New Years Eve

It's the last day of the year. I hope 2009 was good for you. I know it was good for me. There's been some rocky roads, don't get me wrong. However I'm still here. My health is fairly good. I still have a job. My family is doing alright. When I put all the bad things beside all of the good things that 2009 gave me, the good things win by a mile.

I want to send a special thank you to my friends at Magical Holiday Home. Because of them my holidays have been the best they have ever been. I learn and continue to learn so much from those gals. I don't know how I ever managed without them. They are always there to lean on when daily lifes gets to be too much to handle. We don't just talk about Christmas, we talk about what ailes us, what makes us happy, family, and so on. I've always been a lover of Christmas since I was a little girl. But after finding Organized Christmas back in 2004 I've become a Christmas nut and I love it. And its nice to know that I'm not alone.

2010 finds me taking a hard look at how I want my life to be. I haven't thought about it in quite a while. For one I need to take better care of myself. That means eating better, exercising as well as well as watching my spending habits and worrying so much about things til I'm literally sick to my stomache. Sometimes I find myself so stress that I get ill. And when its all over I think back and wonder why do I put myself through that. I also want to rebuild my relationship with God because without him I would not and could not have made it through 2009. So I am going back to church. I have not attended church service in years. Its time for me to go back home.

Merry Christmas

It's finally here! It's Christmas Day!

I'm lying in bed watching tv, recoupperating from last night. About 40+ family members were in my apartment. It was. Great. You could barely move around. People were making comments about having the heat on. I told them I don't have the heat on. It's you people. When evryone was gone I looked at the thermostat - it read 79 deg. LOL! I had to crack open my window when I finally went to bed. I zonked out almost immediately.

Dinner started around 6:30. There was plenty to eat - spiral ham, roast beef, mac & cheese, meatballs, collard greens, shrimp salad, deviled eggs, bbq seasoned and carribean style wingettes, potatoe salad and fresh baked rolls. For appetizers I served baked crab rangoon, blt dip ( a recipe I got from Cathymac - MHH) with asiago cheese & vegetable crackers (What a great combination) and fruit. For desert there was red velvet cake, chocolate cake, and a variety of cookies.

After everyone was done eating and letting their stomachs settle a little, we opened gifts. I started a new tradition last year where I hand out my gifts to everyone and then have them all open their gifts at one time while I record them with my camera. I think everyone loved what they got. I listen to them throughout the year and take notes unbeknowns to them.

I received some great gifts as well. I got a really nice Baltimore Ravens fleece throw, a pretty top, one of those snuggies with matching slippers, nice scented diffusers, a glass salad bowl set, my middle niece made me some home-made cookies (yummy), and something I really needed - flatware. I also received several Walmart gift cards which will be used tomorrow. I also got a nice carrying bag for my new portable Dvd player. I can't remember everything but I love them all. I'm not hard to please. I appreciate everything I get.

I'm posting from my phone so when I get back to work (in the new year) I will post pictures.

One of my cousins is having dinner at her house today, so I may go there. On Christmas Day I usually just lounge around the house, relaxing, taking it easy.

I think I'm going to pour me a glass of milk and eat a few of my nieces homemade cookies. Ta ta for now!

Holiday Tour of Homes Part II

I'm back with more pictures. These are pictures of home.  Sorry,I have a lot of them.  Hope you enjoy them.

Lets start with the entrance.

 

 

 

 

Here's my little foyer.

 

These are the socks I thought I threw out. Boy was I glad to find them. I bought 6 of them from Dollar Tree about 11 years ago. These two are hanging on my coat closet doors.

The Hallway

 The nativity

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree - at the penguin party hop."

 

 Here's the rest of my socks hanging on the closet doors in the hallway.  Here's where all my Christmas decor is stored.

I have these wreaths hanging on the bedroom doors.

Here's the livingroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nutcrackers found a new home in the livingroom.

 

 

It's a blurry view of the balcony.

 The diningroom.

 

These Santas are actually tree toppers. 

 

 

Since I no longer have my curio, I decided to display my Christmas village along the shelves. I like them better here.

 

 

Gingerbread Galore!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing says Christmas like poinsettias.

 

 

 

 

 

 I received a bath set in this little Santa bag last year. While going through my box of gifts bags I came across him and decided that I did not want to use it as a gift bag In other words - give it to anyone else) so I hung it on the cabinet door.  I think he likes it here.

...and more pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well that's all. Hope I didn't bore you too much. I just love taking pictures.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!