Life is what you make it.
When I was 10 years old, my mom put my 4 year-old sister and me into the car and drove us to the machine shop where my Dad worked. It was lunchtime on Christmas Eve. The employees, about a half dozen in all, had stopped work for the day and were gathered around the lunchroom… Continue reading Collecting Christmas
Earlier this summer I spotted a Barbie doll while surfing Ebay. It was a red-haired doll called a “bubble cut” from the early 60s. It was one of a mixed lot of dolls that someone was selling for a more than fair price. Feeling nostalgic (this was the first Barbie I owned as a child)… Continue reading Refurbishing Barbie for the Christmas Toy Drive: The Beginning
Maybe it's the drama and tiresome happenings in the daily news that is causing everyone to need an escape. Looking around my small town yesterday, it seems that everyone is getting geared up for the holidays extra early this year. I even saw a couple of homes with outdoor holiday lights brightly blazing. While my… Continue reading A Williamsburg Style Holiday Wreath
When I was about 3 years old, my dad very gently hammered two tiny nails into the wood paneled wall of our dining room. He tied a length of string between those nails and Voila! We had a holder for the first of our Christmas cards that had arrived that afternoon. It was fun to… Continue reading Merry Christmas in the Mailbox
The 2018 craft fair dates are Saturday, November 10 and 17. Each year as the wind turns bitter cold and the once green, and then golden, and now brown and falling leaves pile up beneath the big oaks and maples in my back yard, my sister and I kick off the Christmas shopping season with a day… Continue reading Daytripping to Geneva, OH for Christmas and Crafts 2018
This is one of my family's favorite holiday treats. It's one of the easiest bars to make. I usually save it for the end of my cookie baking day when I'm tired and all "baked out." I can put this one together and pop it in the oven in a couple of minutes or so… Continue reading Magic Cookie Bars
The holiday season for my husband and I began on Thanksgiving day when we hosted a big family dinner. Following a Black Friday spent with friends, the remainder of my Thanksgiving weekend was spent in a decorating frenzy. It always takes a full day to put up the tree, sorting out and fussing over whatever… Continue reading Christmas Decorating With Vintage Finds
Last Christmas, my family decided to have a "white elephant" gift exchange. It wasn't about saving money, although we did save money. My siblings and I have simply grown less particular over the years. We have reached a point in our lives where we no longer need or desire a bunch of new "stuff." We… Continue reading Enjoying A White Elephant Christmas
