Fun Gifts!

Gifts and happy surprises are always fun, but it is even more fun when the gifts are from someone you have never met before!

This beautiful angel was given to me by Noelle, Prince of Peace blog, I won the Give-Away drawing! What a wonderful prize! Visit Noelle's lovely blog to see her collection of Nativities.

I displayed her with three of my Nativities (that's one above her.)

Another fun package arrived before Christmas!

This package of goodies was sent to me by my Secret Sister Santa! A small group of ladies and I have been on a decorating group for years and this is the third year we have drawn names to exchange gifts. After the gifts are received we play a guessing game to see who can guess the correct giver! This year we didn't get to play our game before Christmas and will do it soon, therefore I can't reveal who my sweet Secret Sister is yet, but she knows who she is!

I love all the gifts, especially the handmade items below she made for me!

Look at these cute little "tea wallets," great for keeping tea bags in your purse!

Thanks, ladies for these wonderful gifts! I hope we may meet in person someday!

A very Happy New Year with many blessings to you all!!

Katherine

Tea With New Friends

I shared yesterday about meeting one of my favorite bloggers, Rose (A Hint of Home)

She is back home and has posted her pictures of our time together at Shakespeares Tea Room. She has graciously shared her pictures with me (I forgot to take my camera!) so I can post them on this blog for you to see. Go to her blog to see more photos, click here.

Katherine and Ro on the terrace of Shakespeare's Tea Room and Gift Shop. The tea room has recently added outdoor dining as well as inside the tea room. Below we are with our husbands who were good sports about going to a tea room with us! Thanks guys!

Below Ro and I pose in front of my Tea Time Christmas tree. We took this picture just for you, Ceekay! (Thinkin' of Home)

May you have a very Happy New Year with many blessings!!

Katherine

Blogger Friends

Katherine and Rose

I just love blogs! Blogging has brought so much joy in my life. I have met a lot of new friends through blogging and sometimes I get to meet them in person. Today was one of those special days and I met a sweet blogger friend in person. She lives in SC, but spent Christmas in FL. She and her hubby stopped by today on the way back home. We had a very enjoyable time together! We even went to a tea room, and our husbands joined us! I forgot to take my camera, but Rose had hers and her husband, Tom, took many pictures! She will probably post the tea room pictures on her blog in a few days.

Check out Rose's beautiful home at A Hint of Home, click here.

Have any of you met any blogger friends? Isn't it a fun time!

Katherine

A Special Gift

I received many nice gifts for Christmas from my family and friends. I want to share a special book my daughter gave me. It is "One Wintry Night" and was written by Ruth Bell Graham, Billy Graham's wife. What a great Christmas story! It gives highlights of the bible starting with Adam and Eve and how God, the Father, had a plan from the beginning for Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it, it will be good for even small children to have this book read to them, a chapter or two each night.

The artwork is absolutely fabulous, such detail - each strand of hair, or fur, or hay, each pebble is distinct!

I could sit and study the artwork for hours!

Katherine
(This is one of three posts tonight, please read all of them!)

Over the Top!

I'm finally back online! I have missed all of you! It will be another week before I am back to normal and read and make comments on your blogs. I do appreciate your visits and comments, and patience with my absence!

I didn't show the decorating on top of the china cabinet and armoires so I'm showing it now, since it is going to be up for a while! Above is our china cabinet in our dining room. It stays decorated year around, but at Christmastime I added the deer and tea pot. We have had a very busy Christmas season with our children being here at different times, this busyness will continue for another week or more and we won't be available to take our decorations down for another week! When do you take your decorations down? I'm really ready to take mine down now, but circumstances prevent this now.

The photo above is the top of my computer armoire, it is in our living room. That's a Christmas card in the frame, we sent it out a few years ago, it is a beautiful Madonna and Child.

Above is the decor on top of the TV armoire in the family room. I changed it this year for the first time in three years! I did this to add the "Believe" sign!

A long shot of the TV armoire is above.

I hope you had a lovely holiday. We had a wonderful birthday celebration for Jesus!

I plan to do two more posts today. Please come back soon! I have a New Year's project for you!

Katherine

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

I'm sharing some of my Nativity collection.

The Nativity below is new this year. I saw it at Hallmark and liked the way the cow on the left and the sheep on the right are snuggled up to Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. Joseph is 14 inches tall.

The Nativity below is also new this year, and I also bought it from Hallmark. I liked this one because of the Three Kings being with them, and they are displayed in a circle. Joseph is 12 inches tall.

Another new Nativity this year. This is a Shelia's ledge sitter. Thanks, Carrie for helping me find this one!

The little angel below is a Dreamsickle.

I've had this Nativity ornament for several years.

The Nativity ornament below was purchased from Pier 1 several years ago.

This Nativity server was purchased from Kirkland's a few years ago.

The Fontanini Trio is displayed on a cake plate!

This is the way it is displayed this year, with more color.

This is a framed Christmas card I sent several years ago.

The Nativity below is displayed in front of a small mirror.

The little angels below are watching over baby Jesus. They are displayed in a wooden tray.

Another Nativity displayed on the large gold mirror.

Nativity and angels displayed on a wooden creche.

Nativity below made from clay flower pots.

Little folk art Nativity of wooden angel hanging a star over Baby Jesus.

New pearlized white Nativity displayed with white flowers.
I moved the location of this one, to the foyer.

I made the Nativity below for a gift

This is one of my favorite Nativities. I bought it at Hobby Lobby last year.

Below are three different ways I have displayed this Nativity set. First is on a large mirror.


Last year I displayed it on the Bombay chest that was draped with a table runner.


One of my new year's projects will be to create another blog to share all my Nativity collection (thanks to Carrie for this idea!) Watch for the announcement of this new blog next month!

The card below is what we mailed out last year. I still just love it. I always send cards with a baby Jesus on them.




Wishing you a wonderful celebration for our Lord Jesus' birthday!

Katherine

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Well, my "Santa Claus" is coming to town! He's in town now! My husband has been on a skiing trip in Colorado all week. He is home now, I have surely missed him!
I bought this cute little Santa a few years ago while we were in Colorado for my husband's skiing trip. I think it is so cute with the worried Santa skier!

I'm sharing some of my Santa collection. Perhaps you may want to have your children or grandchildren look at them!

I keep my received Christmas cards in this little wagon, above. The Santa Claus I painted back in the 70s. (Makes me want to start painting again!)

Santa with satin ribbon tassel is hanging in a wreath on the hall tree in our foyer.

I have a fondness for these whimsical Santas, some have wings!

I like to tuck these Santas into baskets or little nooks.

A short Santa!

A gold Santa. The gold sleigh and reindeer was purchased back in the 70s.
This gold Santa reminds me that I forgot to take a picture of my Santas dressed in yellow!

The Santas, above and below, came from TJ Maxx.

The Santa above is the Polar Express Santa (see his bell!) I bought him at Walgreen's a few years ago for $3.99 (when purchasing three Hallmark cards.) I love this bargain and left the tag on him to show off the bargain price! I think he is a fine looking Santa!

This Santa below is a chef, he has baked up a batch of gingerbread men cookies!

Another chef Santa, hanging on the pantry door.

A flower pot Santa. The watering can Santa, below, is by the same artist. I bought them at a craft show.

Santa praying over the manger with Jesus.

A white Santa with village pieces.

Which Santa is your favorite?

I hope you are enjoying preparing your celebration for our Lord Jesus' birthday!

I found the other box of Santa ornaments. I'm adding them to the Santa tree post below, if you haven't seen them, please go there again to see more unique Santas.

Katherine