Magazine and Book Give-Away

Hello Christmas in July friends! I have decided that it is time to pass some of my Christmas magazines and books on to someone else to enjoy. I just have "too much stuff" and it is starting to overwhelm my space. The Farm Chicks books is fun if you like 1950s era Christmas memorabilia.

I have several December issues of Sandra Lee's magazine, Southern Lady, and Food Network, free to a good home. I have enough to break them up into 3 or 4 different packages, sort of spread the cheer around!

These are photos from the "Farm Chick" book. Santa actually brought me 2 of them. Please leave me a comment and let me know if you have a Christmas blog or which Christmas blog is your favorite. I will also need an email address to get in touch with you. I hope to make 3 or 4 or possibly 5 packages to mail out.

Peace and blessings to you and yours! Mary

Decorating for Christmas-2012

 

I haven't posted some photos of my Christmas decorations from last year, so I thought I would share a few of them with you now--in the spirit of "Christmas in July." This picture is of our master bedroom, with my "Christmas in the Cabin" quilt. It is a log cabin quilt made from 2.5 inch strips. It's one of my all-time favorite quilts, and one that I actually hand quilted myself. This setting is called the barn raising pattern. The quilt on the wall at the head of the bed is a Fons and Porter pattern. I used all fabrics from my stash, and the brick red and tan fabrics I used for the alternate blocks dictated how big I could make this quilt. The star blocks are 8 inches square, so if you are a quilter it would be easy for you to figure out this pattern on your own. I call it "Scrappy Stars."

 

This is a little corner of our master bedroom. It houses a small desk with a chair, my Thimbleberries table topper in red/green/cream fabrics, a basket of my favorite Christmas magazines and a few other trinkets.  Establishing a small "Christmas Nook" is step 1 on the "Organized for Christmas website. http://christmas.organizedhome.com/ See the "June Rudolph Club Meeting" post for more information.

 

This blue dry sink has been in the foyer, the dining room, the kitchen, and currently the living room. It holds my Jim Shore nativity set and a few decorative candles. My goal this year is to make a log cabin quilt (about 13 x 30 inches) for the base of the nativity set. The fabrics are in cream and gold, and I have 26 of the 30 total blocks made already. As a matter of fact, when I finish this post I'm going to make the last 4 blocks and hopefully get it sewn together this weekend. So stay tuned for more, and I will post photos when completed. I think I will add some trees to the setting this year...can't decide between white or green, but we'll see what we can find. Hopefully Hobby Lobby or AC Moore will have some goodies to choose from!

 

This is our fireplace mantel, decked out this year with a "White Christmas" theme. I grew up in northern Illinois and so Christmas doesn't seem like Christmas without some snow. Here in
Virginia we can pretty much expect to NOT have snow at Christmas! The two little Christmas quilts cover baskets with my favorite magazines. I am a magazine junkie, I admit it. The two little kissing bears are from Hallmark.

 

Here is our tree this past year with lots of white and some blue, something completely different from all the reds and greens I normally use. My favorite part of the holiday season is enjoying the glow from the tree in the evening with all my presents bought, wrapped and under the tree. It's such a comforting feeling! I think I like the addition of the bow on the top!

 

My coffee table decoration...a big fat ivory colored pearl-studded candle, in a glass cylinder on a blue plate with white poinsettia leaves. We have a cat, so I can't have real plants or Dusty will eat them.

 

 

Rudy and Clarissa say hello! (They're from Build-a-Bear--don't you just love them?!) Enjoy your Christmas in July photo tours! And till next time, love, peace and joy to you and yours!

 

Mary

 

 

Christmas in July

Hello Christmas lovers,

I hope you all are enjoying a little Christmas in July. Did you catch the fun scrapbook day on HSN? I had to buy some Anna Griffin, she can do no wrong, and I love her designs and card kits. Hallmark Channel has featured a Christmas movie each evening this week, and this morning hubby and I watched HOME ALONE II...the one they filmed at the Plaza Hotel in NYC. If that doesn't get you in the Christmas mood, nothing will! Love the decorations, and the scene at the end at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Makes me want to turn the air conditioning down a few degrees so I can enjoy a cup of my favorite Vienna Coffee. (It's only 91 degrees outside today in Virginia)

 

So in keeping with this Christmas in July, I've pulled out some of my Christmas books and magazines, and done a little daydreaming. I found some wonderful recipes in the Gooseberry Patch cookbook. Some can even go in the crockpot, which works very well you have a busy day shopping, cleaning....or sewing. There are several recipes I want to try, and if I really like them, I'll include them in my Christmas recipe book collection.

I know this doesn't look like very much right now, but I am making a total of 30 of these paper pieced log cabin blocks. They will measure 3 inches when finished. Some of the gold fabrics have sparkly threads in them. I am creating a small table runner to put my Jim Shore Nativity set on. It's something I wanted to do last year but didn't get around to it. Between yesterday and today I've managed to make 20 of the 30 that I need. I can design these blocks very easily in Electric Quilt software, and print them out on paper especially made for paper pieced patterns. (Carol Doak makes the nicest paper that tears very easily.) If you are into quilting, I can't tell you how much fun I've had with this quilt design software.

