The End Of The Tree Parade. . .

I'm so thrilled you came by today for the end of the tree parade!!

All the trees you'll see today are small tabletop trees.

Some have a theme while others are there just to add sparkle & shine.

The upstairs office. . .

I found this old sled at a garage sale many years ago for 25 cents!

Let's visit the TV room now. . .

This skinny tree is loaded with all kinds of fun ornaments.

If you click on the picture you'll see Barbie, The Lone Ranger, Howdy Doodie, Andy & Barney, and other reminders of the past.

You might even see Pistol Pete!

The guest room. . .


Precious Moments & angel ornaments make this tree special.

The upstairs landing. . .

The theme of this tree is Nativity.

The round sign hanging on the lamp says, 'Happy Birthday Jesus'.


The dining room. . .

This grapevine tree is wrapped in green & red mini wire garland.

You can't really tell how glittery & sparkly it is in this picture.

Thanks again for stopping by today, see you tomorrow!

What, another tree?

Tuesday the weather was wet & wintry. The temperature kept dropping all day so I decided not to venture out to do some shopping I had wanted to do. Believe it or not when my hubby got home from work he announced he was going to go to the mall & do a little shopping! I stayed home because I'm not a fan of trudging around in freezing rain!


Monday I finally finished decorating & fluffing the entire house with Christmas bling. You might remember me saying in an earlier post that my stress was very much over the top & my energy level was at an all time low last year at this time. In fact not one single room was decorated upstairs!

Yes, today I have another Christmas tree to show you! Last year this tree never made its way out of the attic.

This tree is in our master bedroom downstairs. As you can see it's decorated with mainly gold & a few touches of white. There are several different kinds of angels. Click on the picture to see the details better.

I just love this angel!

Here's an elegant Victorian child angel.

Okay, now don't faint, but tomorrow I have more trees to show you! Hope you'll come by to check it out!

Another Christmas Tree. . .

I'm featuring another Christmas tree today. I started decorating a red, white, & blue patriotic tree for Christmas 1990 when our nephew was deployed to the gulf. Little did we know that in January 1991 his Harrier jet would be shot down about 2 weeks after the Gulf War started. For about 28 days we didn't know whether his was dead or alive. A day or two before all POWs were released we received the miracle news that he was alive! Every year when I decorate this tree I think about so many things that happened during that scary time for our family & the miracle of his survival. I praise the Lord for protecting our nephew!

We brought Bobby's wooden rocking horse out of the attic for the first time in years. I can't wait until next Christmas when Ethan can take a ride on the same horse his dad used to play on!!

Here are a few of my favorite ornaments on the tree.

A liberty angel. . .


A Santa sewing an American flag. . .

A chubby Santa dressed up as Uncle Sam. . .

I invite you to come back tomorrow for another Christmas tree reveal!

Oldies But Goodies. . .

Today I'm sharing pictures of our large Christmas tree. There are several Hallmark ornaments on the tree that I have collected, but the most valuable & special ornaments are those that bring back warm & wonderful memories.

Click on tree to view ornaments up close. . .

Here are just a few of my 'oldies but goodies'. . .

This is the Santa I received at my 3rd grade Christmas party in 1960. Mrs. Young was my teacher. I remember our class walking around the corner from Highland School to her house to watch the inauguration of John Kennedy.

This sweet little angel was the Christmas party favor given to each child in my 2nd grade class. I have vivid memories of my teacher, Mrs. Aycock, teaching us to sing Silent Night, giving special attention to accenting the 't' at the end of each lyric that ended with a 't'.



My Grandma Ruby was a crafty lady. In the mid '70s she created many ceramic pieces. One year she made these ornaments for Bob & me.

Even though this glittery star has lost one of its points I still tuck it between tree branches each year. Bobby made it in Sunday School class when he was 2 years old.

I'm so glad you took time out your busy schedule to stop by for a visit today! I appreciate each of you & enjoy it so much when you leave a comment!

Kindness. . .

What is desired in a man is kindness.

Proverbs 19:22

Painting by G. Harvey

You may think of benevolence only in terms of giving money, but there is much more to it than that. Benevolence is simply showing kindness; and in many cases, it is more a matter of opening your heart than your wallet.

In an age of hardness and cruelty, practicing benevolence is more difficult, but also more crucial. So many people are suffering for lack of a helping hand. Give to others with the same open-handed freedom that God has given to you. Do it out of your love for Him and in a spirit of thankfulness for what you have received from Him. He will bless you for it many times over.

The heart benevolent and kind the most resembles God.

Robert Burns

This devotion was taken from 'God's Daily Answer'.

A Surprise & Friday Shopping. . .

I was surprised & delighted Friday afternoon when I came home from shopping to discover a package on my doorstep! A few days ago I found out that I had won a gift in a giveaway drawing from Marie at http://spunbyme.blogspot.com/ ! What a treat! I excitedly opened the box like a little girl on Christmas morning!

