Christmas ...

Either I am too early or too late but at any rate I am always in the mood for Christmas

Actually I forgot to post this right after Christmas... but still wanted to share

I am not sure where I originally saw one of these but I do know I wanted one... someday

I was thrilled when one of my favorite gift shops was offering 50% off Christmas goodies

                                                                 What is it?

 

Well it is a leather bound Christmas Memories mini book 

Since we just bought our new house I thought this was perfect for recording our Christmas Memories

The pages are brown craft paper...  it is too cute!

If you happen to see one... pick it up and record those Christmas Memories!

It is never too late... or too early!!

The hanger difference

One of my Christmas gifts from my parents was a set of 50 lilac huggable hangers 

I am sure you heard of them 

But if not here is the link to them

 

I am not a clothes person.  I don't have a ton of stuff!

I typically wear jeans or black pants with a dress shirt under a sweater all winter long. 

I wear everything in my closet

Here is my winter wardrobe before the transformation with the hangers

 

yep, that is it... that is ALL my clothes for the winter! 

This is 1/2 of a normal size closet... the hubby has the other side and he does have more clothes than I do... I even added a new level for pants for him!

Now here is the closet after using the new hangers

 

More room in the closet means I can buy more clothes LOL

Here is another shot... I coordinated by color and moved the over too.

I usually put together my wardrobe for the workweek so under the clothes are pants

I am so excited that this is all the room that these hangers took up

I loved that I was able to hang silky and wider collar tops without them falling off

So far I am impressed by the hangers and will let you all know how they fair in a few weeks!

Thanks for stopping 

Have a great day

Patricia 

I am participating in Strut Your Stuff Thursday

Tool Box for Me

I was so tired of always looking for tools when I need them

Nothing major... just a hammer, nails, screwdrivers, a level, basic stuff

So for Christmas I asked Santa for my very own toolbox

Santa and my mom brought me this

Really nice craftsman soft tool bag!!

And some of these wonderful goodies!!

And because my hubby has lots of extra tools that I organized before our move

 46 screw drivers ~ 4 hammers ~ goggles ~ masks~ and so much more... 

I will be adding to this bag very soon!

 

Tell me do you have a tool box?

Christmas Album...

You know those Christmas picture cards that friends and family send?

I love them and appreciate them and a few years back wanted to give them a special place so I created an album that holds them all

I bought a really nice red journal picture album at Target and added the pictures to it.

I then make a little note in the journal section of the family name

I  cut the greeting part off the card and slip the picture into the album

I can usually fit 4 years worth of a family in one slot for the Christmas pictures

I also add graduation pics and wedding pics and newborn pics and school pictures too

A simple way to remember my loved ones through the year!

SSS

This year I participated in the SSS at Decisionally Challenged

I want to thank Georgie and Amy for being such wonderful hostesses! I had so much fun picking out goodies for Unknown Mami , my partner that I sent goodies too... and I had an even better time opening all the thoughtful goodies that my SS sent me!!!
EDIT: THANK YOU to ANNIKKE for the wonderful gifts!!! {{{HUGGGGGG}}}

I have no idea who had me in this swap BUT whoever it was they went above and beyond to spoil me!

Right before Christmas my hubby delivered a fed ex box to me at work

I ripped open the box only to find JOY!

I loved each item so much

A beautiful crystal Angel ornament sits high on my tree and reflects the twinkle lights beautifully

I got three awesome reads

A beautiful hard cover craft book ~ Rachael Ray Magazine ~ Taste of home Christmas recipe book

 the recipe book is already on my shelf and the craft book is already in my craft room

 

Plus two super cute Holiday note pads ad three journals as I love to journal so much and will certainly fill them

Oh and a candle that smells so wonderfully yummy (even the hubby said so)  and a picture frame too

