Twelve Days of Christmas
Day #7 Winner — Roseann — CONGRATS!!!
I loved all your stories about what kind of tree you put up and why.
Christmas trees definitely bring up memories.
I'm not allowed to put ours up — I just hurry to get it up.
My husband does our tree and reminisces about each ornament,
when we got it, from you or why we bought it.
Many of our ornaments are handmade — some ceramic ones I painted many years ago in classed with my mom. Quite a few my husband carved from wood — they are beautiful.
Of course we have ones with our kids pictures on them too.
Day #8 question is below today's project.
As I am wrapping presents like Santa's elves I came across this
cute box we made a few months back.
The box is made from Very Vanilla cardstock.
We added This Christmas designer paper to the front,
wrap some Very Vanilla 1/2" Lace Trim and tie a bow.
Layering Ovals — scallop of Cherry Cobbler and a
Very Vanilla oval.
The tree is cut from This Christmas designer paper
using the Perfect Pines framelit.
Pretty quick and an adorable box to hide a fun little gift in.
Day #8
How do you celebrate Christmas Eve/Christmas Day?
Do you travel around?
I always cook on Christmas Eve and then we go to church. We usually have ham. Anyone comes who is around and doesn’t have other plans. Sometimes we have others beside family at the table too!
Christmas Day was always with my husbands family and we would drive to Arlington Hts., now that Len’s Mom is handicapped we have been traveling in to spend at least a few hours with them and bring some homemade food along.
We have Christmas with my side of the family on a floating day depending on when we can all get together and whether my one out of state brother comes in.
We have celebrated as early as Thanksgiving weekend to January 30. This year we are actually celebrating on Christmas Day at my sisters in Des Plaines, IL so that we can be close to Dad who is in assisted living and we will bring him over for the afternoon. Traditions sometimes change, but it is the family part that is important and I always feel for those who have family loss over the holidays. I have experienced that and we have always found it good to talk about them and cry and laugh. It is healing.
Christmas eve is just our little family of 6 plus Grandma. We go to church and then we have pancakes and sausages for dinner. We then open presents and have Christmas goodies and hot cocoa. Christmas day is stockings in the morning and then we just relax for the rest of the day. We celebrate with extended family on a different day depending on everyone’s schedules.
For Christmas Eve we begin the day (and usually the day before) making lots appetizers mostly made from scratch: ham, rolls, shrimp cocktail, buffalo chicken dip, steak tartare on rye, meatballs and wieners (in grape jelly/chili sauce), bacon wrapped water chestnuts, bacon wrapped scallops, Bob’s chip dip, chicken wings, veggies, salami rolls, deviled eggs, spinach dip and Hawaiian bread, hot spinach and artichoke dip, hot Rueben dip, Parmesan crackers, pumpkin and squash soup, pickles, black olives, eggnog, cheese and crackers, summer sausage, freshly roasted nuts, cookies, and candies. Before we eat, we all get dressed up. After we’re finished feasting, we gather around a group of candles and each person takes a turn lighting a candle and shares what they are grateful for from the past year and what dreams and asperations they have for the coming year. This can be pretty cathartic and special moment. Then we head to church! We really enjoy singing all the Christmas music in harmony, it’s a pretty happy and energetic time. Then, when we return home, Mrs. Clause has delivered a gift for each person. Surprise! We take turns opening them and low and behold everyone has new pajamas! Christmas morning, the kids get up and open the small gifts from their stockings. While we put monkey bread in the oven and then we begin opening presents. While enjoying the monkey bread, we begin the preparations for yummy egg soufflé, bacon, and mimosas. For the rest of the day we hang out in our new pj’s, we watch movies, play games, sing more Christmas carols and eat leftovers. It’s a wonderful time!
My husband is a commercial airline pilot so for the longest time when our children were younger we had Christmas celebrations for over two weeks as we traveled to both sides of families, Wisconsin and Michigan. Then as they have gotten older and my husband was able to actually have both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off we go to mass on Christmas Eve and then out to dinner afterwards. Christmas morning we have a nice breakfast with brandy slush while opening presents. The rest of the day is filled with snacking and playing games.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone and this is VERY fun Peggy!!!!!