Happy New Year...2012!

via pinterest


Wishing all my bloggy friends a wonderful New Year...2012!



A New Year blessing:
I hope the kindness you've given to others returns many times to you.


Tick Tock

I’m writing this in a state of shock,
Watching the clock—tick tock, tick tock,
Advancing, approaching, relentlessly,
A brand new year; Oh, can it be?

The calendar says the same thing, too;
Time races, vanishes for me; Boo hoo!
No, wait! If time flies, I’m having fun!
A year of fun! It’s gone! It’s done!


I now embrace the blur of time,
Because it simply means that I’m
Too busy with pleasure, joy, delight
To mourn the passing days’ swift flight.


So I’m wishing you fast, happy days,
Pleasuring you in myriad ways,
Filled with happiness and cheer,
Oh Happy, Happy Bright New Year!
-By Joanna Fuchs

xoxo,
Sandi

Yummy treats and year end random shots

Have you ever had these pretzel bites? Oh my goodness...they are SO addicting!! My body has inhaled more sweets in the last week than it has for several months. I must get back to being good when this weekend is over!
In case you are interested here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites


1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoon softened butter

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Pretzels

Chocolate candy coating {I used white chocolate}

Beat peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Beat in sugars and vanilla extract until moldable.

Use a small melon baller to scoop portions of mixture, sandwich between 2 pretzels. Place on cookie sheet & freeze for

half an hour. Dip in chocolate, let set, and enjoy! Store extras in refrigerator.

{I also had a tad of the melted chocolate left so I drizzled it over them at the end}

{I made this french toast for Christmas morning breakfast...Delicous!}

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

1 loaf french bread, unsliced

1 {8 ounce} package cream cheese, cubed

1-2 cups fresh blueberries

8 eggs

2 and 1/2 cups milk, light cream, or half and half {I used 2% milk}

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla

Cut french bread loaf into cubes. (you should have about 12 cups of bread cubes)

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place 1/2 the cubes in the baking dish. Top with cream cheese cubes and blueberries. Then top with remaining bread cubes.

In large mixing bowl, using a wire whisk , mix together eggs, milk, melted butter, cinnamon and vanilla until well combined. Pour evenly over bread cubes . Using a spatula, lightly press down to moisten.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-24 hours. {I did it overnight}
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and remove plastic wrap from baking dish.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until center is set and edges are slightly golden. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with maple syrup. {this is sooooo good} Enjoy!

I purchased this bird piece for my mother for Christmas and wanted to show it to you. It is such a pretty piece all covered in sparkles! My mom is crazy about birds and she loved it!

The top of my antique buffet in the dining room.

I added the words to this old door the day we were out of power for 13 hours. I was bored and had wanted to do this for a long time, so I finally did. One slight problem...the word ALWAYS is very sticky.  The black letters are just fine, but not the *Always*. What to do? Glitter?? Any ideas? Maybe that is why it was on clearance? hee hee

I also found out that it is not good to put adhesive letters on this kind of board with grooves in it. It was very tedious to get the letters to stick.You can also see the spots above the words, "rejoice in the Lord" where the masking tape took off some of the paint. Definitely not perfect, but live and learn I say! :)

This is how I packaged up some of my goodies to send in the mail this year. Took this angel graphic from The Graphics Fairy and lightened it up a lot and used it for an address label. I think they look much better than a computer printed label. One drawback...I actually had to take them to the post office to mail , but that is okay.


Lots of random photos, but wanted to share it anyways. Do you have big plans for the weekend? We will spend some time with our youngest son and maybe buy a new computer stand and put it together...and REST! lol
Happy New Year ...2012!!


Blessings~
Sandi





Jeanne d' Arc gift and pretty packages

I can't believe that White Wednesday is here again already. Christmas is over for another year and we can all relax a bit I hope.  I didn't get any photos taken specifically for this post so I thought I would share a few that I took a few days ago.
Remember my handstamped giftwrap post....these are some packages all wrapped and ready for gift giving. Love how it turned out and how it looks. I will do this again.



{Not really happy with the composition of this photo at all, but I can't retake it because all of these packages have flew out of my house and into other homes}



Santa obviously thought that I had been a VERY good girl this past year because he brought me a genuine Jeanne d' Arc Living travel bag. I was sooooooo excited!!! {hee hee} Actually I found in online and it was on sale or clearance and it was the very last one so Santa came to the rescue! :)

Isn't it a beauty?

Love the document print on it!!

It looks right at home hanging on my ladder for now. I do hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that it wasn't too stressful on any of you because I know it can be. We had a fun time at my parents last night and now the festivities are all over , but we had a delightful time.

I wrapped my dads gift in brown kraft paper and stamped "you've been naughty" all over it and added a bag of  *coal* and a *naughty hat*. He just laughed and laughed when he saw it. I will have to do a blog post on that one of these days. He is such a good sport!! Story behind that is that I called my mom on Saturday to let her know that we picked up a coffee maker for dad and as soon as I told her she said, "He is listening"...and then I heard my dad just howling laughing!! Little stinker!! He "claims" that he said hello, but this gal never heard one thing. tee hee...love that man so much and I am so thankful for him!!

