HAPPY PINK SATURDAY ON NEW YEAR'S DAY!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

2011

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com

WHITE CHRISTMAS IN ATLANTA

Good morning on this day after Atlanta's first white Christmas in over 100 years! Although not much snow for some of you, it was pretty exciting for those of us here in the Deep South! We're also thankful that we didn't wake up to an ice-storm this morning. I hope everybody had a very merry Christmas!

An even bigger event than the snow (at our house, at least!), was the fact that this was my daughter's first-ever experience at being the hostess for our family's Christmas celebration. She did a spectacular job, and I'm so proud of her! She has a wonderful house for entertaining and she and her husband are practically legends among their friends for their fun and frequent parties. They treated us to a wonderful Christmas Day, full of love and priceless memories.

 

 Presents!

 Lola---my grandchild...

as in "Let me get this straight.. my grandchild is a DOG?"

The aftermath!

Cheers!

Today, I'm joining Seasonal Sundays

PINK SATURDAY AT CHRISTMASTIME

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com

I'm also linking to the Christmas Tour of Homes 2010 at www.thenester.com
cottageandvine.blogspot.com
http:/www.allthingsheartandhome.com

Typically, the kitchen is the hub of activity in most homes, and mine is no exception. I've always enjoyed decorating this room, since it's the one I spend the most time in. There seems to be an endless possibility of culinary-related things with which to "Christmas-up" this space!

The first thing I do is to prop up this wooden gingerbread man wreath on the stove hood. I bought this 30 years ago, when my daughter was a baby, and I've used it every year since!

 

The next thing I do is to place this little tree on one end of the island. With Santa and Mrs. Santa standing underneath, it's the first thing we see when coming in the back door. I leave the lights plugged in all the time, so it's a cheery sight when coming home late at night from a Christmas party.

 

 

 

 The cute little baking snow people came from Williams-Sonoma quite a few years ago.

 

The kitchen window sill gets trimmed out with a few pieces from my reindeer collection. They have bobble-heads, which for some silly reason, never fails to delight me! The two green polka-dotted pieces are the work of the late folk artist, Penny McCallister (http://www.christmastraditions.com/Merchand/PenPals/PenPals.htm)

I saw her and her work featured, years ago, in Country Living magazine. Sadly, she passed away earlier this year. I was so excited when I received one at a gift exchange and found another one at one of my favorite shops.  The darling metal wreath is another 30 year-old treasure that I bring out every year.

Don't you love her eyelashes?

...And, a little cheer over the breakfast table, with a garland and some country French animal friends, from one of my favorite shops, Pierre Deaux...