I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...Tree!

I love white Christmas trees. They are so clean and beautiful. We have a traditional green tree in our den, but I began a quest last year for a white tree to go in our foyer. I actually found almost all the ornaments before I found the tree. The balls came from Target and I bought them after Christmas last year at 75% off. I really liked the colors: turquoise, purple, hot pink, gold, and bright green. Amby was with me and we were so distracted by Target's cool bargains that we lost track of time and almost missed a movie we were going to see. (We made it, though. Sherlock Holmes - really good) 50% off is great, but I truly love anything that is 75% off. It is then practically free, and very hard to pass up.

After a long and diligent search, I found this beautiful tree at Garden Ridge. It was originally $300. I paid $100 for it on Black Friday (are you supposed to capitalize black?). It was the last one, too. I absolutely love it. It turned out to be more beautiful that I had imagined.

Gil fashioned the continuous scarf up the stair rail.

An aerial view.
We decorated it with really fun ornaments, with our tiny Roman in mind. I wanted it to be magical. I LOVE this nostalgic Santa. I found him at Smith's Variety last year at 75% off.

Smith's also had these fun Dr. Seuss-esque ornaments...

...as well as these cute mittens.
Another whimsical ornament from Smith's.

A cute gingerbread man Zac picked out from Garden Ridge.

And, of course, sock monkeys!
This is a Martha Stewart kitty cat from Kmart last year. Her products are at Macy's now. I liked it better when they were at Kmart.


I still had these little mantel decorations from when I was little, circa 1960.

This Santa was part of the mantel scenario. My dad thought he needed a bag of toys, so he used one of his socks and filled it with kleenex. I'm so glad I still have it.

Sometimes it's fun to break with tradition and do something different for Christmas!

Quick and Easy Gift

Need a teacher gift or a small treat to add to a gift basket? Buy a scoop and fill it with pistachios, pecans, or whatever your favorite nuts are. Place it in a cellophane bag and tie it with a cute Christmas ribbon.

Christmas Tree Cheese Appetizer

This is an old Southern Living recipe that I have been wanting to make for years. I altered some of the ingredients a little, but constructed it just like the directions.

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup wine (the recipe called for white, all I had was red)
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2- 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
Coatings: fresh parsley, finely chopped pecans
1 (12") Styrofoam cone
plastic wrap
2 tubs soft cream cheese
1 (10 oz) package Wheat Thins
1 large jar jumbo pimiento-stuffed olives
1 red bell pepper

Saute onion and bell pepper in butter until tender. Add wine and simmer, uncovered, until liquid has evaporated. Set aside. (If you don't want to do this step, you can just add the raw onion and bell pepper).
In a food processor, combine cheeses and onion mixture. Process until smooth and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Shape mixture into 3/4 inch balls. Make sure to keep them small. Roll half in chopped pecans and half in the fresh parsley. (I chopped the parsley as well as the pecans in the food processor). Place on a wax paper-lined pan and chill for about 2 hours. (I put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes).

Wrap the cone with plastic wrap, covering all surfaces. Spread softened tub cream cheese over the plastic wrap, making about a 1/2" layer. Sprinkle the parsley over the cream cheese.

Press a row of the crackers into the cream cheese-coated cone at the base. Attach a row of cheese balls just above the crackers with wooden picks, alternating the parsley-covered balls with the pecan-covered ones. Attach a row of olives above the cheese balls, using the wooden picks. Press another row of crackers above the olives, creating a shingled effect. Repeat these steps until the cone is covered completely.

Using a sharp knife, cut the red bell pepper into a star shape. I actually cut two, and placed them back to back, and attached them with the wooden picks.

Serve the remaining cheese balls on crackers at the base of the tree.


Wrap the cone with plastic wrap, making sure to cover all surfaces. (This cone is actually made of oasis, and that's only because that is what I had on hand).

Spread the tub cream cheese over the plastic wrap:

Then sprinkle with the chopped parsley:

Begin attaching the crackers at the base:

Using the wooden toothpicks, attach the cheese balls. I found it easier to place the toothpick into the cone first, then the cheese ball onto the toothpick:

I chose to alternate the first row with small olives:

This is the almost finished product:

I had to transport mine to my sister-in-law's, so I held it in my lap. I didn't want a Christmas Eve disaster on my hands.

Place the extra cheese balls on crackers at the base of the tree:

This project requires a good bit of time and effort, but has a really wonderful presentation. It is also quite delicious.

A Dressy Tablescape

It is Christmas Eve night and I have finally finished my dining room table. This year, instead of a tablecloth, I opted for something different. I bought a white matelasse twin comforter (T.J. Maxx) that I used as my tablecloth. I found a beautiful gold throw with boulle fringe at Target, and I placed it on top of the comforter. The throw could be placed at an angle or crunched up in the middle of the table, but I decided to lay it flat. I made these napkin rings last year out of beads from the craft store threaded onto stretchy plastic string. It's very easy. You can perfectly match them to your china.

I bunched tuille onto the middle of the table and placed the candles I covered with paper (from a previous post) on top of it. Then I interspersed a beaded gold garland with the candles. It is actually a look that could be used year round.