Isn't this an adorable lamp? I just LOVE it! Marie created this sweet gingerbread lamp. I sat it on top of this porcelain canister & tied a ribbon around it to give it a place of prominence on my kitchen window ledge. Marie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing with me! You are a very talented lady!

Yesterday morning Bobby and I did some Christmas shopping then we picked up Kari for lunch. After enjoying a scrumptious meal at Zio's we hit a few more stores. I'm happy to report that my gift list is growing shorter! Almost finished with store shopping, but still have several homespun gifts to work on.

Bobby was tuckered out after shopping with his mom & wife. Time to relax! Poor guy! He's always been a good sport to go shopping with me. Thanks son!!!

Food, Fellowship, Fun. . .

Last night I attended a wonderful event at Bobby & Kari's church, The Church at Battle Creek, in Broken Arrow. This was a ladies only night out. We munched on some fabulous goodies before the program began.


The theme for this year's program was 'Home For Christmas'. We each received this book filled with delicious recipes & helpful suggestions for making the holiday season joyful & stress free.

I had such a great time talking & laughing with Kim, Kari's sister, Kari, & Carol, Kari's Mom. Her mom & I have the same name, Carol Ann!

The program began at 7:00 in the sanctuary. Here you see the program agenda & the corresponding pages for info. PJ's on Parade was a pajama fashion show featuring the cutest kids. Next the pastor's wife showed 3 different ideas for decorating your front door. A doctor then talked about how to stay healthy with your eating & stress management during the holidays. The next presenters were so entertaining while they showed stocking stuffer ideas. Finally we were treated to a few recipe ideas for Christmas morning.

Everyone received some great gifts. A coupon for 20% off PJ's at the children's shop that furnished items for the fashion show, warm & cozy socks, the December issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, and . . .

my favorite item, a beaded Pyrex casserole holder! I love it!

Yesterday I monogrammed Ethan's stocking. I had to take off the white furry cuff to do the monogram & then reattach. I also took off the loop & added a blue ribbon loop.

I'm very proud of the way it turned out. Now I need to monogram the big people stockings. I bought the four of us new stockings year before last ,but never got around to personalizing. I won't be tackling that project today because Bobby & Kari are going shopping with me. I'm hoping to get some things checked off my gift list.

Goodbye Little Friend. . .

Yesterday was a sad, emotional day for our family. Our sweet kitty cat, Chip, passed away. My sweet hubby was with her when she took her last breath. Chip has been a member of our family for 17 years. She had been in failing health the last few months. Even though we're very sad, we know it was for the best.


Okay, let's move along. I did manage to do a little decorating yesterday in the kitchen.

This chalkboard is in my old green cabinet. . .

What southern country kitchen is complete without a replica of the Cracker Barrel?

I love this picture of Bobby when he was about 10, he's hamming it up for the camera!


Here's Frosty looking his best. . .

I bought this set of stoneware a few years ago at Dollar General.

This fir tree is sitting above the kitchen sink. Click on the picture to see the cute ornaments.

I'm excited about an event I'm attending with Kari tonight!! I'll share details tomorrow.

Can you believe it? Christmas is 3 weeks from today!!! Yikes!!!!!

A Little Bling & A Purse. . .

Yesterday I decorated with a little more Christmas bling!

New bows for the staircase garland. . .

A nostalgic bubble night light. . .

More new bows for the mantle. . .

I love these battery operated candles I found at Home Depot a few months ago. . .

Because Kari is pregnant I'm being very careful to not burn candles with lead wicks. . .

Purse Project Finished! ! !

Yesterday morning I jumped right in & started making a purse/tote for Little E. . .

The purse is made out of denim, lined with the same pink dotted fabric on the quilt, & monogrammed in pink. . .

I made the straps long so she could use it as a shoulder bag. . .

She likes to try carrying her diaper bag on her shoulder. . .

Her name is on both sides of the purse. . .

I found the sweet pink trim at JoAnn Fabric. . .

I sewed another 'specially made' tag on the inside. . .

I had so much fun on this project! ! !

Now on to monogramming the stocking for Ethan. . .

I'll show more bling tomorrow! ! !

Slowly But Surely. . .

Slowly but surely the Christmas decorating continues. Remember I said just a few days ago that I wanted to have all the decorating completed by Monday?


Well, Monday the only decorating I did was placing the candlestick lights in 18 windows. The reason I didn't do more decorating is because I decided to work on Little E's 'I Spy Quilt'.

(click on picture to see details)

I found these cute little tags in my sewing box & sewed one to the quilt.

It is finished! I'm very happy with the completed project. My next sewing project for Little E is a monogrammed denim purse. A little birdie told me she likes to play with purses. It's been many years since I've done any monogramming, hope it comes back to me easily! I'll keep you posted. . .

