December Daily--Day 11--Cookie Swap

Last night, we had our 3rd annual Smith Girl's Cookie Swap at Mother and Daddy's house. Mother made Taco Soup for supper. While the boys were at work and the ballgame, the girls had fun decorating trees (as seen on Southern Hospitaility) and then swapping cookies. Katie Lee is really getting into all these "girls only" parties.
Mississippi Mud Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies with a Kiss
M&M cookies
Buttersweets

Buttersweets
1 package of chocolate chip cookie mix
1 package (3oz) cream cheese, soft
3/4 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 c. maraschino cherries, chopped

Make cookies according to package. When you take them out of the oven, make a deep impression in the center with a spoon. Cook completely.
Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and cherries together. Place a small spoonful in the center of each cookie. Store in the refrigerator.

Katie Lee, I think, tried them all, but loved the M&M's the best.
Candy trees

Katie Lee showing her Daddy the tree she made.

December Daily--- Day 10

Thursday night was Girls' Night with the girls from church. Everyone came to our house this month for delicious finger foods and then Dirty Santa. I had a great time and I hope everyone else did too.

December Daily- Day 9

Deck the Halls and the Refrigerator.....

I guess since Katie Lee is seeing so many pretty decorations for Christmas around, she decided to do a bit herself. Tonight as I was cleaning up in the back part of the house, she was working away at my desk and was super quiet. After a little bit I decided I should check into what she was up to. I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "working on all of these pretty papers for the frigerator so all my friends can see." Sure enough she had really decked it out.

December Daily--Day 8

Just one of those days where everything seems like it has been turned upside down.

Day 7---Pictureless Post

Last night began one of many holiday parties over the next couple weeks. Katie Lee and I went to an ornament swap with my aunts and cousins at Kathryn's house. My camera battery was dead so I did not get any pictures. Her home looks so pretty with all of Christmas Decorations. Check out her blog (Bonafide Southern) later on in the month to see all of her pretties. Everyone brought a finger food, and it was all delicious. Then it was on to the swap. This is always fun. We had so many pretty ones to pick from that it did not matter what you had it was gorgeous.

Katie Lee, of course, had lots of fun. She spent a good while up stairs with Uncle Wez playing tea party. She even wanted her and Wez's food put on the pretty tea party plates she said. She did come back down stairs in time for the swap. She was the little elf that passed out all of the gifts. She wanted to hang all of the ornaments on the tree.

I ended up with a really pretty bell ornament.
It was a great night and I am glad that Kathryn hosted the party.

December Daily--Day 6---Tour of Homes

Last night Donnie and I joined Will and Amber for a tour of homes and a progressive dinner in Historic Moorseville, AL. If you have never been to this little town, add it to your places to visit. What a fun night. We were able to see inside several of those beautiful homes and boy were they pretty. I always drive by old historic homes and wish I could see the inside so it was a treat for me to get a tour. We started our dinner with appetizers in the Stagecoach Inn and Tavern. We toured a few more homes and then to salads at the Brick Church. After that, several more homes and then time for dinner at Limestone Bay. It was a really good dinner. Donnie wanted a second plate. Then a few more homes and last but definitely not least dessert. The dessert was in the Barn. This was the fanciest barn I've ever seen.

I really wanted to take pictures inside some of these homes so I could remember the ideas, but I didn't think that would be the proper thing to do. Hopefully between the two of us, we can remember.






I would also like to thank our husbands for being such a good sport about this especially since Alabama was playing last night. I would also like to thank all of the homeowners for having this game on in their den's so the men could watch while we toured.

December Daily--Day 5

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Boy was I surprised to wake up this morning and see snow outside. Donnie had left out about 4:30 this morning to go hunting and I did not really think that it was going to snow especially since Donnie was gone and did not say anything about it before he left.

Katie Lee was so excited about the snow!

She quickly got her boots on......

but forgot about clothes.

After a quick layer up of clothes, it was outside for some fun.

The Littlest Snowman!!

December Daily--Day 4

Friday night we were at Mother and Daddy's house. Here is Katie Lee ready for bed. I thought she looked too cute infront of the Christmas tree.

Holiday Cloche Party

Today I am joining A Stroll Thru Life for a Holiday Cloche Party.

I have these in my kitchen. Normally they are filled with fruit, but since it is Christmas I thought that I would add something sweet. I thought they were a cute touch with my other decorations including the darling Merry Christmas blocks, and the hand painted Cookies for Santa plate that I had done last year with Katie Lee's hand print . I don't have a fire place, so I hung our stockings on this old chest of drawers. I painted it right after Donnie and I married. It was his mother's, and I just love the look of it.

I saw red hots with peppermint on top in a magazine just lately which gave me this idea.
I used Mike and Ike's for this jar because I loved the colors and I had them left over from a Thanksgiving project that I did with my class at school.
Finally, I have a jar of Old Fashioned Hard Candy. I do not like these candies, but I buy some every year. Growing up my Papa McNatt always had a candy dish of these sitting in his living room at Christmas time, so I always buy some just to think of him.

December Daily Day 3

Wearing a tree and sitting by the tree. Katie Lee was more excited that she was getting to sit on the arm of the sofa.