FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS, "MERRY CHRISTMAS"

HIDING IN THE HUTCH:

MERRY MOORE MANOR!!!!

IT’S ABOUT TIME!

THE HALLS ARE DECKED ........

THE PRESENTS WRAPPED ........

THE GOODIES ARE........ UMMMMMM COOKING .......

SO, ITS ABOUT TIME TO SAY “LET THE PARTY BEGIN”!

AM I READY? I SHOULD BE AFTER STARTING IN FEBRUARY!

THE PARTY WILL BEGIN WHETHER I AM READY OR NOT WHEN .........HannahJasonEdenEliAbbySarahTimJackobLeahDanLonnieRayCaswellOliviaAnnaGraceRebeccaKevin (there’s 8, yes, I said E.I.G.H.T. grandbabies in there; can you find them?!!!!) get here!
WooHoo! Got the “mess” cleaned up from “Operation Christmas Decoration” that has been going on for the last 3 weeks! Why do we do the things we do? Iiiii dunknow....but I do know that it is something I enjoy. So does my family, so they just let me be and do my thing....which is to “play” house and decorate to my heart’s content in the month of December! Lonnie, my Love, helps me whenever I ask him. He did think I was kinda caaarazy when I asked him to help me put up outside lights in November, but I know if you asked him he would say he is glad we did it then and not wait until December.

I think I missed the Christmas Tour of Homes on a blog link, but I am going to go ahead with it anyway. Have gotten a few good pics with new camera, (some are not so good....close ups do better for some reason. ) Hope you enjoy...I've certainly had a good time....guess that's what matters. Everything may not be perfect, but I don't think that will ever happen......so here goes......

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!

Glad you came to visit, but you don't have to sit down out here, come on in a stay a while! Don't know if you can see the red "stuff" in the arrangement behind the trees, but it is "sumate". Lonnie Love gathered it from the woods in eastern Ky at Thanksgiving. I made for a wonderful outside arrangement (not inside because the berries shed). Just stuck some pine branches in an old antique lantern with the sumate, and it made a nice Christmas arrangemen




Love me some foil ribbon or whatever it is called. This stuff will shape into whatever you want it to. It's great!

A cloche (have you ever heard of one of those? they are the best thing since sliced bread in the decorating world!) on the piano in foyer.

For some reason, I cannot get a good picture of the tree. I have better success with close ups, so here are a few close ups.

From the Dining Room:

Scenes from the side board

Have you ever done a tablescape? It is really fun! If you don't know what kind of decoration to put on your table, do a table scape. Just get things that go together to make a theme, or things of like color or a set of something (in my case, it is a nativity set). It goes really well since it is a "pearly white" (that's in a song, isn't it..."Pearly White City") I just use a mirror and set candles, a tree, some and the nativity set on a table runner down the middle of the table. Then I just stretched some ribbon and star garland down the runner and "through" the table scape.

Closeups do ok, in here. This is Mr. or Mrs. (?????) Peacock (I hope not too proud!)

More "Tablescape"

We have a two-sided fireplace. Kinda wierd, I guess, but just the way we designed it. One side is in the living room, and the other (pictured below) is on the kitchen side. The deco seen here, is my early Christmas present. (Seems like I have several "early" Christmas presents!) Every year I don't know what to put on this side of the fireplace at Christmas time. So what did I do this year? Right after Thanksgiving , I went to one of my fav stores, its initials are Hobby Lobby, LOL!, and got the two sconces (already had the plate rack), the apothacary jars (love them, they are filled with faux snow and ornaments), the garland, and the bird stands and turquoise bead garland (this pic does not show the birds and the garland) also the one plate is a Christmas plate. It really looks better in person; take my word for it. Or better yet, come and see for yourself

It seems like the word "joy" keeps showing up at this time of year. I love this word. It's what you have have when you know the real meaning of Christmas; which is JESUS, yes it is CHRIST! You can't have that when it is "holiday". Thanks for letting me do a little "preaching here"! As a matter of fact, you can have it all the year through; not just at Christmas. I'm glad it made it's way into deco for Christmas. It is one of my favorite things, (hmmmmm, that's in a song too, I believe!!!) I mean, things I have done for decorations this year. I am thinking about leaving it up after Christmas. What do you think?

You can't tell it in this picture, but these canvas blocks are turquoise (the # 1 color for 2010, by the way. I know, you would think that I would have more to do than to look up the color forecasts for 2010!) I do!
"Presents beneath the tree" - Seems like I might heard that in a Christmas song somewhere, or did I just imagine that! Anyway, that 's where mine are and I am sooooooooooooo happy! It doesn't take much! But remember it's the word "finished" that makes me that way right

This is the picture I took when I finally decided to sit down and do this post. I have to say that I'm pretty amazed at how it looks after the gbabies have been here today, and after I had all the ribbons for "garnishing" the packages (see them under the tree? yes, they are under there) in the middle of the floor. Let's just say this is not the way it looked a few hours ago!

