Merry Christmas

and a

very Happy New Year

Pretty Little Christmas Party

Pretty petals is having a party, a pretty little Christmas party.

I would like to take you to a Christmas tradition. It's not far, just down the road then take a right and before to long you will see a marvelous site.
A life size Neapolitan Crèche that I get to visit each year…

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do....

Merry Christmas from my house to yours....

To visit more wonderful Christmas fun

stop in on Heather at http://prettypetals.typepad.com/

A give-away by Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle's new book is now available, I have been waiting

for this because it is on my list...

you can take a peek

HERE

Take a break from all of your hustle and bustle and go visit this very talented artist.

Become enchanted

and add your name to this wonderful give-away.

http://ilkasattic.blogspot.com/2008/12/book-give-away-contest.html

Good Luck!

December a time for wishing….

a time for dreaming....

http://www.dollery.com/html/artists/williamson/williamson-mm.htm

Above a fairy doll by Jamie Williamson ....one of a kind....just beautiful!!!

adrienne from the The Story Board asked about our Holiday wish list today. Well this got me thinking , for as long as I can remember I have had a doll on my Christmas list.

From Tiny Tears and Barbie as a child to the wonderful art dolls that can

be had today.

And as long as I was going to Wish I decided I am going to wish big this year..... I will not be getting any of these beauties but wishing is half the fun....

http://www.catherinematherdolls.com/

Caherine Mather dolls, I just love the faces...

and below are the new Roche dolls for 2009

http://www.roche-dolls.co.uk/NewFiles/olc_0.html

Maribelle in Paris in 1885..

this one is on top of my wish list...

...

That is my
fantasy wish list ...

My real wish is for all children to have their heart desires..

and their dreams come true..

"He who thanks but with the lipsThanks but in part;The full, the true ThanksgivingComes from the heart."
-J.A. Shedd

***

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

If you give a grandmother a cupcake ... she will need...

(picture by Bakerella)
IF you have not seen these than you're in for a sweet treat...

Bakerella has a wonderful baking... blog ...that should not be missed.
However, I must warn you drooling could be a side effect of visiting... here...

When I saw these little cupcakes on a lollipop stick, I just knew that

they would make a perfect birthday party addition..

Easy and fun to make...

here is the how to video from the MarthaStewart show...

****

Have any of you ever read, "When you give a mouse a cookie"?

It's a cute little story that my kids and I enjoyed when their were little..

The story is about a little mouse that is giving a cookie but than needs a glass of milk to wash it down, the story goes on with the little mouse asking for one more thing that is needed to go with the thing he just received ...

Well that is kind of what happened with the cupcakes pops. I kept finding one more little something that would go along perfectly with them and before you knew it I had a file filled with wonderful

ideas for a

Sweet Treat Birthday Party.

*****

(picture by Jenn from Eye Candy Creations)

When Penny of.. lavenderhillstudio... went to Savannah to meet some blog friends

She led me to Jenn of ..sweeteyecandycreations.. and these Little bears filled with sweet candy confections and the sweetest cupcake invitations. Can you picture the face of the dear little
one that is giving a bear that is sweeter than honey .

(picture by MaraMay)

What would a party be without a special hat for the birthday child...

I found this enchanting design made By MaraMay. I adore the added vintage child's playing card.

You can see more of her work ..here ..

0 ......

0

0> O

O ..............0

>>>>>o

o O
o....... o ..OO

and then you need some bubbles, a party is not complete with out bubbles...

and then you must have an ice cream cone piñata

for some old fashion birthday giggles.

And to all of this I would add a little polka dot fun.....

pretty pink plates , dotty balloons and the sweetest colored

ice cream sundae dishes...

****

The Graphics Fairy

Now all I need are a few five year olds and I would have

the perfect sugary topping of a most delightful

sweet treat day...
Do you think I can talk my granddaughter into this for her 5th birthday?

I have a few months to try...

***

Sugar Plum

Oh and just one more thing, I would make a crepe paper centerpiece using a new Nancy Ann Storybook doll by Dianna Effner..

If you have any more ideas I would love to hear...
After all, if you give a grandmother a cupcake she will need........

Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy Birthday Nate!

Happy 20th Birthday Nate..

I love you..

I wished on many stars for you...

11/18/88

8:08 pm

8lbs. 3 oz.

a Birthday celebration for you


This is the first birthday that my husband and I will not be with him...

take note of photo in my banner, this picture is from 1900 and a distant cousin of my husband's... I think there is a little bit of a family
resemblance..

Thinking Christmas....

Picture from last year…

What I have doing on my blog vacation…..

Catching up on all of my yahoo groups emails..
Had about 1000 to read…

Getting ready for Christmas…
Needed to do some things to get the house ready for the holidays.
My hubby fell 18 ft. off a ladder last Monday; our wood stove pipe broke his fall.
He is very bruised, has a good deal of swelling, and hobbles around…
However, we our both very thankful because we know the outcome could have been a lot worse.

Made this little ballerina when I was the leader

of my daughter’s Girl Scout troop in 1982.

I found some left over kits that I put together back than...

it was a fun find...

***

I also spent the Sunday before Halloween in a very old cemetery with my son.
He came home for the weekend to work on an archaeology class project.Each of his team members had to find and list the information from 25 headstones dated before 1880.
I went along to help measure and take the pictures of the stones. Together we read epitaphs and talked about the families, the soldiers (from both the revolutionary war and civil war). It was a sunny warm day and it took us over 3 hours to complete the task.
I told my son that this ghost in the picture enjoyed our visit…

****

I also spent some time visiting new blogs...

Here is one that I found inspiring

http://www.collagediva.com/Site/Kathryns_Blog/Kathryns_Blog.html

still out looking for fairies....

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

I am taking a blog break...

HOWever, I will stop in on you here and there..

see you in November..

Roads I travel.....

There are a set of roads that I travel routinely, my family refers to these roads as “over the hill”. I travel these roads to the town where my oldest daughter lives, on holidays to visit family, to the high school that my kids picked. Living in a small town with no high school my children had a choice of high schools from surrounding towns.

This back way is peppered with lovely homes, stone churches, white steeples, the home of the late Bill Blass and the gates that lead to Joan Rivers’s new country home..

No matter how many times I travel this way I never tire of the backdrop of my path..

Bloggers often share drive bys, so with camera in hand I would like to share with you my “over the hill.”

***

(click on any picture to make larger)

this is the back of the house....

the barns are also pink...

lace curtain windows

New England at its best

this church is across the road from the

house below...

this is a true country church ....

a road that was once a cow path...

A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air.-- Eric Sloane

Oct. 1, where did the time go....Jessi don't look

my sweet and sinister swap is all wrapped and ready to go..

A basket filled with black, white and some orange

sweet and sinister fun..

no more butterflies left in the yard..

the dark comes by the end of dinner...

cool evenings and chilly nights...

where did the time go..

I love October ....the colors and smell of the air.

the scent of hickory nuts

fresh cut wood that soon will be stacked ..

we will need to order heating oil soon..

this will cost us as much as we paid for our first car ...

the chimney will be cleaned and wood stove all set ..
cocoa in the pantry ...
I need some new fluffy warm socks.

@@@

witch shoe tags that I made to add to the sweet and sisister swap loot...

(click for a better look)

a vintage canning jar of pumpkin spice candles ..

a sinister witch picture was an ebay win...

a black iron witch’s candle holder and a few of her candles to
decorate the table for the night of the witches jamboree ..…