Thursday, July 9, 2009

Welcome to the First Annual Christmas in July Party!


I am so excited about this party - Christmas is such a wonderful time because of the get-togethers, decorations and just the spirit of Joy!! Some of you are ahead of me and I don't want to keep you waiting so I will put up Mr. Linky now and add my post after dinner (it's still early here). Thank you to all who are participating or gathering ideas. I feel very fortunate to have such creative, graceful and dynamic bloggers stop by my little Internet corner.
This little guy is one of my collection - he has such a sweet face. I started collecting snowmen about 10 years ago without really knowing that I was collecting until one Christmas I looked at my mantel and said "Hey - I have a lot of snowmen!" I can't wait to see your holiday homes and traditions!Updated - 9:00pm - wouldn't you know it - computer is giving me fits - so I have to keep shutting down and starting over! I have already peeked at Jo's' and Robin's Posts. These two ladies are very creative and have beautiful Holiday homes! I thought I had many more photos than I actually do, but I think I'll manage. First I would like to show you the rest of that wooden Santa from this morning. He sits next to one of my favorite trees - the wine tree.
The base of this tree is sitting in a wine glass surrounded by corks. The tree was $1.00 with lights and the glass was a gift. The corks come with the bottles.
The ornaments were made by Momma. They are actually wine charms that get used about 3 times throughout the season. It is such fun tree! The topper is a wine bottle ornament that Momma gave me - isn't it the cutest!?This is the Thanksgiving Table- yep you read that right - Thanksgiving. We have about 16-20 people every year. I start decorating on the Veteran's Day weekend so that our family can enjoy the holiday spirit at Thanksgiving. It is the only time that we all get together at our house during the season, as we go to the In-laws for Christmas morning. It's sort of a joke now - it's called Christmas-giving. I really enjoy it because there is no expectation of presents - it's just the family together in a joyfully decorated home! It gets everyone in the spirit!
PC has been in-charge of deep frying the turkey for the past three years. It works out really well because before deep frying I use to slow cook the bird for about 20 hours. So now my oven is free and the bird is just as juicy.
This is Momma's prize Manger scene - she collects them. It is so beautiful gilded and bejeweled and has the most precious baby Jesus.
The library becomes the Angel room at this time f year. I have been collecting angels since I was a child of about 9 years old. Most of these were gifts including the ornaments on the tree. The photos of the collections are from 2 different years, I change things up a little each year. You have seen this before - but I just love it. I also love how the columns look all wrapped up like a pretty package.
We weren't really expecting the snow storm that we received this year, so I sprayed the french doors to the scrap room to ensure that we had a white Christmas. This tree sat was part of my grammas decorations - I was so thrilled the day Momma gave it to me for my home!This year we had a white Christmas. There were 5 teenagers snowed in with us for 4 days. Thank goodness we had gone grocery shopping the day before. If you look at the entertainment center -I have the Mervyn's (sniff, sniff) village displayed. I have been adding 1 piece a year for about 10 years. NOW I have to start a new village.You can see most of the snowmen collection - I really like snowmen! See the teenagers? They are exhausted from playing in the snow. The blankets draped on the couch were made for each of the kiddos by PC's momma for their first christmas.My laundry room holds my childhood raggedy Ann & Andy. And can you see Santa's clothesline?What you see here is Momma preparing for the bake-a-thon that is about to happen in our home. We have hosted a cookie exchange for the last two years. The first year about 12 women showed up and we had a blast. This year people were asking me for invitations be cause they missed last year and wanted to make sure they were still invited. I use THE expert advice of Robin over at Robin's Web. She has everything that you would ever want to know about hosting an exchange on her site. Momma and I put a lot of hard work into creating a relaxing get-ready for the holiday atmosphere. We host this on the first Sunday of December in the afternoon. This year our theme was gingerbread men. So we put together a recipe booklet for everyone ( we made 30!) with he theme throughout. I wish we had a picture of the invitations - tooo cute. Momma did most of the work this year because I got really bust at work - I don't know what I would have done without her. This year's theme is Snowmen.
While I was away for a conference (the weekend of!) Baby Girl and Momma baked a lot of cookies. This was Baby Girl's first baking project - she did great! She had to roll and slice 8 dozen cookies and then she made another batch of a different kind! But Momma had to tell her a few times to stop texting.
I mixed the dough for these little guys and got a few rolled out but poor momma got stuck with the rest. But she did wait for me to come home to decorate them. They tasted as good as they looked! It was a chewy gingerbread recipe (I'll post it tomorrow for foodie Friday).This was the table for the first year we did the exchange this was our table. I was thrilled! You can see my Santa Collection in the china hutch.We give a prize to he most festively dressed and it is stiff competition for those serious about getting the prize!The second year was unbelievable! SOOOO many cookies. It really is a fun thing to do, we serve appetizers and desert, wine, eggnog and Hot apple cider. I strongly suggest this tradition!

Thanks for stopping by or joining the part today. Hopefully you can take away some inspiration for the upcoming holiday, after all it is only 167 days and 22 hours away! TaTa for now!

Mr. Linky was being weird so we have to use the comment linky...sorry.


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15 comments:

Jo said...

I used the comment link but didn't see my comment so being blog challenged I thought I'd leave it here as well Thanks for hosting. My post for Christmas in July is at http://jos2ndact.blogspot.com/2009/07/christmas-in-july-blog-party.html

Jo

Dawn said...

I really enjoyed seeing all your decorations and hearing about your Christmas. I had hoped to join in the fun but just couldn't get my act together to find old photos and get them scanned. I'm thinking I need to click on a few of those oranizing links you follow!
Dawn

Poppedijne said...

