Christmas Eve

I was setting up the dining room for 

Christmas Eve dinner with my family 

and snapped a few photos along the way. 

The centerpiece: 2 Longaberger sleigh 

baskets on wrought iron runners were 

filled with fresh evergreens and ornaments.

 I extended the table with 4 leaves and turned

 it diagonally in the room so that it would fit.

 I can seat 12.

 I love that the extra leaves are stored in

 a compartment inside the table top 

that's accessed when we pull it apart.

 I also have protective table pads that 

are stored in a box in the closet. I needed
 to use 2 red tablecloths and covered 

the center seam with a holly table square.

 The place settings were Spode china, 

my sterling silver flatware, pottery Christmas
 tree napkin rings, and painted goblets.

 Each place setting got one of my 

Christmas salt & pepper sets.

 See them all HERE.

Lots of fresh tree branches lined the 

center of the table. We picked up bags of 

them every time we went to Home Depot. 

The butler's tea cart.

The silver stand has Porsgrund

Hearts and Pines china.

The 'Little Town Of Bethlehem'. I moved 

the three tiered etegere under the window.

It was in the dining room niche before I 

replaced it with my painted buffet. 

See the before HERE.

 Luckily it just fit. 

 I was able to set it up as I had in the past. 

Now at the other end of the room.

 Under the window.

Evening light.

Cheers!

Links: Savvy Southern Style

Christmas Counters

 The glass flour and sugar canisters get a

 little sparkle with a lighted wreath 

tucked behind them. 

The scoops are Spode tea cups.

 This year I added my Mother's old cookie 

cutters to the wreath.

This counter is to the left of the stove.

This is the right side.

I repurposed empty olive oil bottles and filled 

them with vegetable oil, olive oil, and vinegar. 

 Christmas wine stoppers on top. The old

plaid thermos was found thrifting. I think I

will fill that with hot chocolate sometime soon.

 I pick up hand crocheted pot holders 

whenever I find them in thrift stores. 

They are usually always under $1.00. 

Most of them are just 25 cents. I now 

have a nice little collection of Christmas ones.

Just look at how sweet they are.

 I sometimes find old Christmas tins too. 

A few of the Christmas cookie jars 

sit on top of the refrigerator. 

We've been eating lots of Christmas cookies,

the wonderful homemade kind. 

I know just who is sending cookies 

and I open that package right away. 

Larry takes care of any crumbs.

He sprinkles them on ice cream.

Cheers!

Links: Funky Junk

More Kitchen Cheer

Continuing from my last post, there are a 

few more areas in my kitchen that have 

gotten a little Christmas cheer.

 The hot beverage station got mugged!

 A Longaberger sleigh basket holds cocoa

 packets in the back along with my whisk

 and coffee filters in the front.

 My little thrifted cream pitcher and the 

canister storing  tea bags.

Christmas mugs have become an obsession. 

Last year I used several as 'gift bags'.

I start using the Christmas dishes right after

Thanksgiving. I swap out the Fall dishes and
 bring in two sets; Longaberger Holly
and Spode Christmas Tree.

 I linded the back of the cabinet again like 

I did last year, this time using a large

white snowflake pattern on red.

 I saved the cut out trim from last year too.

 Some of my thrift store Christmas mugs
 are on the top shelf.

You can see a few more Christmas mugs

 hanging on the picket fence mug rack

in the back right side at the end.

The view over the chicken feeder dish rack

into the kitchen. My friends were easily able

to grab a plate last week at my annual 

'Tennis Girlfriend's Christmas Party'

Cheers!

Link: My Romantic Home,
My Repurposed Life

Kitchen Cheer

I like 'A Little Christmas' in my kitchen. 

Fact is, I like a lot of Christmas in my kitchen!

It gives it some holiday cheer.

 On the the kitchen island I'm using a single

 red checked valance that I found for a dollar

 as a runner. The Longaberger lamp has a 

red sweater sleeve covering it's base 

and a Holly fabric lampshade. 

 The red snowflake canister is another dollar

 thrift store find. It's storing the doggies

 cookies. The cute fabric snowman wineglass 

'slipper' coasters were a gift from my niece.

A wreath hangs on the end of the handmade

picket fence tote  storing the bread boards.

Evergreen branches are added to the pot 

rack along with wooden bead and heart 

garland and large copper cookie cutters.
(the pot rack is a salvaged wrought iron
window security guard)

A gingerbread ornament.

Two wreaths hang on the chicken wire

dish pantry doors. Come back for more 

Christmas kitchen in my next post

Until then.......

Cheers!

Links: The Shabby Creek Cottage,
Stone Gable, Savvy Southern Style,
No Minimalist Here,
Between Naps On The Porch,

J-O-Y Vintage Music Banner

Make a J-O-Y banner using vintage 

Christmas sheet music. If you don't

 happen to have old sheet music you can

 find it on the internet and make copies.

I found free vintage Christmas sheet

music printables  HERE. 

 I chose three that were similar in design.

 'O Come All Ye Faithful' in image size 

432x640. I enlarged it to 110% .

'Silent Night' in image size 432x640 

enlarged to 110%, and 

 'Jingle Bells' in size 409x600 

enlarged to 115%. 

 Click on image to see more image sizes

 before enlarging and printing

 For printing I used the landscape setting.

 I wanted to get 2 on each page but couldn't

 figure that out as quickly as I wanted so I just

 printed them each on their own page using

 heavy stock paper. Then I cut them out.

I found a font I liked, Curlz MT for the letters.

 I printed those using regular copy paper

in size 450, outline.

 Using carbon paper, I traced the letters onto the music.

 I filled in the letters with a black Sharpie.

First using a thin one for the outline 

and a thick one to fill in.

 I decided to add a little snowy glitter. 

 I just ran a little white glue around the edges

 and sprinkled it with glitter. Let the glue dry 

 then cut 2 slits with a pointy knife and thread 

some sheer shiny ribbon thru the slits to hang.

 See my little silver JOY letters on the lower 

left window pane? I forgot to take those down

 last year...and may forget again this year.

A fun, easy, J-O-Y banner.

Cheers! 

Links: Facebook,
The Girl Creative,
The Tablescaper, Coastal Charm,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Tip Junkie, Creative Cain Cabin,
A Stroll Thru Life, Savvy Southern Style,
Funky Junk