Christmas At My House

 This is the tree that my daughter bought for me years ago. It has remote control lights, so I can choose between colored or white lights in an instant or even have both!

 For years I had a small Italian manger. I recenty inherited this Hummel manger. We love to sit and look at all the little details on every figurine each Christmas. Check out the Hummel company which originally started with one Nun's sculptures.

These are some of the Santas from my collection. My love of Santa all started when I was two and a half years old. I was in the hospital during Christmas time that year having my tonsils removed. Santa came to my bedside with a toy and a candy cane. It was love at first sight! I was in a Catholic hospital and asked the nurses if Santa was an angel or an apostle. Well, it gave the nurses a good laugh! That is how it started....

 I purchased this great buy about six years ago. All twelve Christmas plates for only twelve dollars! The snowmen mugs were a gift  from Williams Sonoma. As for the centerpiece, I used a cake plate ( which I made from a crystal dish and a glass lamp shade as a pedestal.) On top of the cake plate I threw on some greenery from my yard as well as a few tiny little snowmen that I found at a church rummage sale. The whole table setting was under twenty dollars. This including the table cloth and the chargers.

Red is my FAVORITE color! I just purchased these beautiful red lamps two weeks ago at a garage sale. The lamps were ten dollars for the pair. I just painted them with some glittery gold paint, tied a red bow around them with a dangling bell on each. I took some greenery from my yard and threw it around my sideboard table. I then hooked on some Christmas balls and twinkle lights. The vases are filled with crushed glass prisms I have found through the years. The scarf is a buy from the 99 Cent store. At that price I bought five! You should see it all glow!!! The total price to decorate this sideboard was once again under twenty dollars!

A view of my living room at Christmas. Notice the gold curtains. Before these, I had lace curtains in their place. However, they brought in way too much light. I found the material for these beautiful gold curtains at a thrift store. The entire bolt had fifteen yards of 100 % raw silk material. The bolt cost me twenty three dollars. Needless to say I ran home and got to sewing that night! The leaded glass in the room including the lamps were all made by my husband and I. The iron coffee table was from a friends garage sale over twenty years ago. I paid twenty five dollars for it.

I inherited this Bru Ju doll. My Mother In-Law was an avid doll enthusiast, also a published author on books and toys. So I cherish this little doll. I created this Christmas scene with just Christmas trinkets I had around the house. The quilt was made for a baby doll crib. The basket was from a rummage sale for a steal of 50 cents.

These are my famous cupcakes! LOL! I cannot tell you how many people have bitten into these. I hope I don't get sued for dental bills! :)
I make them out of bread dough, and then decorated and varnish them. They make the house seem warm and cheerful any time of year. One bag of flour will make around twenty of these sweet little cupcakes.