and the winner is....

...Beachys Cape Cod Cupboard...yae...(I'm clapping!)!!!! Here is a sneak peak at what you'll be recieving...

Please send me your address and I'll get your nifty little package out!

XOXO Jennifer

Many Thanks!!!!!

First....Wasn't Karla's Holiday party just wonderful!!???? The only problem was that it kept me from doing anything all day...I couldn't stop looking! I really hope she makes it a tradition every year, I truly enjoyed it....Thanks Karla!!! I also want to thank everyone for their sweet, sweet comments...I feel so special! Don't forget to come back Monday to see who wins my first giveaway!

Second...I am as sick as a dog!!!! It's awful to be sick at this time of year. I started out early on Thursday shopping. When I came out of the mall, I was in the middle of a sleety, slushy, snowy storm! Of course I didn't go home, I just kept on going in and out of stores all day.

Yesterday we suprised our kids by taking them out of school early and bringing them into the city. We brought them to Macy's to see Santa...

This tree was singing Christmas songs...I don't know if it's just me but I think he looks like Will Ferrell.



...sneaking a peek at the big man. I have to admit...how cute is that?
Santa was so wonderful to them!!! For a second, while I was watching them talking to him, I had a "mother moment"! I thought for a minute, "Wow, I can't believe that they are actually mine!"

Tonight, I went to Old Bethpage Village Restoration with my sister-in-law and niece...no boys allowed! We've made it a tradition every year. It's an old restored village from the late 1700's to early 1800's. Every year they have candlelight evenings during Christmas where the village is only lit by candlelight. You can bring a lantern if you want to. It really is extremely dark!

I know my pictures are horrible but I just couldn't get my camera to cooperate in the dark. So the pictures really don't do it justice of just how quant it really is!

Here in the church, they read some Christmas poems and stories from that era.

A "typical" Victorian Christmas tree.

Near the Noon Inn where you can buy hot muled cider and ginger snap cookies for a dollar, you can sit outside at the bonfire. It's hard to see, but they make the cider in the kettle. Throughout the evening there is a brass quartet that walks through the village playing Christmas music.

So now I have lost my voice, I guess being in the city and out again tonight in the freezing cold didn't help, but how could I not...It's CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Karla's Christmas party and my first giveaway!!!!

Well I am very excited about Karla's party but I am even more excited that I finally got my pictures uploaded on Blogger. I don't know if anyone else had any problems but, my god, it took me almost two hours to get them uploaded. I still have more but I don't have any more patience so I'll try and post more in the next few days. Okay, now that I vented, lets get on with the party. ..I am big on vignettes...love having little displays all around the house. Maybe it's from years of being a Visual Merchandiser (in my "past" life) but that's just the way I like to decorate.

My tree is decorated with almost all antique shiny brites and lots of beads! Of course I've added ornaments that my kids have made and also some very special gifts I've recieved over the years. I am a huge Judy Garland fan so I have some ruby slippers and a beautiful Dorothy ornament that my brother gave me one year. This year I bought alot of great new old looking ornaments.


Had to stick this one of Bailey in. He was a Christmas gift from my husband eight years ago when I had to put my cat Daisy down just before Christmas and I was so heart broken.
I went on a crazy snowball making kick a few years ago! I love putting them in bowls all over the house. They also look great in wood or ironstone bowls!!!!

My father made me this shelf! One day I am going to take some pictures of the furniture that my father has made for me. It's just a hobby for him that he's been doing for years. Anyway, it's one of my favorite spots in the house!
I'm actually not a snow baby fan but when I was little my aunt had a display of these little babies and I always loved to look at them. A friend of hers made them and when I got older she started to give me some each Christmas. In person they are so beautiful and detailed! They are the first thing I unpack every year.

I love to decorate my sons rooms!

These are some displays in my kitchen. My husband gave me the snowman cookie jar a few years ago.
Isn't he just too cute!!!!!!!
These pics are in my mudroom. I am very fortunate to have a big mudroom. Since my kitchen is small, this room comes in handy. My Penelope. Another Christmas gift from my husband six years ago. We are the only girls in the house!

I used to buy these tags from a woman on Ebay. They are made out of pieces from old quilts and are sewn on. Really wonderful in person. Unfortunately she doesn't sell them anymore.

More snowballs in an old wood sled.
My mother collected antique candy jars. These were hers. The one on the left says "Rock Candy" in red...so neat!!!
Last but not least is the advent calander I made this year. I didn't know what to put them on so I just pinned them onto a bulletin board that is in my mudroom.
That's it. I want to thank Karla for hosting this fab party! I am also going to have my first giveaway. I'm gathering up some handmade Christmas goodies to give away so leave a comment and I will announce a winner on Monday!