OH MY ... IT'S ALMOST DECEMBER!!!

Can you all believe that it's December 1st tomorrow??? I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. Mine was nice ... most of my family (some could not make it) had dinner at my Mom's. She lives here in town close to me. I have officially started all of my Christmas decorating! I usually start the day after Thanksgiving. I am just about done with everything ... except we need to get the tree, which we will do sometime this week. Here are a few pictures. I will post lots more once I am all done!

Do you see the picture above? That's a cardboard Nativity set from the 40s. My Mom found it while she was working at the library doing book sorting. Isn't it cool? My hubby found Fletcher chewing on the star yesterday ... bad kitty!!!!

I think I told all of you that I was going to be hosting a Christmas Brunch in a few weeks? I love to give a brunch for my friends & cousins at least twice a year. I do not let them bring anything and they always go home very full and happy! And they always take away a little memory of the day ... in the past, they have left with: a metal bird, a vintage Christmas brooch, an potted herb (I have a funny story about this gift!), a vintage Christmas hanky, a teacup, and the list goes on. This is always my special gift to my special friends!! I like to pamper them for a day. This year, I am invited four friends and three of my cousins ... they have not all met but I really think they will get along fabulously!!! So ... anyhoo ... I am planning out the brunch menu and I go to my recipe cabinet and this is what I found:

Isn't that pathetic? I am actually a very organized person but apparently, each time I've used a recipe, I haven't put it back where it goes. It will be a miracle if I can find the recipes I am needing for the brunch. Wish me luck!!!! :-) Organizing this cabinet is first on my "To Do" list for the New Year!!!!

AND THE WINNER IS ...

Happy Monday to everyone!! I had a good shopping weekend! I stopped by the store close to my home that is open just once a month and look at what I got ... (click on picture to see fully)

Everything was a steal ... I collect vintage bottle brush trees and one of these has fruit on it ... I don't have one like that. Aren't those napkin rings so cute??!! I got the silver platter, two metal flying reindeer, four (yes, four!) boxes of vintage Shiny Brite ornaments (all original boxes), a vintage Christmas corsage and some 1950s Gurley candles. I'm not sure yet what I will be keeping for myself or selling on eBay.

And now ... drum roll please ... the winner of the book and birds is ...

Michelle from Chocolate & Marmalade Tea!! Michelle's kitty's are pretty sick right now so if you could send up some kitty prayers, I know she would appreciate it!! Thank you to all of you that entered my giveaway and for all your nice comments. I hope you continue to visit me at Yellow Beach Dog!

IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!!

Time for another giveaway! Cindy over at My Romantic Home is hosting it. Make sure you check out her blog to see who else is a part of the giveaway.

I'm giving away to one lucky winner a Mary Englebreit Gardening Journal, plus two cute wooden, hand-painted birds. To enter, just leave a comment. If you would like your name entered twice, please put a link on your blog telling about my giveaway. Let me know if you do this so I can put your name in the "hat" twice. :-) I will be picking the winner on Sunday evening, November 15. No entries after 6 p.m. PST Sunday.

HALLOWEEN AND SUGAR COOKIES!

How was your Halloween? Did you stay home and pass out candy? Or go to a party? My hubby and I were wishing we had a party to go to but no one we knew was having one. Guess we should have had one! Well I got the pumpkin carved in the afternoon and all the goodie bags made up to hand out and waited for that first knock on the door!

I also made Sugar Cookies earlier in the day...pumpkins and cats. I iced one cat cookie in orange in honor of Fletcher! :-) Normally I ice these cookies with Betty Crocker Creamy Classic Vanilla Frosting but since I didn't have any, I made a frosting, which actually was better in that it hardened faster so I was able to stack the cookies easier. These are the BEST sugar cookies I have ever had. I got this recipe from one of my oldest and dearest friends. We have been friends since we were teens!

Here are a few more pictures of my porch and Fall decorating! See the cool yellow chair (you will have to click on the photo to see it)? I have three of those. I got them at a garage sale for $2 each ... can you believe that? Wasn't that a steal????!!!! I thought so!

SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. baking power

3 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and egg - blend. Add vanilla and almond extract - blend well. Mix in baking powder and flour. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Mix a little flour and powered sugar together and spread on counter. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut into shapes. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 cups powered sugar

1/2 cup shortening

5 tablespoons milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

food coloring

Cream shortening in a large bowl. Add powered sugar and blend until smooth. Gradually add the milk and vanilla, mixing well until smooth and stiff ... about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring as desired. (I cut this recipe in half and had enough for all my cookies).