Happy New Year

As the clock counts down to the end of 2009, we welcome what 2010 will bring.

This year has been a very good one. So much to be thankful for.

We're going to celebrate at home with some festive dips, appetizers, a movie, and a sparkling toast!

Hope you have a very Happy and Blessed New Year!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It is not because of these...

But because of these! Family gathering and enjoying time together. Dear Bebe was getting kisses and hugs from her Aunt and cousins...

And big sisters! Here Step-Daughter #1 watches as Dear Bebe plays with a gift she gave to her. The joy on her face was precious!

Step-Daughter #2 and her boyfriend...(she was in a car accident that morning so prayers please for her to get the car back on the road! We were just so thankful she was okay.)
Then there were Christmas carols.... sung by the tree. . .

And well, I'd be lying if I said these weren't fun this time of year too!

Hope you all had a great time with your family this Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Today begins a wonderful celebration of Christ's birth.

The reason for the season! All are welcome to celebrate, no one is excluded.

For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, for whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Enjoy the day with your family and friends... today we also celebrate my Dear Hubby's birthday.

A special time to share with those you love.

Snow Bucks

Just in time for Christmas....

It's either Comet or Cupid....

No, make that Donner or Vixen....

Ut oh! Fighting over who gets to pull the sleigh!


Well, we've cleared out enough snow to get out and about...we're not used to getting 15 inches this early in the season. It wasn't even officially winter yet.

Getting ready for Christmas! Hope you're all enjoying the season.

Be a Grinch: Let Your Heart Grow Three Sizes

Christmas: When Your Heart Grows Three Sizes

(This devotion was written by Jim Liebelt)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26

In Dr. Seuss’ classic Christmas tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch suffers from having a small heart. The source of his heart problem is his lack of understanding the meaning of Christmas. As the story goes, the Grinch tries to put a stop to Christmas, but in the end, he comes to understand what Christmas is all about and his heart grows three sizes! This heart change makes a big difference in his life.

I’m not sure what Dr. Seuss’ intentions were when he wrote the story back in 1957, but it certainly comes across as a Christian parable to me that parallels the change that takes place in a person’s life when he or she comes to understand the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, who was born to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). When the light of the Good News of Jesus dawns upon the heart of a person, God replaces the old heart of stone, with a new, fleshy heart – and a new person emerges.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Welcome Christmas – While we stand – Heart to heart – And hand in hand.”1
It might just make all the difference in the world.

We celebrate Christmas because of the power Jesus brought to change our hearts.

Don't miss more uplifting posts this Christmas on Charlotte on Ginger's blog....Spiritual Sunday.

Pink Saturday ~ Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow!

Happy Pink Saturday! We're about to get slammed with snow here on the East Coast so this post is about snow...and pink. Pink jammies that is!

This photo of Dear Bebe eyeing the snow for the first time is a reprise from an earlier post, but it was too perfect not to use it again for Pink Saturday.

We're also sharing the theme of holiday traditions. Not unlike other households we have typical traditions

Each year Dear Hubs and I put up the tree together and watch It's a Wonderful Life. He had never seen it before he had met me.

The other tradition we have is to hang the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree and let our neice and nephew look for it to receive a special present.

We also remember the reason for the season and celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Eve. We each open one gift.

For more pinks and holiday traditions visit Beverly's blog at How Sweet the Sound.

And have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Joy of Julie & Julia

Here's a little secret I'm going to let out while reviewing the movie, Julie & Julia.

As a pre-teen I was fascinated with watching Julia Child. I loved her show. Something about the way she effortlessly created delicious looking meal after meal sparked something in me. Maybe I was hungry. I don't know.

For awhile I wanted to become a chef because of this infatuation with a cooking show.

A chef! How is it that I arrived in the land of television so many years later? Well, that's a long story for another time... but let's get back to the subject at hand.

Food. Yes, delicious food. You will want to find some and consume it the entire time you are watching the film. A good idea would be to start cooking dinner when watching the movie to help curb the urge.

And Meryl Streep. Wow. She did an excellent job! I mean, really good.

The movie lagged at points but Dear Hubs and I hung in there anyway. I'd say it was the only down side, for me.

