A Room of One's Own

Mr. Christmas Heart and I are in the process of planning our home in Arkansas, and I am going to have a Christmas room.

I have very definite ideas for what I want to do with it, but I was wondering if I am missing anything!

First of all, it's really more of a Christmas dreaming room. I want it to be the place I go to plot and plan and dream up all the magic!! In my mind I think of it as a sort of Christmas Command Center.

I envision my Christmas room with deep red walls. There will be several bookcases painted glossy hunter green, for all my Holiday books and magazines, and a huge comfy chair to sink into as I dream.

I'll need lots of storage. I'd probably prefer this to be a regular closet, so I can keep the area closed off, but the inside would be mostly shelving. This won't be for storage of my Christmas decorations; I have too many for that! (We will store those in the basement.)

This will be the place I store the items I buy throughout the year, (a literal gift closet!) as well as all the "atmosphere"....my Christmas music, Christmas scented candles, dishes, Holiday puzzles, etc. Oh, and Christmas cards! I usually buy a few boxes each year when they go on deep discount, and it'll be SO nice to have them stacked neatly in one spot for a change!

I'm really looking forward to being able to see everything with a glance, as opposed to the way I have to dig all through my current closet, which of course is where all our clothes and shoes and other odds and ends are taking up valuable space!


I want a state-of-the-art wrapping center also, and a place to make my Christmas crafts at. Ideally, this would be an island of some sort in the middle of the room, with two interchangeable surfaces on hinges, so I could keep two projects going at once. I'd like a few of those paper roll racks on one side of the island, too; that side could have drawers or shelving holding the rest of the wrapping supplies, whereas the other side could hold the craft supplies. I have also always thought one of those great big bright red Craftsman rolling tool chests would make a darn good place to store Christmas supplies; I can especially see those narrow drawers being used for my rubber stamps and papers, tags, tissue paer, etc.

I have a Christmas village with lots of pieces that I do not care for any more. I can't bring myself to get rid of, since my best friend is the one who started the collection for me, and I do love it for sentimental reasons! I was thinking I could put these pieces on top of the bookcases, and all around the room as decoration, and ambient lighting....

I'm toying with the idea of a mantle; at the very least, I'll probably have a floating shelf on one of the walls. It'd be the place I'd burn the candles on. I was thinking if I got a full mantle, I could put the sound equipment in the place where the firebox would normally go....

And I'll always have cinnamon pot pourri around, and cinnamon candles burning as I read and craft and dream up all the magic!!

St. Lucia Day

So I have been focusing a lot this month on ways I can jazz up the holidays, and scatter little mini-celebrations throughout the entire season ; my breakfast post yesterday reminded me of St. Lucia's Day.

Those of you who know me know there is nothing I would love more than to go swanning around the house all day with candles on my head, but here are some rather more practical ideas I thought of to make December 13th special!


How about making that the day you serve breakfast for supper? It could be a special fancy breakfast, or just your regular breakfast meal, but this is a simple way to make a new tradition! Breakfast-for-supper on December 13th every year....mark your calendars!


Or you could focus on the candle aspect of it, and focus the days activities around candles...maybe try a new scented candle, maybe use only candles for light that evening, give everyone a little scented votive (that you picked up dirt cheap during the holiday sales last year!) or just anything candle related.

Hey, why not serve your breakfast-for-supper by candlelight???

Or focus on the charity aspect of it, and make this the day you and you kids visit the Old Folks home, or just make it a special day with the grandparents...or if the grandparents are not local, maybe you call them, prepare their gifts, write a letter to them (be cool to mail the letter timed to arrive on the 13th...a sweet yearly tradition for them,too!), just do something that focuses on the grandparents or any old folks in your life! (your elderly aunts and uncles, the elderly lady next door, the old grump up the street...one could do anonymous good deeds...donate 5 or 10 bucks online to the Alzheimer's Association or other elder charity etc, etc.)

Dress everyone up in white with red accessories that day???


So, recap:   Everyone dresses in red and white that day, you make breakfast for dinner, eat it by candlelight, and after dinner you either call the grandparents, visit the grandparents or the old folks home, or make/shop for/wrap their present, and/or do a good deed for an elderly person.

Or you could just swan around the house with candles on your head.

A favorite Christmas Breakfast entree

Croissant French Toast

* 4 croissants - cut in half lengthwise
* 2/3 cup low fat milk
* 3 large eggs - lightly beaten
* 1/3 cup orange juice
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 bottle Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante, well chilled
* Your favorite dark chocolate



Crack open bottle of Asti, pour yourself a glass


Melt butter in on a skillet or in a large frying pan at medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except croissants. Beat until well combined.



