Rebecca and Molly have just finished decorating for Christmas and  I  am so happy to share their Sugarplum theme with you.  When I saw all of the candy, gingerbread homes and lollipops I thought of  "Twas The Night Before  Christmas," by Clement Clarke Moore. I am sure most of you are familiar with this beloved poem and if you are like me you most likely memorized it.  I remember my  Grandmother giving me the beautifully illustrated version of it one  year for  Christmas.  I read it year after year until the pages were  worn out. Some fun facts on this beloved poem- it was first published  anonymously in 1823.  Four handwritten copies of the poem are known to exist and three are in museums. The fourth copy was hand written and signed by Moore as a gift to  a  friend in 1860. Just a few years ago in December of 2006 it  was  sold by one private collector to another. There are different legends as to the origins of the poem some  legends state that the  the poem was written on

Lets make ornaments out of Styrofoam balls and celebrate  a DIY retro Christmas craft day. So lets get busy and make some cute crafts out of these little Styrofoam balls (caution these are made with thumb tacks adult  supervision is needed) Supplies Needed 1- Black craft paint 2- Assorted thumbtacks 3- Styrofoam balls 4- Ribbon 5- Pipe cleaners 6- Small jingle bell 7- Craft glue 8- Florist wire Directions For Blue and Silver Thumbtack Christmas ornament. Wrap ribbon around the Styrofoam ball and tie.  Add thumbtacks one at a time creating what ever type of pattern you like. Secure  each tack by adding glue.  They will fall out if not glued.  Directions for Styrofoam and ribbon ornament.  Measure 6-8 strips of ribbon and cut- secure with thumbtack on top and bottom of  Styrofoam ball.  Make a loop out of the ribbon and secure with tacks and glue. Directions for Rudolph Christmas Ornament, cut and shape antlers out of pipe cleaners, twist them into desired shape and stick them in  the  S

Last week while taking my usual walk through a little forest not far  from home, I snapped these pictures with my phone.  It was a lovely  and colorful m orning and I was thinking of all of the things in life which I am thankful for and for those things in life which I need to  be thankful for. So, I took the pictures and went on home.  I spent quite a bit of  time  reading  all sorts of quotes, some resonated with me and others  not so much.  So many times when I read and ponder I begin to  feel very melancholy for my family that lives far away and for my  family that now lives in Heaven. One thing lead to another and I found some other quotes  that I just had to share with you- Do you remember the delightful Erma Bombeck?   "Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare, they are  consumed  in twelve minutes.  Half times take twelve minutes, this is  not coincidence." How about Irv Kupcinet? "An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving day."

Would you like a mouth watering cinnamon roll to serve to your  family,  friends and well yourself?  Of course you would! These are so tasty, they never made it any farther than this-straight  to a plate to the tummy!  I did manage to get a simple frosting   on them and then they were gone. Using the basic dough recipe from my earlier post- Pull Apart  Dinner  Rolls .  Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. ~Holiday Cinnamon Rolls~ oven 350 Makes 14 rolls for 1/2 of recipe 28 for full recipe Ingredients: Large shallow greased baking pan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1/2 Pull Apart Dinner Roll Recipe 8 tablespoons melted butter 1 3/4 cups brown sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 cup raisins (optional) Directions: Punch dough down and roll out into oblong piece about 1/4 inch thick.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll up as for jelly roll and cut in 1 1/4 inch slices.  Place cut side up, about an inch apart in large shallow greased baking pan. Cover and le

Brian, from Warby Parker  contacted me and asked if I would like to do a review of their eyeglasses.  Honestly I really did not know if I should.  One, because I have never done a review and two, I did  not know a thing about the product. So the process began, this review is written without any  compensation of any type-I really thought it might be of interest to those of you who wear glasses.  So here we go! My husband and I both wear glasses and we know what a hassle it is to have to go to an optical center to try on frames.  With  Warby  Parker    you do not have to leave your house-the frames come to  you! So you pick out five frames for five days, for free.  Free shipping to you and free shipping back.  Trial begins the day they are  received.  They come in this nifty box and this is when it becomes  interesting. You try on the five frames which you chose and see which one is the best for you, in the comfort of your own home. We actually thought all of the frames were super light,

I like to decorate and prepare our home for the Holidays, it always brings me joy.  Unless I am pressed for time, and lets be honest at  one time or another we all are.  Then the business of decorating can become stressful. Sometimes less is more, I grew up in an era when a few flowers, a linen table cloth, our best china and silver was going all out.  Our meal tasted just as wonderful and our guest were just as happy as if we had been decorating for weeks! So, having said this I have put together a few less complicated ways  to decorate for Thanksgiving. Combine a few vintage jars, vases or tins with your favorite flowers  to  create a quick seasonal boost. Make a fabulous Thanksgiving centerpiece from the items you have  on hand  and nestle  a  candle or two into the arrangement.  Fill a wooden terrarium with potted plants or a collection of natural  objects or even holiday decor-perhaps some pumpkins or gourds. Make a homemade Acorn wreath.  Small acorns and twigs adorn  this easy-t