Holiday Pictures!! Anyone Else??

[leelee88]

Here is some of the outside of my house!!
BTW these are clickable so you can make them bigger if you click on them!

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02608.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02608.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02609.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02609.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02610.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02610.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02612.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02612.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02613.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02613.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02614.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02614.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02615.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02615.jpg)

[ICNDonna]

OMIGOSH! We haven't even started.

Donna

[leelee88]

Ok we decided to go with ALL white lights on the Cross..LOL geesh I wish I would make my mind up..LOL but it is brighter now!!!

Oh and we are still gonna add some more over towards the garage doors.. Just have not figured out what..lol, but will post them when I get the rest up!

[KarenAnne]

Your lights look beautiful! So festive & cheery, my favorite is the little snow couple there in the front.

[mary124]

We just have up our tree- its decorated -- still have to do my house-hopefully before Christmas -which would be nice!!) No, actually plan on doing the decorating tomorrow. House is clean as I cleaned it last weekend.
Even started my shopping - and this is where I'm jealous there is people in my office who shopped, wrapped, shipped, etc before Thanksgiving even hit.

[vm]

Looks like a Winter Wonderland - very pretty! :)

[jaime15]

Ronda,
You need to be a professional. You know people pay lots of money for you to decorate their homes.
We know a guy who gets paid $500 for just showing up!

Only we would have to decorate inside............so we could sneak off to the bathroom!:smile tee

Everything looks great.........I love the cross.

[leelee88]

Jaime, It is all in fun and to remember the season.. Yes I love the cross.. This was my hubbys idea..

[leelee88]

Here is a few more..The second picture, the reef I made myself even the twine.. I used muscadine vines and twisted them together..This was quite fun showing and teaching my step daughter how to make one..

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02580.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02580.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02630.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02630.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02627.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02627.jpg)

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/th_DSC02626.jpg (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/Ronda1970/?action=view&current=DSC02626.jpg)

[dg2901]

I made candy--does this count?....:)..

<clickable>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/overflow/overflow%20II/th_3094185415_6f76f944bf_b.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/overflow/overflow%20II/?action=view&current=3094185415_6f76f944bf_b.jpg)

[jaime15]

Candy!!!??????!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, yum..........I'm there....:)

[SharonA]

Candy always counts. :):):)

[leelee88]

Well I am impressed Diana.. You are not going to be a scrooge after all..Hehehehe..:smile tee NOW Bring me some candy!!! Oh BTW that drink you posted on Facebook, my hubby was drooling over it..LOL

[dg2901]

Yay!!--my contribution counts!..:woohoo:..hahahaha....and since it does, heres some more candy thats on its way to California for my niece. Its all peppermint flavored......

<cilckable>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/overflow/overflow%20II/th_IMG_0404.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/overflow/overflow%20II/?action=view&current=IMG_0404.jpg)

Ronda--hahhahha..you best make your husband a replica now.....until then, here, enjoy some more.....
fortunately espresso doesnt bother me other than some minor u/f, so I indulge nightly in a homemade caramel cappuccino....

<clickable>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/overflow/overflow%20II/th_IMG_0410.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/overflow/overflow%20II/?action=view&current=IMG_0410.jpg)

Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays!
D
PS--see, Ronda--even the scroogiest of scrooges can be happy this time of year...:lmao:

[Kara29]

For some reason I could not post photos like normal here.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/IMG_0270-1.jpg


My Facebook has the rest...........There are photos of our party there too....Sorry

Happy Holidays to you ALL!

Kara

[Annie2]

Thought you all might get a kick out of this. When my mother passed away and my sister and I cleaned out her things, I found the 1969 Christmas Edition of McCall's Magazine in an old dresser. I saved it and put it on the coffee table every year at Christmas time.

Here's the cover:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/3105931216_af7397690f.jpg

Two pics from the magazine of "hot" fashions for the 1969 holidays:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/3105929946_a35660822e.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3105098767_86388e7913.jpg


And 2 ads from the magazine for hot gift ideas at the time:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/3105927166_408e08d074_m.jpg


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/3105095341_c6b29a570e.jpg


I had that harvest gold cookware in the one ad....UGH! Harvest gold and avocado green......they were so big at the time. It took me years to get every last trace of those colors out of my house. That's probably why I refuse to use greens or golds in my house now........been there, done that and refuse to do it again!!!

