Wishes to all for a happy, healthy 2008!! May each day be filled with many blessings and much success !! Hope to see you all in January!!
Grandma G

Merry Christmas from My House to Yours!!

Can you feel the excitement in the air? Do you hear jingling bells around you? Are you anxiously awaiting the arrival of the jolly man in red suit at your house? If you answered yes to any, or all, of these questions......you know it's Christmas!! I sincerely hope each and every one of you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas full of fun, family and thankfulness for the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord!!

As promised here are pictures of my Christmas tree!! It is more of a memory tree than anything.....decorated with ornies collected during our 41 year marriage, gifts from friends and from precious family members who now spend their Christmases in heaven! Enjoy!! The bell in front of the Joy to the World sign, was given to me by my sweet brother, Geoff......one of those precious ones who spends Christmas with Jesus!

The cute little red and green elf was on a gift from my childhood.....thanks Mom!


Do you see the photos of the three cute little guys? Well, they are Drew, Mark and Nathan and they are the ones who call me Grandma G!! They now live in Oregon, so we won't see each other this Christmas.......I miss you boys!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!!

Photos of My Decorated Home.....Vol 2

MY KITCHEN SITTING ROOM.......antique stove next to kitchen tree!! I have collected Santas for about 35 years....have so many I can't put them all out anymore! You will see bits and pieces of the collection all over the house!! Corner shelf is to the left of stove; my Mom's china hutch, we painted it after I inherited it....my prize possession! The fireplace mantle and shelves also have many of my Santas......Santa's living room is on one end of the hearth!
His "fireplace" is a vintage tea towel!!
Some of the photos came out a little darker than I like.....we are having a dreary day today!
KITCHEN!

The bowl stand, made by Longaberger, is one of my favorite things in my kitchen....the photo is of my "grandsons"! The two shelves are on the left and right of my kitchen sink!
FRONT ENTRY HALL......The chair sits just inside the front doors......at Christmas, another Santa sits there to greet everyone! The table has my newest nativity, made by Demdaco, the Willow Tree set. My husband's gift to me last year and hopefully more pieces will be added this year.....hint, hint!!

LIVING ROOM......The piano sits in one corner next to the fireplace!! I love the 'Peace on Earth' runner on the mantle....More Santas on the living room cabinet......

The desk belonged to my Grandma, given to her at age 16! At Christmas, it has a book open with my Mom's glasses on top......just like she got up and left it that way....I miss you Mom!DINING ROOM.......I bought the buffet at an antique store a few years back. Not too many decorations here since I will be using it to serve on Christmas Eve!


BREAKFAST ROOM......shelf on the wall...Santa on the top shelf was mine at age 1 year....that makes it, ummmm, REALLY old!




FAMILY ROOM......at the bottom of the stairs leading to the family room, sits a vintage sewing machine cabinet. It belonged to my mother-in-law. A Lizzie High nativity sits on top....
This shelf is on the family room wall......

That's all for this time! One last photo for later this week......Our Tree!! All the photos should be clickable so if you want to see a larger image....click away! Comments are welcome and encouraged!! Merry Christmas!

PHOTOS OF MY DECORATED HOME.....

Okay, so if I had my way, I would decorate for the holidays in pink and all colors pastel.....but my family is NOT crazy about that idea so we decorate in the traditional red and green of Christmas! Here are a few photos for you to see.....more will follow in the coming days!!

The first pictures are of the small tree in my kitchen sitting area. It sits on a wicker table, has a vintage tablecloth under it, a stuffed gingerbread man at the base and is decorated with "kitchen-y" things!! Some are purchased Hallmark ornies, some Longaberger basket tie-ons, some came directly from my kitchen drawers or were inherited plus there are vintage crocheted pot holders in red and white!!








The next photos were taken in the breakfast room. I have a 1930's vintage stove in the corner and love to change the display on top throughout the year. This, too, is decorated in red and green!










In the other corner to the left of the stove is the breakfast room tree.....very simply decorated with lights, pine cones, snow and a tiny red berry garland!! Hope you have enjoyed these few photos......see you next time!! ** You can click on the photos to enlarge them!!

CHRISTMAS SALE!!!

ALL items in Grandma G's Holiday Hutch category are on SALE!! Discounts of at least
10%......some discounted up to 30%!! More items to be added and all will be listed at a discount!! Don't forget to check the other categories for more wonderful items......
great gifts!!**Santa came to Grandma G's and posted Christmas stars** on many of the items throughout the site.....find those stars** in the item title and you will discover great prices on wonderful treasures!!
****THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE OF VICTORIA IS AVAILABLE NOW!****

I AM SO EXCITED I MAY BURST!!

