FINALLY....some Christmas pics!

Things are moving right along! Finally got my last order out on Wednesday. All my craft supplies are cleared away and my kitchen cleaned and decorated! So I can now BAKE! And that's exactly what I did today! Got my fruit cakes baked! Yes...you read right! I bake fruit cakes! It's a recipe that my husband's mother and grandmother use to make every year. I always turned my nose up at fruit cake until I tasted this one. So, I am carrying on this tradition for my husband and for his uncle, who both grew up loving it during the holidays. I'm sad to say the tradition will end here, though. As my own kids just don't have the love for it!

I also baked up a double batch of these Treasure Cookies I found over on Country Whispers blog. They looked so yummy in her picture and I loved the ingredients, so I thought I'd give them a try. SO glad I did because they are DELICIOUS! Thank you, Jessica, for sharing this wonderful recipe! This weekend we'll be making sugar cookies and reindeer droppings (my kid's name for peanut butter balls).

I finally got a few pictures taken of my decorations. I decorate mostly for my kids. They all three either still live at home or come home for Christmas. Whenever I hint that I may put "this" or "that" away next year or thin out some of the "kiddie" decorations, or "change" the way I will be decorating, I always hear the rebuttals from my kids. I've been visiting all of your wonderful blogs and envying all the beautiful prim decorations you all have. I'm sorry to say I just don't see it in my immediate future. Maybe...one day! :) So, with that said, here's a look at my not-so-prim Christmas!

My front foyer...this is an antique wash stand that belonged to my hubby's grandmother. The Country Christmas cross stitch was one of my first pieces I did waaaay back in the early 80's.

My piano top. Since this picture was taken, I've moved the wreath to over my mantel this year. The three snowmen are the only things I didn't make.

This is a little "cubby" off my kitchen. This is the coat closet door and a half bath is to the left. Little bookcase holds ALL my cook books. Since I didn't win Carol's rolling pin display giveaway over on Firecrackerkid Primitives (awe shucks), I decided to BUY one from her. Click here to see the one I just bought. I can't wait to get it. I have an old rolling pin that my dad made back in the fifties that will be displayed on it. I'm going to hang it where that candle rack is now.

Top of our TV cabinet. I love my snowmen. The sweet snow angel in the middle was a wonderful swap gift I received last year from Pat at Ahl*Cooped*Up. She does BEAUTIFUL work.

Another snowman collection. These sit on an old sewing cabinet that belonged to my mother-in-law.

My living room curio cabinet/book case. Filled with SO many items from SO many Christmases. What I need is for Katie to get married and take a few of these with her! HA!

Our fresh tree! Hubby and I keep threatening to get an artificial tree, but kids keep fighting it! So this year after the holidays, I'm buying one for the upstairs loft. It will be my "prim" tree and hold all my beautiful prim ornies I've received from my wonderful blog and group friends through different swaps. They can't gripe about that! LOL!

This is the upstairs "loft". Behind me is an open room that we could have chosen to close off for a fifth bedroom. Instead, we left it open and it's our computer/game room mostly occupied by my youngest son. This hallway goes back to Justin's former/now my craft room to the right and Katie's former/now Justin's room to the back left. That back right corner is where I plan to put my prim tree next year! Now I only have that little tree under the little square window, and it can only hold a few of my prim ornies on it.

This beautiful manger scene belonged to my mother-in-law. I remember she would get new pieces each year. I don't know much about the set, but on the bottom it has "Depose" and "Italy" imprinted on it. Anyone out there familiar with these? I'd love to get more info about them. I'm going to pick up a little bag of hay tomorrow to spread out on the table.

Our little collection of toy soldiers. My oldest son loved collecting these when he was younger. He picked out and painted the blue one, second one at top, and Katie picked out and painted the little red one in front of it. They were probably only six and seven at the time.

One of the first things I use to make and sell at craft shows....many, many years ago. I always loved those things I could do while sitting in front of the TV. Have never been able to just "sit". These little puff balls were so much fun to make. Would make them in both Christmas colors, as well as non Christmas (back when "peach" and "mauve" and "Williamsburg blue" were the IN colors!) LOL! They were a big seller...many, many, MANY years ago! LOL! I hung our little "family" ornament on it this year.

This old sideboard has been in my husband's family for...well, for however old the piece is! This is one of my Christmas villages I've had for about thirty years! Back in Utah, the kids actually got to make Christmas stockings in school. I'm sure if they tried to do that around here and in today's time, SOMEONE would disapprove! Fortunately, Justin got to make one, too, back when he was in a church pre-school. His hangs on the front of my sewing cabinet.

It was always a tradition in my family...each Christmas my mom would sit out our family bible, opened to the page of "The Birth of Christ". I continue this tradition with our family bible. And see that church? OMG! I had totally forgotten when I was little we had this exact church as one of our few decorations. It's plastic and plays "Silent Night". I came across this piece at a Goodwill last summer! I couldn't believe the flood of memories when I saw it! I don't know whatever happened to the one from my childhood, but I now have this one and I couldn't be happier!

My angel tree...just a little tree in my kitchen. I DO love my angels!

This is my kitchen hutch that houses all my Royal Ruby Depression glass. We use this beautiful red glassware on Christmas morning. The hutch also holds my Blue Ridge dishes. I collect the apple, crabapple and cherry patterns. This furniture dates back to the early 90's and is the next to go OUT the door. I've been getting lots of wonderful ideas off your blogs for what I want to replace it and my kitchen table with! Can't wait!!

A little gathering on one of my kitchen counters. I collect Christmas cookie jars. They aren't old or anything, and I only collect one of any item. In other words, only one of a Santa, one of a snowman...I also have a penguin, bear, moose, reindeer, candy cane and these two that I got the last two years. I try to get a new one each year, but it's getting harder and harder to find one in something I don't have. Looking for a "Christmas tree", but haven't found the "perfect" one yet.

Another kitchen counter top gathering of some of my favorite things from fellow crafters, bloggers and group friends. The pretty painted antique popcorn popper was painted by Chris from The Antique Pallet. I was so excited when I won this in one of my group contests. The grubby jar candle is from my dear friend, Connie, at Ye Olde Candle Cubbard. And the cute embroidered candle mat is one of the many goodies I picked up when visiting Gina from Cat Nap Inn Primitives at her craft show on Bainbridge Island a couple of weeks ago.

And finally, this is the fireplace in our family room. The mantel holds the bulk of my Christmas Village. I love sitting in here with just the lights on from the village! And all our stockings. Another "to do" is to make quilted stockings for all of us. Something I've always wanted to do. I'm still hoping to do by THIS Christmas. We'll see!

Hope you enjoyed a little tour of our home at Christmas. It's festive and very colorful in our home! And today it smells so good with all the baking! Yes...it's beginning to look...and smell...a lot like Christmas! ~~Annie