I had never heard of Julie Powell, who blogged all about cooking and Julia so this was new to me but intriquing at the same time because I blog. I've heard others say they didn't like the Julie Powell character (played by Amy Adams) but she seemed normal to me. (Despite all of her meltdowns. Doesn't everyone have meltdowns? :0) ) These were also people who read the book before they saw the movie. See, this is why I don't read the books...this way I won't be disappointed. (I'm kidding, people, kidding.)

Anyway, in Jillian's Pages style I'm going to give the movie 3 1/2 popcorns. It brought back a nostalgic memory for me...sitting in the living room watching Julia whip up something while I dreamed of cooking something fabulously French someday when I had my own kitchen.

But for Ms. Streep's performance I have to go all the way and give her the whole set of 5:

Bon Appetit!

Santa Was a Jolly Ol' Soul

A jolly old soul was he!

Hello, Mr. Claus!


Meet Dear Bebe...


 Dear Bebe = not jolly.

 At all.

 Well, at least we tried... she did enjoy the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer display.

Remember Rudolph's little girlfriend? Clarice was more Dear Bebe's style.

Dear Bebe's little friend had similar issues...

Would. Not. Let. Go.

Poor Santa... better luck next year!

Christmas, On Top of the World

Oh woe is me!

My legs are aching. My feet are killing me.

But it was all worth it.

Danced and danced until the last song at Dear Hub's company Christmas party.

It all takes place at this wonderful lodge called Skytop, near the Pocono mountains. It's the most magical place, especially during the holidays.

Remember the summer lodge in the movie Dirty Dancing?

It's just like that. Just like it!

And we love it. Here is a shot of their annual gingerbread house, baked by the culinary staff. Amazing!

All hand iced and all the little candies stuck on with icing.

In the library is a gigantic tree flanked by two statuary angels holding the ribbons from the tree.
Gorgeous!


Here was the view from our room. There is a lake which was icing over. So picturesque.

The lodge's slogan is "Where the past meets the present."

We hope we get to enjoy it for many years to come.

Christmas Card Photos

We took some pictures of Dear Bebe around the house for our Christmas cards.
Unfortunately these two pictures won't work because I didn't notice the storage boxes in the background before I snapped the photo.

I even wrapped a few presents early in order to have "props" for her
to use in the photos.

She didn't want to have anything to do with them, of course!

Ornaments are THE thing.

Luckily we didn't put out any of the old, glass breakables!


I did manage to get one or two good photos.
It is harder than it looks to get the right shot!

Whatcha Got Cookin?

So after a few days of feeling completely YUCKO... I decided to use my new surge of energy to cook lasagna.


Then in the middle of it I wondered why I thought it was such a good idea. Ever do that?

But by the time the delicious smells were wafting through the air and then the finished product came out... I was glad I put the extra time in to make it.

Even better... I don't have to cook tomorrow!

First Snow

This morning our backyard looked like a winter wonderland...

And while it did snow last year when Dear Bebe was about three months old...

This was the first time she actually noticed it.

Her reaction was great!

Christmas Memory

My most impressionable memory which carries lots of nostalgia for me is putting up the tree with my Sister every year. We had a small artificial tree we hauled out of the basement. The same Christmas album would be played which began with the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

To this day the song brings me right back to that moment when the needle hit the vinyl and the ornaments came out of the box. I always had to dance around for a few verses too, of course!

What's your favorite Christmas memory?

A Welcome Home

Our soldier is home on break... and he is so glad to be back.

I made him a cheery patriotic sign to welcome him home.

He hadn't been home too long when we took this photo and he looks so tired, poor guy! The jet lag takes some getting used to.


We were coaxing him to try and look awake!

He's going back in about 9 days. Let's just say he's really been appreciating the good 'ol USA!

And we've been glad to have him back, especially dear Hubs.

As for me, I've been busy with Dear Bebe, having company (Ms. Daisy and family were here for T'Giving...hoping to get photos soon), and getting things ready for the holidays.

I just listed some items from recent antique excursions Mom and I went to while she was here.

Here are a few of my favorites:

We went to a local auction and found some great things... many of the items I took to my antique booth. There are things that sell better there than on my website. Like vintage toy cars for instance. Not a good fit for "Bella Rosa", eh?

I'd love to see what you've been up to .... I'll be perusing the blogs later on after Dear Bebe goes "night night!"