Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Wreaths/Door Decor

Twelve Weeks of Christmas!

Wreaths/Door Decor!

Week 8

This week we are to share a wreath or door decor.

This is the perfect time for the coolest Santa ever to make his blogland debut!

I found this Santa at a really wonderful shop in Wichita, KS, in the Christmas of 2007. They knew I was "in love" with him, but he was pretty expensive (OK, a lot expensive)! But, after Christmas, the shop owner gave me a sale price, and I snapped him up and brought him home to Texas. That year I left him in the den all year. In 2009 he moved into my studio but now is back in the den "presiding" over all the other Christmas tra-la-las.

His gorgeous raffia beard is four feet long!

I have no tutorial on creating him.

He may be one-of-a-kind, but you need to meet the coolest Santa I've ever seen!

A little closer view. . .

(click on both pics for a closer view)

Be sure to visit Red Writing's other TWOC participants for some great ideas and fun blogs!





I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on my website, www.mysongwithin.com
for the holidays!

PROMO CODE: msw09


Christmas Blessings,
Jayne

Pink Saturday - Teapots!

Happy Pink Saturday!

Teapots!

When thinking about decorating for Christmas I remembered a box of teapots that I hadn't unpacked when we moved a few years ago. Hmmm...., why not make them become a new decoration this year. So, here is a pink teapot with a little bling added.


Look around and see what unexpected "containers" you may have that could become a new Christmas decoration this year! A few picks, a little greenery, and for no expense, a new look! I did this with several teapots (but only showed the pink here, of course).


For more pink fun, be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound!


Thanksgiving/Christmas Blessings,

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Crafts #2

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Week 7

Crafts #2

Teapots!

Why not fill them with Christmas decorations (picks/greenery)?

As I was thinking about what to post for TWOC this week, for some reason a packed-up box of teapots that were in my closet came popping into mind. Why not get them out and make them become a Christmas decoration?

The first one (above) was my mothers. The lid is long gone, but it's at least 75-years-old. The gold painted decoration is probably 18 k gold.

So, I got out several others and filled them with picks bought at HL at half price.

Soooooo..... look around for the unexpected (containers) at your house and turn them into new Christmas decorations this year! The sky's the limit!

Pink, but still Christmasy....

This last container is a planter with faux greenery; I may still add some bows to these teapots, or they may be done.

Be sure to visit Red Writing's TWOC for lots of good craft ideas!

Visit my website where I am offering FREE SHIPPING for the holidays!

CODE: msw09

Christmas Blessings,

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Shopping!

~ Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Shopping! ~

~ Mr. Snowman says, "Welcome to TWOC, week six!" ~

~ Santa I found on sale last year after Christmas! ~

We are half-way through Red Writing's TWOC Event!

This week we are to share shopping ideas/events/sprees/whatever!

One of my favorite finds is this desktop fireplace. I found it at the Dallas Gift Market and just had to share it with you. The stand is metal; the logs are resin; the candles are tea-lite size, and I found some dark colored candles so they sort of blend in with the "logs."

One set will sit on a table in my bedroom and one on my desk at work. The one at work will have to have battery powered candles in it or I may try to get a string of mini-lites attached to it somehow. That one is still a work in progress.

Next is a shopping spree that my daughters and I took last year the week after Christmas. We always visit a wonderful gift shop located in an old fire station (in Kansas) when we're together. They carry wonderful gift items, and I love to shop there before and after Christmas! Shown here are pictures of some of their decorations in the store (after Christmas) last year!

~ Cute santas and snowmen ~

~ A tree in the store ~

I bought the ornaments shown below on my own little tree last year at half price! Love them!

I love to unpack these kinds of great finds a year later; it feels like they were free! I highly recommend after Christmas shopping - both for gifts and for decorating your own tree and home.

Shop pre-Christmas, too! Our small business owners need our business!

~ Love this snowman! ~

The first two ornaments on this blog post were bought last year at half price!

~ Go forth and shop! ~

~ Shop Early - Shop Often ~

I look forward to the cooler weather, the decorations, the Christmas music, the Salvations Army Bells, even the hustle and bustle.

And, it all happens, Because He Came!

Be sure to visit all the participants at TWOC's week six shopping event!

Click here!

~ Christmas Blessings! ~

Jayne

Pink Saturday!

Happy Pink Saturday!

I decided to post something I have made for Christmas this year! After all it's only 49 days till Christmas! Does that shock you? It's time to be thinking Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

This is a picture in a fun frame that I have made for gifts and for my website this year. There are lots of people out there who don't do red and green for Christmas decorations - many (of you) do pink!

A close-up

A back view - sheet music taken from an old copy of J. S. Bach's "Mass in B Minor."

