Do Three Months Make A Year?

I'm not sure, but it does make for a short year-end review.  So, here are a very few of my photos that I put together for the Year in Review party at My Romantic Home.

I have had so much fun blogging and I hope you will come visit in the upcoming year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Janet

~It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas~

There's snow on the roof tops...

The stockings are hung...

The family Christmas tree is finally decorated...

Full of sweet and funny ornaments the kids have made through  the years...

Cookies are baked...

(not fancy, but my kids' favorites)

Old fashion sugar for my daughter...

(I'll put the recipe at the end-they are soft,chewy, and have a touch of lemon-delicious)

Peanut Butter Kiss for my son...

So I guess all that is left to do is wish you all a

"Very Merry Chrismas".

and wrap...

and clean...

and cook...

Janet

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

4 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1 cup buttermilk

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  In a large mixer bowl beat shortening for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and beat till fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract and beat well.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill for 3 hours.

For large cookies, on floured surface, roll dough 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into rounds with 3-inch cookie cutter.  For small cookies roll dough 3/8 inch thick and cut with 2-inch cookie cutter.  Place 2 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in 375 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes or until done.  Remove and cool.  Makes 24 large or 48 small cookies.

Tip:  if dough is too sticky to roll out, knead in a little flour first

Enjoy! 

~Santa and Toys~

I know I said I was finished with my Christmas decorating, but I promised myself that I would put Santa out this year.  I made him about twelve years ago and he has stayed in a box for the last ten.

I stopped putting him out because I thought he was too country and homespun.  Well, I thought other people would think he was.  Now, I realize none of that matters, as long as I like it.  And I do!

Many, many hours were put into this.

Torn strips of muslin for beard and hair, clothes made from my hubby's old jeans, and glasses shaped from wire.

The doll is my favorite.  I have always loved dolls.

The bear is the only thing I didn't make, I just made her dress.

I hope Santa never spends another Christmas in the box.  I really do enjoy him.

I'm joining Cindy for Show and Tell Friday.

Janet

Next Year...

Well, the Christmas decorating must come to an end.  I have shopping, wrapping, cleaning, and menu planning to do before my guests arrive.  I am always disappointed that I didn't get more done and I start dreaming about next year. So guess when my favorite time to make Christmas decorations is?  January!  All the ideas are fresh in my mind, things can be bought on clearance, and best of all-more time.  Sooo...

Next Year:

I want to make my tree look like this...

And make fabric roses to put on the tree...

Make red and white stockings to hang on the banister...

Collect red and white ribbon all year to wrap presesnts...

Decorate my kitchen in red and white...

And make red and white scented ornaments to hang on a tree in the kitchen.  I saw these at Ticking and Toile.  Shellagh showed some great projects.  Thanks Shellagh!

And of course many, many more ideas are dancing in my mind.

What will you do next year that you didn't have time to do this year?

Janet

~In My Own Little Corner...

"In my own little corner,

in my own little world,

I can be whatever I want to be."

~Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella~

Sometimes after a long day at work (or home), I feel more than a little like Cinderella-before she meets her prince. You can see the video of this song here.  I decided I wanted a cozy corner in my dining room where "I could be whatever I wanted to be."

This is my dining room.  It 's bright and sunny and only used for special occasions.  I wanted to be able to sit and drink coffee and enjoy the room.

This is the corner "before".  I bought this chair several years ago at a thrift store and it has been sitting in my basement waiting for a makeover.  I made a very simple slipcover for it.

I also recovered a pillow that I really didn't like (this is the pillow before) and I hung some prints on the wall that I found for six dollars for the pair.

They are very old and damaged.  Just the way I like it.

And a shabby little cottage platter.

And here is my cozy corner after.  Now to find the time to sit there and enjoy.

Janet

Parties I'm joining:

Metamorphosis Monday

2nd Time around

DIY Day

Trash to Treasure Tuesday

Thrifty Thursday

Furniture Feature Friday

And the winner is...

 Karen !


Recycled Rita said...
What a fun giveaway! I would love to win this!
am enjoying your blog also! karen....

Email your mailing address and I will get this to you right away.
Thanks everyone for stopping by and all the sweet comments.

Janet

~Christmas Waves Its Wand~

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

~Norman Vincent Peale~

"Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts."

~Joann Winmill Brown~

"Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance -

ever beautiful, unique, and gone too soon."

~Deborah Whips~

"The perfect Christmas Tree?  All Christmas trees are perfect."

~Charles Barnard~

"The best gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."

~Burton Hillis~

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas  spirit in a jar and open a jar of it every month."

~Harlan Miller~

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year."

~Charles Dickens~

 

Merry Christmas everyone!  Thank you for visiting.  I will be joining  The Home For The Holidays Party at Southern Hospitality. If you want to know how to make the stockings, go here.  You can see how to make the "winter dreams" banner here.

Reminder:  You can enter my giveaway here.

Janet

~Winter Dreams~

To create this simple lettered garland, I began with wood shapes from Hobby Lobby.  They came in packages of four.

Then I spray painted them with Rust-oleum American Accents Heirloom White.

I used stencils to make the letters and painted them with a stenciling brush, dabbing off most of the paint.

I sanded the edges and wiped stain on the entire board and then wiped it off for an aging effect.

Finally I drilled a hole in the top of the wood and used jewelry beading wire to string them together.  After I put the wire through the hole, I just twisted a couple of times to hold in place.  I also added a couple of red checked fabric bows to the ends. 

There are lots of variations you could do with this project.  For a dressier look you could use gold paint and maybe some glitter and drill holes in both corners and string with a pretty ribbon.  I'm sure you could think of many more.  Have fun.

I am also having a giveaway.  You can go here to enter.

Parties I am joining-

Rust-oleum Revamp at Shanty 2 Chic

Make it for Monday at cottage instincts

Metamorphosis Monday

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

Get Your Craft On

Janet