A Super Exchange and More Christmas Snaps

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends again I must thank you so very much for all your kind comments and emails.  Warming up another cold morning with such kindness - thank you!!

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I wanted to start off today's post with an exchange I received yesterday - I took part in the last round of the Ornament Exchange over at the HOE - it was a Stitchers Choice Exchange and I was lucky enough to have as my partner Marie from Tirilluim Creates.  Her stitching and finishing are top notch and the ornament she sent me was another super job!!  Here is a snap...

The chart was a freebie, but I left the info at home - isn't he just darling!!  I do love reindeer and he is a winner.  Thank you so much, Marie!!  He went right on to my "Tree of Stitching."

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Last night we finished getting up both our big Christmas tree and my smaller "Tree of Stitching."  Let me start off with the smaller but more important of the two trees.  By our front door we set up my faux feather tree and mercury glass Snow Family and this year was no different.  Here are some snaps...

from the front door you see the tree from this side....  and.....

from the other side you see more lovelies.  

I have so many great stitching friends, buddies, comrades of the needle everywhere - and have done quite a few exchanges that I have quite a collection of super ornaments and pieces of Christmas Stitching that I do love to pull together and decorate a tree.  We where talking last night and think it is time for a bigger tree!!... so I am now on the hunt for a more traditional and bigger feather tree, and by next year I'll have one!!  I love seeing and thinking about everyone that stitched these for me - and that's what Christmas is all about Family and Friends - and although we can't all get together -  I can get together my wonderful tokens of friendship!!!!  Thank you all so much!!!

I also put up my Nativity that my Grandmother made for me when I was a mear baby - about a bazillion years ago!!

I love having this out and seeing it every year!!  Not only because my Granny made it but because it is the reason for the season!!!

I also wanted to show some shots of our tree.  We went with our faux tree instead of getting a live one - so it went up easy and there will be not all that needle fall out in a few weeks!! 
Here are some snaps....

An overall shot of the tree - with my creche to the lower left..... and some close ups....

I really like this ornament  - since I love magnolia and it sparkles, who could ask for more!!
and another snap...

One of my favorite Santa ornaments and you can see my reflection in the purple ball - I love putting up a tree and seeing all the old ornaments come out - we have such a mish mash of things to go on the tree - I love them all - the funny ones, the old and scratched ones , the home made and the store bought ones - its all lovely Christmas - to me at least!!  Even as laden as the tree is I still have a ton of ornaments left over that I had to pack up and put away - I could have decorated this tree over again and still had some left over!!  One of my favorite things to put on the tree is the star - it is old and plastic, and has been around since I was a toddler - and although some people do not like it (not mentioning any names... begins with R) I like it and it goes on the top of the tree!!!!

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Well, I think I have droned on enough today sports fans!! 
Thanks for stopping by, do come again!!

Take care,

edgar