Be sure to visit everyone who is participating in Pink Saturday over at How Sweet the Sound!

Pink Saturday and Christmas Blessings!

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Homemade!

~ Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Homemade ~

~ Week Five ~


I make Greeting Cards - lots of greeting cards - have been for about twelve years. So, I thought for Red Writing's TWOC event this week, I would show a couple of cards that I'm making for Christmas this year, both to send and to sell; they are on my website My Song Within.

This first Christmas card is a two-sided card (it doesn't open) that is new this year. It's made of warm-white linen cardstock; I outlined the message layers on front and back with a gold pen, added a gold Christmas tree brad on the front side and tied a generous bow made of a wide, white shimmery ribbon. I always use ribbons - they add so much to a card! I look forward to sending this card which has a "touch of elegance" to it.

This first picture is the front of the card.

Shown below is the front and back of the card.

The message on the back is Isaiah 9.6

Next is a Christmas card I made using stamping, layering and tulle.

It is a card I sent several years ago and this year I brought it back 'cause people liked it so much. I did change the design some.

The angel is directing music and the birds are singing!

The message on front is,
"for unto us a Child is born . . ."

As you can see, the burgundy cardstock is torn across the top and the stamped, warm-white cardstock is also torn. I like that look.

The inside message, below, is Isaiah 9.6; I tie the tulle ribbon over the inside left page (you can see the words "Christmas Blessings" peeking through) and around to the front side, making a fluffy bow across the picture.

I like to use tulle and sheer ribbon on my cards as you can see words

and embellishments through the ribbon.

I also make framed Scripture pictures and below is one all done up in pink. Some people have pink Christmas decorations, so I made this pic for those people who don't do red and green and are always on the lookout for pink!

Christmas - Because He came . . .

Thanks for visiting and checking out my homemade goodies!

Be sure to stop by all the other participants
for Week Five of TWOC presented by Red Writing.

Christmas Blessings,

Jayne

Twelve Weeks of Christmas! Food! Week 4

~ Twelve Weeks of Christmas! ~

All About the Food!

Week Four!

This week Red Writing asked us to share something about our Christmas food traditions for week-four of our TWOC event.

Our family has many food (have to have it/don't change it) traditions for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the main one that I have been in charge of for over 40 years is "the perfect sweet potato recipe"! When my kids were little we had a nanny who made this dish for us. I asked her one day if she would give us the recipe. She said, ''there isn't a recipe." She just made it by feel! So, I asked her if she would let me watch her and create a written recipe. The result is "Dorothy Sweet Potatos" and we have had it every Thanksgiving and Christmas since that year; and it is passing down to my kids and grandkids.

Dorothy would be proud if you decide to give it a try!

~ Dorothy Sweet Potatos ~

Peel and cut into chunks (approx. 1 to 2 inch) 10 to 12 sweet potatos

Cover with water in dutch oven and boil (uncovered) till tender

Remove from heat and drain well

Add: two sticks of butter (NOT margarine) - cover and let butter melt

Add: two cups sugar

Mash/mix with hand or bowl mixer till consistency of mashed potatos

Allow to cool some

Add: seven/eight eggs, slightly beaten, a couple eggs at a time; mix well between additions

Add: one to two T. cinnamon; one to two T. nutmeg; one T. vanilla flavoring, mix well

Add: one cup milk or heavy cream (we use cream); mix well

Pour into (sprayed/greased) 9 X 13 inch baking dish - the above ingredients will make two pans worth (depending on the size of your potatos - I buy medium sized and we want leftovers)

Bake uncovered at 350 for one hour

Add marshmellows, return to oven and allow marshmellows to melt and brown slightly

Serves: 12/14 (with some leftovers)

Done and Delish!

This weekend we are having "Thanksgiving" in Kansas; the Texas connection traveled to KS this weekend, and we are pretending it's November. With work/school/college schedules, we couldn't swing it next month. So, the above recipe was eaten TODAY! YUMMY! And we have leftovers; and, it will be made again Christmas Day!


Be sure to visit everyone who is participating in TWOC and see what other good recipes and ideas may be out there for all of us to try this year!

Blessings,
Jayne @ My Song Within

Procrastinator's Project ~ The Reveal!

Procrastinator's Project ~ The Reveal!

Click here to see all the reveals!

This Procrastinator's Project was sponsored by The Inspired Room and began October 6. We had two weeks to finish whatever project we selected - a project we had been putting off - a dreaded project!

