There are things Sister and I have made,
There is stuff mom made,
There are decorations that mark times in our lives. Like the ornament I got for my first Christmas, (that makes it twenty years old!)
We even have two stars! (Second star to the right and straight on till morning!)
Our tree is full of us. In my opinion, that makes it better than perfect.
My favorite grouping of holiday decorations (every available surface in the living room is covered with stuff!) is my mom's village made entirely of the Baileys collectible houses (that only come out at Christmas!).
My favorite holiday dessert is Grandma's Sugar Cookies. If you're interested in the recipe, let me know and I'll email you. All you get for now is this year's icing was made with icing sugar, food coloring, and Bailey's. They taste amazing!
My favorite holiday drink is Peppermint Hot Chocolate. For every 5 ounces of hot chocolate, add 1 ounce of peppermint schnapps (and a little extra if you're like mom and I!). Make sure to dust the rim with sugar. Add a cinnamon stick or peppermint candy cane as a garnish and you're good to go!
Thanks for stopping by and for joining in on this blog fest! Sharing Christmas with my blogger family is a brilliant beginning to an epic holiday season.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
PS. After I finish visiting everyone for the blog fest, I will be taking a hiatus from blogging over the holiday season - my baby sister is coming home tomorrow and I want to spend as much time with family as possible. I'll see you in January!
Please try and stop by as many other blogs as you can and share the holiday spirit, we have so many awesome participants and Jen and I are absolutely amazed at the turn out.
How have I not known about Peppermint Hot Chocolate?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right--all of those special things made and saved throughtout the years are the best part!
THX for doing this--it was FUN!
Your tree looks great! =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this blogfest - it's a lot of fun seeing everyone's decorations and discovering new treats.
Our tree is full of us. I love that...and it is indeed a beautiful tree!
ReplyDeleteThank you to you and Jen for hosting this blogfest! It was a wonderful idea!! :)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!
I love it! Your tree is gorgeous and the cookies make my mouth water.
ReplyDeleteThat peppermint hot chocolate looks too good! And your tree looks VERY nice - there's a lot to be said for a more eclectic tree that's filled with memories! Thanks for the close-up on some of your neat ornaments. :)
ReplyDeleteYour tree looks really beautiful. I love the two stars... so cute.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to experiment with Bailey's in whole new way too. :)
I love eclectic trees. The uniform, color-coded ones are pretty but the others are more interesting. I love searching the branches for all the special ornaments. (Can ya tell that's the kind of tree I have? LOL) Thanks for sharing your Christmas, Melissa, and thanks for the blogfest. Seeing the participants' pages is fun. =o)
ReplyDeleteYes yes Melissa! Thanks for the blog fest... And don't forget the eggnog! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the two stars on the tree! I love hot chocolate. Adding peppermint sounds like a great idea!
ReplyDeletelove your two stars! and that your tree represents your family!
ReplyDeletehave a lovely visit with your sister!
merry christmas!
I love your tree decorations. The ones my kids have made over the years are priceless to me.
ReplyDeleteBaileys in the icing? Are you kidding me? I've got to try these, and the hot chocolate looks amazing.
Thanks so much for hosting this blogfest!
I love how your tree is full of you and your family. It makes it all the more special.
ReplyDeletePeppermint hot chocolate? I haven't heard of that one either. LOL.
Thank you for hosting such an awesome blogfest!
Be Jolly By Golly
Love the two stars with the Neverland reference. That's the best part of Christmas, making the traditions your own.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting! This is so much fun!
Your traditions are lovely, and those cookies look yummers. This is a fun blogfest, thanks for hosting! Merry Christmas!! :D
ReplyDeletePeppermint hot chocolate for the win! Now...where can I get me some schnapps.......
ReplyDeleteOur tree is like that, too! Some day when we get a house, I want several trees and have them themed. But I'll always have one tree filled with my and my husband's special ornaments from our childhood and trips we took together. To me, those are the most beautiful trees!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE hot chocolate and I can't wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing! Many blessings to you and your family this Christmas and in the new year!
Those cookies look SO awesome!
ReplyDeleteThis was a really fun, festive blogfest. Thanks for co-hosting :)
Yay for peppermint hot chocolate! Best thing ever. I love that your tree is so personal--that definitely makes for a special holiday. Have a great Christmas with your sister! Thanks for organizing this blog fest!
ReplyDelete'Our tree is full of us.' Love.
ReplyDeleteBut, this is also why we do so many trees in our home...because there are many parts of each of us, many themes to be expressed. Plus, they're fun to decorate, no? (though I hate taking them down)
Mmmm, bailey's frosting!!!! *drools*
Merry Holidays!
Love,
Lola
oooo! That peppermint hot chocolate looks DIVINE!!! And that's how my tree is. A hodge podge of mostly home-made ornaments. The girls seem to do a new one every year!
ReplyDeleteLove it. Merry Christmas! Great fest idea! <3
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOoo, pretty decorations and all. I love the CASTLE in your collectible village! Thanks so much for sponsoring this blogfest--so fun!
