The lights are up and twinkling like stars….the wind is whistling a winter song…snow is waiting to fall from the heavens like the sprinkling of sugar on grandma’s Christmas cookies.
Howdy Sugar Pies! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for Christmas! Well, my house is, I still have to finish up my shopping, wrapping and baking. But for me that’s the fun part! In the mean time I would like show y’all what I’ve been up to! The theme this year at The Farmhouse is “Merry and Bright and lots and lots of Snowy White!” Come on in!
I love the word Merry! To be Merry is to be jolly… cheerful… light-hearted…carefree…joyful… joyous… festive …happy… gleeful! Proverbs 17:22 says “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” That’s one of the reasons I love to decorate for Christmas (and all the seasons for that matter)…it creates a merry…joyful….and festive atmosphere….and that kind of atmosphere is good for us! Beauty inspires! Beauty lifts our spirit! It refreshes us. It can give us a positive outlook on life. It’s a way of celebrating the glory and blessings of God. Our environment and the atmosphere around us can effect our emotions, and our emotions can affect our physical health. Dr. Don Colbert says ” How you feel in your heart can show up in your body, for your heart and body are more powerfully connected than you have ever realized.” So even the tiniest bit of candle glow or sparkle here and there can remind us that Jesus is the true light of the world, that He is the reason for the Season…and in Him we have hope and a future.
In this post I’m going to share with you some very simple, inexpensive and heartfelt Christmas decorating tips using flea-market finds that I already had but found new ways to use them.
So my dear Sugar Pies….. let’s all have a very MeRrY Christmas!
“Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts.” ~ Joan Brown
A vintage canning jar filled with pure white “snow” and topped with a candy-cane red and white ornament….sweet and simple yes, but the colors are oh-so-meaningful to my heart. Y’all know I love me some farmhouse white! Milk-white…egg-shell white….whipped-cream white….sugar-white…white-washed-barn white…picket-fence white…lambs-wool white….but most of all snowy white! It reminds me of these wonderful life-giving scriptures….
“Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
” We may think our hearts are pure and white because of the good things we do or the nice things we say. But when we compare our “whiteness” to the purity of Jesus Christ, even the whitest heart cannot come close. Jesus is the only One who can truly make our hearts whiter than snow.” ~Roy Lessin
When you receive and unwrap God’s gift of Christmas , the one with your name on the tag, you’ll find the most wonderful, exquisite, pure form of love than you can ever imagine…His son Jesus….and in Him (and only Him) we can have an abundant life on this earth and the key to heaven! Wow!
“Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, filling the sky and the earth below!” ~ J. Watson
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your Christmases be white! ~Irving Berlin 1942
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk by the fire…it is the time for home.” ~Dame Sitwell
My vintage milk bottles (filled with salt) once graced my fireplace mantle, by simply moving them to a new spot in my kitchen, and adding a few icy snowflakes and ornaments, a whole new Christmas-y look was created.
“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” ~ Harlan Miller
For a clean simple look for my baking center I added….
Just a bottle ‘o’ milk (salt), a gingerbread boy, a vintage cookie cutter and an oversized icy snowflake.
On my chalkboard….(which used to be an old headboard) I’ve written the simple, yet delightful, word “joy” ! Of course I used my favorite Chalk-board Markers found here on Amazon. I also wanted to share my secret for erasing these markers…sometimes they can be a little stubborn….click here to find out how I clean the chalk-ink off!
Opposite my kitchen is our family room…it’s actually just one great-room.
“The holly’s up, the house is bright,
the tree is ready, the candles alight. “~German Carol
There’s something about old enamel dishpans that I can’t resist. Maybe it’s because of the farm-wife stories it could tell, like the hundreds of times it was used to wash dishes after a hearty meal, or when it was filled with green beans to snap or corn cobs to husk while sitting on the front porch in the cool of the day. Or the sweet little babies that were bathed in warm soapy water until they were squeaky clean and ready for a nap, or perhaps it was filled with a layer of soft hay to protect the fresh eggs gathered from the hen house. Well, during this festive season it has a new purpose sitting on my coffee table filled to the brim with pinecones, Rudolph’s nose-red ornaments, “snowy-flocked” branches and “snowballs” for a Christmas-on-the-farm look.
