This Christmas collection of pretty pictures, delightful treats, and Christmas at home is a visual to you, from me gift that hopefully fills the eye and the heart with the most wonderful time of the year sights of the season.
From our house and hearts to yours, Dave the Builder and I wish you a very Merry Christmas 2021 filled with everlasting joy, peace, splendor, and love.
The pace for Christmas season 2021 is set to slow in order to savor the season, embrace the true meaning of it all, and cherish the memories old and new that rush my mind and heart.
Christmas season 2021 Pretty At The Holidays highlights a collection of gorgeous images featuring scenes of the season guaranteed to inspire and impress.
“The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious
faces with a Christmas greeting.”
—Louisa May Alcott
“Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it
by giving the light of love to those who need it most.”
—Ruth Carter Stapleton
“We count down the days, just to experience it nearly
exactly as we always have.
It is so comfortable, familiar and perfectly nostalgic
that, frankly, we have no desire to improve upon it at all.”
— Joanna Gaines
“May your hearth be warm, your holidays grand, and your heart
held gently in the good Lord’s hand.”
— Unknown
Carolyne Roehm
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,
everything is softer and more beautiful.”
— Norman Vincent Peale
Festive anticipation is super setting in as Christmas week draws closer, and I fa la la la love it!
Flights carrying loved ones begin to arrive, Dave the Builder is patiently awaiting a pan of Fantasy Fudge brimming with chopped walnuts, and as much as I would love a visiting elf to grant me the pleasure of wrapping all the gifts for me, that’s one Christmas miracle I’m pretty sure is not going to happen.
Holiday happenings, tasks, and undertakings can bring immense joy, however, the holiday hustle an bustle can be quite overwhelming at times.
I’ve adopted a slow the pace, win the race attitude towards Christmas season 2021, seeing the beauty and the meaning of the season through a different lens.
Years of holiday decorating, open houses, and professional retail antiques and design business services brought joy, but I noticed by the second week of December I lost all interest in the holidays. Can you say oversaturation?
For this reason, I keep my holiday social media postings light as well as my blogging in order to experience the joy rather than looking up and it being all over.
Remember this, my dear friends; the Christmas season is short at best. Treat yourself while treating others to the joy, the beauty, the goodies, and the glory of this beautiful season.
On this most blessed day in December and from our home to yours, Dave the Builder and I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas.
As you and yours celebrate this wonderful holiday Christmas season, may the love of family and friends, joy of life, comfort of home, hope of brighter and healthier days ahead, and a glorious sense of style fill your heart and home with peace and love.
“The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There’s a kind of glory to them when they’re all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.”
“The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.”
“Thank you, Dear Creator, for Life. Thank you for Dreams. Thank you for Ideas and Thoughts and Feelings. Most of all, thank you for choosing me to grow – just for today – and to know the Wonder of Your World and its many Possibilities.”
Christmas songs and sights rule the festive fun around Places In The Home this time of year.
Why certain things come to mind when we hear Christmas songs is anyone’s guess, but I believe traditions old and new, coupled with cherished memories near and dear to heart and mind, work together to awaken the spirit of the season that beautifully dwells within all of us.
As I was listening to classic Christmas songs late Saturday night, an imagined slideshow broke out in my thoughts- some obvious, some silly, but all telling.
So here you go, my wonderful friends, a Christmas songs and sights ’tis the season pictorial.
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring tingle tingling too
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling “yoo hoo!”
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin’ for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania, folks are travelin’ down to Dixie’s sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific
– I know it means from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean(s), but the line always brings to mind thoughts of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known to some of us as A&P
Gee, the traffic is terrific
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks Dressed in holiday style
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear
Silver bells (silver bells) silver bells (silver bells)
Frosted window panes
Candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the tree
Santa’s on his way
He’s filled his sleigh with things
Things for you and for me
It’s that time of year
When the world falls in love
Every song you hear seems to say
Merry Christmas
May your New Year dreams come true
And this song of mine
In three-quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too
Have a holly, jolly Christmas
It’s the best time of the year
I don’t know if there’ll be snow
But have a cup of cheer
Have a holly, jolly Christmas
And when you walk down the street
Say hello to friends you know
And everyone you meet
Oh, ho the mistletoe
Hung where you can see
Somebody waits for you
Kiss her once for me
Have a holly, jolly Christmas
And in case you didn’t hear
Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas
This year
Apples, lemons, cinnamon sticks, whole coves, and bay leaves brought to boil and set to simmer fills the house with the scents of Christmas.
Brothers bearing gifts of poinsettia in winter white and Christmas red kick off the week before Christmas gift exchange.
This year’s Christmas decorating is less extravagance and more emphasis on special touches rooted in memories, provenance, and simple I love that beauty.
Her uncomplicated approach to Christmas decorating translated into a unique style all her own and adorned in understated grace.
I conducted a Christmas tasting trial run while the kids were home.
Hands down, this cranberry fig cheese ball took top honors in the holiday appetizer category.
Cranberry Fig Cheese Ball
Ingredients
8 ounce block cream cheese softened
8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fig preserves
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning, optional
½ cup chopped walnuts
Directions
In a mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese to soften. Add shredded mild cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, Worcestershire sauce, fig preserves and chopped parsley. Mix all ingredients together to blend.
Form cheese mixture into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours or even better, overnight allowing cheese ball to firm up.
Once firm, unwrap cheese ball from plastic wrap. Roll the cheese ball in Creole seasoning and chopped walnuts to cover. Serve with snack crackers of choice.
Sharing the Christmas cheer is the best part of the holiday season.
I’m spending this weekend in the Places In The Home test kitchen churning out cakes and cookies for family, friends, and neighbors.
After all, it is the most wonderful and tasty time of the year, the present is in the process, and the gift is in the giving.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and love from me to you at this holiday season.
It’s the most wonderful and beautiful time of the year.
I hope you have the opportunity to witness firsthand the beauty and magic of the season’s festive finery on this twelve days until Christmas fetching Friday.
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From Atlantic to Pacific
Yes, we need a little Christmas
There’ll be 
Christmas on sale emails get my attention at this time of year.
Brothers bearing gifts of poinsettia in winter white and Christmas red kick off the week before Christmas gift exchange.
Her uncomplicated approach to Christmas decorating translated into a unique style all her own and adorned in understated grace.
