Grandkids Vacation Sleep-over Dinner

Does this not say "PARTY!" to you?

I found the same Department 56 cake cover that Susan at Between Naps on the Porch
found during my post- holiday bargain hunting.

You can bet I was squealing with excitement when I saw it!

It looks okay on my Mikasa Christmas cake plate
but I'll be on the hunt for the one that really goes with it.

Look how cute it looks with these towels I machine embroidered last year.

I ♥ that LIME GREEN!

I decided to use it as my centerpiece for a Christmas vacation
sleep-over dinner with the grandkids this week.

The table is all set with the Gibson white plates &
different snow scenes on the salad plates for each person.

The napkins are tucked between the sled runners
of these cute little snowmen favors that I found at the Dollar Store.
Each one is different & they can take them home with them the next day.

Besides the cake I'm making to go under my new cake dome,
they will hopefully finish up the leftover Christmas cookies.
I need to stay away from these!

I'm making hot cocoa for everyone in these darling little teddy bear mugs.
I didn't put them on the table since I will need to be pouring HOT liquids nearer to the stove.
Safety first when those sweeties are underfoot!

Can you see my poor rosemary plant out the window behind the mugs?
It is covered with snow!

Check out the hot tub, too!!! Yikes!
That's got to be about 6 to 8 inches of the four letter word...SNOW

We are in the middle of a massive lake effect snow warning today &
it has been coming down in big fluffy flakes all day long!

Thank goodness they weren't supposed to be coming over today.
They are probably outside sledding & making snow angels.
When you're young, winter in Ohio can be lots of fun!




Taken this morning......Look how its grown overnight!!!!

It's almost time for another Tablescape Thursday with our gracious hostess,
Susan of Between Naps on the Porch!

Be sure to stop by her beautiful blog to see other participants in the party!
Thanks Susan for hosting this fun event each week.

ITS CHRISTMAS AT THE GAZEBO HOUSE!!!!!

We've got snow!!

Inside & Out!

May the Blessings of the Christ Child

be upon you this Christmas.

May your wishes for the joys of

life come true during this

most glorious of seasons.

May the Christ Child light your days

and warm your heart and home.

May Peace and gladness bless your

little corner of the world.

May the Christmas season bring

The best to you and yours.

May the world use His light

as a beacon to guide us to

an everlasting Peace.

Merry Christmas from

The Gazebo House to yours!




To all my family & friends, I have loved sharing my life & home with you this past year!
I have enjoyed every moment of my time blogging.
I have become attached to my favorite blogs and
can't wait for updates and installments that have become a part of my life.
In 2010 I want to read more, comment more and discover more in this wonderful world.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Welcome to Christmas Eve dinner at the Gazebo House!

We had my daughter, her husband and my three grandchildren join us

along with my husband's son & wife who are visiting from Australia.

We sat five adults at the dining room table, shown here and

I was happy to be at the children's table with all my grands around me.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures of that one.

I used the same dishes but a different centerpiece.

I used my Lenox Eternal china on red chargers

along with the Presentation salad plates by Lenox

and their Eternal Christmas soup bowls and bread plates.

I made herb encrusted beef tenderloin

with a horseradish-dill sauce,

buttery mashed potatoes and salad with various choices of dressings.

I served Dijon vinaigrette marinated green beans in the crystal bowl shown above.

A close up view of the Eternal Christmas soup bowl.

You can see some of the scalloped ribbon

design on the salad plate.

I think they look like little wrapped packages

with their bow at the top!

I've had the French horn centerpiece for years

but this is the first time I've used little French horn

ornaments as napkin rings.

My grandson, Charlie, kept trying to toot his but it didn't work!

The napkins have some of the words from the

almost 1000 year old song, The Holly and the Ivy

written in gold script.






♫ The holly and the ivy, ♫
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:
O, the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom,
As white as lily flow'r,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our dear Saviour: Refrain
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To do poor sinners good: Refrain ♫

The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas Day in the morn: Refrain ♫

The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as the gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all: Refrain ♫

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown: Refrain ♫

The tablecloth with the gold embroidery and cutwork

was purchased last year at Tuesday Morning, on clearance.

I was very disappointed in how it wouldn't lay flat

around the areas of the cutwork.

I also managed to get a scorch mark on it

from a spark when I blew out the candles.

"C'est la vie"

This sofa table was moved to the wall where the big mirror previously hung.