~ Finished Project & Lookin' Cozy! ~

I chose this antique metal-topped table and chair set for my project. I bought it in 1987 at a little antique store and even found the hand-written receipt in the drawer. The table and two chairs cost $75, and for some un-remembered reason I put it in lay-a-way for a couple of months (according to the receipt). For the past three years it has been out on my deck - covered with an awning, but still exposed to the elements. The paint had started to crackle and chip off; I knew I was ruining it. So, thanks to this project, I brought it in, scrapped, sanded, primered and painted it; the chairs had not been outside, so they are OK.


Now here it is in my bay window and I'm really happy. This year it'll hold my table-top Christmas tree. I mentioned in my "before" post that maybe the bay window would get curtains as part of this event. As you see, that didn't happen. Reason: hardware! I can't mount the bay window rod without help and there was no one around to help! That WILL HAPPEN before Christmas. I just want white cotton sheers covering the mini-blinds (yes, I know mini-blinds are "not cool" but they were here when I bought this condo - someday they may go to mini-blind heaven).

~ Midway along ~

ugghhh - lots of work!

~ Before ~
outside and starting to rot
Be sure to visit everyone who entered this Procrastinator's Project event and see how we all did! It's been worth every bit of the work, sore legs, sore back, etc., etc. to get this done! I betcha everyone feels the same way!


I hope the Inspired Room does another such event after Christmas! Possible?

Blessings,

Jayne

TWOC - Christmas Accent Craft #1

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Week Three

Christmas Craft Accents #1

Well, here we are at week three of our Twelve Weeks of Christmas event sponsored by Red Writing. It's been fun to read all the blogs of those who are participating, and I appreciate your visits to My Song Within.

This first picture is of a wreath I bought on sale after Christmas last year for about $10. It's a really nice wreath - light and feathery. I just embellished it with some white feathers and silver picks (all bought on sale at HL) and a white sheer bow. I have under $12 invested and it only took a few minutes to assemble. I recommend doing your own wreath decorating! It's easy, it doesn't cost much and you can let your imagination run wild.

the "before"

the "after"

This next picture is a conglomoration of bling, trees, wreaths, shoes, purses, etc. that were collected from after-Christmas sales last year, things I bought at the Dallas Gift Market for my website and some Hobby Lobby purchases. It will hopefully all turn into wonderful gifts, home decor and website stuff. I have "sacks and sacks" of gorgeous picks, ribbon and greenery that I'm having fun planning "what it will all become" (and with only 60 something days till Christmas, it had better become something in a hurry!).



This pretty gold shoe is filled with some of my "sacks and sacks" of pretty picks, ribbon, and greenery. I'm making them for gifts and for my site.

This tree - well, suffice it to say, I have many of these trees; they were on sale at HL last year, and everytime I went shopping I bought a couple. I think I have twelve or fourteen. They are going to be "embellished" this year from my "sacks and sacks" of glittery picks, ribbons, etc. I think they'll make nice gifts, plus I'll keep some. You can't have too many trees around the house!

My theory:

Every little nook and cranny needs

a Christmas tree nestled into it!

They make everything so cozy.

Do all bloggers do crafts? Probably - in some form or other. This blog is about just one side of what I create. TWOC has a second craft event in a few weeks, and in that one I'll share what else I do (Christmas goodies) that takes a totally different path, and I can't wait to see what you're doing at both events!

Thanks for visiting and be sure to visit all the TWOC blogs. I'll bet this week's "party" takes lots of fun directions!

Blessings,

Jayne

Christmas Memories and Traditions

Week Two of "12 Weeks of Christmas"!

Memories and Traditions

As part of week two of Red Writing's TWOC (Twelve Weeks of Christmas) event, we are to share some special memories of our family and what we have done to celebrate this extraordinary Christmas season over the years.


First, as a child, one of my favorite memories is of sitting at the piano (we had a spinet piano with a mirror across the top), playing "We Three King" and "Silent Night, Holy Night" and being able to see the tree which was behind me in that mirror. I think those were the only two songs I could play; I loved doing that. We had some of those bubbly lights on the tree that looked like a candle. I thought they were so elegant!


As a young mother, one of my favorite memories is having all the family to our house on Christmas Eve - my sister and her three, my in-laws, our two daughters, of course, and an occasional addition of one of our kids friends who needed a place to be. We had certain food traditions that my sister and I always fixed and one of my nieces often wrote a skit that the kids all acted in - one I remember in particular was a manger scene and the kids were all dressed in the appropriate costumes.


Christmas Day was always at my sister's home. No matter what our daughters got for Christmas, it always had to go with us to Mary's. One memory is the year they got a Suzy Homemaker Oven. The oven and all supplies went with us.


On Christmas Day after lunch, we always had a puzzle on the grand piano and everyone came and went throughout the day and worked on it.

