Pink Saturday and Merry Christmas

Well my friends today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is the big day we have all been preparing for. My hubby and I are watching "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby. If you can believe it, this is my first time to watch it. I have spent most of the morning making some of the food we will have tomorrow for Christmas dinner when my family arrives.

I made a batch of snicker doodles this morning as well as some more almond sugar cookies in the shape of gingerbread men. We are having ham, scalloped potatoes, salad, biscuits, cranberry salad, and lots of desserts including rum cake, my favorite.

May each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for all your friendships and may 2011 be a prosperous year for us all.

Thank you Beverly for hosting this Pink Saturday once again and Merry Christmas to you! Check out all the other Pinks on her blog. The theme for this Pink Saturday is "What you are doing today."

Hugs and Merry Christmas

Ginger

Easy Cookies

These cookies were so easy to make I was amazed. I bought a package of sugar cookie mix, the dry kind, made the cookie dough as directed but added 1 Tsp. almond extract and 2 T. flour. Rolled them out and baked as directed. Then I melted the chocolate chips and white chocolate chips and dipped each cookie in the chocolate. Wonderful tasting cookies.

You can add sprinkles or whatever you like. The colored sugars or crushed peppermints would be cute too. I just love the almond taste.

I have taken all my Christmas listings off Etsy and added some new items like this little bag I made...

And this little reversible apron......

How about a tea flag to greet your guests at your next tea party.

Or some dish towels.

Hope everyone has all their shopping and baking done, I am finished, just waiting for Santa now.

Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Safe Happy New Year. May each of you be with those you love and pray for those who can't.

Pink Saturday

For this Pink Saturday I am showing some of my favorite ornaments, some old some new. The first one is made by the talented and lovely Miss Rebecca. I LoVe this sweet ornie, with its sugary pink. So beautiful.

And I LoVe this one made by Miss Roselle. This little angel is so sweet on my white tree. Be sure to look at both these lovely ladies blogs. So talented.

This glass ball was some my kids and I made with clear glitter glue, writing our names on them. They were some of the prettiest ornaments I had for a long time.

I made this ornament from strips of paper, curled on a quiller and then glued together. Then added some glitter.

This ornament looks like the ones they sell now, but actually this little silver plastic ornie was one of the ornaments my Mom decorated our trees when I was a child, ahhhhhh I can still smell the sweet pine smell. Thanks Mom and Dad for the memories.

I think this must have been some of my first ART? work. I made a new ornament for my son and daughter each year and this was Tammy's. I have given all their ornaments to them but had this one for some reason.

This was another ornament from my childhood. Do you remember the old heavy silver icicles we hung on the tree? And the big lights. Those were the days.

And this may be my most special ornament right now. A picture of my sweet Star that is no longer with us. I put this on my tree each year. She was such a love and I miss her so.

This sweet Santa is another wonderful creation from Rebecca. Isn't it beautiful and I was lucky enough to snag one before they were all snatched up.

And this lovely heart sign with the words "Believe" was painted by Rebecca also. Just can't get enough of this sweet lady's art.

And last I added a picture of myself saying to all my blogging friends, "I am so lucky you have all come into my life, I have so many wonderful friends and I cherish each and every one of you. I wish you ALL a Very Merry CHRISTMAS, and a Happy New Year!!"

Please check out all the other links at Beverlys blog at How Sweet the Sound. Thank you Beverly for another sweet year of PINKS. By the way, my favorite Christmas song is the Christmas Song, you know the one "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...."

Hugs

Ginger

A Gingerbread Kitchen

I am so in love with my gingerbread kitchen. Having the name of Ginger, I have always been fond of the gingerbread theme. And it is so darn CuTe!!!!! Don't you love the Christmas season?

Every year I try to collect yet another cute gingerbread ornament for my tree or another cute gingerbread man or lady for my shelves.

This picture is shooting from inside my kitchen toward my den. I have shelves around the top on three sides where I can put gingerbread people.

I made the little fat gingerbread bag keeper last year. It replaces my original bag lady during the Christmas season. Very handy to keep your plastic grocery bags in and it was so easy to make. I made it out of two pieces of felt and used rickrack to decorate with button eyes. Then put a casing at the bottom with elastic to cinch it up a little.

My daughter made these sweet gingerbread towels for me one Christmas. Aren't they sweet?

She did a really great job on them.

Another shot of the gingerbread man bag keeper.

Isn't this candy tree the cutest thing. The tree and gingerbread man are my latest addition to my collection.

This is the gingerbread tree and looking into my dining/tea room you can see the white and pink tree. I did some shopping this evening at my last destination that I have been avoiding. But finally I dove in and just did it. Boy was I ever sorry! You would think on a Friday afternoon there wouldn't be too many people there, but was I ever wrong. And I witnessed a near fist fight in the store, police being called, babies crying their heads off, carts hitting you from all directions........................ well that is Christmas season at Wal-Mart. LOL, Merry Christmas. Thank the Lord I don't have to go back there again.