[dg2901]

Nice find, Annie! :):)

[leelee88]

Thanks for Sharing that Annie!

[dyno]

All your pictures look so nice. I will enjoy everyone elses this year because I probably won't be doing any decorating this year.

[sandymarie]

leelee, I just had to say how beautiful your decorations are. I am jealous. You should go into business like Jamie suggested, everything is so beautiful.I know I already said that ,but I am amazed at creativity since I don't have any. BTW they closed the schools here and we got not one snowflake, I am also jealous about that. Just thought I would chime in and let you know you have done a great job. I love the wreath too. I do pray everyone has a Merry Christmas.


JJ:pray:

[leelee88]

Thank You Sandymarie.:kissing:

[Janie Miranda]

Ronda,
Loved your beautiful decorations! You really have the Christmas spirit!!
I also got a big kick out of seeing Annie's old magazine. That cover photo is so beautiful. I bet they couldn't get away with a photo like that that now. Everyone is so paranoid about exploiting kids but it is such a sweet and innocent photo.
jane

[dg2901]

My humble little Xmas tree and a few ornaments.....

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0445.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0445.jpg)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0464.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0464.jpg)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0471.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0471.jpg)


http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0479.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0479.jpg)

[leelee88]

Dg, I love the M&Ms ornaments... Thanks for sharing your tree!!:smile tee

[SharonA]

D...Aha!!!! A tree after all. :wink: Love the M&Ms. Especially Miss Green.

[dg2901]

The secrets out: Diana's not so Scroogey after all!...:woohoo:

:hi:
Diana
PS--is "Scroogey" a word?:hmm:

[SharonA]

It is...Just like Halloweeney, Christmasey, Thanksgivingey, Easterey are. :)

[dg2901]

Thanks, Sharon for your mad grammatical skills!:woohoo::lmao:

Here, have some creme de menthe chocolates....
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0509.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0509.jpg)

:hi:

[SharonA]

What a lovely shade of green. Did you make these????

[dg2901]

Sharon---Martha Stewart has nothing on me!!! :lmao:
Yeah, I made them. I've been on a candy making marathon the past couple of weeks. I've made all sorts of flavors--hot chili, creme de menthe, peppermint, orange, coffee, vanilla, toffee, and tonight I'm doing peanut butter balls.
You want some?..:D

[leelee88]

tonight I'm doing peanut butter balls.
You want some?..:D

PICK ME PICK ME!!!
Those are my favorite!! But I would like white Chocolate covered on them please..LMAO

[SharonA]

Oh no you don't...Ronda!!! She asked me first!!!!

[dg2901]

<takes down orders>

[Annie2]

Ronda, your decorations are lovely! Wow!

D, I love your M&M ornaments! Am I too late to be added to your candy order list?

I used to do a lot of decorating for the holidays, but have toned it down now that we are older, just a tree (smaller now than in the past), my family room mantle and a few sprigs of greenery here and there. Since no one has posted here recently, I'll add what I have.

Foyer:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/3130922699_ae81bd0fdf.jpg

Our tree:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/3105089387_b6d8fd8819.jpg

Mantle:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/3105926500_14d32ceddb.jpg

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

[dg2901]

Annie---your decorations are lovely! Aside from the tree, of course, I like your mantel..very festive! :)

:)
D

[leelee88]

Annie, Very lovely.. Thank you for sharing!! :smile tee

Wish my house was that neat..Hehehehe

[Annie2]

Thank you Ronda and Diane.

Ronda.........we no longer have children at home so it's a lot easier to keep the living room in shape. We seldom use that area unless we're entertaining. You'll notice I only showed the mantle from my family room. There is a big MESSY reason for that........the family room is the room hubby and I live in and it gets out of control frequently!!!:rolleyes:

[Janie Miranda]

Beautiful decorations Annie! Your home is lovely.

[dg2901]

Red Velvet cakes I made for Xmas eve. One recipe is McCormicks, the other Emerils. They're topped with red Disco Dust....