 

new camera and I cant get the pic to move sorry!!

~~~~THANK YOU SO MUCH ~~~~~

I can't wait to find out who you are so I can give you a BIG cyber HUGGGG!

Tradition at Christmas

Whew... I am exhausted but thrilled to have celebrated Christmas Day with my family

Our Christmas is rich in tradition starting with this

Yes, this is a white damask table cloth that is signed with permanent marker

Many years ago my mom saw this idea on Oprah to have all of the Christmas guests sign the tablecloth

We have at least 50 people in and out of the house on Christmas Day and everyone signs "in"

Little ones and big ones are all accounted for on the cloth...

Some write their own name and the little ones hands are traced

After it is used for dinner it is washed and used again the following year

My mom then uses the filled up table cloth for a tree skirt

This one is retiring this year and will be added to our first cloth under the tree

It takes about 9 years to fill up a cloth completely

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Another tradition at Christmas is this

Antipasto salad with extra extra (2 large cans) of black olives

The antipasto is made by me each year since I was about 13

Prior to that my mom made it

The antipasto includes

Assorted lettuce

green onions

tomatoes

ham

3 cheeses

pepperoni

2 kinds of olives

red onions

cucumbers

pepperocini

radishes

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It is served with home made garlic bread and Good Season Italian dressing

It goes FASTTTTT...

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Another tradition includes

Little ones with tons of boxes and papers and presents strewn all over the living room floor

Oh and not so little kids (anymore) getting together to celebrate too later in the evening!

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The best part about Christmas for me is seeing my family

even the annoying ones!

Just as the table signing and food we eat are tradition so it the invitation to come to my mom and dads on Christmas night

We as a family are very Blessed

Handmade Exchange

I participated in Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift exchange and THIS very talented gal sent me this gorgeous necklace and earring set PLUS the leaf earrings too!

Kendra is AWESOME

The color is a light green ~ which is my favorite color!

I am so thrilled and love them so much ~ isn't it stunning!!!!
Thank You Kendra for the set! Thank you Linda for hosting!

Quick & Almost FREE Favor

I am linking up with A Soft Palace To Land
for DIY Day
 If you have never been to this blog... do yourself a favor and go... quickly to visit it is awesome 
~Just click anywhere on the words above to be taken to ASPTL~
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I have a need to give out favors at all gatherings at my home

Not sure why or where this even comes from but come to my home and you will never leave empty handed!

In keeping with the fun candy theme of my living room decor I decided to make candy holders that look like candy

I was in the middle of tossing out 2 used paper towel rolls when it hit me.. not the towels, the idea to cut each one in half and then each half in half (am I confusing or what)

I then gathered up the following

Some reeces mini cups

Some red paper fill

Some tissue paper

Some curly ribbon

8 white address labels

This project required NO glue or tape... wahooo!

So taking the roll I filled it with some red filler and 3 reeces

I then laid out the tissue paper  and rolled it around the candy filled roll

I then twisted the ends and tied them with ribbon

I then took the address label and cut it longways in 5 strips and put them around the roll ~ off center!

I think they turned out cute and I know that my guests for Christmas Eve will love them!

 

COOKIES...

One day ~ Four Women ~ 10 different kinds of cookies

Peanut Butter is show above using a classic peanut butter cookie recipe

My Aunt ROLLING and Rolling nut roll cookies.. just like Gram always did... she looks exhausted!

Here they are all powder sugared up!

These are my favorites... Nut cookies with jam

Mom with her new apron!

Italian White "S" cookies with pink glaze

Pepper Cookies waiting to be dunked in white frosting

Butter Spritz trees

Peanut Butter Chip

Working HARD for NO money ~ just cookies!

Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss

 

Okay... enough... look at the messyness of baking :)

Nah... only 2 more kinds to go...

but only a picture of 1... my moms famous chocolate chip cookies

The other one we ended up making was a classic snowball... nut cookie

So here is the chocolate chippers and a big glass of milk...

oops... sorry I drank the milk!

For the Uncles...

WELCOME

I am linking up with

COTTAGE INSTINCTS

&

BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH

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For this quick easy and inexpensive gift

Thanks again ladies for being such gracious hostess!

Every year for about 10 ~ I give my Uncles (4 of them) my snack mix in a container as a small gift to let them know I

remember them at Christmas

This year, I came across really nice mugs for 1.99 each

