Post-party crash

I fully intended to get a party recap up yesterday, but it was all I could do to put away dishes and get the photos off my camera before I crashed after work.  But, knowing you are all waiting on pins and needles (ha!), here is the annual party debrief.

the table....decorated and ready for food!

hot drink station - too bad it was in the 60s on party day!

the heavy laden table

three sweet friends - Holly, Bonnie and Jamie

more party guests

Martha and Deen

singing friends!  Linda, Randy and John

cousin Karen made it for the first time!
so fun to show off my house and catch up with her!

the aftermath - almost doesn't look like we made a dent!

and the dishes....clean and waiting to be put away

Slightly smaller than usual turnout - only 33 this year. But it was still a very fun party.  And I've got lots of leftovers to enjoy, as usual!

Ten on Ten - December 2011

I've made it through a whole year of 10 on 10!! Such a fun way to document my life......today happened to be a Saturday which is inherently more interesting than a typical work day.  PLUS, today was a busy, busy day getting ready for my annual Christmas party.

8ish - handblown glass snowman bought at an outdoor market in Canmore,AB on our summer vacation!  his orange hat blends quite well with my bedroom decor

9ish - putting away dishes before getting started for the day

10ish - sausage balls ready to bake -- 3 batches made!

11ish - Santa supervised my baking today

12ish - my leftovers from Jamie's birthday dinner last night for lunch.  Yum!

1ish - red oak tree outside my kitchen window

2ish - chopping chocolate for toffee

3ish - love, love, love my KitchenAid mixer. it gets heavy use this time of year

4ish - one of my favorite Christmas films "White Christmas" playing in the background as I cook

5/6ish - heading out to a holiday party!

It was a very full day -- thanks for coming along for a visit!

See other 10 on 10 participants here.

Party debrief

The week before Thanksgiving, I bought a new toy - a Canon EOS Rebel T1i.  I had a Rebel film camera years ago and enjoyed taking photography courses in both high school and college.  I'm excited about picking up the hobby again.  And I love digital cameras for the ability to snap and snap and snap....and then delete, delete, delete!!

Here are selected photos of my decor .......

Last night was my annual Christmas party....the 10th annual to be precise.  I was thinking back over the years and though I was in my apartment for 7 years, I only had 5 parties there.  I've been in my house a little over 4 years, but due to the timing of my move, this was the 5th party in this house!  Kinda hard to believe.  

Because I'm a nerd, I've kept up with the stats from all the years -- I had 43 people in attendance last night, which tied for the second highest attendance year ever.  I've averaged 33 per year over the last 10 years and have had 140 different individuals in attendance. It is a lot of work, but last night I remembered why I do it -- I can facilitate community among friends and they look forward to the various goodies that I put on the table each year.

 Here is a peek at the table setting.....sans food.

  
Yummy sweets and treats

savory offerings, veggies and dips

and the aftermath.....

I managed to fix a huge plate of treats to take to the office and have leftovers of some of my favorites.....crab dip, sausage balls (they go so very well crumbled into a poached egg - as long as the yolk is still runny), forgotten cookies, puppy chow.  

It's Party Time!!

It's that time again!

A little earlier this year than normal due to the impending arrival of my new niece or nephew....

Christmas Party

It's time!!  If you are in my area, you are invited......

My girls

This past weekend my home was flooded with friends. My best girls from college came in and we spent a fantastic weekend ..... eating, laughing, praying, crying, singing, creating ..... it was so so fun.

A tiny sampling of the fullness of my kitchen:

Mollie and Dara:

Mollie and Sarah making some YUMMY cake balls.......

Sara, Mollie & Sarah at Bueno (a request of Dara, our California girl)

Sarah had a great idea for us to have a creative project to enjoy while visiting, so I dragged out my scrapbook supplies and we went to town!

Saturday afternoon we ventured out to the Etsy Jingle Bash. Lots of fun, handmade treasures displayed in a funky old building down in Deep Ellum.

One of my favorite things about these weekends is our late night singing & praying. This year we spent almost 5 hours in worship together, rejoicing and mourning with each other and bearing each other's burdens. These girls are such a blessing to me!

Sadly, it all had to come to an end. Monday afternoon, I did loads of sheets and towels and began to deck the halls of my little home for Christmas. Now, off to visit with my little Emily for the next several days!

Happy Thanksgiving!