As a Make Mine Pink member I participated in a wonderful opportunity to contribute to their Annual Angel Tree Project! MMP members donated specific gifts, gift certificates, or the funds to purchase those items for a family in need. Nothing says Christmas like giving!!

As an incentive to donate, there were two drawings for MMP members to win either a spectacular, humongous gift basket filled to the brim with every imaginably, wonderful, girly, and pink items you can think of.....won by my MMP sister, Susie! Congratulations, Susie! I know you will have fun opening that package!!

The second drawing was for a coveted Make Mine Pink Little Pink Boutique for 2008! This fabo gift was won by ME!!! Oh, my goodness, I am so excited......Grandma G will have one of the cute pink boutiques and be seen in national advertising!! I LOVE MAKE MINE PINK and I LOVE ALL MY PINK SISTERS, TOO!!

The most important part of this, of course, is the giving to a special family. I know they will be having a wonderful Christmas and I am so honored to have had a part in that!

The fun never ends at MMP.....
Click this link to learn how you can play BINGO BLITZ.....and win prizes!!
Go to the MMP Blog to participate in the MMP Cookie Exchange!!
The MMP Christmas Extravaganza continues through Sunday, December 9th!! Many shops are participating by giving discounts at their boutiques, having drawings and give-aways!!

Here's where to find out how to become a Make Mine Pink member and never miss out on all the fun!

I will be back in a few days to post some photos of my own Christmas decorating!

MAKE MINE PINK SUPER SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA!!

Please join us for the Make Mine Pink Christmas Extravaganza December 3rd - 9th.

Join us for a spectacular holiday event at the Make Mine Pink Christmas Extravaganza! Monday, December 3rd through Sunday, December 9th. Details and a list of participating MMP Boutiques are just a click away! Happy
shopping!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

It is the time of year for giving thanks. What a wonderful opportunity to let those for whom you care the most know how important they are in your life! Why not try to give thanks to each of them all through the year, too?!
I am sure you have a list of your own of those you thank. I will share with you some of my list.......

The Bible says in Psalm 95:1-2, Come let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song!
......I thank the Lord for my salvation, my life on earth, for loving me unconditionally and for my wonderful family!

Over 41 years ago, I married my best friend, Chris.
......I thank Chris for still being my best friend, a wonderful husband and provider and a terrific father to our children!

Our daughter Lindsey came into our lives nearly 25 years ago.
.....I thank Lindsey for being the special woman she has become; for her
kindness, her sweet loving-spirit and for her extraordinary sense of humor!

On Chris' 42nd birthday, our son Jordan was born.
......I thank Jordan for keeping me humble, for his loyalty to his friends, his caring and love for the people in his life and the joy I feel when I see his smile!

I am also extremely thankful for the long list of people I am fortunate to call friends. I have friends from long ago that I see occasionally, friends I see often and friends I have never met in person and only know through my computer! You each have a special place in my heart and in my life. Thank you for being such special people!

My wish is that you will each have a wonderful, joyous Thanksgiving with all your special friends and family!! Enjoy your yummy turkey dinners with all the fixins'!!


To show my appreciation and thankfulness..... for the first five comments left on this post.....I will send a complimentary copy of the December Romantic Homes magazine!

Veterans Day, 2007

Veterans Day......remember those who have fought and are fighting still for the freedoms we enjoy! God bless our soldiers, their families and God Bless America!

VICTORIA AND ROMANTIC HOMES......

Victoria is back and the first issue is now available on my website! Also, the December issue of Romantic Homes can be ordered from Grandma G's! Get your copies, at less than the cover price, soon....there is a limited supply!!

High Winds and Fires........

If you have seen the national news over the past few days then you are aware of the horrible fires all over So California. Thankfully, my home is not in the fire zones but
we are close enough to suffer the effects of the smell of smoke and ashes in the air. Our throats are sore, we cough continually and have horrible headaches.....not bad considering what others are going through....

I would like to ask any and all who read this to please pray for our state, the families who have lost their homes and the firefighters who are by now exhausted from fighting the blazes. One life has been lost, others have been physically injured and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Pray, too, that the winds die down......they are still blowing and are one of the biggest problems in getting the fires contained.

Before the fires started breaking out there were the winds. We call them Santa Ana winds because of the direction they blow, from east to west. Santa Ana winds bring high temperatures.....we have been in the high 80's to 90's....and there is always
wind damage. Our yard is no exception here! We had a beautiful 20 foot tall weeping willow tree.......the wind ripped it from the ground and toppled it into the yard on Sunday night. We already miss it and the shade it provided. The photos at the top are
the before and after of our lovely tree!

Wherever you are, I pray that you are safe and not experiencing any horrific weather conditions or fires in your area.

