A Simple Christmas Tree~

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to share a few pictures of our Christmas tree with you....before Christmas is over...

I haven't had a lot of time to decorate for Christmas this year...

So be warned there isn't a lot to see.....

WE decorated our tree last weekend,  I was going to add a few more of our ornaments to the tree and then decided to leave it a little more simple this year....

I strung twine with little pompoms around the tree... I bought a couple spools of this twine at Anthropologie...

My kids loved adding the candy canes to the tree...

We put the left over candy canes in a sap bucket and left them in the window...

The house we live in has 9ft tall ceilings... which I LOVE...

However a normal size tree looks kind of funny in here....

This year we bought a shorter tree....

 To add a little height to the tree I put it in a metal basket on a farm table (that was cut down into a coffee table) behind the couch.  

I love this basket...

I was told that these antique french baskets were used in France to hold wine jugs...

They would stuff them with straw to protect the wine jugs....

Inside the basket is a bucket to hold the water for the tree....

I covered the bucket up with an antique sheet....

I actually had a grain sack around it at first...

I ended up liking the pretty sheet against the rustic metal basket better then the grain sack.

I put a couple of french canning jars on the table.

The jars helped bring the same blue color from the ornaments into the middle of the room..

At least I think they helped : ) 

The blue mirror is against the wall on the other side of the room...

I like how it reflects the image of the tree and the blue ornaments.

On another note....

My daughters made sugar cookies the other day.

I wanted to share a picture of the cookies they made with you.

I think they did a great job.

The elves are my favorite.

We have used Martha Stewart's Sugar Cookie recipe for years...

It is our favorite sugar cookie recipe...

On a final note....

My good friend Melanie is having a Cabbages and Roses Giveaway on her blog....

I didn't want you to miss out.....

photo courtesy of Pretties and Posies

You can enter Melanie's giveaway by clicking here~

Photo courtesy of Pretties and Posies

I hope you get a chance to visit Melanie's beautiful blog, Pretties and Posies....

These are just a few of the images you will see while visiting her blog.

 You can see Melanie's how to post for this pear arrangement by clicking here~

Photo courtesy of Pretties and Posies

I love the arrangements she made with branches....

Photo courtesy of Pretties and Posies

You will find lots of inspiration over at

Pretties and Posies!

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!!

Take Care,

Maria

A City Cottage Sponsored Giveaway

Hello everyone!

I have a special sponsored giveaway today.

City Cottage is a Dreamy Whites Sponsor, and Jenny is sponsoring a very generous giveaway on my blog today!

I will let Jenny take it from here~

Hi Everyone, my name is Jenny, I am the owner of City Cottage!

 I have been thinking ALOT about what makes me happy and what I am great full for in my life.

Its a wonderful thing to be living my dream and to have great people supporting me & cheering me on.
When I get a wonderful email from a customer or follower that tells me they were inspired by City Cottage
or when they walk into my store saying, its like a sweet dream in here, it melts my heart.Its alot of work and those are the moments that make it all worth everything. 

SO... how can I share with everyone a little piece of my dream? How can I put a huge smile on the face of one of the many that support my dream and help make it a reality ?
...........City Cottage shop GIVEAWAYS!

Heres the City Cottage Shop loot...
 

1st  A queen/double Brunelli Quilt 

The winner will have a choice of quilt to match there decor.

2nd~ Handmade City Cottage squishy, soft feather pillow.  Made from vintage fabrics, by me, Jenny!

3rd~   A pretty bluebird ring.

4TH~  A super sweet vintage inspired hair pin

5th~ Simple but sweet rosette earrings 

To enter  Jenny would like you to become a follower of
City Cottage,simple casual living blog  , &  City Cottage shop facebook  and leave a comment on what makes you happy. If you are already a follower of Jenny's, then just leave a comment..... If you would like more chances to enter the giveaway, blog,twitter,facebook about the giveaway and leave a comment for each.


*You will be entered to win all 6 prizes and the winners will be chosen by Jenny, by random.org.  To keep it fair Jenny will have 6 different winners.
Jenny wishes she could give everyone something!

Everyone is eligible to enter her giveaway..... Jenny will pay for shipping within Canada & USA But overseas followers, will be asked to pay the shipping....IF you would like to be entered.


   Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support and here's to a great new year!
Jenny 

City Cottage shop

Thank you Jenny for sponsoring such a generous giveaway!

Jenny's giveaway will run until December 31st.

I will be back Thursday night!

Take Care,

Maria

Thank You

 Hello!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

We finally got our tree decorated over the weekend!

I usually have my tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving....

We are a little behind on our Christmas decorating this year....

Hopefully I will have a few more holiday pictures for you soon.....

On another note....

I wanted to say thank you to Fifi O'Neill for featuring my blog in the January issue of Romantic Country!  It is out on newsstands now!

A peek inside the magazine~

A lot of my blog friends have features in there as well!

Thank you Fifi for all of your continued support you give to all of us women!

I also wanted to say thank you to Jo-Anne Colletti

for featuring my blog in her new magazine, The Feminine Home Magazine.

I love the picture of this beautiful farm....

Sandy from My Shabby Streamline Studios is also featured in the magazine.

You can read more about Jo-Anne's Colleti's magazine by clicking here~

This magazine can only be purchased by clicking on this link provided!

Thank you Jo-Anne Colleti!

I am going to try and get some more Christmas decorating pictures up.....

and get the rest of my N.Y.C. pictures loaded this week.....

We are making sugar cookies today!

I still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do too....

Hope you are all enjoying your Monday!

Take Care,

Maria

The Store Window belonged to......

Hello Everyone!
I am sorry that this will be such a quick post.....

I wanted to tell you the name of the store window I took the picture of....
It was..

ANTHROPOLOGIE

Congratulations Melinda!
 Tales From My Empty Nest!
Melinda is the sweetest person too!

Anthropolgie's windows were amazing!

I am always so inspired by everything Anthropologie does...
My daughter Bethany loves this store.
She told me it was her favorite store we went in this weekend while we were in NYC....
She was taking note of all of their decorations....
She is going to try and make those adorable pinecones....
I also got her to model one of their scarves for me : )

I have lots of pictures to share with you of their store.  I will hopefully get the rest of my NYC pictures loaded this weekend!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Take Care,

Maria