Tenth Day of Christmas from 25 Days of Christmas Blogshare

Hello,
A wonderful group of bloggers have gotten together to share different and special aspects of the Christmas Holiday Season for you to ponder and experience. You will find traditions, stories, helpful hints, recipes, crafts and more. Enjoy yourself. You may even find a bit of Christmas magic!

Here is the tenth day of Christmas blog post to visit, about  making a Christmas TableScape  from

Smitten by Abigail

25 Days of Christmas

December 10, 2011

Featured Blog – Smitten by Abigail

A Christmas Tablescape with Thrifty Treasure Finds

I’ve always marveled at tablescapes walking past them at fabulous restaurants, store displays and of course, the internet.  I love all the details, the tiny touches that bring an entire table setting together.  They always looked so pricey though.  So my big mission for myself was to create a Christmas Tablescape… on a budget of course.

Read More on Creating a Christmas Tablescape

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers?  Sign up on our linky below to share your posts!  Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

 

 
Visit the Rabbit Hop Shoppe for great rabbit-themed holiday gifts and cards.  They can be customized, usually ship in 24 hours and are great quality.Click on the Santa Bunny picture below!

Santa Bunny "Hoppy Holidays!" Greeting Card

view more products by RabbitHopShoppe visit Zazzle

 

 

 

 

Don't  forget to sign up for the latest Giveaway Contest on Rabbit Slippers Blog! Check it out right here !  The deadline for this drawing ends  Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 12noon.

 

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Thank You!
Please visit the Rabbit Hop Shop at the following link (Rabbit Hop Shoppe link) for rabbit themed items and gifts!  Please also "like" the Rabbit Hop Shoppe Facebook page. Thanks!

Dad's Last Christmas Gift

How bittersweet it is to look at pictures of Christmas from last year with my father.  I live several states away from where my dad moved away to after my mother died 10 years ago. My dad was 82 at Christmas last year. For various reasons including money, job and traveling in northern Maine winters I couldn't and wouldn't go up to see him. My job demanded that I also be in the area around Christmas.  My husband's family also was "expecting" involvement from us at Christmas too.

There were times that  I resented my dad for having moved so far away. He would complain of  loneliness although he had made some friends up there. He would drop hints that he didn't hear from us or receive visits from us that often, but I often could afford to only go see him once a year and called him fairly often.  Being lonely, I don't think it felt to him like it was often.  I would miss him and tell him, but it wasn't easy.

Last year I swore Christmas was going to be the one I wanted my way.  We made arrangements with my brother who lived even much further north in Maine than my father to meet in Portland (which is in the southern part) and stay in a hotel for a few days the week before Christmas.  I had so many things going on for work, but made arrangements to go and worked my butt off to get everything in place at work and for our trip. Meeting in Portland was about a halfway point for my brother and dad to travel and for my husband and I to go.

We spent time together.  It was a pleasure to see my dad there. He seemed more at ease and had a better time getting around (being more feeble and having more of a shuffle than a walk) than when we would visit him in his home. We got together in our rooms at the hotel as well as went out to eat a few times. Dad would eat well when with us, unlike when on his own. One restaurant we went to is called Cracker Barrel, which is a chain. The waiting area is a big store with all kinds of neat things. They sell a lot of things that you can't get anymore like certain brands of candy and other products.  There are all kinds of unique gifts and clothing and these special rocking chairs they sell (something like you might see on "The Waltons" if you remember that show). This place had a special appeal to my father, perhaps because it was like a wonderland of yesteryear. He could reminisce, ect. He got excited when he found a big furry fleece jacket with a beautiful winter scene on it and was even more excited when he found it was half price. He bought it for me for Christmas. Although it isn't something I would wear all the time, it is something that I wear when I want a cozy feeling or to be snuggly warm. It also reminds me of his childlike excitement he displayed when he found it and picked it out. That is even warmer than the jacket.

When we sat down to eat, he opened his gifts. We stayed small this year for the sake of traveling.  The gifts he liked best were a small photo album of some times we spent together in Maine the past few times up there and some blown up family shots in nice frames. When he opened one shot that my brother had picked out (mischievously to see my dad's reaction) that had my father in it with a funny grumpy look, his face lit up with a very warm sappy smile, which was unlike my puritanical stoic dad.  I think he was on to us as we watched more intently with that gift than the other gifts. That smile was not what we expected. We wanted to tease him like he teased us, as was his comfortable way of showing affection. Don't know what made him smile about that photo, but I caught it as a digital image (can't say on film anymore.).

That photo's smile has carried me at times during my grief.  He enjoyed those photos for a couple of months, as we were told by others that he would whip them out to show people proudly and happily. For his not being overly demonstrative, it meant the world to me to hear this. Near the end of February, he woke up at 3am and couldn't see.  Although he had to go through several tests before we found out, it turned out he had a stroke.

