Cousin/Sister {+Michele} Christmas luncheon

Many of you know I used to be a caregiver for the most wonderful lady and during my years of caring for her became quite involved and attached to her amazing family! Her family spent many hours with their mom, grandma and aunt and so consequently I spent many hours with them. Her grandchildren and I became the best of friends! I remember {secretly} wondering if our friendship would remain as strong after their Grandma passed away but I had nothing to worry about!  Our friendships have not only remained but grown stronger and I look forward to many years and cherished memories ahead.

One of my most favorite events is a Christmas luncheon held by her granddaughter Cami. It is a cousin/sister lunch and I was invited last year. It was truly beautiful and perfect in every way. I did not assume that I would be invited this year so when I received my invite
 I WAS ECSTATIC!!!

The luncheon was the day before a big Christmas show 3 Craft Chicks participated in so that meant a big day of set up!  Did that stop me? NO WAY!!! I went up to Southhill and dropped off my "stuff" and did alittle bit of unpacking and then hopped in my car and headed out to Liberty Lake to Cami's. Got to Cami's and was immediately transported into her
WINTER WONDERLAND!!!

Pretty PINK Christmas decor ~ so lovely!!!

Just absolutely love me my Cami!

YUMMY FOOD ~ Spokane Club Salad & their Grandma's bean salad

Their Grandma's {delicious} chicken casserole ~ such comfort food!

Their Grandma's one of a kind cheesecake ~ served on Fostoria dishes

Flocked tree with Cami's grandma's pink ornaments

The start of Cami's wonderful SANTA collection!

The BIG Tree ~ glass & old world Christmas ornaments ~ so pretty!

Pink kissing ball

 The SKATERS ~ a  favorite that had been her Grandma's!

Asian themed tree ~ love!

Skiier ornament tree {all ornaments given by her Grandma through the yrs.}

FRIENDS FOR LIFE! Kathy & Cami ~ love them bunches!

LOVE!!!These 3! Watch out when they are together!

Dani, Terri, Rachael, Kathy, Cami & Shelly ~ COUSINS & SISTERS!

Gathered around the table!

Lovely aluminum tree with beautiful shiny brite ornaments!

Can you tell how much fun we were having? Laughed so hard that day!!!

LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!!! for SURE!!!

Perfect & beautiful tablescape!

Felt stocking made by Cami's grandma years ago...!

Family heirlooms are the best!

Orange felt stocking made by Cami's mom when she was little!

Love this vintage church!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE!!!

This was Cami's Grandma's and the years I cared for her, I helped her put out her Christmas decor! I loved every single thing however this was at the tippy top of my most favorites list!!! I love how this family "does" Christmas ~ like how I "do" Christmas! All the grandchildren have inherited beautiful decorations and family heirlooms and continue to carry on traditions that I KNOW their Grandma would be most proud of!!!

Cami said she would understand if I couldn't have come due to scheduling conflict however there was no way I was going to miss this event! I don't ever want to loose my spot at it! :)

Can you even imagine my surprise when I got a Christmas calendar card in the mail? She used the picture with me in it...I was so humbled and honored!
It made me start crying!!!

This is such an extraordinary group of women that I'm blessed to be part of!!!

Wrapping up 2012...

It's been exactly 1 month since I blogged last and alot of life has happened in that time! Wasn't quite sure where to start with this "catch up" post so here goes ~

December was a busy month filled with all the "normal" holiday festivities...those of you who know me well KNOW how much I LOVE CHRISTMAS and how very much I LOVE DECORATING for Christmas!!! This year was no exception! I did have a bit of a late start due to the fact that 3 Craft Chicks participated in the Two Women Christmas Show. I learned a BIG lesson this year!!! I MUST decorate my home in November before any Christmas shows! Otherwise it's being done the week before Christmas and I like to have it done sooner so we can all enjoy it longer! I know! I know! I know! I'm just {alittle} crazy for Christmas!!! Always have been & always will be!!!

In my formal living there are 3 trees!!! The tall one has all glass & Old World Christmas ornaments, the silver one by the mirror has all Shiny Brites {those make me HAPPY} and the newest addition is the smaller aluminum tree {purchased from Happy Girl Vintage}that holds all of Grandpa Bernie & Grandma Lorraine's VINTAGE Shiny Brite ornaments along with a few family heirlooms!

