Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all celebrating today!  Here's a pair of cards that I used as my main ones to send to my mailing list.  I did a few blue ones too.  The background is a new 2013 Hero Arts Pinstripes stamp - love it!  The snowman is a stamp and die set by Hero Arts for Archiver's.  Those sets made Christmas card making a breeze along with my Vagabond.  I also did a few with a reindeer stamp and die but didn't get a photo of those.

I began my holiday celebrating on Saturday the 22nd by visiting my aunt and uncle in Wisconsin.  The drive along the Mississippi River was spectacular on that sunny but cold day.  Here we are on Sunday after we watched the Green Bay Packers win big over the Titans- yay!  Then we ate a pumpkin pie my aunt and I made.  Yummy!!

Most of the family spent Christmas apart but I had a fun Christmas Eve with my sister Kari.  We enjoyed eating nachos and watching movies last night.  She set up a tripod so we could get this photo, plus she took some others for her Facebook page, including some with a mini Christmas tree and a Santa hat.

Today I drove home from Kari's while she went to work; yes, she had to work on Christmas Day!  Finished up with decorating my upstairs Christmas tree.  Sorry for the long post but I'm sharing my Christmas trees and a couple of special ornaments rec'd this year.  First is my my main tree - a 7 1/2 foot slim tree I put in front of the upstairs window since I don't do any outdoor lighting.  Then my downstairs tree - a 4 footer.  Then three mini trees I have with all Hallmark mini ornaments collected over the years.
 

 

 

 

 

Now I must feature a couple of special ornaments I received as gifts this year. My sister Tami always gets everyone an ornament at Thanksgiving since we traditionally put up our trees the day after (oops, I was late....just finished today!). What a darling owl ornament and of course I love the purple one!

And here's a special ornament, the Irish angel, sent all the way from Ireland from my friend Heather along with some other wonderful goodies - thanks again, Heather!!  This lovely ornament has a featured spot on the front of the tree not too far from my sister's ornament.  After all, Heather and I are Hero Hostess Sisters! 

I had Christmas Dinner with my good friends, Connie and Doug at their son Scott's.  Here they all are:

Scott cooked a traditional ham, along with yummy side dishes and a delightful chocolate mouse cake he found at Sam's Club.  And here I am with Connie; I'm wearing my funny Christmas sweater, complete with sequins and beads and felt Christmas trees, plus little bell earrings.

Sorry again for the long post!  Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, if you celebrate that holiday.  Thanks for stopping by!