Welcome!

I have been lax in welcoming my new followers. Please say hello to:
Michael Pereira
Elisabete
Drora Hed
Arantxa y Silvia
Lauren

I was only able to find links for two so if I've missed your link, please let me know. Thank you all so much for joining in here. Please share your thoughts and comments.

Again, welcome!

Good morning and Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to stop in and wish all of my friends in blogland a joyous and blessed Christmas. May your day be filled with love, laughter and loved ones as we celebrate the birth of the Savior. I also wanted to share a few of the gifts my wonderful family presented to me this morning. From my children I received a lovely hand knit scarf and a basket filled with hand care items, a wide based travel mug from my alma mater (I was constantly spilling my tall mugs while crafting, lol), and a beautiful day planner.
My hubby has a tradition of putting Christmas earrings and socks in my stocking. The reindeer earrings are so funny!
This box is overflowing with goodies for mini-ing. I got tools and hutches and clay and molds and wire and glitter and glue...I'm sure there's more. Hubby is so good at coming up with fun supplies each year.
I also got two miniatures I'd been admiring. This changing table looks just like the one we had for our children and looks perfect in our mini house.
We had a red step stool just like this when I was a child. We usually sat on it when Mom trimmed our hair - just like my baby brother is doing here.

We had so much fun this morning with our children and last night with hubby's family. Today we'll be travelling to my Mom's.

Again, I wish you all the happiest of holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a joyous and blessed Christmas!

It's a wreath. No, it's a dollhouse. Wait, it's both!

I finished a small travel sized tin of hand balm yesterday and decided to make a couple of mini wreaths. The ones I made last year were bigger and have 2 stories. These new ones are just one room. This one hangs in the Santa house bathroom. I've added flames to the fireplace since I took this photo.
This one is listed in my etsy shop. I think the rooms look cozy. These are fun and really simple to make. I just experiment with whatever wood scraps I have on hand for floors and furniture.

Christmas spirit 3

This is our main family tree. It's in the master bedroom - it's the biggest room and it makes Christmas morning fun. The ornaments have been collected over the 28 years of our marriage. Each year everyone gets to choose a new ornament. The kids will take theirs to start their own traditions once they move out.
This is the ornament that started it all. At first, Mark and I got one ornament together. This one was our first Christmas together ornament (married first Christmas - we'd been a couple for 5 years.)

Christmas spirit 2

One year my SIL's and I made new stockings for our family. These are very large and hang in our stairwell. The quilt behind them is a family quilt made by my MIL - each square represents a member of the family. The quilt on the right was my baby quilt made by my grandma.
I collect Santas and nativities. Here are some of both.
This was the very first nativity hubby and I purchased early in our marriage.
This one is in the family room. It was the kids' to arrange as they wanted - now that they are older it's my job.
This is the Willow Tree nativity. It is displayed year round on this shelf.

A bit of the Christmas spirit at my house

This is one of the first things you see when you step into my home. The milk can was painted by my MIL and was a Christmas gift one year. I filled it with greenery cut from our yard.
This little tree is decorated with glass balls - some vintage and some new. The small red one with white flocking on the right was on my husband's family tree when he was a child. This tree sits in the bay window in the living room.
This display is some of my favorite Christmas photos of my children, including their first photos with Santa.
My mom and I made this advent calendar when my children were little. You add an tree, person, animal, etc. per day until Christmas. The 25th is baby Jesus.
This boot was my stocking when I was young. Mom decoupaged bits of old Christmas cards (we chose the pictures) onto cardboard Santa boots.

These are a few of my favorite Christmas decorations. More coming!

Link to tree tutorial

Here's the link to part 1 of the Christmas tree tutorial I did last year. There are three parts to the tutorial but you'll be able to find them from part 1. If anyone makes one of these, I'd love to see your finished tree!

I love Christmas!

I found some sparkly white pipe cleaners recently and thought they'd make a cool Christmas tree. I used the same method as the tutorial I posted last December. Then I made all the red ornaments to decorate it. I also made another silver tree with ornaments. Both are in my etsy shop.

The white tree is my favorite so far. It looks so elegant.