I put up most of our Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving weekend. We had a party last night which meant that yesterday was spent preparing the house for said party. While we were cleaning, I added more decorations and did some party prepping. A lot of these ideas are inexpensive and easy to do so I thought I'd share in case any of you still have halls to deck.

This table is were appetizers tend to go. Once it's time to sit down and eat, people also sit at this table. Since appetizers can be drippy, I cut a length of wrapping paper to place over the tablecloth. The idea was that I would take it off to reveal a clean tablecloth at the appropriate time but it worked out that the paper stayed put all night. The thing is that the paper looked better even with a bit of stuff dripped on it than the tablecloth alone would have. And it's cute! I folded the cut ends of the paper and taped them but I don't know that anyone noticed this touch.

We close up the garage for extra seating. We bought several inexpensive green plastic drop cloths and Steve stapled them to the top of the garage walls. They cover the garage stuff and make the room seem less like a garage. Steve stapled the lights to the ceiling in such a way that we can leave them up until next year. 

I have a big canvas drop cloth and another smaller one that together mostly covered the floor.

When the sun went down and the Christmas lights came on, and later when I lit the candles, this was a really nice room that seated about 25. We used two small electric space heaters which warmed the room in a very short time. Honestly, this was the quietest, nicest place to sit and eat and visit.

I used a variety of votives holders on the each table. I realized an hour before the party that they would look better on mirror tiles. I don't have any mirror tiles but I do have foil. I wanted to cut 3 at once so I did what any quilter would do… I tore off 3 sheets of foil, layered them, put a salad plate on top and cut around it with a small rotary cutter.

Did you know that when you did that with foil the edges are stuck together? I could not separate them. So one of these is 3 sheets thick and the rest are 2 sheets thick because 1 sheet of foil was a little too limp. They did the trick and were fast and cheep and pretty.

The orange guy is the CottonMonster I bought in Baltimore. He lives on the sofa now. To Christmas him up I pinned a red net bow to his head. I'm here to tell you, a red net bow will make almost anything holiday worthy.

Sparlky garlands in glass bowls are easy and flashy and pretty. I added Christmas balls to them in these bowls. I did this last year, I'll do it again next year. I had one extra lenth of red garland and I nailed it around the front door trim, inside the house. It was a very nice addition that I'll do again.

I've mostly got a red and white decorating scheme for Christmas. We decided to put appetizers on this small table too. This picnic cloth doesn't scream Christmas but it worked because of the color. I could have used wrapping paper too.

I hope you are having fun with your Christmas decorations! I'm finally done and am enjoying them. It is very possible that they will all come down on December 26 so we have 2 weeks of holiday cheer ahead at our house. To be completely honest, that's about all I can take. I like my house with less stuff everywhere – but for the next 2 weeks I can love it!

I've been home from Baltimore for a few days and have not really slowed down yet. I found my Christmas cards at the National Gallery in DC (nothing like waiting until almost the last minute). The artwork on the card is by Saul Steinberg and was first seen on the cover of the New Yorker magazine on November 29, 1976…

The inscription inside is Happy Holidays – to which I had to add "all of them". The only thing missing is a birthday cake! You could send this card at any time of the year but the people I'm sending to are getting theirs just about now.

I finished my Christmas ornaments. I've made a Christmas ornament for friends and family for the last 18 years. I was seriously short on an idea this year and was forced to skim Martha Stewart's site where luckily I found an idea. I bought little birds, bird nests, and feathers at Hobby Lobby. There was paint and glue and lots of glitter involved. I made each bird a different color because I have a dandy set of MS glitter. I should have taken a picture of them all together but didn't.

The ornaments are now packaged and many have been delivered. If nothing else, they sparkle!

Lorna and I have been working together to get orders out. In fact, she's pretty much running the shipping show – oh happy day! She knows stuff I don't know and I'm finding it good to learn new things. My bookkeeping has never been better.

Tis the season of parties and we have one at our house tomorrow so I have been trying to make the place more festive – and tidy. I've been baking and have more to bake and candy to make. I've got work to do with Christopher at his house starting next week (more on that next week). The list is longer than this and I have to stop thinking about it all because it's making me queasy.

In other news – Mom now has a cell phone! We got her a Jitterbug. It's red and cute and incredibly easy to use. Mom loves it and can use it. I know because she called me on it. I haven't called her back on it but probably should to be sure she can hear it. That is going near the top of the to do list…

Those of you on the POC newsletter list have probably gotten an email. There is some new stuff on the site. Click here to go to the home page for more on that if you want to.

So, time for a deep breath. You too because you are probably as crazy busy as I am. It will all get done and if it doesn't, tomorrow is another day. In fact, so what if it isn't all done by Christmas? Late presents, goodies, and good wishes are better than none at all!

Everyone had to work today. I’ve spent much of the day at Jeff’s dining table that, long ago, was my first dining table. It’s fun to re-visit so much of the furniture that Steve and I had before it became Jeff’s. I feel like I know how my mom must feel when she walks through our house. It’s nice to have the memories that go with the stuff without having the stuff itself.