I set all the desserts up in this area, along with some Christmas tea.

These pieces are some of my collection of Christmas Fitz & Floyd.

They were featured on the cover of the December issue of

Southern Living magazine in 2000, the same year I purchased most of them.

I saved that issue!

These were ALL filled with cookies.

Now they are half empty!

The ivory sleigh I've had for years but I just found the matching

Santa this year at Home Goods.

Next year, I think I will try to sew up a sack & fill it with miniature

presents to display in the sleigh instead of just greens.

Last but certainly not least, is my handmade creche,

that I cherish.

This was a gift from my sister in law in 1978

when she took a ceramics class.

May the warm glow of this holiday season remain with you

throughout the coming New Year!

Gratitude

I brought my husband home from the hospital last Monday,
one week after his heart attack.
He is doing a little better each day & I am so very grateful to still have him with me.
Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.
It amazes me how even the smallest thing he is able to do now can make me
grateful for this gift of a little more time with him.
Like helping to empty the dishwasher or take out the garbage!
It can be a single moment of time together or a simple, random act of kindness,
like a hug & a whispered "thank you".
Gratitude is such a feeling of pure thankfulness, counting your blessings
& just noticing the simple pleasures.

Gratitude changes your focus from what you lack in life
to the abundance that is already present.

His humor has not left him.
Yesterday, while making his breakfast, I dropped something behind him & startled him.
Immediately, he quipped

"What are you trying to do....give me a heart attack?"

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday.
He was able to assist in draping the pearl garlands &
pointed out several bare spots that needed another ornament.
He's always been good at delegating. *wink*

I will take pictures as soon as the sun returns to Ohio.
It has been very dark & gloomy these past few days &
not conducive to photographs with my antique digital camera.


Prior to his heart attack, I had taken some photos,
hoping to participate in Marty's Cloche Party at A Stroll Thru Life.
He was in the hospital that week & I never got to share them, so here are a few now.
I am also finally getting to participate in Susan's
Deck the Halls Party at her beautiful blog, Thoughts From Over The Rainbow.


Remember I used this apothecary jar with the beaded apples for my sewing friend's luncheon centerpiece.
The attached heart shaped key is actually a bottle opener &
was a favor at hubby's grandson's wedding this past June in Chicago.

I switched the apples for some white iridescent Christmas bulbs &
used my deckle edge scissors to cut up one of last year's Christmas cards to tie beneath the key.
A bow of white & gold ribbon ties it into the color scheme of my holiday decorations.

I placed a hemstitched linen hand towel that I embroidered
an angel on last year next to it....again, white & gold.

As I walked around the house looking for something that would resemble a cloche,
I thought about this little Christmas tree.
I'm pretty sure it was an Avon collectable item from years ago.
The 3 lights blink in random fashion when the battery switch is turned on &
it looks really pretty sitting on my Mikasa Christmas cake plate.

This could be considered a cloche, don't you think????

On the dining room table, I had another cake plate keeping some homemade kolachi fresh.
I'll try to remember to post the recipe for Foodie Friday.

I made the free standing lace ornament that is tied on top
with my embroidery machine last year &
used the same white & gold wired ribbon to tie it into the color scheme.

That works as a cloche, right?

The frosted glass block next to it was something many of us made when we lived in FL.

Our husbands drilled a small hole in the side....that was the hard part,
as they had to keep pouring water over the drill bit to keep it cool.

We spray painted them to look like they were frosted with snow.

We stuffed a strand of 50 mini lights inside, leaving just the tail of the plug out.
Wrapped them with more wired white & gold ribbon & added a holiday pick.
They look beautiful lit at night but you can't leave them on too long.
Heat builds up, even with just 50 lights & they will burn out quickly if left on too long.

As I continued to walk around, I spied the perfect little cloche that I've own for years!
It sits on an end table next to Miss C's photo.
It is HER little candy dish....nobody else ever eats the M&M's in there.
I'm surprised her brothers don't devour them but they don't seem interested in it & never touch it.

I moved it over beside the glass block so you can
see just how little it really is.

I switch the colors according to the season & she is always surprised by what she finds.
Last month they were orange & brown.
In the spring, I will do pastels.

I hope to get some more decorations up to share before
hubby's son & wife arrive from Australia for the holidays.


It will truly be a very special Christmas indeed this year
with a new appreciation for every single day together!