Christmas in the Desert.... Christmas Park Parade

Our park had a little Christmas parade...

 There were Carolers

 Of course decorated Golf carts!

A few Elf's

Santa and Mrs. Claus..

and even Candy....

Christmas in the Desert.....Singing Christmas Tree

This is the second Christmas we have spend in the southwest....it's different not having the cold and snow....but we take opportunities to enjoy the Season...
We  attended the outdoor Singing Christmas Tree....

The evening was perfect for it ....

This was the tree with the lights off....not too exciting!

The lights of the tree danced with the music.. It was a fun Christmasy evening in the Desert South!

Electric Light Parade

Saturday evening we went to Yuma's Electric Light Christmas Parade.... it was a beautiful evening!!

There were great marching bands too...but the pictures did not turn out the greatest!!

First Desert Christmas...

Living in Central Alberta....

Christmas is a time of cold, snow, skating, skiing....

this year we experienced our first Christmas in the Desert....

We spent time swimming and in the sun...

We had a fun Christmas Eve with other park residents with Santa, a gift exchange

and Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day!!

We had a wonderful Christmas in our little southern home...

It's not to bad...being away from snow and cold....

but we did think lots about our children...back home.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day!!

Patio Sale..

Every fall and spring, the parks have patios sales.... 

When the snowbirds open up...they have 'treasures' they know longer want...

in the spring they have 'treasures' they know longer need... 

I wasn't planning on buying anything...

I like having 'just what I need' in my small space...

but then I saw this...

mom had one of these...

it reminded me of her ...

and the years this was the only tree mom and dad put up

I thought....

then I bought

I cleaned it all up...I have the perfect spot in our trailer....

It's ready for when we finally

have Christmas in Yuma!

(now I just have to figure out where I'll store it:)

Two or Three more sleeps...?

I love Christmas Eve...it is my favourite part of Christmas

...so for me Two more sleeps and it's Christmas.

Winter is officially here. 

The days are getting longer!! 

Are you ready for Christmas?

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

Luke 2:1-4

A Christmas Gift to Make. . .

My basket of little gifts is ready. 

Every year I like to have a little something to give to my friends who visit or drop by during the Christmas Season. 

This year I made Christmas Coasters.

This is an easy little gift to make. 

If you're interested in making some keep reading and I will attempt to guide you through the process.

Gather the material you wish to use. You will need 3 co-ordinating fabrics.

Cut your fabric in 4 1/2" squares.

For 1 coaster you will need :

1 square for the base (call this the base fabric)

2 squares of your 2nd fabric

2 squares of your 3rd fabric

I made 12 sets of 4 coasters...here is my fabric after the squares had been cut.

Press your base square flat

Press the other 4 squares in half with the right side out.

Here I have my 4 coasters.

Green is the base.

The stripes and circles have been pressed in half.

Now the hardest part... lay the 2nd fabric that has been pressed in half along one edge of the base. 

Make sure the raw edges are all together!

Then take the 3rd fabric and lay it on top of the base and 2nd fabric, on the next edge of the base.

(Make sure raw edges are matching...believe me..it's easy to forget that!)

Then take fabric 2 and place on the 3rd edge of the base...note you have circles, stripes, circles.

Then you take your last pressed piece, lay it on the last edge of the base...you have to lift the edge of the first piece you laid, to put the right halve of this strip under it.

So then you have your coaster looking like the picture below.

You will have 4 squares showing -if you have laid your pieces correctly.

Lightly pin pieces together.

Below I have all 4 coasters pinned and ready to sew.

Sew a 1/4" seam.

When you come to the corner you want to do one angle stitch to make your corners 'square' when you turn it right side out.

 So you pivot...

Stitch one stitch and pivot again...then continue stitching down the next side

This is what the corners should look like.

Once you have all 4 sides sewed -  trim the corners as close to stitching as possible.

Turn the coaster right side out.

Poke out the corners

Press and you have your coaster finished!!

Hopefully you can make your own Christmas or whatever coasters!

 I am going to give away a set of these coasters.

If you would like to enter the draw all you have to do is: 

1.  Be a follower of my blog

2. Comment that you want to be in the Giveaway

3. Mention this giveaway in your blog (if you have one) with a link to my blog

I will make the draw on Saturday Dec. 10th, and have them in the mail the following Monday so hopefully you will get them in time for Christmas.

Funny Christmas Thoughts

 (anonymous)

How do you know that Santa has to be a man?

No woman is going to wear the same outfit year after year.

Who is never hungry at Christmas?

The turkey, he is always stuffed.

What did the big candle say to the little candle?

I'm going out tonight.

Home...and Christmas is on it's way....

It always takes awhile for me to settle in when I get home... The list of things to do seems to go on and on the first couple days!

AND....Christmas is coming so the first thing on my list after the laundry and cleaning 

is pulling out the Christmas decorations....

The Snowmen

Fun Things

The Dishes

Apron's for Christmas cooking...

I love the gingerbread buttons...which reminds me I have to get my Christmas baking done!

Aprons for serving...

Antique decorations..

Amidst all the busyness and 'stuff' at this time of year...

don't over look the true meaning of Christmas!

"Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, 

a wide open heart that thinks of others first. 

The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, 

because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... 

Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart."

-- George Matthew Adams (The Christmas Heart)