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0547.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0547.jpg)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0558.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0558.jpg)


Hope everyone is having a pleasant holiday!
:)

[Janie Miranda]

Awwwww YUM! Looks terrific, D! I think you have become a red velvet cake expert!
jane

[leelee88]

Diana :( Ok you have teased me enough!!! I hope you get fat!!!..:lmao::lmao:

It looks SO good!!!!

[dg2901]

Janie--hahahaha@expert. I have to say-the verdict came back that McCormicks reigns supreme over Emerils.

Ronda--your hopes came true long ago!..:D

I'll be a baking queen now 'cause Santa brought me a Kitchen-Aid Artisan mixer. I have plans on baking a gingerbread spice bundt cake either tonight or in the morning. I'll definitely post pics!

Hope all of you have had/are having a wonderful Xmas Day!!

:)
D

[Briza]

Annie...your decorations are beautiful!! however, I do not believe anyone lives in that house you posted pictures of lol much too neat...are you sure you're not pulling our leg and that is another photo you scanned from a home decorating magazine:lmao:???
Just kidding...your house is beautiful and immaculate and I wish mine were the same, but I'm afraid it never has been and never will be!!:) I won't even invite myself to your house b/c I'm sure I'd mess it up in less than 10 seconds lol
BTW, I really enjoyed the 1969 magazine photos you scanned...ha ha, yes those avocado green appliances I remember well....I have a friend who still had an avocado green fridge up until just a few years ago when it FINALLY bit the dust....she was soooo happy b/c her husband finally had to replace it with brand new timeless white one!

[Briza]

OMG, Diana, your candies look incredible, professional!!! You SHOULD open your own candy store/ bakery!

[Briza]

Kara, WOW, beautiful beautiful gorgeous decorations...I love the pinks and silvers and crystals?? and the roses. Love it!! Anyway, those are the colors that my computer sreen is showing...it looks really elegant!!

[Briza]

Ronda...what's your electric bill like in December??? :)

[Annie2]

Briza...thank you! And yep, we live here. Need proof? Here's the mess from this morning.....and it was half cleaned up at this point. Same room...AFTER Santa, our daughter and our grandcat invaded us. :dizzy:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/3136939790_03b6c7dc01.jpg

We have spent 2 years cleaning out all the excess stuff we had accumulated over the years and getting the house in top-notch condition to sell. We're FINALLY ready ... and the market totally tanked! :( :headbang: Oh well. We want to move to a warmer climate, are tired of waiting and are going to go ahead and list the house for sale the first of March. Here's hoping and praying we can find a buyer in this horrible market! Anyone know of someone wishing to move to southwest Ohio? :confused:

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

[Briza]

Stills looks pretty darn clean to me, :smile tee
Well, we have been WAITING to welcome you down here to TX...Georgetown very nice as is all of central TX, I'm sure you know! Good luck with selling the house...it IS possible, I have some friends who have sold their houses recently, they had only owned them for 2-3 yrs, but they were still able to break even, even with improvements they had put money into. So I wish at least the same for you, hopefully better!

[leelee88]

Briza, My Ele is actually less in December cause we do not run the AC that much.. In the summer we almost go broke!!

[Briza]

Briza, My Ele is actually less in December cause we do not run the AC that much.. In the summer we almost go broke!!
same here! I pay extra on my electric bill in the cooler months so I have credit to afford to run the A/C as cold as I want during the summer and not starve lol

I was worried maybe you blew the transponder on your block with all those Christmas lights outside.lol
You will be mad at me...I didn't even decorate my Christmas Gander this year. Poor guy. :lmao: but he didn't seem to notice.

[leelee88]

Oh shame!!! LOL He will not be the same this year..lol I cannot believe you were a scrooge!!!

[Briza]

Believe it. The only thing I dislike more than decorating is taking the stuff down and trying to get it to fit back into the original box! So while I am decorating I just can't seem to let go of those thoughts of how am I going to get this back into the box so it just ruins the decorating part for me. But the goose will live. He still lights himself up all on his own (well when I turn on his light switch) and just that alone he is cheery and utterly ridiculous, no embellishment needed.;)

[dg2901]

Briza---thanks for taking up "Scrooge slack"..hahahaa..I was starting to think I was the only "scrooge" around here.
Thanks for the sweet (no pun intended) comment re: the candy/cakes. I'm extremely new to this...took it up as a stress reliever and its done nothing but increase my stress level I do believe..ahahahahaa...:lmao:

Annie--can I enlist you to come clean my house? I'll only require a mere fraction of the cleanliness of your house! ;)

:hi:

[leelee88]

Annie That is what happened to us... We spent over 10k fixing this house up to sell and then WHAM.. Now we sit!! We could MAYBE sell it for what we owe IF that..

