Happy New Year’s Eve, 2013!!!

Baby, its COLD outside!

We've had snow off & on for days now.

 

The trees have a thick blanket of snow on their branches.

Our Christmas wreath is covered in the white stuff!

Just look at that dreary, grey sky.

It is very slippery outside, too.

Not much light shining through these lanterns!

There is ice on the windows & sidewalks...

it is very treacherous to walk,

even with my "FUGGS"...

Ms. C. informed me that is what 

they call faux UGG boots.
That kid cracks me up!  LOL 

So we're staying inside, 

nice & safe & cozy by the fireplace,

on New Year's Eve, this year.

"Amateurs Night" as my hubby calls it. 

 I've prepared a cheese & cracker platter

along with some crab puffs as our

appetizers to go with champagne.

The crab puffs are REALLY easy...
just open the box & bake!

source

 I have freshly steamed lobsters ordered

from our local store, for our dinner.

All I have to do is melt the butter &

get out the cracking tools!

Frozen cranberries will help to keep the champagne chilled.

 We prefer Asti Spumanti for such special celebrations...

or just "Asti" as it is referred to lately.

I have some pretty bottle stoppers to help retain

some of the fizz while we slowly sip,

because, as you know, you'll NEVER

get that cork back into the bottle! 

 

A single soft pink rose, 

representing 

"Love, Gratitude & Appreciation"

 adds to the ambiance.

Did you know that the different colors

of roses have different meanings?

Proflowers.com has a long list of the

various colors & their meanings.

 

I've heard it said that if you have 3 of anything,

then you've got a *collection* going.

I guess I have a collection of bottle stoppers

started, then. 

Last year, one of my birthday gifts,

 from my beautiful daughter was this

black velvet & silver case, containing

an intricately carved bottle stopper 

with 3 onyx stones & 2 sparkling chips.

I don't think they're real diamonds

but they sure are pretty!

 

  

Another birthday gift from my step-daughter

was this Oleg Cassini crystal bottle stopper,

etched with the initial of both my first & last name.

My husband bought us the crystal heart shaped stopper,

as an anniversary gift one year...

we were married on Valentines Day,

so *hearts* are very significant & sentimental

 symbols for us. 

 I'm so very grateful to be able to share a 

hug & a kiss & a toast 

for one more

  "Happy New Year" together!

The older we get,

the more we cherish

just one more day.

 

I hope each of you has a wonderfully happy &

more importantly, HEALTHY

New Year!

Thank you for all your wonderful comments & 

for sharing bits & pieces of your lives & 

the world where you live.

I've enjoyed your visits immensely &

hope to continue to visit with you

in 2014.

I'm linking to Cuisine Kathleen's 

"Lets Dish" party,

Marty's A Stroll Thru Life for "Inspire Me"

Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for

"Tablescape Thursday" &
Michael Lee's Foodie Friday at
Rattlebridge Farm &

The Tablescaper for "Seasonal Sundays".

Thank you, Ladies, for a really fun & educational year

of blog parties.

You're the BEST!!

My “Countdown To Christmas” Quilt

 

Back in September,

I shared my "Countdown to Christmas"

quilt top, once I finished piecing it.

At that stage, it is called a "flimsy" 

because it is so lightweight...

no batting or backing or quilting.

The star points are supposed to be  

"wonky", as in different lengths &

with points not touching the edges.

They are to appear as if
they float within the

large white square.

The free pattern, called "Starrey Eyed Quilt"

(not a typo... that is how they spelled it)

is available on Moda's website

 HERE.

 I picked it up from Janice at
The Ewe Tree... the gal who
does my the long arm machine quilting,

just in time for Christmas.

I was thrilled with how she quilted it!

I gave her free reign &

 just told her to "have Fun doing it!"

 She does all hand-guided quilting, 
nothing computerized.
I love how she placed swirls & 

curly-Q's inside the squares.

That technique of juxtaposing patterns

always adds interesting contrast for the eye.

All month, I've had the quilt draped

 over the banister railing,

 leading downstairs, 

where everyone who came to visit 

could immediately see it. 

I hate to put it away!

I think I'll leave it over the back

 of the sofa in my sewing room,

where I can enjoy seeing it every day!

I hope YOU enjoyed seeing it today, too.

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

I'm linking to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday

as well as Marty's Inspire Me on Tuesday &

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays.

Please stop by these wonderful ladies' blogs for

much more inspiration, in so many other forms.

They provide lots of *calorie-free eye candy*! 

Christmas Cookies

 We're still enjoying lots of Christmas Cookies 

here at The Gazebo House.

These darling little *Brownie Bites* came from

my local grocery store,  Giant Eagle & were delicious...

They would be easy to make with a

boxed brownie mix & your mini muffin pan!

 If you look closely, you can see that the sprinkles are 

in the shape of candy canes.
    

 It is tea time now & I'm enjoying

some of the cookies that I made...

Toffee Studded Snickerdoodles!