Praying you all have a wonderful New Year ahead...2012!!

A holiday lunch

Are all your gifts unwrapped and all the piles of wrapping paper put in the trash or burn pile by now?  We have one more Christmas with my parents this week and  * poof * another Christmas will be history.  Seems like they fly by so fast anymore.  I must have been a really good girl this year though because I received some lovely goodies, but I will share more about those another day.


Last Thursday I took the time to have my bff over for lunch and I am so glad that I did. We used to get together a lot to craft, eat or shop {maybe even all three at once}, but it seems that we just don't find as much time these days for US.  This particular day we had a wonderful time talking, laughing , eating and solving the worlds problems. LOL

White chocolate snack mix that I make every year at Christmastime.

Apparantly I took this photo before I put the water in the glasses. oops!
I  used some fake pine garland that I had cut into smaller pieces and attached to the bottom of the goblets. No time to run out and get real greenery.

Script placemats topped with lace placemats

I even added several little paper stars that I had made a few weeks ago

The best turkey salad sandwiches that you will ever have. 
{source Pettisville Meats}

A few different kinds of cookies are always nice to have on hand and they were a yummy treat.

Rosemary Olive Oil potato chips...sooooo good!

Good ole H20 with lemon and lime slices. Too late I realized that I should have had a cranberry or two to add to the glasses, but I didn't have any on hand. It would have been a nice pop of color.

 I actually used paper napkins this time around. {hee hee} I will say looking at the photos now they do look a bit colorless, but there was also a bowl of pasta salad that had red tomatoes and green peppers in it so we did have a little color.  It was a fun day and it went by way too fast , but I hope we can do it again soon!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead as we prepare to ring in the New Year!
*2012*

Love came down

Late on a sleepy, star-spangled night, those angels peeled back the sky just like you would tear open a sparkling Christmas present. Then, with light and joy pouring out of Heaven like water through a broken dam, they began to shout and sing the message that baby Jesus had been born. The world had a Saviour! The angels called it “Good News,” and it was!
-Larry Libby

Wishing you and all those you love a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and blessed New Year!!

Can you feel it?



...the love that's in the air?? Christmas is almost here.

Just a few more pics around the house as the magical day approaches. I am ready...are you?
Well...almost ready.  I still haven't gotten much for my parents, but haven't a clue what to buy them.
Happens every year.



I saw this idea in a book that I won from Rosemary over at Ozma of Odds and loved it.
I think I need a taller glass, but for now it works. Pure genius!
I decided to set it in front of my vintage white bottlebrush tree for the photo and love the reflection of the tree in the window. I also added a crinkled seam binding ribbon to the spoon to dress it up a little. You can lift and lower the ladle to light the candle or blow it out.

Same window with my glittery sleigh, candleholder and tree.



Doesn't this sleigh just sparkle? Love it!






tree again, vintage aqua bottle and vintage ornie





This is some of the white decor on my buffet. Sure wish I could find some vintage clock faces around this neck of the woods. I have not seen even ONE...no not one. ha! Well, I take that back. I found a wooden one a while back, but no metal ones at all unless you buy the clock and then tear it apart. :)



  Isn't this a beautiful angel ornament??!!



Bathroom decor...remember my bathroom is very small so I can't do a lot of decorating in there.





I received this precious little handmade booklet in the mail from Marietta over at Sweet Old Vintage. She is sure talented with her hands. I love it! She also sent me an cute little tablet, but I forgot to add the photo...one of these days! :)



I pray you all have a wonderful day and week a head and the most blessed Christmas ever.
Don't forget to celebrate Jesus...the reason for the season.

Will be linking up with White Wednesday again this week.

{still running a sale in my Etsy store...would love to have you stop on over and say hello}


xoxo,
Sandi
{accidentally blew away my signature again...:}

 

I wondered as I wandered...

...what I might find that would grab my attention.  I was given some $$$ for Christmas so  I went wandering  last week. {I only managed to spend $15 so I can go again! lol}  I trudged through several antique malls and this child's gray wool coat set is the only thing that really caught my eye. I think it is so precious and it just makes me wonder about the child who wore it.  Was he happy?  What was life like for him? Who did he grow up to be...??  I choose to believe that this child had a wonderful life filled with people who loved him and cherished him. I think he grew up and did or is doing wonderful things in this world.

I added a sprig of greenery for the season

Isn't the fabric just beautiful?

Love this precious little hat...

...and suspenders!! Is this not too cute or what?

I love the detail on the back of the coat..there is even a little pleat in the middle.

Does anyone have a clue what era or year we are looking at here? Would it have been the 50's or older? I really don't know and I wonder about that too. One thing I do know for sure is that it was made in the U.S.A. That is always a plus!!


Christmas is less than 1 week away blog friends!! Are you ready??? :)

Just a heads up that I am now running a 20% off of everything in my Etsy store in case you are interested in anything. Pop me a line and I will edit the listing to show the discount. Thank you!!