christmas love from me to you!

i am going to take a little bloggy break until after christmas - we are driving to utah tomorrow to spend christmas with some friends there and enjoy the cold!
missing my family of course, and the traditions of a christmas at home, but i feel so much love around me and i am grateful for this time to focus on the reason we celebrate christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ. my mum started a tradition when we were kids and we have carried it on with ivy - on christmas eve we would read the christmas story from the bible (actually, she had printed it out with pictures into a cool scrapbook to make it more fun for us - i must do this!!) and then we would all go outside to 'look' for the star...we would find the brightest star in the sky and feel so happy...then go inside and hang our stockings ready for bed. for me, this was one of the most special things about christmas!

i love nativity scenes and have 4 of them out on display as well as this cute little wool baby Jesus in a pod :) it is ivy's favourite thing and she loves to fuss over i

this one we received last year, and i just adore it! my mum works in a nursing home and one of the old ladies knitted the whole thing and had it for sale. i can just imagine how many hours went into all these details which makes it even more precious.

our lovely tree - i don't want to ever take it down! ever ornament has a story and a memory behind it. as kids, we all had our own box of decorations - our mum would get us each a new one every year, sometimes handmade, sometimes related to something we were into at the time. she wrote our name and the year on the back of them, and when we left home we got to keep our box of decorations. she still gives me a new one every year (this year, i think i got 4!)...and now i too give one to her and my aunties (who also send me one each year). this year i made little soldered charms as ornaments...

i wanted to share a couple of my special ornaments my mum made when i was just little...every year they have been so special to me, and now even more so that we are so far apart (*sniff*)

so these are made from an eggshell, i don't know how she cut the hole but they are covered in glitter and we had a whole bunch of them with different things inside...i thought they were SO magical and beautiful and i still do! this little felt stocking has my name and 1981 on the back :)

and if i could, i would give you all a little basket of rocky road! i make it every christmas for friends and neighbours, i had to improvise a bit with the candy situation (no raspberry lollies here!) but it still turned out very delish!

so it is very easy to make if you want to try! here is the recipe:

in a large bowl mix

1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

1 cup shredded coconut

2 cups marshmallows (use mini or cut big ones in half)

1 packet of raspberry lollies/similar gummi candy chopped into small pieces

melt 2 packets of milk choc-chips in a double boiler style thing! pour melted chocolate into bowl and mix everything so it is covered in chocolate. spread into a baking pan and let sit in the fridge for a few hours. then cut into squares and enjoy!

so i wish you all a safe, peaceful and magical christmas time - enjoy, breathe and take it all in! and hopefully relax too ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! xxx

 

 

Comments

[valerie]

may you & your family have a blessed & wonderful Christmas! be safe driving to Utah!

[Jen Smith]

Merry Christmas to you too. Enjoy your family time and your much deserved break.

[Morgan]

As a recepient of my very own little red basket of Rocky Road - I can tell you it is DELICIOUS! Definately make it up if you have time. Thanks for sharing the recipe!! The Christmas card is to die for! Thanks for all the Christmas love tonight. Merry Christmas!
xoxo

[Melissa H]

thanks for sharing your beautiful christmas traditions with us! i hope you all enjoy a beautiful christmas together, em, and a new year filled with all things **magical**!!
xxx

[Anna-Marie Still]

*Sigh* Will miss your posts but like you, will be enjoying my family, so I get it! Can't wait to make your Rocky Road - going to try it tomorrow I hope!

Safe travels - I love Utah. Everytime I go there, it feels like home. Strange, since I live on the East Coast.

Enjoy!

[Judy in Carefree]

Thanks for sharing traditions. I have a special sterling silver bell tree...a dated silver bell that my parents have given me each year since my first daughter was born 36 years ago. I started the same tradition with my daughters when they had their first children. Traditions are family ties. Enjoy your trip and safe travels...Merry Christmas!

[Lee]

Em those decorations are just precious. I so wish I had some of mine from my childhood.
Have an amazing Christmas!!!

[christinew]

Have a very Merry Christmas!

[sarah the kiwigirl]

Hope you all have an amazing christmas loved reading your traditions...I do the same thing with my kids and have bought them a special decoration every year since they were born. I would love to have...maybe just once a cold, snowy christmas, even though here in New Zealand today its not much like summer!

[gudrun]

Merry Christmas to you too, Emily!!
And thank you for getting to know you this autumn, it has been a great pleasure to get your sweet comments on my blog and to look into your place to get all this cool inspiration and ideas, and to see all the sweet pictures of your little princess. :-)
Hope to see you in 2007 as well. ;)
Loads of love to you.
Yes, I think I have to try to make that chocolate-cake. ;)

[nicole irvin]

awe to to cute!!! Have a safe one girly !! You deserve it
xoxo nicole

[Georgia]

Merry Xmas Emily. My dear Sister in Law, Chelsea, and Family (who you've now shared a few emails with (can't escape us Parsons!) is here with us now and to me that makes it all so special. Have a great break!

[Lene S]

Those ornaments made by your mother are really special! Take good care of them ;o) How nice to be able to pass them on to Ivy when she grows up!

Have a merry, merry Christmas! Relax, enjoy the season and enjoy each others company! I feel butterflies in my stomach...I am such a kid when it comes to Christmas! LOL

Hugz!

[Helle Greer]

Your ornaments are so pretty and special.
You are so lucky that you have yours here, mine are still in Denmark, my mom still hang them on her Christmas tree, she says that is the only thing she has left of me back home, when I'm not there for Christmas.
Have a safe trip to Utah, and hope to see you real soon.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your family.
Helle

[Shawnna / flipflopmom]

MERRY
CHRISTMAS
to You and Yours
as well

:D

[Bonnie Eck]

Have a merry christmas. Love the knitted nativity!!!

[ali]

I hope you have a wonderful holdiay and a safe trip to Utah! We are expecting a snow storm on Friday!!!! Be safe!

[suetreiber]

I hope you have a great trip to Utah for thr holidays! I will miss reading you for a few days.
Your ornaments are beautiful. I loved making special ones as a kid, & seeing them on my mom's tree.

[Katie Huggins]

your post was beautiful you have me all weepy I wish the merriest christmas ever!

[Elizabeth]

Merry Christmas to you and your family too.

[Sarah]

Merry Christmas :-)

[Danielle Nilsson]

Thank you for sharing your beautiful traditions with us :)

I love your ornaments that your Mum made!!! They sure are cute and magical :D

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!!

[stacey fike]

i love your nativities!! my mom used to make the eggshell ornies too, they are very very special and require a ton of work....treasure them always!!!

[Fauve]

Have fun and Happy Holidays to you!!
I love your tree!!

[Sue (sewme's mom)]

Wishing you & your family a wonderful Christmas...much happiness! xoxo...