I got out my handy dandy cricut and cut out each of their initials from vinyl

I then cut out the negative space from the initial and filled in the letter with ARMOUR etch (My BFF) :)

Here is what the mug looks like after waiting 10 minutes and then washing the etching off

So then I bagged up my snack mix and added it to the mug

with some ribbon and a gift tag

This is much better than just an ordinary bag and probably as much $ wise

Gift tag is from Dollar General... they are so cute and are 1.00 for 10 of them!

So that is all there is to it

Some of them enjoy beer and some of them enjoy coffee and I hope all of them enjoy the mug!

Thanks so much for visiting

Merry Christmas

Come back again to nmyfreetime.blogspot.com

Random post

The weekend is here and I am excited!

Since starting my new job I really look forward to the weekend!
Not that I am tired I just like to have them off!

When I managed my moms shop I worked every Saturday for 3 years so not having anything to go to on a Saturday is nice.

I do miss that place though... especially at this time of year!

I miss all of the Christmas stuff, my brother playing Santa and hearing about everyone's traditions!

We made so many friends and it is ironic that one of our best customers is my neighbor... just 2 doors away!

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Tonight the hubby and I are gong to watch movies... we have been using red box to rent them and for a buck you can't go wrong

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My brother is coming home for a visit!
I miss him so it will be nice to see him!
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Tomorrow is my friend yearly Christmas party in her new home I am excited to see her tree ~
I made some buckeyes that I will be bringing!
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Sunday is the day that my mom, 2 aunts and I bake cookies... 10 different kind!!!
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Monday I will be recovering from that... not only the baking but the TESTING too!
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I only work Tuesday through Friday and next week I work a long day Tuesday and then Wednesday till noon only and then I am off for 2 weeks!

I am so excited for Christmas and plan to take lots of pictures!

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Merry Christmas 
&

God Bless!

I put them ON the tree...

A few years back my Gram gave me this really cute card tree for the Christmas cards I would get... I never got it hung this year and the cards began arriving. I kept putting them on my hutch and it was driving me crazy so  I ended up grabbing a clothespin and pinning each card and picture to the tree... now I am loving them all ON the tree

Had I known I would have decorated the clothespin in a nice way like all those crafty chicks out there do it LOL

Ahh but keeping it real... I did it my way!

It must have been okay because the other day none of the ladies at my tea gave me dirty looks over the cards... but I think most of them gave up on that a long time ago when it comes to me.

Another dollar tree orni!

This is a SUPER EASY ornament using supplies only from the dollar tree

I purchased those plastic icicles that they sell 6/1.00  and rainbow sprinkles

I took off the ornament stopper and scooped sprinkles into it

Then I took some tacky glue and glued the lid back on and here it is on my tree

With the dollar tree spiral hooks

Here is my disclaimer ~ I did see something similar to this at a craft show

Also be careful taking the top off the icicles because some of them are really stuck

I found that twisting them was much easier than pulling on them

O Christmas Tea Pictures

I invited the ladies I love over for a tea party today in celebration of Christmas

Here are some of the pictures from the event

I asked my friend to make me  a few cookies and here is what she did for me

She blew me away!  Oh wow were they YUMMY too!!!!

I transformed the hutch into a tea cart LOL

On the top I put the glasses for the cranberry punch

The second level was the tea cups

The third level was the punch in the soup tureen :)

Along with a basket of assorted flavored teas ~ sugars and lemons

Here are the two tea pots of irish tea that I made

Here is the one three tier of goodies

Scones on top

Second level is assorted tea sandwiches

Next level is buckeyes and truffles and Susies cookies

PBJ for the little girls

Crock pot full of asparagus cream soup

My Godmother and my Mother in Law

My mom wore her hat!

She looks like Madeline :)

My Goddaughter and her sister and their Nana, My Aunt Kathy enjoy their first tea party

Notice all the bling on the girls!!!

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We all had so much fun!

There was hardly anything left at all which makes me so happy!

In addition to the tea favor 

I put everyones name in a pitcher and gave away 3 decorated Christmas Trees

My Aunt Betty, Cousin Joanne and friend Melissa won

The tree can be seen in the pic behind the little girls!

I would highly recommend hosting a tea party and will definitely plan one again possibly for the spring time