Friday, December 2, 2016

Busy as an Elf

It is that time of year; busy busy busy.

I popped my Whoovile quilt onto the back door and I love seeing it as I take out the trash or leave the house.
My indoor Christmas plants are doing very well.
This morning I started Paper Whites.
After last years Decorating Blow Out for our party, this year I'm scaling back.  I am, however, putting out my ceramic trees in the Living Room.  I need to find the star topper for this one.
Hanna and I have planned a special winter display for the kitchen sill.    I decorate it several times a year.  The theme is Silver and Gold.  The Dollar store was a treasure trove.
We also visited the local antique mall and I found these wonderful vintage ornaments.
Thank you TJMaxx for having stemless Spode wine glasses.  Perfect to use while decorating and wrapping gifts :)   I also picked up the pretty foiled glass candle sleeve for.......wait for it........$3.99.  As Hanna said "how??"
We are planning a making a new crafty little gift this year.  If you are the first to guess what it is, we'll send you some.
I was supposed to have a special house guest this week from NJ so I planned a nice Pot Roast dinner.  She had to cancel so we had to eat it all ourselves.  Sorry Susan McD!
I posted this on IG and received many comments.  If you want to make it I used this recipe from Pioneer Woman.  The only things I changed were, adding turnips and baking it in the oven for 4 hours on 275 degrees.

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm sure you are busy busy busy too
xo

33 comments:

Judy in Michigan said...

I'm thinking you and Hanna are making bath salts or bath balls using peppermint. Looking forward to seeing your window sill. Have fun with Hanna!!

Sharon said...

Wow, you ARE busy! I love seeing your prep and your decorations!

Thanks for the recipe. It looks yummy.

And I have to tell you how MUCH I adore your little house quilt! If you ever get tired of it....(hint!) ;)

Lori said...

Are you making bath bombs?
I need to get the decorations down from the attic this weekend.

Sherrill said...

That's what I was going to guess as well--bath fizzies with some essential oils (lavender...). I, too, love Whoville-so cute! The Dollar Store's good for all kinds of stuff!

Anonymous said...

Always a fun experience to read your blog. I vote for ICE CUBES!!! No? Too bad. You have inspired me to get moving on my holiday "stuff." Love your Whoville quilt. I have a place to hang it if you ever want to recycle it!!!
Norma

Janet O. said...

Oh, your Christmas Cactus is lovely. Mine is barely in bud.
What a great little quilt under your paper whites jar! Oh those flowers smell good.
I use vintage ornaments on my tree, too, and I have some of those very same ones.
Love bargain shopping for treasures--you found some good ones!
Obviously I am not the first, but my guess would be bath bombs, too.
The roast looks yummy--what a hardship to have to eat it without your guest. : )

Chantal said...

Your Christmas decorations made me walk down memory lane. My mother had a ceramic tree with the little lights too.She would bring her rocking chair next to it and knit. She said "it's not as nice (as a real one) but it beats having to sweep the needles every day!" And those antique glass balls, yep! they were part of my childhood too. Thanks for sharing. I had a very nice walk while reading your post. Love the quilt on the door and under the paper whites. Love the glass wine too. ;^)

Debra @ Life is a Stitch said...

You have been busy! And it's showing up very nicely! My daughter-in-law just asked for one of those ceramic trees! Do you know how hard they are to find??? lol
Happy weekend!!

Karen said...

I don't know what bath bombs are so if that is the answer, I need an explanation.
I made a white ceramic tree years and years ago. Sold it at a garage sale a long time ago. There was a time when they were really "in" and everyone wanted one. We had glass balls for the tree when I was a kid. I was given them when I got married but over the years, they all broke.

Rachaeldaisy said...

It's lovely seeing you decorate for Christmas. I've never seen a ceramic tree in real life. Will you set up your little town?

christine said...

Speaking of Pioneer Woman, have you ever tried her pie crust recipe? It is wonderful. It must be fun to have a 'grown' daughter around to help with decorating & gift making. I think you are making fun shaped bath soaking 'pellets' with a cute name.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

I remember making one of those ceramic trees back in the day! :)

Lynn Altshuler said...

You are so wonderful and such an inspiration!!

Nancy said...