I love your decorations and the story's and memories you share with us. What a shame mr Linky is playing up. Come and visit me in Belgium for my Xmas party in July.
http://poppedijne.blogspot.com/2009/07/xmas-in-july-and-foody-friday.html

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Sorry I didnt have a chance to prepare my post. Grandma Peg had a fall last night and I didnt get it complete. However, I did put your link up on my blog.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I love traditions, I think that is what makes FAMILIES in the real sense. I loved all the photos. Fun post!
Have agreat weekend.

wayward windra said...

thank you so much sweetie, for the happy memory trip. i've been on this computer for the last 2 or 3 hours looking at the other christmas blog parties, and drifting into other blogs. it's been lots of fun....

love the new songs. kenny's christmas song reminded me of your christmas in hawaii - and all of the christmas music put me right back at home with you guys. i will sure miss you this year (i'm gonna cry...) grama loves the hippopotomuses song. she was singing it to herself earlier this evening...at least the chorus part...

prayers, loves and hugs
mom

namaste

3 Bay B Chicks said...

You are hilarious. I adored this post and can safely say that I have never seen anything like this in the blogosphere before.

Thank you for putting me in the Christmas spirit months before I usually am. Now, how can I get my hands on some gingerbread in July? :)

-Francesca

B said...

What a great idea! Loved your post and love the Christmas music.

I so wish I could decorate more but with four little ones it is not worth constantly reminding them not to touch so the fragile decorations are put away until they are older.

Richaard said...

Here is a small collection of ideas for Christmas In July:
DICK PYATT’S FUN WAYS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN JULY-
Of course, one of funest ways to celebrate is to give a “Christmas Gift” in July. I was thinking of this when I put together a collection of traditional Christmas favorites such as Oh Christmas Tree, White Christmas, and Christmas Waltz for my CD, “A Christmas Gift.”.
And I thought at the same time, it may be as unusual as Christmas in July to include a dramatic and emotional rendering of two traditional songs of the Jewish faith, Eli, Eli and Kol Nidre, as a highlight on the CD as they are seldom performed in a secular music environment
Although the legendary Johnny Mathis , pictured with me on my CD,, A Christ mas Gift is one of a few who in his 1958 album for Columbia, “Good Night Dear Lord,” brought his mellow sounds to the great Yom Kippur show-stopper “Kol Nidre” and Yiddish theater hit “Eli Eli”.
In this context, one of the delights included on the CD is composer Al Petrone’s A Christmas Gift recorded a few years ago by among others, Julius La Rosa . The melody and sentiment created by former backup singers for the great Karen Carpenter on the CD turns July into a cold and warm cozy winter haven.
Now to get in the mood for the fun ways to celebrate Christmas in July , first, of course play my CD in the background and then Play Christmas prty games from A to Z.
Then Make Christmas decorations from plants, leaves, flowers, and twigs.
Make and decorate your favorite Christmas cookies.
Trim a live or artificial tree. Use one that's growing in your yard, or find a nice tree branch without leaves and decorate that with flowers, natural ornaments or ribbons. Hang shells, starfish and fishing lures for ornaments if you want a tropical Christmas theme.
Make a garland from paper decorations and string it up along your porch.
Decorate the house or garden with your favorite Christmas lights and decorations. Try some wacky party lights for a summertime twist - perhaps red and green chili pepper lights for your Christmas in July decorations.
Hang stockings for Santa to fill on July 24, or to fill with party favors.
Play Christmas music, or have a Christmas carol sing-along.
Make a treat-filled holiday pinata for the kids - pull-string style.
Hand out Christmas coloring books and small packets of crayons - or fill stockings with these.
And of course you’re playing a Christmas Gift Music ( remember?) and forgetting about the troubles of the world..

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh wow, what gorgeous decorations and your family traditions are just wonderful. We love to all get together and share huge dinners and exchange presents and laugh and enjoy each other. Your home is so pretty and all of he wonderful food looks so good. I also spotted that beautiful apothecary jar and wanted to remind you that the next "Cloche Party" is scheduled for Sept. 11th for the Fall season. Grab the button on my sidebar to remind you and to let your friends know. See you there. Hugs, Marty

Stacey said...

I just hate that I missed this party! It's funny because I've just been thinking about Christmas and hoping to start preparations ahead of time. Never have before but why not!

Dawn said...

Just popping in to say Hi! Noticed you haven't posted in a while. Hope your having a fabulous vacations some where and not melting in the hot CA sun like we are.
Dawn

B said...

DeAnna! Congratulations, you are the winner of my Christmas in July giveaway! I contacted you via email last week, but got no repsonse. Please email via the link on my blog with your address so that I can send you the prize. Have a nice weekend.

Pam @ Frippery said...

Wow, everything looks so festive. It is nice to get a little taste of Christmas in the midst of summer.

Brian + Cheryl B. said...

I stopped by your blog to verify that you were still hosting your Sunday "theme day".

In case you aren't sure why I would do that, please first go here: http://thehousethatlovebuilt.xanga.com/712911712/today--/

and then read this one:
http://thehousethatlovebuilt.xanga.com/712911311/sept-theme-days/

From what I could see, you are no longer hosting yours. Are my findings correct? Either way, PLEASE let me know via: pink bunnies (at) sbc global (dot) net

THANKS!!!
Cheryl B.

kanishk said...

Thank you for putting me in the Christmas spirit months before I usually am. Now, how can I get my hands on some gingerbread in July?
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