I took this sweet baby Jesus home from an Emilie Barnes Christmas Seminar about 20 years ago…it’s one of my favorite Christmas decorations…notice the Cross above His dear little head.
“Open your heart’s door, open it wide, for the Infant so meek and mild
Let Him come in this Christmastide, make room for the dear Christ Child.” ~ Maye V. Crow
The fireplace mantle….one of my creamy white pitchers now holds sparkly candy cane ornaments. The “It’s a wonderful life” sign was one of my purchases a couple years ago at an Ozark craft fair. Love the movie!
An oversized ornament (last year from Lowes) takes a spot on top of my white candleholder.
Last year I stuck twigs into the top of the tree…this year, candy canes. When I took this photo we had not decorated the tree with our family ornaments yet. I placed the big snowflakes on the tree and later we hung the smaller ornaments in and around them. My Buffalo Plaid curtains are actually fleece blankets I purchased for $20 each from a mail order catalog ( I think it was Collections Inc.). I just attached clip-rings and hung them on a rod …easy peasy!
Three little carolers all in a row…. on top of my player piano. These craft fair cuties have been part of our holiday decorations for about 23 years…so I guess I can safely and happily say they are vintage!
Sing hey! Sing hey! for Christmas Day…twine the mistletow and holly,
for friendship glows in winter snows, and so let’s all be jolly. ~Old English Carol
Adorned in vintage tinsel and lookin’ quite sassy is my barnyard piggy. I named her Honey…. she’s so cute that whenever I look at her I just have to say “Oh! HoNeY!
On my next post I’ll share more of my “Merry and Bright” Christmas decorating. In the mean time I need to finish up my Christmas shopping! Speaking of Christmas shopping…here are a few gift ideas that I recommend…
Mr. Coffee’s Cocomotion Hot Chocolate Maker (Click here)
Can I just tell ya how much I love this Hot Chocolate maker!! You just pour in four cups of milk and 8 tablespoons of cocoa powder (or syrup), press the “On” button and walk away! It will begin to whip the chocolate-milk goodness, heat it up and in 10 minutes you will have the creamiest hot chocolate at just the right temperature (hot, but not burn your tongue hot!). Drop some marshmallows in a mug and pour….yum! It turns itself off too! No more standing and stirring for 15 minutes!
Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate Mix
It’s best to start with quality hot chocolate mix….Ghiradelli is one of the best I’ve tasted. Sometimes I’ll also add a little heavy whipping cream to the milk to make it even richer! When I lived in California we would go to San Fransisco each year and would always go to the old factory at Ghirardelli Square to have hot chocolate or a hot fudge sundae. YuMmY!
Philosophy Yummy Bath and Body Cleansers
OH! hoNeY! These are fabulous! The scents are so lucious and dreamy and the packaging is adorable! Red Velvet Cake…Cinnamon Buns….Spicy Pear Cobbler…Pumpkin Spice Muffin…Gingerbread and Double Rich Hot Cocoa! I look forward to taking my showers with these delicious fragrances. I drizzle the ultra-rich shower gels on one of those netted scrubbies and I can’t believe the bubbles and lather it makes. They can also be used as shampoo too. Any gal would love these!
Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book Of Southern Pies (Click here)
This book is a little treasure! It is filled with wonderful tips on making fabulous pies from a dear southern lady who ran her own restuarant in Virgina. She was famous for her pies and was affectionately known as The Pie Lady. The photos are beautiful and the little stories are heartwarming. “This little book offers a true slice of Southern Hospitality”. There are more than 65 All-American recipes for pie…what more could a farm-girl want?
Be Blessed Sugar Pies! Next time I’ll bring you more peeks into The Farmhouse!