Pour yourself another glass of Asti, if necessary; mixing is hard work

Drag croissants through the mixture and flip until completely coated. Cook about 3 minutes on each side  or until golden brown.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, and the rest of the Asti.

Grated dark chocolate over the top (of the French toast, I mean) is awesome; you can also stuff them with a TB of Nestle's Semi Sweet morsels before dredging.

Much Ado About Nothing

So, having done a little research and internet surfing, I have come to the conclusion that there are roughly four different types of Christmas In July participants...


You have your cookers, your crafters, your sit-around and watch Christmas DVD-ers, and your organizers/preppers.


Well, I don't craft, I don't cook at all, let alone in the heat of the summer, I hate TV in general and cheesy movies in particular, and I am awful at staying organized and sticking to any sort of routine, which is probably a big part of the reason why CIJ seldom held any real appeal to me.

BUT, I am a daydreamer from WAY back, a Past Mistress at the Art, really, and if there is one thing I love, it's sitting around daydreaming about lovely things, having all kinds of fun planning things out, while not actually doing anything at all besides sitting on my ass.

And drinking cold beverages.

And buying things.

All of which lends itself rather nicely to CIJ.

So I'll be posting daydreams and "wouldn't this be cool" things, and maybe even work in some practical stuff, too.

Christmas In July

As much as I have always loved Christmas, I had never been one to celebrate or even think about Christmas in July.

I despise the heat, so my Grouch-O-Meter starts runnin' pretty damn high come summer; getting all worked up about anything other than ice-cold watermelon is difficult for me this time of year, so the idea of doing something as elaborate as cooking a full Christmas dinner and/or hosting a big Christmas in July extravaganza is just beyond my comprehension. I don't even like to listen to Christmas music before November.



That being said,  last year, the whole Christmas-in-July thing sort of snuck up and bit me on my Holly Jolly ass.


And having thought about it for awhile, I feel very comfortable in putting the blame squarely on the explosion of the Blogosphere in general, and my Terri Triplet in particular.

I found her Christmas blog  last year, and through that, found the Christmas-in-July blog parties that everyone was having, and I just really, really enjoyed it. It fell on a Saturday last year, which helped.......and my DH was gone, which also helped, because I had QVC on all weekend, which really added to the atmosphere, and I mean I just really, really got a kick out of it all. I got to sit on my ass all day long, having a blast without actually having to do anything at all, other than sit on my ass.

And drink cold beverages.

And buy stuff.


It doesn't get any better than that, for me, and in fact sums up what I love about the Internet in general. But I digress.


Anyway, it kind of turned me in to a Christmas-in-July fangirl and I got all torqued up and excited about it, started this Christmas blog, and swore a vow to Heaven that I'd be all into it this year.




And then I sort of forgot all about it, which seems to pretty much sum up life in my 40s, but again I digress. Heck, I can't even remember what actually even reminded me about Christmas in July (known hereafter as CIJ) this year, and it's only been a few days since I remembered...I'll go ahead and blame it on Terri again, though, because I see she has a CIJ post up on her blog. 




I am also off on a medical leave, with plenty of time to kill, so it's a Perfect Storm, really, and I am gonna roll with it.

An odd post for a Christmas blog.....

especially since I haven't posted anything for so long!

But I have been accused of bleeding Red, White, and Blue (guilty as charged, I might add!) and come Memorial Day, I always think of my favorite patriotic song, which in turn makes me think of the amazing Worcester Wreath Company, and their Wreaths Across America project.

http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

Since I found out about this great company, I always buy my wreaths from them. At the very least, I always get the Patriot Pair, which means I get a wreath, and one is also sent to a Veteran's cemetery, to decorate the grave of a fallen soldier.




Their wreaths are glorious, and I hope y'all will keep them in mind when you buy your Christmas greenery.


I am hoping to do a few Christmas related things over the long weekend, but I must confess my thoughts are leaning more towards Autumn right now!

As much as I love Christmas, I am a HUGE Fall lover, and I am already thinking about my favorite season. I am trying to resist the urge to put out a few Autumn decorations.......

A Christmas Adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13

Shamelessly stolen from my Tanya-Triplet's blog!!


http://payzantfive.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-adaptation-of-1-corinthians.html

A Christmas Adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13

by Sharon Jaynes

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Content taken directly from Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas by Sharon Jaynes, published by Moody Publishing, copyright 2005