For Pink Saturday we are suppose to tell our favorite holiday movie. Well, mine is and will always be "One Magic Christmas". I took my children to see this movie when they were children and it is such a great movie. They learn the true meaning of Christmas after the children were almost drowned in a river but an angel saves them. GOOD movie.

I am linking to Pink Saturday, thank you Beverly for hosting this great party each week. I am also linking to:

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Holiday Party

Show and Tell Friday

Matchbox Gift Boxes

Just had to show you my newest treasures I am putting on Etsy today. These cute little matchboxes which are the larger size matchbox are perfect for a small gift, cash or just a decorative addition to your Christmas decor.

I also listed this little stocking ornament. Think it turned out really sweet. All glittery and antiqued.

And another match box. I love making these.

This is one of the items I have decorated my new shelf with. I found the shelf I am showing you at our antique store where I have a booth and I am in love with it.

This is the other side of the shelf. I have been needing something bigger for the wall I put it on but never found just the right thing, but now I have.......................!

This is hanging from the hooks on the bottom of the shelf. I DO BELIEVE!!!!!

Drum roll.......................isn't she beautiful. I am sure this is an antique. It is VERY heavy, probably made from oak and the beautiful lady I bought it from did her magic and painted it and then distressed it. I absolutely love it.

I think these angel hooks must be brass. I have never seen anything like it before, have you?

A closeup view of the hook, with some of the brass showing through.

I am linking this post to White Wednesday. Be sure to check out all the great posts on this link.

Hugs

Ginger

Christmas Decor & A Fudge Recipe

Christmas time is such a busy time. Between the decorating, the crafting, cooking, shopping and full time job I am not sure which to do first. I wanted to share with you my most recent treasure I have just listed on Etsy, isn't he cute?

And I just finished creating this handbag dangle for the holiday season to add some Christmas cheer to your bag also. I have been so busy decorating for Christmas, but I think I am almost done and now I can start shopping.

This is one of my favorite Santas, it is setting by my green and red Christmas tree but am thinking I might have to move it when I start putting presents here by the tree. It will probably end up in my pink Christmas room. To see it scroll down two posts and see all the pink you can stand!!! LOL

This is one of my favorite vignettes. I love skaters and have several in my home and on the trees.

I say trees because so far I have 4 trees decorated.

This is my den, my bare den, the den that is waiting to be dressed for Christmas after it was stripped of its fall attire.

This is another sweet vignette I have in my den on a table in front of a seat. My children who are grown now made that sweet sequin ball about 25 years ago, pin by pin by sequin it was transformed from an ugly styrofoam ball to this beauty. I decorate with it each year, oh the memories it brings back.

This is the tree in the den, transformed into a beautiful adornment, my husband is a firefighter is why there are fire hats included.

And this is the fireplace fully adorned into a thing of Christmas cheer and beauty. I am really enjoying this beautiful room.

Kind of funny, see the tussie mussie with the evergreen coming out the top, it is actually upside down. It was made to be a Christmas tree.

And the full picture of the den. I hope you enjoyed my little tour through my red, silver and green room. I have shown you the pink dining room and the traditional red den. Next I will show you my gingerbread kitchen. I am linking up to the following parties.

COMMON GROUNDS INSPIRATION FRIDAY

FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE FEATHERED NEST HOLIDAY PARTY

SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY

PINK SATURDAY

Be sure to check these links out and see all the beautiful Christmas decorating going on!!

I have the best, creamiest Fudge recipe for you:

In saucepan put 1 10-oz. package chocolate chips

and 1 can lite Eagle Brand Milk. Melt 5 minutes or until

chocolate chips are completely melted. Add 1 tsp vanilla and

1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts. Pour into square pan lined

with saran wrap, some hanging over sides. Let cool and

refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Then invert on a plate

and cut to size squares you like.

This has to be the best fudge recipe I have ever had. It came

from Weight Watchers, but I'm not sure why, it is out of this

world. Enjoy

Hugs

Ginger

Romantic White Christmas

I have joined Karlas Romantic White Christmas E-zine and WOW, she has some beautiful projects to make.....like this wonderful tree topper I made. I am so enjoying it. I have put it on both my trees, the white one and the green one and can't decide which one I like it on the best.

The star on the back was actually suppose to be bigger but I decided to make it this size and I really love it. I am all about glitz and glitter for Christmas decorating.

This is a shot of the white tree with the topper and you can see my little gingerbread tree in my kitchen. I just got it up yesterday. Have you done your decorating yet?

I thought this tree topper would be a lot more complicated than it was. It was a lot of fun constructing it and Karla gives you all the patterns and instructions online. If you want to join in the fun please visit Karlas blog Karlas Cottage and check it out for yourself. There are loads more projects she is offering on this E-zine.

Happy Creating

Ginger