I simply ADORE this tree & all the treasured memories it holds!!!

Got to check off something on my bucket list this Christmas!!!
Jim gave me a REVOLVING CHRISTMAS TREE STAND!!!

The catch was I already had my big tree decorated! No worries tho!!! I took off all the glass ornaments and Jim put the new stand on and then I stayed up till 3 a.m. that particular morning redecorating my tree!!!
It was SOOOOOOOOOO worth it!!!

Of course in a picture you can't see it moving but trust me...IT MOVES!!!

When I was 10 years old we went to our friends Gary & Ginny Evans home for Christmas and their tree was revolving! I remember that day 35 years ago being so mesmerized by it and saying in my mind that someday I would have one!!! Much of my love for Christmas decorating came from Gary and he to this day still loves all things Christmas!!!

Just a few of my other favorite Christmas decorations ~ ~ ~

We ended the month of December 2012 with a couple very momentous events:

 First...our dear Scotty came to live with us! His mom, brother & sister brought him back over from western Washington a couple days after Christmas! We are all so happy to have him here with us. He certainly brightens ANY day and is a such a reminder of the simple joys of life!!!

Secondly...we signed a lease on an adorable little pink house just a couple miles from our home where 3 Craft Chicks will have scrapbooking/crafting classes and crops. We will also have vintage/antique home decor for sale. I'm most excited about a place for people to gather and be able to craft and work on whatever project they need to. It's going to be alot of fun and I will certainly keep you posted on the details!!!

SO EXCITING!!!!!

a pretty PINK Christmas...CJH style...

My friend Kathy and I met when I began caring for her precious grandma over 5 years ago. Kathy was so involved in her grandma's life so I was blessed to become friends with her. We soon discovered we liked alot of the same things and shared a love for all things vintage especially vintage Christmas. Over the past year or so we started going to estate sales and vintage/antique shows together and just have a blast! This year I wanted to see her Christmas decorations because after her sweet grandma passed away she inherited many of her wonderful Christmas treasures! Kathy invited her cousin Cami {who has also become such a wonderful friend because of their grandma} and me for a scrumptious lunch and tour of the Christmas decorations!!!

It was so so so pretty!!!

 This is my favorite! Kathy's grandma always had a flocked Christmas tree and Kathy found this one that looked just like her grandma's just on a smaller scale. It now holds many treasured PINK ornaments from her grandma's tree. I loved seeing some of her grandma's PINK ornaments on this tree as I had helped decorate at her grandma's over the past few years. The neat thing too is her grandma took such meticulous care of her things and many ornaments are over 50 years old! Kathy has added some of her own vintage PINK to it too. All 5 grandchildren shared the family ornaments.

The felted PINK tree skirt was always one of my most favorites!!!

a very pretty PINK Christmas...CJH style...

Aren't these PINK angels just so wonderful???

{these are from the 1950's}

 

I found this pretty PINK vintage ornament and there was 3...

one for Kathy...

one for Cami...

one for me...

HOW PERFECT!!!

PINK tulle Christmas tree...LOVE {I want to learn to make these!}

I made Kathy the snow bowl...it has glitter that was her grandma's on the trees and sprinkled in the snow...

These next pictures are the absolutely amazing PINK Christmas tablecloth...

netting, tulle, pom poms, felt & sequins...does it get any prettier???

The prettiest stocking made by her grandma in the 1960's...

The display of grandchildren and great grandchildren stockings at CJH's home was quite spectacular. She made each one a stocking when they were born or married into the family. A total of 27 stockings hung in her home at Christmas.

The master bedroom is even decorated...

Kathy is my kinda girl!

These pictures look like out of a magazine or wonderful old Christmas movie...

Kathy's dad and Cami's mom with Santa at The Bon Marche in downtown Spokane in the late 1940's...

The main living room had the BIG...BIG...BIG...tree...

Oh...did I mention that it is BIG ??? 

Not only did we have a fantastic time seeing all her Christmas decorations, we ate a yummy lunch! Kathy made the most incredible sandwiches... grilled Havarti cheese, crab & guacamole ...it was DIVINE!!!

and Coke in the bottle...

Doesn't get much better than that!!! just sayin'
{loved the little crocheted holders that were from when they were little girls}

THANK YOU KATH FOR SUCH A SWEET DAY!!! 
LOVED OUR TIME TOGETHER!!!