I love hearing from you! Stop in and say hello! And let me know where you are from too!
Hugs y’all!
Aunt Ruthie
My goodness Sugar Pies! Can you believe Thanksgiving is just days away? I’ve been bustling about in my apron all week finishing up my Christmas decorating. Yes gals…Christmas decorating! Rome wasn’t built in a day nor can I create Christmas-land at The Farmhouse in a day! (LOL) It’s taken me since the first week of November until now to finish up. Oh I know, some of y’all don’t like to start your Christmas decorating until the day after Thanksgiving…and that’s okay…I did that for years….but I’ve discovered that I like to get an early start, not only to get it done, but to be able to enjoy all of the glistening goodness a little longer….and I just have to say that it feels great to have my home sparkling with Christmas! Now my family and I can sit back, relax and experience the sights, smells and sounds of this wonderful time of year!
Yes! Lights are twinkling, tinsel is sparkling and the sounds of Bing Crosby are playing softly in the background…
The songs of Good ol’ Bing always gets me in the mood to decorate along with a crystal goblet filled with Land O’ Lakes Eggnog (I bought this goblet at Pic-in-Save…which is now Big Lots…. about 30 years ago for 49 cents! What a hoot! By the way I took this photo with my fabulous Canon Rebel xsi Camera with a 50 mm lens…I LOVE this camera). Anyhoo, I mentioned this to my dear friend and old next door neighbor Cat at The Vintage Housewife the other day…during our two hour gab-fest on the phone! I told her that I only drink eggnog in fancy stemware (49 cent ones at that!) it just tastes better that way…a regular old glass just wouldn’t do…she was so tickled at that! Well, it’s true…just like hot tea tastes much more scrumptious sipped from a china tea cup that clinks when you set it back down on the saucer! Ahhh….life’s simple pleasures! Well now, getting back to decking my halls for Christmas….here is a sneak peak at what I’ve been up to….
Icy milk-white blended with a snap of candy-cane red sets the theme for my Christmas farmhouse kitchen…. a merry gingerbread-boy plays peek-a-boo in the pure glow of candlelight…
A wintry wonderland of dripping tinsel icicles and glittered churches adorn the living room mantle ….frosted pine branches set aglow with white lights that twinkle a cheerful “Welcome Home…..home for Christmas”.
“God Bless your home and the people there, May the skies that touch your roof be fair–Your hearth burn bright, and your candle shine, And the snowflake sparkle on your pine.” ~ Esther Wood
Yes, Christmas is in the air….and I have more to share, but for now we need to get ready for a wonderful Old Fashioned Happy Thanksgiving!
There are pies to bake and a turkey to roast and baste golden brown, potatoes to peel, onions to chop, stuffing to mix, cranberries to stir, tables to set and candles to light……doorbells will ring, loved ones will be hugged…cousins will run and play…..tummies will growl as the aromas of savory-sage mixed with sweet ‘n’ spicy confections ribbon it’s way through homes all across America. The drum-beat sounds of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will play in the background as aproned women-folk chatter as they scurry around the kitchen whipping up treasured recipes passed down through generations…Mom’s sausage stuffing….Grandma’s Cranberry Jello Salad….Sue’s Praline Sweet Potatoes….Aunt Jen’s Date Nut Bars. Papa, crunching on a celery stick, will come in and lift lids curiously and peek with hungry eyes until mama shoo’s him away with her dish cloth.
Every ear will perk up when mama shouts “time to eat!”. A quiet hush will blanket the room, hands will be joined, heads will bow, grace will be spoken and hearts will be warmed with a wonderful sense of belonging and blessing. Happy voices and laughter will be as bountiful as the food laden table. Memories as sweet as Auntie’s Toffee Candy will be made.