Things change: Now my kids are grown, I have six grandkids, we don't all live in the same town, my sister is in heaven, I'm single again, one grandson is married, my, my . . . . where did all those years go?!?

My kids and my sister's kids all are making and continue to make their own traditions, and many of them follow along the path of how they grew up. Isn't that just the best? I love to see things passed along.

One of the simple, but sweet things that has passed along:
That grand piano that we all worked puzzles on in Texas is now in Kansas at my daughters house; one of my granddaughters is a piano performance major in college. My sister gave her that piano. Last year, when those of us who could be in Kansas were all together, we worked a Mitford Puzzle on that piano. It brought back lots of memories!!

Christmas is still my favorite time of the year. We try to maintain as many of those wonderful traditions as we can. Our menu doesn't change, even if the people change from time-to-time. We still have a wonderful time together and most of all, we all love Jesus Christ and celebrate Him!

Christmas church services in December, singing in the "Messiah" at my church, celebrating Advent, knowing that without the birth of Jesus, there would be no Christmas - it's all the best there is this side of glory! I'm glad it's only 11 weeks away!

Christmas - Because He Came!

Merry Christmas!

Be sure to visit everyone who is participating in week two of TWOC!

Blessings,

Jayne at mysongwithin

My "Christmas List" for Santa!

My TWOC "Christmas List"

Week One

Dear Santa,

Merry Christmas! As you know, I love Christmas and can't wait till it's time to decorate!
I've been thinking really hard about my "Christmas List" this year. First, as you well know:

Sugar and Spice

And everything nice

That's what little girls

Are made of!

Sooooo..... since I'm a girl, I have been nice and am surely still on your list, here goes:

1. Instantly have all my Christmas projects designed
2. Instantly have my Christmas party planned and invitations done
3. Instant ability to take perfect pictures
4. Instantly have a finished website
5. Instantly crave only veggies and fruit (no more chocolate)
6. Instantly have a svelte figure
7. Instantly have gorgeous hair (no more bad hair days)
8. Instantly have an all-white house (walls, furniture, textiles)
9. Instantly own a cabin in the mountains
10. Instantly live in a cool climate
11. Instantly have all my family living in the same small town
12. Instantly own a cute little gift shop that my daughters and I run together (but we won't need to make money - just have fun)!

No hurry! No rush! Instantly will be fine, Santa. Your usual chocolate pie and coffee will be waiting!

That should about do it. One wish for every week of TWOC!

Merry Christmas! Blessings! Joy!

Jayne

http://www.mysongwithin.com/

Be sure to visit Red Writing and the other Christmas List participants!

My Procrastinator Project - table and chairs

The Inspired Room is having another Procrastinator's Project event!

My "dreaded" project!

This used to be a "really cute" antique metal-top table and chair set. My goal has been - for several months - to bring it in from the rain/heat/cold/dust and scrape and repaint all the wood part, clean up the metal top and put it and its matching chairs in my bay window in the den.

As you can see, it needs alot of TLC!

Restoring this little table and chair set will also make me - hopefully - put up new curtains in that bay window. We all know, one thing always leads to another and another and another!!

And here's one of the chairs that go with it . . . As you can see, it also needs a good deal of help. There are two chairs . . . wonder if all three pieces can get done?? Hmmm...

See you all at our reveals on October 20th!

Y'all have fun, and let's hope we all have gorgeous, finished projects!

Blessings,

Jayne

Pink Saturday

As I was wondering what to share on Pink Saturday, I looked around and saw this pretty pillow in my bedroom and knew it was just the thing!

If you have a sister, cherish her! My sister - Mary - and I were really close; and she gave me this pillow about fifteen years ago. The words on the pillow say "Special Sister." I share it here with sweet memories of her. She went home to be with the Lord two years ago. She was a precious "lady" of the first order!

Have a wonderful Pink Saturday and for more Pink Saturday fun, go to http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/


Blessing and Happy Beginning of Fall!

Jayne

A Desktop Fireplace?

Have you ever seen anything so cute? I found this at the Dallas Gift Market and have just a few on my website http://www.mysongwithin.com I'm all for making my workplace a bit fun and happy! This will certainly find a place on my desk when (IF) it is ever cool and wintery outside. I don't think it needs to wait till Christmas, do you?

After all, it's just a little over 100 days till Christmas!

Blessings, Jayne

Pink Saturday in August

Welcome to "My Song Within" and Pink Saturday. I decided to show one of the pictures I made for my website. It's cheerful, pink and I love the message.

Have a wonderful pink day!

Hear the music!

A close up of a bit of bling.....

Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound more Pink Saturday treats! Thanks, Beverly, for hosting another pink day!

Blessings,

Jayne