Stay tuned for more, and I'll keep you abreast of my progress with this little gold log cabin project.

Till next time, friends, peace and joy to you and yours!
Mary

Beautiful Christmas Gift Cards

I love the designs by Graphic 45, and would love to share this video link with you. I think you'll agree, it's a gorgeous design! Wouldn't it be fun to tuck a gift card for that "hard to buy person" on your list into a card like this? They could save the card to use as a Christmas decoration each year. Check out the video to make it at:  Graphic 45 card

I believe this line is called "Nutcracker Sweet."

You could tuck a photo of the grandkids with Santa in the pocket--behind that little decorated Christmas tree--and grandma and grandpa wouldn't need or want anything else!

Graphic 45 makes the project coordinate so beautifully.

The designs above and below are by a designer named Gloria. You can see  Gloria's beautiful designs here.

The box above is an 8 x 8 inch box she is going to use to present some homemade cookies or fudge to a friend. Notice the "foody" words on the red paper. Again, this is another gift that would go on living at my house. It would make a fun holder for a small scrapbook album of the kids Christmas' over the years.

Gloria even made a card just for the Rudolph lovers!

I think I'm headed off to my craft room to see what I can put together.

Till next time, Christmas blessings to you and yours,

Mary

Rudy Day Fun

Happy November Rudolph day, friends!

My friend Sandra and I decided to have a little crafty fun and make some Christmas cards. We're not sure if we're going to keep them for our own decorations or mail them out!

We made 2 identical cards, one to keep for ourself and one to share. This was a kit I bought from QVC...it's by Anna Griffin, who can do no wrong.

The designs included plain cards and envelopes, background papers, the designs such as Stocking, santa, snowman, etc, stickers and some of the ribbons. I had a few ribbons of my own to include, such as the red/green plaid. Also included are the verses written on inserts for the inside of the card.

They're very easy and fun to do. All you need to add is the tape runner.

There's our boy, Rudy! Smack in the middle of all the fun. It was a fun activity to share with my friend Sandra (on the right, in the black/ivory/gold sweater). That's me on the left in the red sweater, in my craft room.

We had a chicken salad lunch and spent the day together. Next time let's put on the Christmas music, ok Sandra?!

Please also read my previous post for a give away.

'Till next time, may all your days be merry and bright!

Mary

Give-Away

I cleaned out the drawer where I keep my Christmas books and magazines, and I discovered a few duplicates which I would like to give away.

The first give-away consists of 2 magazines: the November-December 2010 issue of Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade (I miss that magazine, do you?). It has about 60 recipes, from cocktails, appetizers, mains, sides, and of course, sweets. And of course, it has the gorgeous photos and time-saving tips Sandra is known for. The second magazine is the November-December 2009 issue of Southern Lady magazine. It only has about 18 recipes, but I think you'll agree the beautiful ads in the magazine are even fun. There are several tablescapes featured, including a darling one set for the children.

The second give-away is the book "The Farm Chicks Christmas." If you love vintage 1950's, you'll really enjoy this book. Serena Thompson--perhaps you remember her from Country Living magazine--takes you to her home decorated for Christmas and the homes of 3 of her friends. While she does include some recipes, this is not a cookbook. I guess they call it a "lifestyle" book. It has vintage decorating and craft ideas. I've included a few photos below to show you some interior pages.

If you would like to be included in the drawing for these 2 give-aways, you need to do 2 things: leave me a comment and tell me about one of your favorite Christmas blogs or websites (mine and yours excluded!) and leave me your email address.

I'll leave the give-away open for comments until December 1, so spread the word.

I'll have another post for November "Rudy Day" Saturday or Sunday. Thanks for stopping by, and may you and yours be blessed this Christmas season.

Till next time!
Mary

Christmas Baking

I'm thinking ahead to one of my favorite Christmas activities---

baking cookies. I'd like to try a few different things this year:

Cookies:

Peppermint Shortbread Cookies

Something chocolatey

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Spritz Cookies (with red or green sprinkles)

Candies:

Creamy Mocha Fudge and

Peppermint Bark

Homemade Peppermint Bark
Ingredients/Tools:

• 6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces of white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
• 9" baking sheet
• aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Line the bottom and sides of your baking sheet with foil; smooth out any wrinkles
2. Melt the semi sweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
3. Immediately pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan; spread the chocolate out with a spatula (or tilt the pan) to even it out after pouring it onto the pan.
4. Place the pan into the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.
5. Next, melt the white chocolate and remaining 1 teaspoon of oil, as you did with the semi sweet chocolate.
6. Immediately pour the white chocolate over the set, semi sweet chocolate, and spread it out evenly.
7. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane evenly over top of the white chocolate. 
8. Place the pan back into the fridge for another 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.
9. Once set, you can remove the bark from the pan by lifting the foil.
10. Break the bark into small, irregular pieces.  The bark can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge up to 2 weeks; makes 25 pieces.

Till next time, Christmas blessings to you and yours,
Mary