OUR MERRY CHRISTMAS 2019

This has been a wonderful Christmas!

We are beyond blessed to have been with family

and enjoyed the most wonderful festivities out and about,

delicious food, holiday movies, new games that made us laugh

and all the new memories we made!

I believe we all love taking a look back and sharing

what our holidays look like....

from our family to yours....

we wish you a beautiful New Year of 2020!

We drove to downtown Dallas on Christmas Eve

and enjoyed lunch at out favorite S and D Oyster Company!

Bloody Mary's and fresh seafood....

I love the time when everyone has arrived, they are looking

at all the decorations and catching up with each other's lives...

with Home Alone playing on the TV......

The weather was so mild but I was determined

to wear one of my Christmas sweaters....

my darling and me on Christmas Eve!

It has been wonderful having the children visit...

they also drove down to spend a few days with

Jenn's parents....they gifted us her Dad's famous

Tamales and Oatmeal Raisin cookies....the best you have

ever tasted!

My Christmas Eve cooking project with 

the grandchildren was a big success....so fun

and delicious popcorn!

The Christmas Eve "Christmas in a Cup" cocktail was loved by all ....
a mixer from Trisha Yearwood found at Williams Sonoma!

I didn't take many photos of the gift exchange

but did catch Abbie trying on her new hat from the Divine Miss M!

We waved goodbye to some family as they

traveled to spend Christmas afternoon with Cat's mom!

This was my new snowglobe addition for 2019...

I love this!

Saturday was time to prepare for round two of celebrating...

with our youngest home from Austin...

The darling and me just clowning around....

No matter how old they are....you always will call the youngest....

your baby!!!!

Father and son.....the holiday photo in front of the tree.....

Christmas dinner.....

Bacon wrapped stuffed pork loin, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole,

yeast rolls and White Chocolate Strawberry Pie! Yum-O!

Must have been good....no leftovers!

Handsome Nick....

The opening of the Christmas Crackers....

We had two special people join us for dinner....

Amelia, Abbie's best friend and Cat's niece, Halee!

I love hearing the laugher of family....home for the holidays!

The good food continued with Chcolate Chip Biscuits for a morning breakfast...

We enjoyed brunch at First Watch, which is delicious, by the way...

now it's time to slow down and begin the healthy eating plan...

I hope your Christmas was a joyous one...I have so enjoyed

reading and seeing your blog posts you have shared...

Happy 2020 to you all!

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING...CHRISTMAS WEEK BEGINS

Good Morning Loves!

We find ourselves at the beginning of Christmas week...

hopefully, your shopping is complete, you are listening to

your favorite holiday music during the day, and you

are baking cookies that your family declared their favorites!

We have had a very busy, yet glorious weekend!

The office Christmas parties are over.....

the gifts have been wrapped and are under the tree.....

The grandchildren will be arriving Christmas Eve and I have planned

a little "Grandma" time....I have special holiday aprons

for both of them and we are going to prepare a special holiday popcorn....

It is called Cinnamon Marshmallow Popcorn and THEY are going

to prepare this.....with just a little help from moi......

The Cali kids arrived Friday afternoon....and we have been in a

whirlwind of shopping and eating.....

We made a lovely afternoon of shopping at Target

where I purchased a few more goodies...now on sale.....

These were my Daddy's favorites and I LOVE their packaging......

I found this adorable little wooden holiday scene...

this is from the Wondershop collection and is SO darn sweet.....

I also added this gorgeous blush bottlebrush tree...
I will no longer say that I will not buy one more
Christmas decoration....as I simply love them all.....



The fur-babies posed for their Christmas portraits....
MAE MOBLEY 2019



PIPER ROSE 2019

BO-CEPHUS 2019

Miss Judy enjoyed her last Christmas luncheon with her office
down in Pensacola....they are all retiring in late March..
these ladies have spent years together....
the doctor plans on practicing for a mere five more years
and is moving to another office....
time marches on....

Enjoy your holidays....and have a very happy, and blessed
MERRY CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS EVE MENU

This week, no doubt is probably a busy week for us all.

I always love hearing what you all are serving for Christmas Eve

and of course, Christmas Day dinner.

I can remember when we were children, you knew Mother was 

polishing her silver, bringing out our fine china and table linens

and baking with real butter and real cream...it all felt so decadent and special.

The darling's family always packed up the car on Christmas Eve

and traveled up from Jackson to the the Delta, to spend

Christmas Eve at his Grandmothers.