I love House quilts, and yours especially. Such clever use of selvages and prints! Happy, happy. And oh, those ceramic trees- love them, too. You are a busy one. I'm going to guess fizzy scented bath bombs, too, but I see I'm not the first to think so. Have fun! I've got my first stuffed turkey "doll" underway thanks to your inspiration from the Thanksgiving post.

Roxanne said...

That pot roast recipe is the best! I add potatoes for the last hour, but next time I'll try turnips because we love them and don't use them enough. Can't wait to see your kitchen sill, it is always so beautiful!
Whooville looks really good there--my favorite thing is the tree in the middle instead of another house--now it's a village with a town square!

Barbara said...

You are so busy! Love, love, love all your creative ideas. I have a collection of vintage ornaments, too. Your pot roast looks yummy :)

Chantal said...

Lovely decorations. Love the ceramic trees. You cleaned up nicely at dollar store for the window treatment. It looks so pretty. Enjoy the decorating and primping the house. I sure am!

Lori R. said...

Love the decorating ideas. I'm focusing on Winter decorating with cardinals. I found a Great Wall hanging panel and am sewing the binding and sleeve today. Love the cardinals that visit my bird feeders during the winter.
My guess is bath salts. Olive oil with coconut and shea butter. Especially needed during the cold weather.
Happy holidays.

Diane said...

Well that was fun! Barb, everything you do is lovely. I'm really enjoying the Advent calendar you sent. Thanks for thinking of me.

jane nj/wi said...

Is there no end to your magic powers???? Quilts that hang magically on the door....magnets??? Stare them in place?

Ann said...

I saw Susan on Thursday night, and she was telling us she why she had to cancel her trip. I showed her the pot roast picture on Instagram. She said, "That's my pot roast!" Looks like it was yummy!

cityquilter grace said...

hmmmm some kind of soap maybe? decorations look lovely, will watch for the end result

Kyle said...

Your vintage ornament are a wonderful find. You always have such delightful themes. Your holiday party must be a fantastic hit.

O'Quilts said...

So happy...you do a great posting job...joyful..xxoo

Aunt 'Reen said...

Your holiday decorations look Beautiful! Love those vintage ornaments you found.
It looks like you are making some little skin soothing bath cakes.
Looking forward to seeing how your kitchen sill turns out!

Ruth said...

I have a white ceramic tree like your green one, but I don't really have anywhere to display it in our new smaller house. We downsized our regular Christmas tree to a small table top one, but I would like to get a taller skinny tree to set on the floor. I like your kitchen display. It's amazing what you can find at Dollar Tree! I saw a snowflake display on Pinterest and made one for my front door. It's not as good as the one on Pinterest, but still looks pretty good and I have 2 red deer from $ Tree on it!

Thimbleanna said...

Looks like you kids are having a great time in the run-up to Christmas. I LOVE your Whoville quilt -- and what a fantastic idea to hang little quilts on the door to the garage! Oh, and I'm guessing bath bombs too!

Kevin the Quilter said...

Your Christmas decor is so festive and cheery! I love the mix of mid-century and modern! I wish I could smell that pot roast through the old computer screen!

Quilter Kathy said...

I cannot imagine what you are making this year... look forward to seeing what you're up to as always!

Pinkadot Quilts said...

I love that little quilt. Once again we are on the same wavelength, I want to make a mini house quilt that is long term and big! I had no clue as to what you are making but I am guessing from the responses, bath bombs, how fun! I am not a huge pot roast fan but that looks good. My daughter has her cookbook and loves it!

Wendy Caton Reed said...

First of all, I LOVE the Whovile quilt. How adorable! I always love reading your holiday decorating posts. Looks like you might be making bath salts in cute little shapes. Have fun whatever you are making! Enjoy the holidays.

Diane said...

Pretty sure I want to come spend the holidays at your house. If only I could get there in time for dinner, it looks delicious!! The decorating is so wonderful (especially the whoville quilt) and the bath bombs look like they will be amazing. Is there anything you don't have fun with?

LONA said...

Whoville is a happy quilt- I bet it makes you smile! I am also guessing bath salts-I hope you will share the recipe. I also would like to know more about your Paper Whites. Love your display with the Christmas cactus. A few years ago, I had one and then a friend had one of a different color- some leaves fell off, so, I stuck them in with mine. This year I bought 3 little ones and transplanted all of them into a big planter. I can't wait to see it in full bloom! Merry Christmas, Barb! :)