?

3. I can easily get overwhelmed with all the Christmas decor hubby puts up so one month of it is all I can visually handle.

So there are the reasons and I am content to savor each holiday. My kids look forward to each holiday's decor coming out. But if you are an early decorator, and I know some folks have lots of trees that take tons of time, go ahead and enjoy and share cause we all love seeing your inspirational photos.

Let me know, are you an early holiday decorator?