Tag: holidays

A Million Tiny Little Things…..

There is a scene in one of my favorite movies, Sleepless in Seattle, when Tom Hanks talks about his wife in such a beautiful way, “it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they were supposed to be together…”.

When cleaning up a bit yesterday, room to room, picking up and dusting, I realized that Christmas in my home is a bunch of tiny small touches that when you put them all together, you feel the magic of the season.

Before this week is over, I wanted to share many of the tiny things I treasure each Christmas.  Many I have cared for with love over the years to use again and again.

My cherished white nativity set, purchased with Christmas money from my son.

My tree, with all the special ornaments I have collected over the years.

It is sprinkled with snow, pine cones and berries.

My beautiful paper mache angel, handmade, always sitting at the very top, love her so!

This wall hanging was my new addition this year.  I love that it is the first thing you see as you look into my home from the front door, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”.

A snowflake pillow, a wreath on the mirror, lots of sparkle, with gold and silver ribbons.

Garland on my dining hutch, and entry clock, decorated with beautiful ribbons, lights, and snow covered pine cones.

A bit of red in my kitchen, small dishes, tin canisters, and a small tree.

A Hallmark Santa, so old, nestled under a tree on my kitchen counter.  Love him!

This salt dough nativity set I have carefully packed up each year, purchased at a church craft fair, 42 years ago. The faces are amazing.  Big smiles, rosy cheeks, just so sweet.

A Santa tray, purchased on a Thanksgiving visit, with my precious mother, to see my brother in New York City, so many years ago.

When I bring it out each year, I remember our trip together and how I struggled with spending $35 on this hand painted, paper mache tray.  So glad I did, the memory it brings to mind each year is priceless.

The best saved for last, this Baby Jesus made of paper over 40 years ago by my son.

I love the smile Jimmy placed on his face.

Oh my, precious, cherished, now a family tradition each year, finding the perfect place on our tree to place our Baby Jesus.

Thank you all for allowing me to share all these treasures.

I truly hope every one of you have collected special Christmas treasures, those items that when the season arrives you find such overwhelming joy in displaying in your home as I do.

Sad a bit that the holidays are over and my treasures must once again be packed up with loving care.

Love to all of you, also precious treasures to me.

Blessings and love.

 

My Wonderful Incomplete Christmas

Made lists, and more lists, planned for weeks, shopped early, wrapped early, but with all of this, my Christmas planning was incomplete.

Most of my decorating in my living and dining area, and my tree was completed, but all my extra little Christmas touches, those I wanted to do here and there, never happened.

Cookies, I so wanted to make, didn’t happen.  Bakery Christmas cookies had to do.

Making ornaments, and creative gift tags, was limited.

So much undone.

In the end, the fact that my family made it to my home on Christmas Eve, despite slippery dangerous snow covered roads, was all that was important.  We all just wanted to be together, and with God’s help and protection we were.

Cookies can still be made, ornaments made and saved for next year.

My husband gets upset with me because I fuss so much when folks are coming to our home.  He always tells me, “it’s just family”.

I have different thoughts on all this fussing, I fuss because I want all to be special for them!

A gift to them.

Thanking them for coming and sharing this special time of the year with me and my family in our home.

I pray you all had a Merry Christmas with family and those you so love.

I also pray and ask God that we all will have a blessed and wonderful new year ahead.

Be safe, be happy, and always love each other.

Fussing for those you love is OK!

Until next time!

 

 

How to Carve a Watermelon Basket

It’s only the 9th of July, lots of summer still left to enjoy.

I thought you all might need an idea for something to take to a family gathering or cookout.

This is my most popular pin on Pinterest, pinned hundreds of times.

Here are the instructions from a previous post.  http://lovingmynewsimplelife.com/wow-them/

This is seriously so easy to do, and a show stopper on a food table.  Love the scalloped edges!

Can be filled with colorful mixed fruit, or simply cut up watermelon chunks as I did in the top photo.

When putting this post together I thought of my first memory of having watermelon.

I loved to spend time with my grandmother in the summer. There was a truck that would come down the street selling fruits and vegetables, and on one hot day, she grabbed her little black change purse, and we went to the truck and bought a watermelon.  Grandma cut it up, and we enjoyed it that hot summer afternoon.

My oh my, what a sweet memory for me!

Make some sweet memories this summer, and also try carving a “sweet” watermelon basket.

Love you all this July afternoon!

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Are you all wearing a bit of green today?

Shamrock

My husband’s grandparents came to the United States through Ellis Island from County Galway, Ireland.  They met in New York and married before moving to Ohio.  Grandma was a maid and Grandfather worked for the railroad.  They were truly wonderful people, loving parents of six children, hard working, and devout Catholics.

I love these wedding photos taken over 85 years ago.

Irish GrandparentsGrandma looks so lovely, and Grandfather so young and strong.

When my son was small, not yet in school, we would make a trip to see Grandma once a week to help with cleaning or errands.  The best part of the visit was sitting and having a cup of tea with her listening to her stories of Ireland and of meeting Grandfather.

We do not have a huge celebration on St. Patrick’s Day but I try to do a little something special and always Shamrocks on the table.

Although I was having dinner out with a friend tonight, I left chocolate cupcakes and Cincinnati’s famous Greater’s mint chocolate chip ice cream for my husband and son.

St. Pat's TreatsYummy!

Wishing all of you lots of Leprechaun kisses on this day.

May your troubles be less

and your blessings be more,

and nothing but happiness

come through your door.

Simple Banana Pudding!

Whenever my mom’s family got together as I was growing up, there was always a banana pudding on the dessert table.

Thinking of those days, as I often do, I decided I would make one for my family on this holiday weekend, no company, just the three of us!

Instead of a bowl, I used small glasses.  Mason jars would also work and be kinda festive!

I used the mini vanilla wafers, which better fit my small glasses.  Some folks use banana pudding instead of vanilla, or even half vanilla and half banana.

There are many variations of banana pudding out there, but for those who have never made one, this is the really simple recipe that I use.

Ingredients:

2 packages of instant vanilla pudding (3.4 oz size)

4 cups of milk

4 small bananas, sliced

1 box Mini vanilla wafers

Cool Whip for the top! (thawed)

Instructions:

Mix the pudding with the milk as instructed on the pudding package.  Refrigerate for an hour or so.  When ready, start layering the wafers, sliced bananas, and then the pudding.  Repeat layers until you get to the top, leaving a little room for the Cool Whip before serving,

Refrigerate any extras.

That’s it!

Hope you all make a yummy treat this holiday weekend!

Let all of us remember our troops and all those who have lost their lives protecting and serving this country we love so much.

Blessings and love!