Okay, hopefully tomorrow I'll have pictures to post of some Christmas bling!

Dear Santa. . .

Yesterday while hubby & I were eating a late lunch at our kitchen table we noticed it was snowing! Of course, I became very excited about seeing the 1st snow flakes of the season because I LOVE snow!

Today I'm featuring my Santa collection. These Santas are displayed in our entertainment center on 6 shelves. I didn't put everything out this year, just a few select pieces.



On each shelf I also displayed some crystal & class pieces. The cake stand belonged to my Granny B. I have several vintage Santas on this shelf, 2 standing behind the cake stand & the cute guy on top of the stand. My favorite Santa in this picture is the one kneeling in front of Baby Jesus. I have the book written by Debbie Boone to go along with the piece.

You can't really see very well, but each crystal piece has a battery operated tea light flickering inside.

Here you can see the light in the rose bowl. More Santas of all shapes & sizes.

Another rose bowl and more jolly ole' Saint Nicks.

Crystal candy jar with more guys in red & white.

This is a candy dish I got at Goodwill. Behind is a Santa painted on a mini chalkboard dated 1986.

So happy you stopped by for a visit on this 1st day of December!

A Devotion To Renew Your Soul. . .

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
~Proverbs 3 : 5-6

People say they want to make their own decisions, set their own course. But being a decision maker can be tough. After all, the world is constantly changing. You may have a lead on the past and the present, but the future is anyone's guess.

Unless. . . you happen to know the One who knows the future. No ~ He isn't the great fortuneteller in the sky,but He will give you the wisdom you need to make good choices. He will show you timeless principles in the Bible and lead you to wise people who can help you put things into proper perspective. And when you've made the right decision, He'll fill your heart with His peace.

In making our decisions, we must use the brains

that God has given us. But we must also use

our hearts which He also gave us.

~ Fulton Oursler

Today's devotion was taken from the book, 'God's Daily Answer . . . 365 devotions ~ one for each day of the year.'

Moving Slow & Leftovers. . .

Well, they say confession is good for the soul. Yesterday I was moving slow, I guess you could say I was just flat out LAZY! I slept in very late, past 9:00!! I think I was just totally worn out. I didn't get any Christmas bling out! All I managed to accomplish was to gather up all the fall decor and put it in the attic. Today I hope to at least get the Christmas wreath on the front door! Who knows, I may have a great surge of energy & get the downstairs trees decorated. I'm not making any promises though! LOL

Let's talk leftovers! We had leftovers on Thursday night & Friday for lunch, which means we're tired of eating the same thing 3 times in a row. The remaining turkey is going to go in the freezer for future cooking creations like soup & enchiladas. Last night we brought home pizza from Mazzio's, it sure tasted delicious!

If you were out & about on Friday shopping I hope you had a pleasant experience. I saw on the news that an employee at a Wal-Mart in New York was trampled to death when crazed shoppers broke down the door as he was trying to open it! How very sad.

Only 27 Days. . .

Whew, only 27 days until Christmas! We have never been 'Black Friday' shoppers. We'd rather spend a quiet day at home resting up from our indulgent turkey day eating spree. Today I'll put away the fall decorations & do a little Christmas decorating. Hubby & I put up our outside lights on Wednesday evening so we can check that off our list. I would like to have all Christmas decorating completed by Monday, we'll see what happens.

Time to get organized. I need to write down the Christmas gift list that's floating around in my head. I must finish sewing little E's quilt, along with some other Christmas sewing projects I have planned. I want to monogram a Christmas stocking for Ethan. Even though he won't have his 1st Christmas until next year I still want to hang a stocking for him.

Enjoy your day!

Thanksgiving Blessings. . .

Enjoy your day of Thanksgiving. . .

Treasure your time together. . .

Count your many blessings. . .

Love to you all. . .

Carol

Baked Potato Dinner. . .

Last night we hosted a baked potato dinner. . .

The guests. . .

Our son, Bobby. . .

Our daughter~in~law, Kari. . .

Our niece, Kristi. . .

Hubby Bob on the left, brother~in~law, Branson, & niece, Shelley. . .

Shelley is visiting from New Orleans. They're going to celebrate Thanksgiving with Branson's brother & his family, so we wanted to get together before Shelley leaves town.

The table is set & ready. . .

I baked the potatoes in the crock pot, so easy. . .

Wash potatoes, pierce with a knife, wrap in foil, bake on low for 8 to 10 hours.

The potato topping choices. . .

butter

chili

onions

jalapenos

salsa

Mexican cheese

tomatoes

cheese rotel

sour cream

onion dip

Dessert. . .

butter~ crunch pumpkin cake

Oh my goodness, I feel like a stuffed pig, or maybe I should say a stuffed turkey!

I know you all are probably very busy making preparations for Turkey Day. Take it easy, don't work too hard, make sure you pace yourself. Happy Thanksgiving Eve!