It has included very little crafting but a big thank you to whomever of you posted a reindeer ornament made from a cork! I decided it would be the perfect 2019 Cork Poppers Commemorative ornament and made eight of them for my nearest and dearest Poppers! (I took this photo before I removed the glue strands! Yikes!)
We had a holly jolly party where wine and chocolate were exchanged along with lots of good conversation and tasty food.
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| Photo by Mike Smith |
And a little bit of wine!
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| Photo by Mike Smith |
I have no idea what Anne and Mike were photographing during the wine exchange! I must have missed something!
The last thing I baked from my dead oven was Jeanie Crostini and these raspberry bars. Which are the best!
We had no shortage of goodies!
After the party, some of us went to Popper Roger's Men of Orpheus holiday concert. (He doesn't always wear a tux to Cork Poppers!)
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| Photo by Mike Smith |
It was held in one of Lansing's older churches, which was just lovely.
And they sounded wonderful. A beautiful way to get into the season.
On the way home we passed by the State Capitol and its tree.
A drive by shooting -- not a great photo, but a good memory!
The next day we enjoyed another fun concert. My friend Mike was in the Prime Time Strummers. That's Mike in the back row, right, with the Santa hat!
They played loads of fun holiday music on their ukeleles and kazoos.
And were remarkably good!
Mike was part of a gang of folks who used to work at WKAR who met for a lunch party one afternoon.
We swapped little gifts -- lots of good baking was done! Our former GM bought us lotto tickets and I had a $5 winner! Woo hoo!
We've done a little Christmas shopping (for a stove, among other things.) Our Sears store is closing and it was one of the saddest sights I'd ever seen. Everything must go.
Rick and I went to the YMCA lot for his tree -- he always gets a real one and I love that because it smells so good!
Up and decorated! SO pretty. I'm enjoying it while I spend lots of time at his house baking!
Decorating a tree is an exhausting job.
I've been wrapping and catching up on at least one or two of my favorite holiday movies.
"White Christmas" is my all-time favorite. I must have seen it a hundred times. At least fifty. When my cousins would come for Christmas back when all the parents were alive, we'd always watch it together. I can say the lines with them (and when I'm alone, I do -- and dance, too, though I'm no Vera Ellen!) We have a little snow right now but I'm not sure it will be a white Christmas here.
We'll be spending it with this gang!
And home in time to be with this one. Like she cares!
So, till Christmas Day, I leave you with our happy greetings for the holidays to you all from Rick and me.
And from Miss Lizzie too.
May your days be merry and bright.
(If you missed any holiday posts and want to catch up, they are archived above on the menu tab as Christmas 2019. I might be slow in commenting but will indeed be catching up on all your posts from my favorite time of year!)
Sharing with: Pink Saturday
Good luck with the new stove. Our Sears closed up last year. Makes a big difference for a small community. Again, your cork poppers get together looks like a great time. Those two grandsons, oh my goodness, they look like twins (if they weren't different sizes!). Have a wonderful Christmas! -Jenn
ReplyDeleteIt is just possible that you ate more in this post than I will eat in a week!
ReplyDeleteThat was a generic "you," Jeanie, not you as an individual.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos Jeanie, glad you had so much fun, that's the way to do it! Have a great Christmas holiday, have BIG fun with the family. Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteAll fun, and I especially love the pictures of Lizzie. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year.
ReplyDeleteI want your life in my next reincarnation. You are so creative, full of energy, busy and have such great friends to play with. The ukeleles and kazoos band is so cool and quirky. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteBeing around you must be joy!
ReplyDeleteAnd relaxation by the looks of that guy on the sofa!
Happy is a good infection, never give it up!
Find some MERRY . . . Hug the Littles . . . ENJOY!
Love your card BTW,
Well, I think I need to know more about how a wine and chocolate exchange works! Sounds like a fun twist on a cookie exchange. Lovely, festive photos but so sad about your local Sears going out of business. Is nothing sacred these days?
ReplyDeleteNadolig Llawen
~~~Deb in Wales
Beautiful pictures! Here's wishing you a bright Christmas and a prosperous New Year! Aloha from Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanie! Oh, I love your little cork reindeer and they were a perfect gift for your Poppers group! Looks like you're having a good time. When are you getting a new stove? Have a blessed time with your family.
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping in to see me.
Shelia ;)
Cute cork popper indeed :-) And the Elephants! We have a beer called like that, but I won´t have it, it´s as heavy as wine!
ReplyDeleteA lot of years back Gospel was around at this time of the year, sadly no more.
Yes. A lot of stores close over here, too. Hello, online shoppng...
Great tree, and weee.... a familiar pic, I find Ingo a lot like that, also!
My Xmas-movie still sits here waiting to be watched. Sadly no family-sharing. Fun Lizzie-pic :-)
And a wonderful one with the two of you!
A Merry, happy Christmas to you! xx
Making something out of corks is a real accomplishment. I collected them for years without ever having a clue how to craft something from them. Finally I just gave up. But I am all left hands when it comes to artwork. Your cork poppers always seem to have a wonderful idea of how to make things fun.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Love to see your smiling face, Jeanie. Hope the new oven arrives soon. Happy holidays to you, Rick, and Family - Miss Lizzie, too!
