Christmas Flash Mob...

I just discovered this video and had to share it with you. 

 Be sure to watch to the end to see the faces and the unexpected response of these mall shoppers

 at the arrival of some very special guests.  

 Awesome!

Click Here to View

Hoping each and every one of you had the most Blessed Christmas Season.

Warm Hugs,

Wednesday Wrap Party #5......

Today, I'm featuring 

  I Craft with Love 

click to read more of this gift wrap post.

The Wrap Party is open for linking up until midnight Friday for anyone who would like to share.

Please share your Wrap Party Post, not your Home Page

Link Back here

Grab a Button

Comments are encouraged

Warm Hugs and Happy Wrapping!

Galena, Illinois..........

My husband and I took an afternoon to visit the quaint little shops of Galena, Illinois.......

click photos to enlarge

Did you notice the house waaaaaay up on the upper level street......

click photos to enlarge

It was too dark and rainy for me to get a good photo of the famous Galena Steps.... This photo is courtesy of city-data.com  here

An enjoyable day despite being a dreary drizzling rainy day.  The expected scenic drive with views of miles of rolling hills instead turned to dense fog in the Chestnut Mountain area. 

We crossed a few more  gifts off our Christmas list as we visited a variety of specialty and gift shops, antiques shops, winery.... loved the beautiful patina on these old industrial pieces on display at a spice shop....... looks like an antique hand-carved bread dough bowl on top of this old cart.......

I just had to share these with you, they were beautiful.........

 Cute little cupcake plates!...........

Here we were greeted by two Yellow Doodles. I don't know how they maneuver the shop without knocking things off the tables.....

.........they're used to having their picture taken and were happy to posed very nicely........

Then it was treat time............

We enjoyed dinner at Fried Green Tomatoes, and yes, we had the fried green tomatoes appetizer, yum!

I had Tiramisu for dessert...... But we couldn't leave before walking down the street to the Chocolat' Shop  for some imported European chocolates to enjoy at home later........heavenly!

Hope your shopping days are enjoyable ones.

Warm Hugs,

http://www.city-data.com/album/album-Galena-Illinois.html

Wednesday Wrap Party #4.....Pillow Box How To.....

Just the right size for tucking into Stockings...... can hold any number of smalls.....candy, gift cards, money, sample sized lotions, colognes.....

Chose a greeting card with a center image. I can usually find a box of 8 or 10 at a dollar store.  

trim off a narrow strip along the inside back edge......

with the card closed, turn to the back cover,

score along the edge you just trimmed,

 fold the front cover over the back cover.....you'll glue or tape it later,

with the card open again,

trace and score a shallow curve on the top and bottoms of both the front and back pages of the card.......

on the front page trace and score between the folds...

Now secure that narrow folded edge to the back cover with glue or tape.

When glue is dry, apply light pressure to the curved scored lines to fold inward. 

You've just made a "Pillow Box".

What little goodies will you fit inside? 

To keep it from popping open, apply a little piece of tape, or tie with ribbon or string.

Warm Hugs,



~The Wednesday Wrap Party is open for anyone who'd like to share.

~Please remember to link to your post not your home page and link back here.

~Grab a party button.

~Link time runs until midnight Fridays.

Boar's Head Festival..........

Last evening our family attended "Boar's Head Festival" ........

.....A thrilling biennial musical medieval production.

My daughter is a member of the chorale choir and told us her choir was performing this weekend and asked us if we would like to attend. 

She has been in a number of choirs throughout high school and college so I assumed it would be pretty much like any other "concert" as the choir takes the stage and sings various holiday selections.

Boy was I wrong!

I couldn't even see my daughter as they were located in the back balcony of the massive church.

The accoustics were great......music was awesome, in addition to the chorale choir there was also a bell choir and an orchestra.

The preshow was medievel style music played with some sort of recorder flutes.

During the program the sanctuary was dark making it difficult to take photos without disturbing others around me so I had to restrain myself to only a few (no flash of course).

Spotlights followed the characters as they made their way from the back entrances down the center and both outside aisles.

There was audience participation.......large baskets of pretty decorated cookies were passed during the "Feast" scenes and we all got to eat. I got a really tasty gingerbread christmas tree with green sugar sprinkles.

At one point "beggers" made their entrance from all points including throwing ropes over the balconies and repelling down to the floor.....

they jumped off the stage into the audience walking over the pews between audience members as they begged for coins to be tossed into their pewter steins.

I was so stunned, eventhough I had my camera in my lap, I couldn't think fast enough what to do,

I tried to scoot over as he stepped between my husband and I, singing robustly in his robinhood attire shaking his cup at me....

I reached for my purse and my husband reached for his wallet,

I reached for my camera,

then quickly moved my sweater off the seat so he didn't slip on it falling off the seat......

 he was quickly gone, having climbed over to the pew behind us!

The Christ candle remained lit throughout the entire program.......

The Bethlehem scenes told the story

 of the birth of the Christ child

 with more great music

and a beautiful graceful ballet ........

Here is  Mary, Joseph and a 3 month old as the Christ child who was perfectly behaved and even slept some of the time.

Great traditional Christmas hymns with audience participation.......

I couldn't even hear myself singing the music was so joyful and overwhelming with all the audience, choir, orchestra....WOW!

I would definitely recommend going if you have the chance to attend a Boar's Head Festival.

Warm Hugs,

Christmas Cookies....a Family Tradition..........

Growing up, my mom had the best cut-out cookie recipe....

she and my sisters and I would make and decorate cookies for every holiday......

.....I've continued this tradition with my own children.

I treasure these photos of my two oldest taken 20 years ago!!! 

(My third and youngest was born 4 months later.)

I snapped these cookie pics last Christmas season..........

I usually send a tray to my husbands office.......

the neighbors next door and across the street.......

of course, Christmas with the family at Gramma's..........

My youngest daughter recently learned the flooding method of cookie decorating.....

These are her cookies.......

All packaged up for sale at the Church Bazaar last month.

These snowflake cookies were a gift from my daughter to the Grandparents last week.

I was too late in getting my camera, they'd already been wrapped.

After falling in love with some elf cookies she saw at Sweet Sugarbelle here ,

 following the tutorial, my daughter made these adorable cookies,

complete with a little rosy pearl dust blush on their cheeks.......

She baked these on a stick and arranged in a cookie bouquet..........

These Rice Krispie Treat Christmas Tree Pops (on a stick) went to the Church Bazaar.......

Although they're not "cookies" I just had to share these  Reindeer Pops made from chocolate covered marshmallows with pretzel antlers.

Super Cute!.......

I saw them last year at Betty Crocker Wannabe

 (see the tutorial here)

and knew they'd be a big hit at our Bazaar as well.

There is always a mad dash to the cookie walk and the candy room, most all of our donations were sold out in the first 20 minutes.

Wishing you happy kitchen memories with lots of lovin' from the oven this holiday season and throughout the new year,

Warm Hugs,

Sharing at..... Sew Many Ways 

 

 

P.S.   I just found directions for a similar reindeer pop and can't wait to make them.....

 

Setting the chocolate dipped marshmallow on top of 

whole pretzels until the chocolate sets would be

sooo much easier than trying to break the pretzels

evenly and then trying to insert into the marshmallow.

See more here:

 

http://makenmold.com/Create/Projects/Christmas.aspx