Over the next few months he went into a couple of nursing home/assisted living type places.  He was unable to care for himself up in Maine.  Care and agencies that provide in-home services are somewhat scarce compared to the much less rural place I live.  I won't talk directly about his death. There is no reason. It won't help what I'm writing. The only thing about his death that I wish to share is that we were with him, he knew it,  and it happened during the 3rd week of May 2011.

I feel so good about that trip to Portland, Maine. About that smile.  I am sad that I won't get the chance to do it again, but I have that smile in my memories and heart and a picture of it too. That sums up the whole visit. Although we enjoyed each others' company the rest of that trip, that smile is what stands out. Can't beat that gift.

The Ninth Day of Christmas of the 25 Days of Christmas Blog Share

Hello,
A wonderful group of bloggers have gotten together to share different and special aspects of the Christmas Holiday Season for you to ponder and experience. You will find traditions, stories, helpful hints, recipes, crafts and more. Enjoy yourself. You may even find a bit of Christmas magic!

Here is the ninth day of Christmas blog post to visit, about  making a frugal advent calendar  from :Pounds4Pennies

25 Days of Christmas

December 9, 2011

Featured Blog – Pounds4Pennies

I am so happy to be able to participate in this Blog Share with so many other bloggers. I love Christmas time, because it was always about spending time with my family. It is the one time of the year where we all try to make an effort to get home to mom and dad’s (nana and papa’s) house to enjoy time with each other. When I was a single mom I was able to purchase a set of 3 trees of different heights for my Christmas tree. We now use these trees to put in the three kids rooms. These are their Christmas trees to decorate how they choose each year. They get to place their handmade ornaments on it each year. In order to count down to Christmas we make a paper chain advent calendar for them to put on their trees to count down to the birth of Jesus. Here are some variations on this easy frugal advent calendar.

Click here to see how to make an Advent Calendar.

 
Visit the Rabbit Hop Shoppe for great rabbit-themed holiday gifts and cards.  They can be customized, usually ship in 24 hours and are great quality.Click on the Santa Bunny picture below!

Santa Bunny "Hoppy Holidays!" Greeting Card

view more products by RabbitHopShoppe visit Zazzle

 

 

 

 

Don't  forget to sign up for the latest Giveaway Contest on Rabbit Slippers Blog! Check it out right here !  The deadline for this drawing ends  Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 12noon.

 

Please "like" Rabbit Slippers Blog on Face Book to keep up with the latest postings and events.
You can also sign up by e-mail notices at the top right of the page. (Your privacy is important to Rabbit Slippers).
You can also follow through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs, both located in the right side bar.
Thank You!
Please visit the Rabbit Hop Shop at the following link (Rabbit Hop Shoppe link) for rabbit themed items and gifts!  Please also "like" the Rabbit Hop Shoppe Facebook page. Thanks!

8th Day of Christmas in the 25 Days of Christmas Blogshare

Hello,
A wonderful group of bloggers have gotten together to share different and special aspects of the Christmas Holiday Season for you to ponder and experience. You will find traditions, stories, helpful hints, recipes, crafts and more. Enjoy yourself. You may even find a bit of Christmas magic!

Here is the eighth day of Christmas blog post to visit, about  a ribbon stocking tutorial  from :

Radcrafter

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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25 Days of Christmas

December 8th, 2011

Featured Blog - Radcrafter

I did it. Oh yeah, I can cross hang the Christmas stockings off the checklist. Yay! For those of you who read this little blog, you know I mentioned previously that this was a major TO-DO on the Christmas checklist this year. If you're just checking in, you can read more about that here. And, after lots of online oogling and book reading (I' m always reading crafting, decorating books, etc) it finally came to me. My idea was to merge a simple stocking pattern found online with a pillow design that discovered in an old Martha Stewart decorating book.

These stockings are lined, only require a few supplies and require minimum sewing skills to create. Visit Radcrafter to create your own ribbon Christmas stocking...

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

 

 
Visit the Rabbit Hop Shoppe for great rabbit-themed holiday gifts and cards.  They can be customized, usually ship in 24 hours and are great quality.Click on the Santa Bunny picture below!

Santa Bunny "Hoppy Holidays!" Greeting Card

view more products by RabbitHopShoppe visit Zazzle

 

 

 

 

Don't  forget to sign up for the latest Giveaway Contest on Rabbit Slippers Blog! Check it out right here !  The deadline for this drawing ends  Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 12noon.

 

Please "like" Rabbit Slippers Blog on Face Book to keep up with the latest postings and events.
You can also sign up by e-mail notices at the top right of the page. (Your privacy is important to Rabbit Slippers).
You can also follow through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs, both located in the right side bar.
Thank You!
Please visit the Rabbit Hop Shop at the following link (Rabbit Hop Shoppe link) for rabbit themed items and gifts!  Please also "like" the Rabbit Hop Shoppe Facebook page. Thanks!

The Seventh Day of Christmas in the 25 Days of Christmas Blogshare

Hello,
A wonderful group of bloggers have gotten together to share different and special aspects of the Christmas Holiday Season for you to ponder and experience. You will find traditions, stories, helpful hints, recipes, crafts and more. Enjoy yourself. You may even find a bit of Christmas magic!

