Happy 2012 Friends. Let's make it a good one.
As I put away all the holiday decorations, I began to realize how many vignettes I had in my house. I love interior design. I'd like to share a few with you.
Christmas 2011 was spent in the Inland Empire in sunny California. My daughter hosted her first Christmas and cooked her first turkey. Everything turned out great from the table decorations we used from my mom's Christmas tea to the turkey and all the trimmings. Yummy! She did a fabulous job on everything. This year I made all the adult girls in our family a bunchy scarf. I also made soup mixes and homemade treats for the kids - chocolate covered marshmallows with candy cane stick. It was wonderful spending time with most of our family. We missed our loved ones who could not make the trip.
The beautiful decor
These jars turned out so cute. I used everything I had stored away in boxes to create these Christmas jars. They are waterless snowglobes using canning jars. I glued the trees and figures in the bottom of the jar with Tacky glue and then added the snow. I painted the lids black with acrylic paint and added a snowflake ornament with red rafia. I plan to give these as gifts to special people. Making gifts this year has been economical and a lot of fun.
I just love these roses. They are made from sheet music or old book pages. They are a beautiful addition to any gift, especially for Christmas.
I just love using muslin to decorate. It's affordable and has many uses. I had a bolt of white muslin left from a patio canopy I made last summer and decided to use it around the house for my Christmas decorations. I first used it around the base of my Christmas tree and then decided to use it under my gingerbread village to give it a snowy look. It turned out great. I also wanted to share some pics from a Christmas Tea Party my mom had today that I helped her decorate for.
Gingerbread village on muslin
Christmas Tea Party 
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Even though life is difficult for everyone, if we stop every day and count the things we are grateful for and give thanks, it all seems bearable. Gratitude is an Attitude. I've begun to adopt a new way of thinking. I keep a little tea cup in my kitchen near my plants that's always full of water to remind me that my cup is full, not empty. I say outloud all the things I'm grateful for every day. As I drive the streets of CA and see so many homeless people, I say a prayer outloud thanking God for everything I have and asking him to provide homes for those people. Take a moment this Thanksgiving and remember all that you have and you will be surprised how long this list it. Enjoy your turkey and pumpkin pie and don't forget those who are less fortunate at this time of year and reach out to them if you can. Happy Thanksgiving.