I pray it turns around soon!!

I hope you can get want you are asking for your home also.. It is very lovely!!

[Annie2]

D...Sure! I'll be there. Of course, if our house should sell, I will need time to move and get a new place into shape first. We've been in this house 22 years and it took me that amount of time to whip it into shape. If it takes me that long to get a new place in shape.......well, I should be able to make it to help you out in 2031. Pencil me in for that date.....:lmao:

Ronda, I know what you mean! Really frustrating, huh?! We've done a lot to this house, too. Several years ago we took the kitchen down to the studs and totally remodeled it and we did the same to the master bath. During our prepartion this year we repainted the interior and put in all new floor coverings so it all looks fresh and new and clean. Now we sit and wait. We are fortunate in that we do have a bit different situation than you have, however. We're older and we've been here for over 22 years so we don't have to worry about the value falling below a mortgage amount. We're retired and on a fixed income, though, so we can't afford to give the house away. We want so badly to get to a warmer climate we are going to list the house for a price that is as low as we feel we can afford to go just to increase our chance of selling. It's going to be one heck of a deal and we're hoping that will tempt the few buyers that are out there.

[leelee88]

Good Luck Annie.. I pray it sells at what you are asking..

I hope we can get this one sold by next year 2010 so we can down size and move some kids out..:lmao:

[Briza]

Annie--can I enlist you to come clean my house? I'll only require a mere fraction of the cleanliness of your house! ;)


Me too, me too!!! Hee hee Diana, she is going to be moving to Texas eventually, I hope, so she will be able to come to MY house on a weekly basis!! :woohoo:
Here's a good selling point for your house, Annie: your carpet is so clean I would eat Diana's Red Velvet Cake off of it, no plate needed!!! However, you would probably be very upset with me :( ...lol see... told you I could mess your house up in less than ten seconds! :smile tee

[dg2901]

Annie---consider yourself penciled in. I even used a newly sharpened pencil! Now dont go canceling on me as I will be completely disappointed!...:lmao:

Briza---you're just trying to mess up poor Annie's house, arent you??:tsk:

Ronda--:lmao:@your moving some kids out comment. I'm counting down the days til mine is gone--only 5.5 months to go!


:hi:

[Kara29]

Every Year we go to our Friend's Home for New Years. It's fun and we get to stay overnight. It's 2 and 1/2 hours for us to get there, but it was worth the drive. I hope you all enjoyed your Holidays and could relax some without pain.


Ava, Allen and Kara
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/th_NY4.jpg (http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/?action=view&current=NY4.jpg)

Vale and Kara
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/th_NY5.jpg (http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/?action=view&current=NY5.jpg)

Allen and Kara
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/th_FBKA.jpg (http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/?action=view&current=FBKA.jpg)

The glasses were ready
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/th_IMG_0197.jpg (http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/?action=view&current=IMG_0197.jpg)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/th_IMG_0201.jpg (http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Karalynnree/?action=view&current=IMG_0201.jpg)


Kara

[leelee88]

Kara, It looks like you all had a really nice time..

I hope you have a great 2009...:smile tee

[Kara29]

Same to you Ronda!

[dg2901]

Looks like you had fun, Kara! :)

The spouse and I stayed home and enjoyed finger food, drinks and the midnight champagne...

Canard-Duchene cuvee Leonie....
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0635.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0635.jpg)

traditional caipirinha cocktail...
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0629.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0629.jpg)

fresh strawberry caipirinha cocktail..
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0631.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0631.jpg)

new years day dinner was an easy frittata--shrimp, onion, bell peppers, cheddar and cilantro...
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/th_IMG_0643.jpg (http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e178/dg4832/2008%20Xmas/?action=view&current=IMG_0643.jpg)

Wishing everyone a great 2009!

:)