Here is the seventh day of Christmas blog post to visit, about  a new mantle piece design  from http://www.bythebrookdesigns.blogspot.com/

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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25 Days of Christmas

December 1, 2011

Featured Blog - By the Brook Designs

Here is my mantle currently

I love it!

I wanted to do a little more though.

I love to change with the season and usually add a new sign but I am adoring the silver platter in the middle so I decided to paint it with chalkboard paint so that I could write whatever seasonal saying I would like.

Read the remainder of this post from By the Brook Designs!

 
Visit the Rabbit Hop Shoppe for great rabbit-themed holiday gifts and cards.  They can be customized, usually ship in 24 hours and are great quality.Click on the Santa Bunny picture below!

Santa Bunny "Hoppy Holidays!" Greeting Card

view more products by RabbitHopShoppe visit Zazzle

 

 

 

 

Don't  forget to sign up for the latest Giveaway Contest on Rabbit Slippers Blog! Check it out right here !  The deadline for this drawing ends  Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 12noon.

 

Please "like" Rabbit Slippers Blog on Face Book to keep up with the latest postings and events.
You can also sign up by e-mail notices at the top right of the page. (Your privacy is important to Rabbit Slippers).
You can also follow through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs, both located in the right side bar.
Thank You!
Please visit the Rabbit Hop Shop at the following link (Rabbit Hop Shoppe link) for rabbit themed items and gifts!  Please also "like" the Rabbit Hop Shoppe Facebook page. Thanks!

Sixth Day of Christmas in the 25 Days of Christmas Blog Share

Hello,
A wonderful group of bloggers have gotten together to share different and special aspects of the Christmas Holiday Season for you to ponder and experience. You will find traditions, stories, helpful hints, recipes, crafts and more. Enjoy yourself. You may even find a bit of Christmas magic!

Here is the sixth day of Christmas blog post to visit, about  fresh and new party goodies  from Parga's Junkyard.

Welcome to our Blogshare...

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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25 Days of Christmas

December 6, 2011

Featured Blog - Parga's Junkyard

Do you either host your own Christmas Parties and/or Open House or attend at least one during the holidays where you feel compelled to bring a dish? Do you like to find something new and exciting or do you tend to stick with the old reliable recipes your mother passed down to you?

Let's face it, any Holiday Party is only as memorable as the food served! Well, other than the stories about who drank too much and who sat on who's lap, that is! But what should you serve this year that will be the talk of the town as we round the corner towards 2012? What can you cook that will be any different from the rest of the parties and open houses your guests will be attending this year? Are you looking for some new recipes? Other than the usual and much used party crackers with pepperoni and cheese why not try some fresh new ideas? 

Visit the Rabbit Hop Shoppe for great rabbit-themed holiday gifts and cards.  They can be customized, usually ship in 24 hours and are great quality.Click on the Santa Bunny picture below!

Santa Bunny "Hoppy Holidays!" Greeting Card

view more products by RabbitHopShoppe visit Zazzle

 

Please "like" Rabbit Slippers Blog on Face Book to keep up with the latest postings and events.
You can also sign up by e-mail notices at the top right of the page. (Your privacy is important to Rabbit Slippers).
You can also follow through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs, both located in the right side bar.
Thank You!
Please visit the Rabbit Hop Shop at the following link (Rabbit Hop Shoppe link) for rabbit themed items and gifts!  Please also "like" the Rabbit Hop Shoppe Facebook page. Thanks!

Fifth Day of Christmas from the 25 Days of Christmas Blogshare

A wonderful group of bloggers have gotten together to share different and special aspects of the Christmas Holiday Season for you to ponder and experience. You will find traditions, stories, helpful hints, recipes, crafts and more. Enjoy yourself. You may even find a bit of Christmas magic!

Here is the fifth day of Christmas blog post to visit, about  making Hierloom Ornaments  from Bleak 2 Unique.

Welcome to our Blogshare... Gather 'round, grab a chair and join me in making a wonderful Christmas memory...A Christmas ornament that can be made to fit any style or decor using almost any family treasure. Our family has been making our heirloom ornaments for over 50 years, and now I would like to share a tutorial so you can make your own family heirloom for Christmas!  ( Mouse over image below)

A Sample of what you can do!


Visit the Rabbit Hop Shoppe for great rabbit-themed holiday gifts and cards.  They can be customized, usually ship in 24 hours and are great quality.Click on the Santa Bunny picture below!

Santa Bunny "Hoppy Holidays!" Greeting Card

view more products by RabbitHopShoppe visit Zazzle

 

Please "like" Rabbit Slippers Blog on Face Book to keep up with the latest postings and events.
You can also sign up by e-mail notices at the top right of the page. (Your privacy is important to Rabbit Slippers).
You can also follow through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs, both located in the right side bar.
Thank You!
Please visit the Rabbit Hop Shop at the following link (Rabbit Hop Shoppe link) for rabbit themed items and gifts!  Please also "like" the Rabbit Hop Shoppe Facebook page. Thanks!