The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Christmas 2015

Christmas 2015 was a wonderful time with family and friends. The following is mostly a pictorial account of the Holidays.

The first party of the season


The Center Piece

Some of the decorations this year were new and some were traditional ones of which, I wanted to get good photos.


Dickens type lantern

This is an arrangement that I put on top of the Dining Room chandelier.
It is simply a artificial pine wreath turned bottom side up and resting on the top of the chandelier.
I then decorate it in the snowflake theme like the rest of the Dining Room.

This is the Mouse Choir. It has been around a long time.

The "pencil tree"was new this year. It is really cute and convenient for small spaces.

This Advent Calendar was also new this year. The cardboard part came from a craft store un-decorated. We could then design it however we wanted.

Each year the family gets together for the Snowflake Party. This is a time when we have a meal of many types of appetizers and set the table with white and silver china, stemware, and cloth napkins. The theme is of course, snowflakes. I like to use a mostly white and silver color scheme for the table because it is so elegant.

These are the traditional gifts that Jack Frost gives out each year at the Snowflake Party;
all wrapped and ready for the big night. They must be wrapped in snowflake paper--of course.

/
The Centerpiece for the Snowflake table this year.
It is glass bowls with "snow" and real flowers in the bottom two. In the top bowl is "snow" and a snowball candle.
The "snow" is Epson salts, which is also sparkly like snow.

This is a close up the the bottom bowl with the flowers and little silver snowflakes.

A close of the top bowl with a snowball candle.

On either side of the stacked bowls, I added small unique glass tea light holders
with "snow" and small white snowflakes. I also used a pale blue and silver organza
and satin ribbon and scattered a few clear acrylic gems around as well a a few "snowballs".

These were the napkin rings for the Snowflake Party.

The place card

The party favor sleighs with "snowball" cookies inside.

The menu card

The center piece is now lighted in the middle of the table that is all ready for the party to begin.

Christmas morning breakfast is another time for the family to get together. This time the color scheme is of course, red and green. We also have a menu of a traditional nut roll, sausage, and tea. Sometimes we add a new side addition to this menu; but the nut roll and sausage are a must.

This is the same basic arrangement from the Snowflake Party, but with red miniature ornaments and red candle added.

The bottom bowl with red ornaments

The top bowl with jingle bells, hollies, and candle.


The complete Christmas Breakfast center piece.

The Christmas Breakfast Table

The Dickens style hats were the Breakfast party favors.

The Breakfast place cards

These are the holly and snowflake napkin rings.

The Christmas Breakfast place setting.

Since the table is smaller at Christmas Dinner I used these little tea light holders with hollies and jingle bells in the "snow" instead of the little oil lamps.

Christmas Evening we had a few friends over and passed out these party favors. The "bowl" is peppermints melted slightly and then shaped into a bowl. Find the directions on Pinterest.

Christmas Evening snack.

The following are a few various pictures from our 2015 Christmas season.

A centerpiece for another Christmas party that we had.

The base of the center piece

Tea lights floating in glass floaters.

The Dinning Room with Christmas lights

The Living Room

A bit brighter picture of the Living Room

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Christmas 2014

This will mainly be a collection of pictures from Christmas 2014.

Decorations:


We had an old wreath that had been around so long that it needed a face lift. Most of the old decorations came off except for the original holly. Then I added these bells, more holly and some ribbon for an old fashioned look.

The head of the stairway was where this wreath was then hung.

This bird cage decoration was at least partly new this year.


I love those red and silver ornaments and the snowy pine and poinsettia!

Piano music box decorated for Christmas.

Jingle Bells

Frosty Poinsettia

A frosty arrangement on the top of the buffet.


"Hickory, dickory, dock. The mice ran up the clock"

Angel Choir

Tiny oil lamps

This silver holly is actually a jingle bell. They are so cute.

"Parties for Hosting....":

This was the first party of the season

The Place setting

Sugared rims and floating cranberries turn a simple beverage into a treat for the eyes.

The complete table

Center piece for another party.

I love these frosty, Christmasy stemmed candle holders. They just look so elegant without much effort. The "snowballs" are fun as well. They are Styrofoam made to look like snowballs.

The Snowflake Party has become a family tradition. It is an evening before Christmas spent together eating delectable food, opening small gifts, and watching George C. Scott's A Christmas Carol. The theme of the party is snowflakes, in colors of white and silver.


The top of the Snowflake Centerpiece

Snowflake Centerpiece

The table set with white and silver china

The place setting with the party favor box

This is a view of the top of the party favor box

Sleigh Place Card

Snowflake Napkin Ring

The Snowflake Party menu was as follows:
Twice Baked Potatoes
Chicken Cordon Blu Sandwiches
Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Crackers
Veggie Pizza
Cucumber Cherry Tomato Tree
Fruit Salad
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Tangerine and Clove White Grape Punch
Chocolate Raspberry filled Cupcakes
Cherry filled White Layer Cake.

We like to have an assortment of hearty appetizers because they add a lot of variety to the meal--something different than the normal "meat. and potatoes" fare.