Luminaria=Peppermint Luminaria

This quick project was born out of necessity. My little one has been having problems with sleeping in his room with the lights off. At the moment, he has Pancho, he has his Circus Christmas Tree and a little fish lamp, but still I've been waking up at least once a night for a few nights now. So, to make a long story short, I had pinned this adorable decoration from the Dollar Store Crafts site and I was planning on working on it f next year...but due to the circumstances I thought It's Now or Never!

The materials needed for this projects are as follows:

1 Piece of styrofoam material, I used a piece of the many I've gotten inside Xmas presents shipped this season.
2 Popsicle sticks painted black
1 Solar Light Peppermint stick mine from the Dollar Tree, but I understand they are sold everywhere
Some fake snow or white fabric
A couple of inches of chain, I used a broken piece of necklace
A piece of  small piece of white card board to make the Sign...I didn't have any handy so I used a 2010 small picture frame I had and was about to toss.
Glue sticks
Glue
Other Christmas decorations if you like

I covered the piece of styrofoam with regular white glue and sprinkled some of the fake snow on it. While it was drying. I started working on the sign I made an L shaped Angle with the 2 popsicle sticks and used my glue gun to stick one side of it to the solar light. Attached my chain to the picture frame and then the top of the chain to the upper popsicle stick. Since my penmanship is really horrible, I used some small letters to write North Pole and stuck them the the face of the picture frame.

Stand your Solar light in the styrofoam and it's done! I embellished mine a little bit by adding some extra decorations I had from a box of vintage ornaments that my MIL had recently given me and  a few Dollar Tree presents.

It works too!!!! It is very hard to take a picture of it without my flash going (perhaps it's time to buy a new camera, hint hint Santa) but for now this one's got to do.

It's not super bright...after all it's a dollar solar panel light, but it looks cute and gives a little extra light to the one who needs it now...my little one!

Hope you liked how I ran with an idea from Pinterest and adapted it  to our family's needs.

Besitos,

Lizy

I'm joining these Fabulous Parties:
Embracing Change
Under The Table and Dreaming
Raising Reagan
Ginger Sanp Crafts
Primpjunktion
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Beyond The Picket Fence

Desfile de Arbolitos=X'mas Tree Parade

The part that I love the most about Christmas is decorating the Christmas Tree. I think I might have a slight addiction to Christmas Tree Ornaments as a matter of fact. It's probably because they are so shinny, they come in all shapes and sizes and they are a party to look at even if you have just one ornament hanging from a branch. Like the Snoopy Christmas Tree.

Our first Christmas tree was a wedding present from my BIL and his wife. Since then it has been the main tree in the house, It's super full and to make it look the way I want to, it takes alone around 300 hundred ornaments...Yes no lie...every year I count the ornaments as they go in their bins..color coordinated (yes, all pinks together in their own bin, all red, all blue...well...you get where I'm going) and they are around that number and getting higher as the years go by.

This year following the Candy theme through out the house, the living room/family tree got decorated with candy colored ornaments in Cotton Candy Blue, Starburst Lime Green, Red Hots Red, Bubble Gum Pink and topped with Candy Canes and matching ribbons! I think it looks good enough to eat!

A few years ago, while looking at some old albums I found a picture of me next to my childhood tree! One of those Silver Metallic looking trees. It brought back so many sweet memories that I wanted to bring that old fashioned feeling to our home. Little did I know that to purchase one of those trees would cost a small fortune and at the same time be a fire hazard. So I found this one at Kohl's department store and since then I've been decorating it very simply, like back in the day..only with big ornaments..well as big as I can find them in the same traditional colors. (mine was decorated by my mom in orange ornaments with the big reflector) wish she'd kept that old thing!

I Totally Loved this Tricycle!

There are little trees around the house. This particular one is very dear to my hubs. It was one of the trees that his grandmother used to keep at her house. He was always fascinated by it and when grandma passed on 2001 the only thing he asked his mother if he could keep from her grandma, was "Grandma's Christmas Tree" It is just the way his grandma had it for years. Same ornaments, same star and same bows. My MIL gave me some extra ornaments that belonged to her mom, my hubs grandma, and I keep stored in case one of the oldies breaks beyond repair.

 This one here is my FIL's Elf, my
MIL got it for him when they got
married and that was 55 years ago.

Kiddo #1 typical teenager doesn't want to much fuss in his room so he keeps his Snoopy Christmas room all year long in his room...we just dust it and put a couple more little guys around him!...a Unique tree for a One of a Kind Kid! and,,,well as you can imagine ..."It's O.K Mom, you took 1 picture already! So, we only have 1 of the Charlie Brown Tree!

Kiddo #2 want it all! He wanted a Circus theme this year so he got it. It was the first tree that went up the day after thanksgiving and I have the feeling is the last one coming down too...if he has his way, just like his brother, he would keep it there all year long too!

Much to my husbands unhappy looks, Mamma managed to squeeze one tree in the bedroom. Yes, I had to have a tree with my favorite things...Chocolate, Cupcakes Coffee, Candy, Ice Cream Cones, Pink everywhere and my beautiful peppermint doll. Love her!!! She reminds me of a sweet version of Mary Antoinette. Even the tree skirt is meaningful to me. It has written all over Chocolate, Cappuccino, Latte, Espresso...and it's pink! It has a very soothing glow at night and I love to look at it before I go to sleep and dream of sugar plums!

So there you go amigos, hope you enjoy my parade of trees for 2012. Have a Bright Season!

Besitos,

Lizy

I will be joining these Fabulous Parties:
The Tablescaper
Debbiedoo's
From My Front Porch To Yours
Elizabeth & Co
Life on Lakeshore Drive
Snap

Whimsical Christmas Kitchen

My kitchen for this Christmas looks a lot like a Candy Shop and I'm Loving It! Candy everywhere and 0 calories! You can't help but smile at this extra perk!

Lately our Late Fall-Winter days have been cold, wet but no snow, kind of odd for this time of the year and this part of the country, but I'm not complaining. I'm not looking forward to the melodious sounds of a dozen snow blowers going all at once around the neighborhood or the mess snowy boots leave on my floors!

 But taking pictures worth posting, has been challenging not to say near impossible! My kitchen has only one window and our lighting needs improving. Needless to say, I apologize for the quality of these set of pictures in advance!

 Here in a little corner of my counter, Mr. and Mrs Claus found a cozy spot to overlook the preparations, next to my peppermint tray and an old scale! They are so sweet!

At the other end of the counter we find the jolly couple again, this time inviting the guests to have a delicious cup of hot cocoa, a tasty lollipop or a taste of sweet mint tea! Oh, Mr. and Mrs Claus are the perfect Host and Hostess for every occasion. 

She has such a sweet expression.

He looks so handsome with his Chef Hat

 Now, not because something is little you don't make it look pretty and festive right? So our window gets a festive touch with these  Candy Trees.

At our home even the doors to the pantry get a special treatment! Gingerbread and Bows and a Ticket to see Dear Santa! That's what I call a treat!

And speaking of treats,,,did you notice that Gingerbread and Candy Centerpiece on the kitchen island? Delicioso! and No calories!!!!

With this sweet note I bring the tour of our Holiday Kitchen to and end. Hope your kitchen is full of laughter, happiness and love and the sweet aroma of Christmas cooking!

Besitos,

Lizy

I will be joining these Fabulous Parties:

Rose Chintz Cottage