Later in the day after the roar of the football game and things begin to quiet down, you’ll be able to hear the soothing sounds like the ticking of the clock and the crackle and snap from the fire. Rosey-cheeked little ones, breathless from playing chase outside, will warm their icy hands by the glowing hearth ….grown-ups will gather again around the table, the coffee will be poured, the pie will be cut and topped with dollops of whipped cream, and conversations will continue…
May I encourage you Sugar Pies, in the midst of the flurry of your Thanksgiving celebration that you take a minute to step back and intentionally savor the moment….by that I mean, take a minute to stop and look around you…take note of your loved ones… their faces….their smiles….the sounds….the aromas….the blessings…breathe in the beauty and the wonder of the moment. Take in the view. Right then, thank the Lord for His goodness, grace and mercy….for family and friends….for the freedom to worship….for God’s provision….for HIS SALVATION through His son JESUS…for HEAVEN ….for the ability to see, hear, taste, smell, touch….and for His amazing love and bountiful blessings.
I remember 31 years ago on my wedding day a dear friend told me to do this same thing…to take a minute or two to “breathe in the beauty and the wonder of the moment” to remember and cherish that moment in my heart. So as the guests were being seated I gathered up the billowing train of my gown and briskly climbed the stairs to the balcony where I was able to peer over the railing for a birds-eye view to watch the lighting of the candles, and my grandparents and other loved ones being seated….I could clearly see the platform filled with baskets of flowers, a white picket fence and garden benches. It was such an exquisite feeling as I stood there in awe realizing the significance of this life changing day. I kept thinking …oh my goodness Lord, this is my wedding! I’m getting married in just a few minutes! It was a stunning me and God moment.
You know, we need to do this on an everyday basis not just special events. Every day is precious and life itself is a gift. We need to stop and smell the pumpkin pie….stop and listen to little girl giggles….stop and hug grandpa a little longer…stop and breathe in the sweetness of a newborn baby….stop and thank the Lord for His blessings…. so we will remember…so that these moments of our life won’t be just a blurr when we look back, but will stay as glimmering treasures in our hearts.
We Have This Moment, Today
Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making memories of what was today.
Tiny voice that i hear is my little girl calling
for daddy to hear just what she has to say;
My little son running there by the hillside
may never be quite like today.
Tender words, gentle touch, and a good cup of coffee,
And someone that loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they’re here, and don’t wait for tomorrow,
To look back and wish for today.
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today. ~ Bill Gaither
Okay Sugar Pies, now in order for us to savor our Thanksgiving moments, we need to prepare as much as we can in advance so that we are not feeling stressed and anxious. If you are hosting this holiday at your home, here are just a few tips to get y’all going in that joyful direction:
1. Pray and give thanks: ask the Lord to help you, to give you wisdom, and patience, and a joyful attitude. Thank Him for His blessings and the opportunity to open your home to share with others.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!” Psalm 100: 4 ( Amplified Version)
But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory (making us conquerors) through our Lord Jesus Christ”. 1Corinthians 15:57
2. Plan your menu. Make a list of everything you will be preparing. Gather your recipes in one place and make a grocery list.
3. Plan your meal potluck style: In our family we have everyone bring a dish and a dessert, so it makes it easier on everyone. Decide the menu then divide it among all those who are coming.
4. The day before Thanksgiving take out all of your platters and bowls for each item you are going to prepare. Print out the name of those dishes and place them in the serving pieces so if guests arrive early to help they will know what goes where.
5. Gather the serving spoons and forks that you will need for each dish, that way you won’t be rummaging through your drawers in a panic at the last minute….”where in the world is that carving knife?!”
7. Get your table cloth ready ( cleaned and ironed) and decide on your centerpiece and candles, and set the table and or tables, the day before. You can turn the plates upside down to keep them dust free until the next day. If you want name cards have them made up in advance–a great project for the kids!
8. Put on your grocery list some parsley, fresh cranberries, and an orange to slice for garnish around the turkey if you carve it at the table.
9. Don’t forget the whipping cream!
10. Make sure your baking powder is fresh or your biscuits, rolls, cakes or muffins may not rise.
11. Make your gravy ahead of time! Here is a link to a video of Tyler Florence making Turkey gravy…you may need to turn off my music–lower right side–before you head over there.
