Home for the Holidays.....

HO, HO, HO and a Happy Home for the Holidays to all of you! !  This is the time of year when each day just gets better and better.
Thanksgiving - my most favorite FOOD holiday ever- was super!  I hope you spent a wonderful day with family and friends like we did.  We all have so much to be thankful for.  I'm also very excited that you get to spend this morning with me....because today is my birthday!  How fun is this to get a chance to post my holiday blog for all of you today?!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

I've been having the best time watching each designer's post and all the fun comments you've made. I've saved everyone's projects for when I retire!  I hope you are downloading all the wonderful projects and yummy cookie recipes too! It's exciting to hear you are enjoying the hop. 


For the most part...........I do the decorating while others snooze here at our house! 

Here in Florida we don't have the cold blustery days of winter like so many of you, but we do get chilly from time to time during the season. Keeping that in mind, I decided to share a friend of mine with you. His name happens to be "chilly" and he always shows up at my house much before Frosty does. I hope you enjoy making this small door hanger for your home.

You can find the pattern HERE 
(If for any reason this link does not work please email me and I will send you the file)

To help me celebrate my birthday, leave a comment on today's blog to be in the drawing for a free Chilly Kit - winner will be announced Saturday morning!
Plus a limited number of kits will also be available ...please email me (piecemaker51@aol.com)  if you are interested.  It will be on a first come, first serve basis.... thanks! 

Growing up in the south, I've learned to create the mood of Christmas.  We don't have the snow on the ground, the snow laden tree branches, nor the really bitter cold that so many of you have.  What we do have is a lot of sand in our shoes!

However, it's never prevented me from enjoying the holiday.  Christmas happens to be my very favorite holiday so over the years I've collected Santas and snowmen and decorate every room in the house with  trees and lots of twinkling lights. The trees range from 3 to 10 feet tall. Each tree is decorated with fun primitive ornaments I've collected as well.  There are also animated santa's that hook up to the lights and move. I have fabric garlands made out of yo-yo's and some made out of plaid homespuns,  just like the ones you made out of paper when you were a child except you stitch them together instead of using glue.  Some of my favorite ornaments are the ones we've made ourselves.  The more primitive they are the better I like them.  The day after Thansgiving we go in search of the biggest tree we can find.  We spend hours looking for that perfect tree and always come home with the right one!  Some have been tall and skinny, some shorter and rounder - we call those "the Lynda trees"!

It's really easier to show you what our Florida home looks like for the holidays.  Just click on the play button below.   When you get into the smilebox, you can click on the individual pictures you'd like to see bigger.   Many of you will have already seen this from last year, but we're just a few days shy of having the house all decorated for this season.  Promise to come back in a few weeks....I'll have a new smilebox for you to see. 

Scrapbooking design customized with Smilebox

When we were first married we traveled between my folks and Curt's folks for the holidays, but when our children were born it was important to us for them to be able to be home on Christmas to enjoy their toys, so for 36 years I've been cooking dinner for our entire southern family. Depending on who is in town, there can be 18 to 26 people here on Christmas day and we always have a sit down dinner.  My sewing room has a 10 foot table already so we add a couple 6 foot folding tables at each end and enjoy each others company.  We usually make a wish and light the next one's candle while we do this.  It's fun to hear everyone's wishes and see the lighted candles from one end of the table to the other.  Mostly, it's just a very loud, funfilled day. 

Holiday baking is always a fun affair here. We choose a day where we can all join together and make holiday treats to be shared with family and friends.  My gramma's scotch shortbread cookies were passed down by my mom and are a must at the Christmas holidays and of course what's a holiday without homemade fudge.  Rebecca loves to help in the kitchen and this year even Sarah will get in on the fun. Picking one treat to share was difficult and even though these are bars instead of cookies....I think because they are so easy to make you will enjoy making them for your family.  Just click on the recipe card to enlarge it and print a copy to keep.

What I've found over the years is that the holidays are in our hearts and not because of where we live.  So, from our house in the south to yours, remember to enjoy each holiday as they come along.  Right now Pa and I are on our way out the door in search of that perfect tree for this year!  Happy Holidays to all of you and your families!



Before I go I want to say a special Thank you to Stacy West, Buttermilk Basin, for hosting this holiday blog.  YOU ROCK Stacy and thanks so much for having me be a part of this! 

Also a  reminder  to be sure to check in next Tuesday for Jan Patek's Home for the Holiday treats.....Hey Jan, What goodies do you have in store for all of us?????

Hugs & Happy Holidays,
Lynda