ReplyDeleteI love your tree! That is the same way ours is...full of memories. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe tree looks fabulous, Melissa! In our old house we used a big artificial tree for years, and it always looked great. Real or fake, doesn't matter. What matters is the attention you pay to decorating, and this one is full of joy and memories!
ReplyDeleteYour tree looks amazing! The ornaments are so cute. My tree has alot of "us" in it too, i think the ones that have that are the best ones!
ReplyDeleteYummy sugar cookies!
Dude, I so want to come party at your place for Christmas. Between the hot chocolate and the cookies we'd be snockered by noon!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas up there!
Love your tree! It's so full! Thanks for hosting. I'm loving going around and seeing everyone's decorations!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the blogfest. I'm having a great morning visiting everyone . . . and getting very hungry :)
ReplyDeleteI love your ornament collection -- my family is the same way. Most of our ornaments have some kind of sentimental value. Like the little toy soldier that my sister bit the head off of when she was just a baby . . . looks weird, but man is it funny.
Cheers, dear,
~ Bess
Our imperfect tree and handmade decorations are also a fav.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tree. The ones filled ourselves are the best. I'm trying the hot chocolate recipe. I think I can handle that one. LOL
ReplyDeleteNancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
"Our tree is full of us. In my opinion, that makes it better than perfect."
ReplyDeleteThat sums it all up -- perfectly.
Merry Christmas!
I love that you made your own ornaments! Those are the best kind. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteYour peppermint cocoa is fancy in comparison to mine.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE those special personal ornaments that mean something. We've got those scattered around our tree too. I still have my first ornament from when I was born- a green bulb with Abigail painted on it. It's 29 years old! Have a great Christmas and see you next year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the blog fest!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is beautiful - the pictures are all great!
Merry Christmas and enjoy your time off from blogging!
Melissa - The decorations are beautiful. I love the little critter in the stuffed chair. And those cookies looke delicious! Yum.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting such a fun fest. Merry Christmas!!! =D
I love your tree! I agree, it's so much better when it's full of meaningful ornaments.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I left you an award on my blog!
What beautiful decorations and I love your tree!! Brilliant idea for this blogfest, I'm feeling very jolly! Have a wonderful Christmas! xxx
ReplyDeleteI love your tree with all of the special ornaments.
ReplyDeleteAlso, must have peppermint hot chocolate ASAP!
Happy Holidays!
Oh, I love your tree decorations! The trees I grew up with were always overburdened by homemade and school-made ornaments with pictures of us kids at various ages. I remember being wowed by the commercial-looking trees with giant red and silver balls and telling my mom we should decorate like that. She said she liked her tree to represent what was most important to her: family.
ReplyDeleteNow I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks for hosting this great blogfest. It's really getting me into the Christmas spirit! Merry Christmas to you!
Trees that aren't color coded or arranged as in the stores have a wonderful feel to them. :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
HI Melissa,
ReplyDeleteMERRY CHRISTMAS! I love the fact that you have family ornaments on the tree. Family is what Christmas is all about. Your tree is gorgeous!
I haven't posted yet. I am waiting until dark. About 4:30 here. I just finished the final touches earlier. I can't wait to share them with you and our other blogging friends.
We'll miss you over the next week, but enjoy your family.
I'll be sending out your HP goodie after the new year. I don't want it to get caught in the Christmas mail.
All the best for the new year!
Michael
Looks like your tree holds as much love as ours does, and the peppermint hot chocolate looks yummy. I'll have to try it.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Holiday!
Peppermint anything is my favorite. I'm going to try this! Yummy! Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteFestive! And our tree is an assortment of ornaments as well.
ReplyDeleteIt IS a perfect tree!! I love to look at those color coded ones, they're very beautiful, but something about mix matched ones are just homey. Love it! Love your decorations too! Amazing job on the fest, Melissa! This has been so much fun!!
ReplyDeleteYour tree ornaments are beautiful. I like how the tree is so full of them. The cookies look yummy!
ReplyDeletePeppermint HOt Chocolate sounds yummy. I'll make it when winter comes! Love it Melissa! Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYour tree and decorations are amazing.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas!
I love how you said the tree is full of us. So true. I love the homemade ornaments the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this spectacular bash!
your blogfest post is so much more koala-tea thank mine! ;D
ReplyDeleteI'm on the east side of Canada, actually. Though I'd love to visit BC one day. All the best movies in Canada are produced there *o*
Have a wicked Holiday season!!
That drink looks so yummy! I love your tree and little village. Have a great Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying this blogfest. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first blogfest ever and it's great!
ReplyDeleteYum--cookies and hot chocolate. Love your decorations. Thanks for hosting and have a wonderful holiday!
ReplyDeleteI finally got to see a picture of your favorite drink! PS I picked up the ingredients so Christmas Eve I'll be enjoying a glass with you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for teaming up with me to make this spectacular blogfest! I couldn't have done it without you!!
holy-mother-of-what-the-heck! Soo many comments, you crazy! Though mine will be your favorite, am I right? Am I right? haha only kidding! I looove our gingerbread house that your cat destroyed, boo whoo! But I also love our candy and your cookies. Im coming over tonight! Make me a drink woman!!! I love the little village and where it came from. byee!