ReplyDeleteOh so many holiday joys. Those reindeer ornaments are adorable. And I am with you about White Christmas. Its a great film. All our Sears have closed already but that is an interesting photo with mannequins. They are ghosts of SEars past I guess. Wishing you a fabulous build up to holiday and Merry Christmas. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and Rick, That stained glass window is amazing. Always love the old church windows. That reindeer is so cute too! Janice PS White Christmas is on my fav Christmas movie list.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you, Rick, and little Lizzie.
ReplyDeleteWhen you said "drive by shooting" I thought "oh no". Then I got it. Ha!
Loved the Cork Popper ornament you made and what fun to spend time with them for Christmas, plus enjoy some music along the way.
Enjoy Christmas with the little ones too.
Merry Christmas to you! It is wonderful to see you and your friends and know how much fun you have with them. Love the half and full mannequins but sad to know that all the old Sears stores are gone. Remember getting The Dream Book from Sears when we were young? I always drooled over those pages knowing that I would not get anything I saw there. lol xo Diana
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post showcasing a wonderful time at Christmas!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas!!
Hugs,
Deb
Wonderful Christmas festivities, Jeanie! Everyone is joyous and lovely. Sadly our Sears is closing as well. End of an era, sadly. Merry Christmas to you and Rick and Lizzie!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great reindeer cork for the cork poppers feast. what a fun night, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of the holidays. It sure puts you in the Christmas spirit.
Too bad about Sears. We lost ours nearly two years ago and we are the biggest city in Kansas. Lucky you to have hung on so long. I hope you found the stove of your dreams, dear.
Happy holidays to you, Rick, and all the wonderful people in your life. Lizzie, too, of course!!!
Love sweet smile cork popper!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the cherish and happiness :)
Yes may your days be merry and bright.
ReplyDeleteI have tissue paper that says that and I love it♥
Great pics..Rick asleep lololol.
The bébés and parents♥
Have a lovely holiday time~I think you will:)
Lizzie is the smart one in the group. She most likely figures all the fuss is about her and she would just like a good nap. Great post, Jeanie. I enjoyed all your fun and would have loved all your activities. You had better get some rest, those two little boys will be wild with Christmas. It will take all adults on board to keep up with them. Happy days to you and Rick.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. Living in Japan, I don’t have any kind of holly jolly Christmas. I have my own little Christmas tree, but no parties or concerts. Christmas is another work day here. I love seeing Lizzie.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jeanie, any post you put out always makes my day (which is most of them). You enjoy life so well and it shows in everything you do, as it does on your friends also. I won't comment on any individual thing in this post (except that beautiful family) as they are all so special. Have a wonderful Christmas, my dear friend, and Happy New Year..xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteAdorable red nosed reindeer! That wine exchange is right up my alley. I love both Josh's cab and MD's Petite Petit. We met the owner of Josh's wine up in MA when he was making rounds. Super nice guy with a palette that my husband and I love. Every time I read your blog I want to bake! Now I want to make raspberry bars! We made peanut butter cookies today. The city's tree looks beautiful. So many fun photos here. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas Jeanie!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun and festive times, Jeanie! Our Sears store closed last year, it is really sad! My first memory of seeing Santa was at our downtown Sears store in the basement. Enjoy this wonderful Christmas season with those you love the most! Merry Christmas Jeanie and Rick!
ReplyDeleteI’m not in favour of the disappearance of brick and mortar stores. Great post!
ReplyDeleteCath
Merry Christmas 🌲and a very Happy New Year 🥂🍾to you and Rick and your family, Jeanie. It has been great fun “meeting” you in blog-land this year. Thanks for all your wonderfully descriptive posts (and emails too). It has been such great fun and looking forward to next year as well. This year, I also made a cork-themed project with door wreaths and really liked your reindeer corks so they will be definitely be a next year project. ( I would appreciate if you can send me a link to where you saw them. Thanks.)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have been having a wonderful time. The cork ornament is cute. The photo of the "goodies table" with the guys looking at the food, wondering what to take next, well it reminds me so much of the little birds when they land on my hand, they always look through the seeds until they get the one they want. So cute.
ReplyDeleteLovely Holidays to you Jeanie!
Oh my Jeanie, you've shared such wonderful photographs here.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so much fun … fantastic!
Have a great Christmas holiday, and fun with the family.
Merry Christmas Wishes.
All the best Jan
I love every single photo! I only wish I had been invited.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've been having a holly jolly time for sure! Glad to hear it. Enjoy the rest of your celebrations, and Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Lizzie cares. She might not seem like it, but she'd notice and care if you weren't there.
What a fun lead up to Christmas! So fun that you got to take in a couple of concerts. That is something I didn't fit in but we will be at church early on Christmas Eve since it fills fast and they sing carols for the 30 minutes before church so we'll get some music then. I've been listening to Christmas music anytime I am in the kitchen, too.
ReplyDeleteRick's tree looks beautiful! I do love the smell of a real one but we have never had a real one as I have a nice fake one. Maybe some day we will try a real one!
It looks like you've been having a great time already!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful Christmas! :)
🎀
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Jeannie and Rick!
ReplyDeleteDear Jeanie, wishing you, Rick and Lizzie a very Happy Christmas x
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the tradition of the holiday season and a Merry Christmas to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteA friendly cheerful and happy Christmas season to you and yours, Jeanie. I do love this post's warmth and happiness - like a gift in itself.
ReplyDelete