Crispy, fall air and Pumpkin pie!

I know I said this in an earlier post, but it IS now fall in California! The air is crisp, a little damp now and then and the smells of fires in fireplaces fill the air!
I just returned from shopping in a nearby boutique where their autumn decorations are out and look so welcoming. And, oh, the smell of pumpkin pie from the scented candles just made my mouth water!! Yummy!
I'm a little late but now have my home decorated, too. The usual pastel shades in my decor have been put aside until after New Year's. Orange, brown, red, yellow and green; pumpkins, turkeys, autumn leaves and pine cones until Thanksgiving and then out comes Christmas red and green!! Oh, how I love having all our wonderful, special decorations out again! I will post a photo or two of some of my fall things this week and then more photos when the Christmas things come out!!
I would love to hear about your favorite decorations.....

Fall Cleaning and Memories.......

I hope you are all remembering Pink October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Do your self-exams and if you can, donate to BC research.......remember you can shop on my website and I will donate a portion of your purchase!!
DH and I have spent the last two weekends cleaning out the garage. I guess it is Fall Cleaning time? We filled several trash cans and plastic bags of things we had kept and never used. He thinks I am becoming radical.......I am actually getting rid of books! I am a keeper of books. I read and reread them. They are like friends but, now with the idea of downsizing in mind, I AM READY......many are being donated to the public library, some to friends, a few for sale on my website and even some have been disposed of, I mean actually trashed!! I find it most difficult, even now, to rid myself of my children's books. I guess it's the memories of reading, rereading and reading again that compels me to keep them. I wonder how many times I read the Richard Scarry books to my son, looking for the gold bug hidden in the pictures? I remember the hours of reading The Chronicles of Narnia to both of my kids. It was a joy to see their faces as the stories revealed themselves through my voice and then, as their reading skills increased, through their voices, too! The books are leaving but the memories remain!
All of this going through stuff, purging, is in preparation not only for downsizing to move but also for an upcoming Yard Sale. I have only had one such sale at my home and swore I would never do it again but here I am planning. Do any of you have suggestions to make it easier to handle??? Share them with me if you do.......leave a comment!
I would also love to hear how you all decorate for fall. With the warm air, I just can't get into it yet. I have decided without a young family it is not as much fun to put out things for Halloween so all I will be doing is autumn and Thanksgiving.....guess I better get it done!

Pink October at Grandma G's!!

Happy Fall, Everyone!! This is the time of year when I wish I lived in an area where the trees turn those lovely autumn colors......we don't see too much of that in So. CA but we do have nice weather now! I will rejoice that I am living here when other parts of the country are covered in a blanket of snow!!

Pretty in Pink products are now listed in the Pink October category on my website! Please visit and shop to support a worthy cause.....remember 20% of your purchase will be donated to Breast Cancer Research!

Each morning I begin my day at the computer by going to The Breast Cancer Site and clicking on the pink box to help provide free mammograms for underprivileged women. It is a simple way to support the cause for nothing more than 1 minute each day and no money from your pocket!! The site also has a shop page where you can purchase products and part of the price goes to support research. Please visit and do what you can for this important cause!!

New Beginnings and Important Issues

This has been an exciting month.....my new PINK website is up and running and I LOVE it!!...My new blog is published.....thanks to the help of my sweet daughter and Grandma G's will soon have Romantic Homes magazine to offer to you each month!! Beginning in early November, the December issue will be available at less than the newsstand price!



October is Breast Cancer Awareness month! Are you all performing your monthly self-exams? Please, I urge you to do it. I am a breast cancer survivor and I can tell you that early detection saved me! Be good to yourselves and do your exam regularly, see your gynecologist yearly and get those mammograms on a regular basis, too!

In observance of "Pink October", Grandma G's will make a donation equivalent to 20% of each purchase made in our special Pink October Category.....all items will be PINK or at least have pink somewhere in their design!! Use the link at the top of the left column and go shopping!!
****The wonderful shops at Make Mine Pink will be offering special items on their websites for Pink October, too! If you click the pink ribbon logo it will take you to the Make Mine Pink for a Cure products....a $2.00 donation will be made for each purchase!!

25 August 2007.....Oh, my, just four months until Christmas Day!! As a child, I would hear my parents measure the year by how long it was until Christmas.....only their point was that it was ONLY four months and my brothers and I thought four months was a lifetime to wait! Well, Mom and Dad, I am just like you now! Four months is such a short time and it seems we just celebrated Christmas!! It is my favorite time of year and each year I promise myself that I will be better prepared next year but that has never really happened. I aways have good intentions but we all know what they say about good intentions! At least my website has started to look a little like Christmas!