GLENCAIRN CHRISTMAS

Oh, the PITCAIRN family CHRISTMAS TREASURES were wonderful. Most were displayed in "THE GREAT HALL", which is aptly named.

Do you recognize any of these CANDIES?? My friend SUSAN remarked that she remembered eating these "PLANTATION" CHOCOLATE STRAWS, which were chewy and stuck to her teeth. I remember that too.

PLANTATION CANDIES is still in business outside of PHILADELPHIA. I just may have to plan an excursion to see the candy production up close and personal.

I was MOST fascinated by the HAND-BLOWN GLASS ORNAMENTS, which started in a small town in GERMANY.  It took me a few minutes to realize that the glass was blown into the ceramic mold (at the bottom of the photo below). When the mold was opened and the ornament removed, it still had the long glass "straw" at the top.

They first applied a base coat of paint, then HAND-PAINTED each ORNAMENT. Lastly they cut the "straw" part off - thus the sharp glass edge under the silver cap that holds the hook for the ornament to hang on the tree. I remember as a kid, being warned not to cut myself on the rough glass edges if the hook cap came off.  

A CHRISTMAS photo of the PITCAIRNS was displayed behind a small tree decorated with GLASS ORNAMENTS.

Additional TREASURES that caught my eye.......... don't you LOVE this miniature STETSON HAT??

And you can only imagine how spectacularly their home was decorated.

The following 3 photos were taken in the older residence on the property - CAIRNWOOD.

I hope you enjoyed this little TOUR and are completely IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by now........  Tune in for my next post, in which I'll share photos of the NATIVITY SCENES owned by the PITCAIRNS, most of which were HAND-CARVED in ITALY.

JOAN

CHRISTMAS DECOR FOR MY WINE BOTTLES

DARN CUTE, aren't they?!!!! All of the knit ones are hand-made. Over 10 years ago, I met the young girl who started the company and I bought several from her right away. Since then, I've found a variety of alternatives to dress up a WINE BOTTLE and occasionally, I can't resist - notice the GNOME SANTA........

I was in THE CONTAINER STORE of all places last month and since PENNSYLVANIA still has restaurants where you can BYOB, these WINE CARRIERS caught my eye immediately.  I placed them on my counter for the HOLIDAYS, together with a rustic SNOWMAN and CHRISTMAS PLATE.

Each time I open a bottle of wine at this time of year, I decide which CHRISTMAS WINE CORK I'll use......... I'm becoming a bit of a "COLLECTOR"........

Now, to go with YOUR GLASS OF WINE, you need a CLOVER!!! story, right?

CLOVER!!! and I were sitting on the couch one evening. I had a glass of RED WINE in one hand and a TENNIS BALL in the other, tossing it to CLOVER!!! in a gentle game of CATCH. I toss it to her..... then she drops or tosses it to me...... 

When the ball landed smack-dab-in-the-middle of my glass of wine, RED WINE flew UP in the air, then down on ME, THE COUCH, THE COUCH PILLOWS and the CARPET (that was cleaned JUST THAT MORNING of course). 

I turned toward CLOVER!!! with a GASP and a look of STUNNED SURPRISE.  She just TILTED HER HEAD and looked back at me with the same STUNNED SURPRISE. 

Naturally, I jumped up to grab a wet towel to clean it all up, but I couldn't help but LAUGH OUT LOUD. This couldn't have happened again if she tried.  

CHEERS!!

JOAN

MY NEW CHRISTMAS WINE GLASS

Since Thanksgiving I've been searching for (during my ongoing shopping excursions) a special WINE GLASS to enjoy during this 2016 CHRISTMAS season. I was "on the hunt" for something BRIGHT, CHEERFUL, UNIQUE and FESTIVE. I wasn't having any luck....... 

But this past weekend, at the GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET in downtown PHILADELPHIA, I found it!!! I fell in love with it the minute I saw it and knew it would be perfect for both of my favored ROSE and RED wines.  

ISN'T IT DELIGHFUL??

It's HAND-BLOWN GLASS from EGYPT (go figure). The vendor was featuring beautiful hand-blown glass ORNAMENTS, but tucked along the side were a few of these wine glasses. Some had gold-colored stripes and some had rose-colored stripes, but all were decorated with dots of gold. PERFECTION!!

I was just getting my money out to buy it when my AUNT MARTA rushed over, pushed me aside (yes, she's GERMAN) and INSISTED to buy it for me. THANK YOU AUNT MARTA!!

I'll close with a tiny bit of CHRISTMAS MUSIC from the GERMAN MARKET for your LISTENING PLEASURE......

CHEERS!!

JOAN

CHRISTMAS DECORATING - INSIDE

Okay.......... don't take this photo seriously, I just wanted to give you a hearty LAUGH!!