They had a marvelous little old house with those big fat venetian blinds

on the windows which were all aglow with the old-fashioned

multi-colored lights. And.....she was enjoying

her Thunderbird Wine....oh yes, it was time for Christmas in the Delta!!!

Anyhoo....let's talk food, shall we?

I have just received a text that the grandchildren will be

attending our Christmas Eve party after all....so

you know Maine Grandma , that would be me...is super excited!

These festive tins will contain homemade goodies...

Tea Time Tessies

Peanut Butter Cookies

and

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Christmas scents will be thoughout the house when everyone arrives...

frosted cranberry, fresh balsam and winter pine........

This little tray will hold special cheeses from

Harry and David

This serving dish from Temptations will feature

a hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have used my Mother's vintage choir children on this tablescape..

I value this collection more than I can say....I played with these little children

for hours on end when I was a child....they are delicate and chipped and so well-loved.

The silver/crystal cake plate belonged to my grandmother....

This will hold hot Bacon Cheese Biscuit Bites.

This gorgeous platter, which I bought in Maine will

showcase their favorite appetizer of Sausage Party Ryes!

I so enjoy this festive party time and the games we play....

but I also am thinking of my other two children, who will not be with us.

Christmas dinner will be held on Saturday, so our youngest can celebrate

Christmas with his family...I wish no one worked on Christmas Eve or

Christmas Day...it is a day for family....to rejoice in the birth of Jesus......

My favorite time...is for all the lights to glow softly.....
thinking of the little precious children in their darling holiday pj's
awaiting the arrival of Santa....music from the 40's playing in the background..
the older children, ready for bed, continuing to watch A Christmas Story...
and think about my family...and my own childhood memories...
the warmth of our home, Mother roasting a turkey in the oven over night,
Daddy singing along with Andy Williams on the stereo....
the candlelight church services we would attend....

The crockpots will be in the kitchen

and feature a Applewood smoked Brown Sugar glazed ham,

along with party rolls....

and Cranberry Meatballs.......sounds delicious doesn't it?

I so hope your holidays have brought you peace and happiness...

I hope your memories are comforting and warm.....

I hope the people with you practice kindness.....

I hope your pets are by your side...safe and content.....

Sending you Good Tidings of Joy...
from our family to yours......
Merry Christmas

WRAPPING IT UP FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

How is everyone doing?

The darling and I finished all of our Christmas shopping

this weekend, as well as most of our grocery shopping for Christmas Eve.

The Cali kids are arriving on Friday, so the preparation will begin

for Christmas week.

I brought out the dishes I wanted to use for our casual setting

on the kitchen farmhouse table......

Casual, yet festive!

I love, love, love using my Debbie Mumm collection of holiday plates!

Do you bring out your collection of Christmas books

and place them in various nooks and cranny's of the house?

I love doing that!

It makes no difference your age....

who doesn't love to sit down and read a beautiful

Children's book of Christmas.......

I adore adding seasonal luxury soaps and towels

in all the bathrooms for guests...

this brand of soaps is a bit pricey but absolutely divine!

How vintage!!!!

Mother's sideboard is ready for offering her Russian Spice Tea

I love the warmth and nostalgia that the 

Victorian era offers during the holidays....

all those cozy, fuzzy holiday memories......

We added a new HUGE snowman to our front entryway

which we have named Wallace....he stands next to our

HUGE nutcracker we call Winston....they are very grand gentleman!!!

All the special goodies are beginning to appear....

a very special and joyous feeling overtakes us on

Christmas Eve as we listen to

Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Silent Night.....

The darling finally finished his latest puzzle, which is a real stunner...

the colors in this puzzle are so, so vibrant!!!

We made our annual trip to the Container Store yesterday

and stocked up on wrapping paper.....

added a new cookie tin.....

and purchased new gift bags...

I'm telling you, they are works of art......

You know alot of work, and effort goes in to planning for

Christmas Day....and I think it's worth every bit...

to make it a feast for the senses for our families.....

Everyone loves gathering in our formal living room

for cocktails in the evening....

I have planned my Christmas Eve outfit for photos with the darling in my life...

I am going for a vintage look...yes a tulle skirt...I am not even going

to think about how old we are now...I have always wanted to wear

a tulle skirt, so indeed I am.....

Christmas comes but once a year....

let's add a little glamour to our life!

This is Mae Mobley's annual Christmas tree photo....

she IS the most beautiful girl in the world....to us anyway..

kisses darling girl!!!