ReplyDeleteI love the sleeping kitty ornament.
ReplyDeletebeth-project52.blogspot.com
I adore you little snowman. Homemade ornaments are the best.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE those little houses! And that hot chocolate looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
The peppermint hot choc sounds sooooo yum! And I love your tree!
ReplyDeleteCool! Thanks for sharing this. My tree is kinda like yours too - full of random things we've collected over the years. :)
ReplyDeleteI love peppermint hot chocolate! Except I just use peppermint chunks instead. Or I go the lazy way and go to Starbucks, but I love their holiday drinks, so it's win-win!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
That drink looks amazing! and a personalized tree is so much better than some store one!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness- those cookies look delish! I think your tree is so pretty. I still have my first ornament on my tree too! :) Thanks for co-hosting this awesome blog hop!
ReplyDeleteLove the tree and all of the ornaments you and your family have made! Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAnd peppermint hot chocolate sounds wonderful!
Now that hot chocolate looks yummy! Thanks for the fun holiday blog fest!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
I love your ornaments! I sort of do the same thing on my tree. It's packed with ornaments from all our vacations. Every year when we decorate, it's fun to think about all the trips we've been on.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous tree - I love the ornaments with meaning too :)
ReplyDeleteOooh, another good hot beverage, peppermint hot chocolate. That'll warm you up!
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite thing of yours is the two stars...LOVE Peter Pan! And of course, the sentimental ornaments. I have plenty of those too. It's what makes Christmas Christmas. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thanks for hosting this blogfest! I'm enjoying seeing everyone's posts. Mine is a little late and a little drab due to a housecleaning manic fit (only hits me about once or twice a year, usually around Christmas) and then a hot glue gun second degree burn emergency for my youngest daughter. Yikes. So glad we live close to a quick fix medical center with burn cream at the ready.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree. Like you say, it is YOU, and you are a lovely person.
ReplyDeleteAnd two stars on the tree is a great idea- that's also the solution to the 'who gets to place the star' problem I encounter every year!
Thanks for hosting such a fantastic blogfest. And, happy holidays.
Awesome pics! What amazing ornaments you made! Thanks for hosting this!
ReplyDeleteThose cookies look super yummy! I agree that your tree is better than perfect because it's full of you. My favorite ornaments are the ones we made as kids. So full of us! So much fun to pull them out every year when we decorate my mom's tree (on Christmas Eve!). Merry Christmas!!
ReplyDelete"Second star to the right and straight on till morning!"
ReplyDeleteHad to think on that for several seconds... I knew I knew it... ... Peter Pan!
I love that all your decorations have meaning. Just like our decorations :-) Well, the ones on our "real" tree, not the wire tree!
Hey, sorry I didn't get here last night. I literally passed out :)
ReplyDeleteI adore the kitty in the chair ornament! And, I'm copying and printing the recipe for peppermint hot chocolate, YUM!
Bath and Body Works has a Twisted Peppermint that smells like chocolate peppermint and it's my new fave flavor for winter.
Thanks for visiting/hosting the blogfest and Merry Christmas!!!
Beautiful ornaments and tree! Thanks to you and Jen for organising this! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the tree and all the traditions you shared! Merry Christmas to you and your family! See you in the New Year...:)
ReplyDeleteYour decorations are beautiful! Love the ornaments.
ReplyDeleteAw! I love this!
ReplyDeleteHey Melissa, you won in my book giveaway! BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS baby! (with a surprise!)
Email me, ali at alicross dot com
and
Merry Christmas!
Great ornaments. :) Awesome stuff, kind of makes me wish we had a tree at home. I miss it.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas. :)
Thanks for having the blogfest! It's been such fun:). Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI am posting an award for you in the next few hours!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous tree! I love the snow man. Thanks for hosting this awesome blogfest, so much fun! And i'd love a good sugar cookie recipe, if you don't mind sharing? Happy holidays to you!
ReplyDeleteI could have sworn I commented on your blog the other day-- I know I looked at it the first day I love Christmas trees that have lots of memories and little too do with matchiness! Your tree is perfect! I understand the allergy thing. I'm obviously allergic to our tree (wake up sneezing every morning since the tree arrived) but I still have to have a real tree. Maybe one of these days I will be smart like you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the Be Jolly By Golly Blogfest it was geat fun!
Mmm, the cookies look delicious, but what I really love is the tree that's full of you. Stories and traditions are the best part of Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThis has been a fantastic blogfest, I've so enjoyed visiting all the entries. So thank you, and merry Christmas!
Happy Christmas Melissa - hope it has been a fantastic day.
ReplyDeleteI would have entered your blogfest, but it has been too manic here! Looks like it was a huge success though - well done.
:Dom
Ahhh! Your ornaments are so cute! I am insanely jealous.
ReplyDelete