The recipe is from Hershey's website here:

Toffee Studded Snickerdoodles 

 

  

My fun little snowman teapot 

sits nearby my apothecary jar.

His hat is the cover to the sugar bowl

which is his head,

his middle section is the creamer &

the lower portion forms the 

actual teapot base.

  

Isn't he cute?

You did know that I collect teapots, right?

You can see part of my collection HERE & HERE.

 This pretty machine embroidered

 hemstitched linen hand towel is doing

double duty as a napkin today.

 After doing the embroidery design,

I hand stitched two pieces of a narrow, 

satin ribbon at the back of
each side of the towel, 

then threaded it from both sides,

through the openings in the hem stitching.

Tie a bow at the middle & you're done!

 Another big, sparkley bow &

some glittery snowflakes add

to the festive look.

I hope you are still enjoying the warmth

and glow of the Season!

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

I'm linking to Michael Lee's Foodie Friday,

Marty's Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me on Tuesday

Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish on Wednesday &

The Tablescaper's Season Sundays party, too. 

Christmas Eve Tablescape, 2013

 I ♥♥♥ the hushed calm that comes over the world 

as night falls on Christmas Eve.

My daughter & her husband, 

along with their three children will
join us for dinner

after the children's Mass is over.

This year, we don't have any other family members coming, 

so everyone will sit at the dining room table.  

Won't the Littlest Angel feel extra special, 

no longer relegated to the 

"children's table"?! 

My table looks similar to last year but is still a little different.

Bright RED chargers set off my

Lenox "Holiday" patterned china...

don't you think they should have spelled that "HOLLYday"??

I'm mixing in some Lenox "Eternal" & "Winterberry" items 

just so it doesn't look so *matchy-matchy*  

Each place setting has a gold 

swirly-scrolled box 

with chocolate candy inside.  

(Frango Mints, made in Chicago)

My son in law was born there & 

did his undergraduate degree
at Northwestern University.  

They had the same mints on the tables 

at their wedding 19 years ago, this same week!

I am ever so grateful to my little sister, 

for giving me our Mom's

 vintage ruby-red based crystal stems! 

I was able to find a few more pieces 

to add to the collection, 

so now I've got 

water, wine/champagne & sherberts to use.

You can see a wee bit of the gold threads 

in the cutwork tablecloth beneath in the photos.  

I had to repair a teeny-tiny scorch mark

 that a spark made when I was blowing out a candle.  

I hand stitched a scroll motif
over the scorched area

with gold metallic thread &

 you can't even tell where it was.

Whew!! 

When I originally set the table, 

I put out some Waterford stems 

to go along with the vintage crystal.

Hubby walked by & said 

"What's up with all the glasses???" 

He talked me into moving them

to the bar area, to use

 for wine upon arrival,

but I'd already taken many of these photos.

 The centerpiece French horn with white silk poinsettias 

will get supplemented with fresh white roses

later today, so they will stay looking nice
as long as possible.

My favorite heavy lead crystal

Ralph Lauren candlesticks are 

surrounded with matching candle rings.

 The side table is set with several Fitz & Floyd pieces, 

ready for coffee or tea and dessert.
I made the "Courthouse Steps"
tablerunner last year.

(Free Pattern is HERE) 

Santa & his sleigh 

(two of them, actually) 

stand guard over the goodies!

I hope to be able to copy the white roses arrangement

 that I had professionally made for 

my tennis luncheon last year.  

Go here to see it: 
 White Rose Arrangements in Sleigh

I bought myself an early Christmas gift of 

salad tongs to match my Lenox dishes.  

I will use them for many months, 

as the holly & heart shaped berries 

will work beautifully all winter in Ohio.

(You'll probably see them again on Valentines Day!)

 Just a few more close-up shots so you can see the 

pretty etching on the bowls of the stemware.

Thanks Ruth E. for sending these to me!!!   

I just love them!

 I considered using some bigger red goblets that I have & 

then decided against them, 
but I wanted to include this photo of one, 
because you can see the reflection of 

the great room's arched window on it.

I don't know why I'm always so intrigued

 by surprise reflections, but I just am.

 I'm intending to put the ice cream filled sherberts on these pretty Christmas plates, along with some cookies for dessert.  

We'll be having Peppermint Stick ice cream,

 with its cute little red & green flecks of candy in it.

I made TONS of cookies...Chocolate Crinkles, 

shortbread with Ghiradelli chocolate drops,

Christmas Tree spritz cookies & 

Toffee Snickerdoodles along with the 

standard cut-out sugar cookies.

Below is one of several cute containers 

I found to use as a gift container.

A bakers dozen of round cookies fits inside perfectly!

Aren't they cute?

I wish I could give each one to each of you!

Thanks so much for visiting The Gazebo House today.

May you have a very

 Blessed Merry Christmas!!

I'm linking to Cuisine Kathleen's "Let's Dish" party,

Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for "Tablescape Thursday"

The Tablescaper for "Seasonal Sundays"

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her party "Inspire Me"