12. Have plenty of foil, plastic wrap and plastic containers available for leftovers.
13. Have your camera charged and ready to go.
14. At some point during the meal or after during dessert, go around the table and take turns sharing one thing that you are most thankful for.
15. If something doesn’t turn out the way you wanted don’t let it steal your joy….just carry on. Things don’t have to be perfect…the fact that you are with your loved ones is all that matters. Stay thankful on Thanksgiving…now that’s a novel idea! LOL!
16. For a barrel of laughs get the game Apples to Apples! It’s fun and easy to play! I can almost guarantee it will be one of the highlights of the day…next to the pumpkin pie of course!!
17. Share the blessings…if you know someone who may not have a place to go for Thanksgiving dinner or a family who needs a little tender-loving-care why not invite them over. Or maybe your church has a food pantry that you can contribute to. Today, I’m taking Summer to fill a shoebox with goodies for the Operation Christmas Child organized by Samaritan’s Purse. Samaritan’s purse is a wonderful organization started by Franklin Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham, they reach out all over the world to those in need. Here is the link to their web site if you feel you would like to help.
Almost everyone I know has felt the crunch of our economy here in the USA, some more than others. Let’s reach out and share the Love of God to those in need.
18. Please say a special prayer for our troops and their families…God bless them! Pray for their protection, that they would feel God’s love and His presence. Pray that they would be comforted and to be able to come home soon! God Bless the USA!
19. Make your pumpkin pie the day before. Refrigerate until you serve it. It’s well…easy as pie, let me show you!
Martha Stewart loves the recipe on the back of Libby’s Canned Pumpkin…it’s so easy…Here is the link!
you just mix a few ingredients together …..
and pour it in an unbaked pie shell….bake, cool and eat!
Here is my pie crust recipe and a few of my tips….
2 sticks cold salted butter cut into cubes (1 cup)
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ice water ( and maybe an extra tablespoon if too dry)
Mix butter, flour, sugar in KitchenAid mixer (or by hand with a pastry cutter) until it looks like coarse meal with little chunks of butter. Slowly drizzle water while mixing. Stop as soon as the dough clumps together. Cut dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap one disk in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator to use for another pie or use as the top of a fruit pie. Roll out dough. Put in pie pan and then in refridgerator to keep cool until your filling is ready.
Make sure to use icy cold butter (cut in cubes) and ice water…you want to keep the dough as cold as possible…roll out on a lightly floured surface, turning to dough a little with each roll…use a spatula to loosen dough underneath so it won’t stick….
Roll the dough about 2 inches larger than your pie plate…
Fold under the excess…
And crimp the edge…I use my knuckle to push in and with my other hand I use two fingers to hold that shape ( I couldn’t show my other hand because I was taking the picture!LOL)
If you are going through the steps to make a fresh pie, go one step further and whip your own cream. It’s as easy as pouring heavy whipping cream into your mixing bowl, adding a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar (to taste) and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla if you want and whip it for a few minutes until fluffy.
Yum! If I can do it you can do it!
My dear Sugar Pie Sista Dee made this sign for me! I love it so much I want to MaRRy iT! Thank you Dee! It fits perfectly in my pie cupboard of course!
Check out her darling blog Farmhouse Country Style! And go see the cute-as-pie signs she sells at her Farmhouse Mercantile!
I hope y’all have a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t forget to breathe in the beauty and the wonder of the moment!
I’m thankful for all of you my Sugar Pie Sistas! I thank you for the encouragement and kindness you share through your comments. I truly wish I could respond to each and every one, but please know that I read them, treasure them and pray for you by name. God knows you, adores you, loves you, and sings songs over you! He knows your struggles and heartbreaks. Trust Him to carry you through any storm. Keep a thankful heart….His mercy is new every morning.
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His Love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (See! God sings over you!!) What a wonderful God we serve! I am thankful.
God Bless you my Oh HOneY’s!
Aunt Ruthie
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