Anyway, I think I’ve managed to pick up a cold and I want to share the hot drink Jeff made for me. Pour a tablespoon or so of lemon juice in a mug. Cut several (4-5) thin slivers of ginger root and put them in the mug. You don’t have to peel the root. Add boiling water. Let cool and drink. You can leave the ginger in the mug.

This drink is really good and feels like it is good for the cold-that’s-coming. I suppose you could add sugar but it’s good without it. Save the calories for something more exciting.

I’m also using a neti squeeze bottle that is similar to this one. Mom, at 79, has learned to love her neti squeeze bottle and Elanor has been using one since she was little. If you have sinus issues, you might want to give it a try. I use mine twice a day whether I have a cold or not. I’m using it 3 times a day now. The following movie shows how the neti squeeze bottle works.

I’ve been neti-ing for a long time without video instruction. I don’t look nearly this good when I use mine. And I tend to blow the water and stuff out right away. Maybe I’ll let it sit a bit before blowing later. See, you can learn something new every day if you just pay attention!

As I said, I’ve been visiting Jeff in Baltmore. We went to NYC on Friday to see what we could see. This is one of the Bergdorf windows. The crowds were crazy so we really didn’t spend much time looking at them or others. We saw the tree at Rockefeller Center. Wonderful. Too many people.

The structure of these buildings reminded me of quilts… Such good lines and colors and textures.

And the cloud formation above us reminded Jeff and me of dandelions in the wind.

The end of the line was marked with these black and white containers. A reminder of how powerful a black and white pattern is.

We visited the Guggenheim, a museum I will want to visit again.

I loved the interlocking circular patterns that are everywhere inside. Even the water fountains are wonderfully round. The water drops were beautiful… at least I thought so. Jeff shook his head and pretended he didn’t know me when I was taking this photo.

NYC is full of strange and wonderful things. Everywhere you look. Seriously, this is the strangest gargoyle I have ever seen…

We took a MegaBus to and from NYC, got home late. We slept in Saturday and went shopping in Baltimore. I spotted this doorway…

Have fun and be lucky… it kind of says it all, does it not? Almost as good as live long and prosper. Except I’m not saying it with a tattoo.

Bought this papercut at the Charm City Craft Fair. Great, wonderful craft show! Maybe the best I’ve every shopped.

Saw the costumed lady with the snow globe headdress a couple of times. I never did stop and ask exactly what the costumes were for. Why didn’t I? Because Jeff would have disowned me. He prefers to take this sort of thing in stride without fuss. So I suppose that means you and I both can imagine a story to go with the photo. They were really nice and smiled graciously when I took their photo.

Today we went to Washington DC. We walked some more which is good. I keep eating and need to walk it off.

The grass on the national mall needs to be walked on less. It’s pretty sad. The buildings are impressive but they would look a lot better if the grass was good. The crowds were light, the weather was crisp and pretty, people were pleasant. Doesn’t get much better.

I took this shadow photo of me and Jeff. I like these things.

The reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial is being renovated. This view would be a lot better with water in the pool but Jeff still looks nice, doesn’t he?

I took the photo of the White House from between the irons of the fence. For a house, it’s pretty impressive but it’s not as big as most of the buildings around it. That said, for a house, it’s very nice! Glad I don’t live there. I’m happier being a quilter than I’d be as a politician.

We are now in for the night. Tomorrow will be a quiet day and then I go home. Lots to do there so I am going to enjoy tomorrow.

I’m visiting Jeff. Yesterday we took the bus to NYC. I’ll post those photos later today. Today we are shopping trendy Baltimore spots. First stop, the best craft show I’ve ever been to. I’m now outside with a bag of good stuff with the guys who are waiting for their women.

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You know how hard it can be to keep up with your wine glass at a party. That's where wine glass charms come in. But they are not cheap.

My friend, Jacqueline, had a great idea for individualizing wine glasses. She tied a different ribbon on each glass and party-goers got to choose from a lovely array of be-ribboned glasses. It made it very easy to keep up with your glass. Another friend, Karen, borrowed the idea. I was on my way to borrowing it yet again when I realized that I don't have enough different ribbon for our next event.

Elanor and I were at Hobby Lobby hunting stuff to make this year's Christmas ornaments when we walked by the button display. Have you seen a button display lately? They were inexpensive and the designs were all over the map. I immediately thought of wine glass charms. I bought several different button assortments, small blank cardstock tags, and 16 guage aluminum wire.

I pulled out my tiny wire cutters and the round-nosed pliers. I also pulled out my silver florist's wire.

I cut 4" lengths of florists wire. I poked small holes in the tags and wired the buttons to the tags. Twist the wire on the back and cut away the excess. You could tape the twisted ends but I got lazy and didn't. Cut away the excess papern below the button if you want to. I did.

To make the wire that holds the charm on the glass, cut 3 1/2" lengths of the aluminum wire and twist one end. Put the charm on the wire, twist the other end and then bend the endsof the wire together to make a circle.

Aluminum wire is very pliable so it's easy to open them to attach and detach from the wine glass stem.

I gotta say, I'm pretty proud of myself for thinking this up. That said, I won't be surprised to find out that this has been done before. But these are fun and I think we'll be able to use them for years.