Last year I didn't decorate much inside. CLOVER!!! was a YOUNG PUPPY and I had NO extra energy. This year the bug bit me early, so I started to make the house look "FESTIVE".

First out - my ANDY SMITH original, mini, CHRISTMAS watercolors. I have 3 of them. ANDY paints one each day, which is featured on his BLOG at 7pm and you have to be the first to call. Lots of pressure to remember to look each day at that exact time at this time of year........ THANKFULLY I already have 3 that I LOVE.

This last painting is grouped with 2 PRIMITIVE, BELL, CHRISTMAS TREES and an ANGEL.

The MANTLE is decorated differently this year, with 2 light-up items and several other treasures.

And what is CHRISTMAS without a few, adorable, stuffed REINDEER?

I won this white one in a sorority alumni GIFT EXCHANGE earlier this month. Soooo cute.

SANTAS on my window sill............

And REINDEER at my front door.

Only $4.50 at a HOLIDAY BAZAAR a few weeks ago (how could I resist??), this rustic TIN STOCKING hangs on a door handle.

This BEAUTIFUL ADVENT CALENDAR is from my sister. We exchange one every year.  

BUT, how is she ever going to top this one?!!

Would this JOYFUL, LOVING, CHEERFUL time of year be complete without something else about CLOVER!!!? She discovered my TRASH CAN DRAWER............

Thankfully, she just ripped up some styrofoam packing material and didn't swallow any of it!

LAST but NOT LEAST, I have to be FESTIVE with my WINE BOTTLES, right?!!  My next Blog post is full of fun photos!!

JOAN

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT HIT ME EARLY AGAIN

NOVEMBER 1st is the date I like to have my CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTO completed, so this year, I had to set-the-stage and cross my fingers that CLOVER!!! would cooperate.  As you can see, it seemed as if it was going to take PATIENCE and TIME to get the perfect SELFIE. Surprise, Surprise. It only took 4 tries this year! This is not the one I'd consider "PERFECT", although looking back on it, perhaps I should have chosen this one. I like it. I LIKE IT A LOT.

Christmas SHOPPING usually begins in August (at the latest) and since I do things now to remove/reduce STRESS from my life, I like to have all gifts purchased and most wrapped by THANKSGIVING, when I deliver them to my sister's house in MD.

Mission Accomplised.

Since most people decorate outside over the THANKSGIVING weekend I felt the pressure to do so as well. I already have a beautiful wooden ANGEL to hang on the front door, and decided to stick with that theme this year. 

I purchased a lighted angel for the front yard.  But when I got it home, I realized it had to be put together.  DUH.  It wasn't that hard, but you know those little sparklies?  They make a BIG MESS!!

But the end result is beautiful.

I also bought 2 DOVES for the ground beside the angel, but one arrived defective and the other, once assembled and placed in the ground, caught CLOVER!!!'s eye and she made off with it, breaking the electrical connection. So that's the end of THAT!

Instead, I added a CHEERFUL, lighted FA-LA-LA. That ALSO caught CLOVER!!!'s eye........  She literally stole the LA from FA-LA-LA. And again, broke the electrical connection, so the LA wouldn't light up anymore. Hello TRASH and goodbye $56.

Time to start decorating inside............

JOAN

HONEY and EBATES SAVE YOU MONEY WHILE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ONLINE!!!

My goodness. Has it really been 2 months since I wrote something? I know you've been wondering where I've been....... hahahaha..... Well, how about I tell you that I was in ITALY for 2 weeks in October. PUGLIA - the heel of the boot. LOVED IT THERE. But, the "out-of-this-world" homemade pasta and wine twice a day was a deal-killer when it comes to weight - I came back with a few extra pounds and BAD EATING HABITS. UGH. "I'll start Monday".......

OK, you're gonna hate me, but I'm already finished with my CHRISTMAS shopping. And wrapping. YUP. I CAN'T STAND "STRESS", so I start very early (like August), taking advantage of every possible SALE that I can. It annoys me to pay full price on anything but groceries, so I SHOP and COMPARE. Clothing for the littlest ones is the last thing I buy - on BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY.  

Yeah to make you even hate me more........ EVERYTHING is wrapped and already delivered to my sister's house, where the family spends CHRISTMAS together.  TEEHEE

Now that I have you shaking your head and breathing hard, I have some GREAT NEWS to share with you about SAVING MONEY when shopping ONLINE. Just as I told you about EBATES a few years ago, which I continue to use (see the last paragraph here in my August 30, 2014 post - EBATES), last week I found out about HONEY.  It's an online "gadget" that checks for the lowest price on AMAZON (purchase, shipping and tax). AND on other sites, it checks for available online coupon codes and applies the best one to your checkout basket. IT WORKS. Yesterday it saved me an unexpected 20% on an order. WOW.  

Click here ----> HONEY  to read an article and get the link to start using it!!!

THINK CHRISTMAS JOY!!!

xoxo

Joan