Let's start at the front door of what I call "Moore Manor"

I'm Going to a Party..... a Cloche Party, that is!!!!!


OK! I think I finally figured out how to do this! This is my first time to participate in a "party". I love looking at all the cloches. Hopefully I can have more to share at the next party, now that I have got the "knack" of it! The following are a couple from Christmas 2009 that I have enjoyed putting together. I love cloches and apothecary jars. They are wonderful for someone like me who is notorious for changing deco so much!

You gotta love Apothecary jars! Especially when filled with Christmas treats! I do!

This apotecary jar is filled with candy.....peppermint sticks, gum drops, etc.

These are some trees that I found at a Habitat for Humanity store. I think they are actually supposed to be painted, but since I love white, guess what....I left them white! This is on top of piano in foyer.

Photographer, Pianos and Pumpkins

Beware Roaming Photographer on the Rise!!!!!

Have new camera ......will take pics of anything!!!

"Love it! Love it! I'll have two scoops of it!"

It's a Christmas present.......before Thanksgiving.....thanks to my sweet honey.

Got to enjoy for only a few minutes.....now it is on it's way to Africa!!! Went with my sweet honey, and the trip to Africa is why the "early" Christmas gift. Yeah, it is my Christmas present, but I won't get to use it for 10 days while it is in Africa. It's OK, though. I know it will take many beautiful pics there, but I do think some of the ones I took last night turned out pretty good, for an ameteur, anyway. Looking forward to gettin "Sony" back as well as my Honey!

Here are some "fall" vingettes as well as other pics of house. Hopefully, soon I will be able to post a tour of the whole house.


Ivorys to be tickled!

Love Cloches and all things in them! In this one collection of old door knobs.

Top of piano in foyer and Upper Case Living monogram.

Big piano, in not so big, but big enough, foyer. We sometimes stand all around it and even on the stairs singing. Huge Blessings from above!

Another view of the "baby" in the foyer!

This is a buffet type thingy in the Dining Room....actually got "re-done" tonight. Wish I had newer pic. It looks better the way it is now. Have to wait for Sony to get back from Africa!!!

A "liiiittle" touch of Christmas already! (Ugly cord)

Love the way these flowers (from a church we were in last week) look!

Honey bought these for me one day when I was gone away on a trip. I thougt it was so0000 sweet.

He was trying to make it look like the arrangement in the picture. Isn't that sweet!

Another fall arrangement (on mantle) The girl in the painting, I met at the Dollar Tree, and I love to put the picture of her out in the fall. Has some beautiful orangy and earth tone colors in it, I think is why.

Yes, it's a long story, but we have two pianos. What can I say, we reeeally do heart music!!!There were times when the girls were home and were practicing, that there were actually two pianos going at once. Needless to say that was not good on the ear....in more ways than one!

Too bad this particular "baby" does not work! It is for looks only, but sure makes for a great piece to build deco theme around in living room!!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Come again, maybe I'll snap your picture sitting at a piano!

Olivia's Birthday

THE AUGUST 12, BIRTHDAY GIRL, OLIVIA FAITH HEARN

Oliva saw this turqouise stone necklace a few weeks back and wanted it sooooooo bad. She didn't know tht I bought it and put it back until her birthday. She had written me a note asking me not to forget it. It had a picture of the necklace drawn on the note so I would know what it looked like. I kept this note and wrapped it up with her neclace. She was surprised and loved it! So cute!

CAMP GRANGA, GANNA, GRANNA, DANA

Jackob gets to come from Mississipi in the summertime to visit with us for a couple of weeks. He is our oldest grandson. When he comes all six of the other grandkids stay with us as well. We have a great time, but for this age group, things have to keep moving. Following are a few of the activities we did to keep everyone entertained. It could be called, Camp "Granna", "Granga", "Ganna". It depends on which grandchild is talking!

A visit to Mammaw Combs' in Eastern Kentucky at the beginning of Jackob's visit.

Cas is loving Summertime!

Miss Photogenic, Olivia Little Lady Liberty
Kentucky Hillbillys at Natural Bridge State Park

Time for Bubbles!
It's Bubbling!
It's Bubbling!
It's Bubbling in my soul!
It's bubbling, bubbling,

bubbling



bubbling,

bubbling in my soul!

Climb, Climb up Sunshine Mountain
Eli: "Look Gana"!

Olivia: "I want a banana, Granga"!

"Aunt Sarah, the "Pampered Chef", making lunch for the gang!

May I have 2 of those?

After two weeks of activities, some planned and some not planned, the Camp Director, Granna, or whatever name you want to give her, was pretty worn out. The campers however, Jackob, Anna Grace, Olivia, Abby, Eli, Cas and Eden were still going strong. Gotta love 'em!