Monday, December 17, 2018

Christmas Ornament Exchange ~

Hello friends and Merry Christmas!
My dear Stephanie over at The Enchanting Rose
hosted a Christmas ornament exchange
and what a wonderful way to begin my days of sharing and giving.
Christmas, the birth of our Savior, brings with it many traditions 
around the world, doesn't it?
Gift giving is such a joyous part of Christmas ~
 though gifts are bought, wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree,
there are many ways in which we can find to give.
We have opportunity to give of ourselves, our time, our hospitality and so much more...
For me, this ornament exchange allowed me to touch the life of another,
and meet and make two new friends
Thank you Stephanie!

 ~ ~ ☆ ☆ ♡ ♡ ♡ ☆ ☆ ~ ~

Allison, the dear lady who's name I was given does not have a Blog
so I will share with you the gift package I put together for her.
My new friend loves a Christ centered Christmas
winter birds and a vintage Christmas,
our likes are quite similar.
First I found some beautiful hand crafted place mats
that would lead me in gathering a theme of cardinals,
and what a delight it was looking for that awesome brilliant red bird.
The cardinals beauty is breathtaking as they perch themselves on a barren tree branch
on a winter's day surrounded by the snow.
God directed my path as I prayed over my theme package and dear Allison.



 
It was on a cold snowy day when my gift package arrived from Dixie.
I grabbed myself a cup of tea (some Adagio tea a precious friend gifted me)
sat next to the fire, and began to unwrap my lovely box, item for item.
This beautiful bow and music tissue paper was the beginning of 
something uniquely designed by my new friend Dixie.


When Dixie read my bio stating that I love birds
she went to work with her creative hands and made every ornament 
that would decorate the beautiful "feather" tree that she included.
Little red cardinals, bird seed balls and some darling nests with eggs!
Pure delight and joy is this precious tree that beautifully graces our home.
I was in awe of such a personal gift!


Dixie also decorated a bird feeder for the Holidays
and included some bird seed in a sweet Christmas goodie bag,
what a great idea!!


  I have enjoyed the Guide Post book and booklet during my afternoon tea time
as I sit quietly near the fire taking in the beauty of  the lights on our Christmas tree,
while beautiful Christmas music plays softly in the back ground.
Dixie certainly put some love and time into my gift package,
why, she even wrote the loveliest letter sharing about herself with such enthusiasm, 
her sweet and friendly personality leaped off the page.
I just knew I was going to connect with both Dixie and Allison!
These exchanges Stephanie puts together for us ladies to enjoy
certainly affords us the opportunity of becoming friends 
with ladies we may never even meet or see this side of Eternity,
but I can attest that real friendships can be made should we take the time to reach out.


  ~ ~ ☆ ☆ ♡ ♡ ♡ ☆ ☆ ~ ~

In my last post weeks ago, my husband and I were preparing to leave for Canada
for my father-in-laws memorial service. 
It was a {{cold}} wet and snowy trip, for which I was not quite prepared for,
but God looked after us and kept us safe both in the air and on the ground.
After our return home we were blessed to have our three oldest grandsons
for a few days during their Thanksgiving school break.
The boys and I played games, more games and even more games.
We had a day at the pool, enjoyed playtime out in the snow, lots of snacking
with plenty of "Beethoven" movies followed by a nap near the fire
as we each curled up in a cozy spot.
Family gathered for an early Thanksgiving dinner of fried chicken,
yes, fried chicken. 😉
Thanksgiving Day was quiet and relaxing, just my husband and I
and a wonderful turkey dinner.
With our daughters being married, we must share family time.
After the boys left I began "Decking the Halls"
preparing our home for Christmas and the Birthday of our Savior.
Once the decorating is complete I can then focus on the joys of Christmas
while surrounded by the beauty of the Christmas tree and lights.
My mind is free to think of all that I hope to accomplish for loved ones
in this holy season.
This is the season of wonder and anticipation,
a time to ponder and prepare our hearts for the miracle 
and mystery of Christ's birth.
Jesus is the reason.
May the heart of Christmas~the love of Jesus, the joy of grace,
and the peace of God~be yours today and always!
Sending you, my dear readers, much love and Christmas Blessings 


God's blessings be upon you!
~ Debbie ~

"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift"
2 Corinthians 9:15

21 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

The gift exchange looks to have been a wonderful success. I love your gift boxes sent and received. Just lovely and oh so thoughtful.

Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving time with family. May your Christmas be filled with love, laughter and the making of more sweet memories.

Love, hugs & prayers ~ FlowerLady

Roberta said...

Dear Debbie,
what a pretty, festive exchange!
I love these cups!
Merry Christmas to your dears,
Hugs,
Roberta

Stephanie said...

Oh, what a sweet and beautiful post! I so enjoyed seeing what you sent and received for the Ornament Swap. The package you sent to Allison was sure to bless her heart...how could it not? Everything was lovingly put together for her and the cardinal ornament was just beautiful!

Loved the package from Dixie! What a precious and generous lady she is! The tree is just the cutest and the bird feeder is such a fun idea. I'm so glad you joined the fun.

You make the best fried chicken and the chicken we had on Thanksgiving Day was "mmm...mmm...finger-lickin' good!" Love you!

Anne Payne said...

Wow!!! That is a gorgeous little tree!! What a wonderful gift to receive. These exchanges bring some lovely ladies into our lives. I'm so glad you have made a new friend.

Fried Chicken sounds delicious!!! I have never been good at making that.

{{hugs}}

living from glory to glory said...

Dear Debbie, Merry Christmas! I was sad to hear of your husbands Dads passing. It's always tough to see those we love leave us. I am sorry to have been missing in action for this pass year, I had some serious health issues. But feeling better every day. I am filled with such gratefulness for Gods love and protection. Was thinking of you this morning, so I had to come visit you!
Happy Blessings Always, Love, Roxy

Debby Ray said...

Hello Debbie dear! This is truly a beautifully put together post...I don't think you left a thing out about this most wonderful time of the year! And what a wonderful bunch of goodies given AND received! Surely you know that I am partial to those gorgeous cardinals and we experienced so many in all of their glory during our winter storm last week. Your Thanksgiving holiday happenings sounded absolutely delightful! Have a most Blessed and Merry Christmas, dear Debbie!♥

Lea @ CiCis Corner said...

I decided not to join in on the ornament exchange but seeing everyone's lovely ornaments and gifts makes me wish I had. The tree you received is just the cutest and such a neat idea. Blessings abundant Debbie as we celebrate our Savior's birth. Hugs to you!

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

Such pretty gifts given and received! That little tree is so pretty. How special that it was handmade. I love the cardinal theme for the gifts you gave. I am always drawn to items with cardinals on them. It was fun to join in on the swap. Thank you also for the lovely Christmas card!

Ruth Hiebert said...

You have been richly blessed by the gifts and love you received.I am certain the same can be said for the lady who received your gift.May you have a most wonderful Christmas.Looking forward to getting to know you better through this blog and maybe an email now and then.:)

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

Oh the delightful fun of this exchange! So lovely how the Lord led you to put together a cardinal package for Allison, I'm sure it was such a blessing to her heart! And oh my, what an incredible treasure to receive from Dixie! That handcrafted feathered tree! And the decorated bird feeder... truly a delight for you to enjoy, as birds do bring so much joy during the winter! I'm glad you had a safe trip up to Canada, and how delightful spending the time with your grandsons sounded, especially that nap in front of the fireplace! Fried chicken - sounds like a winner to me! We had fried turkey for our Texas Thanksgiving meal :) Yum! Blessings and hugs to you sweet friend :)

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Kerin said...

Lovely exchange.
I can tell that this exchange put a smile in your heart, and in the heart of your gift recipient.
Have a lovely week.

~K.

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

What wonderful gifts you gave and received, Debbie! Stephanie is such a master at planning and organizing these exchanges. I loved reading how you prayed over your theme for your recipient. It sounds like you had a lovely Thanksgiving and then a wonderful time of decorating. Love and hugs are sent to you.

Alessandra said...

What a lovely exchange! What You sent and received is wonderful
Hugs

Lauren @ My Wonderfully Made said...

Wow! You really nailed it with the beautiful selection you sent and were truly blessed by all you received! Glad you trip went well and you are now settled down at home to enjoy the holiday. Have a wonderful, blessed Christmas!

Creations By Cindy said...

Merry Christmas to you dear lady. I am so glad to hear that your trip went well for you. I have enjoyed the swap. It's so much fun to see all the wonderful goodies and delightful ornaments that everyone has gotten. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Simply Shelley said...

What a blessing you received. A wonderful gift! Merry Christmas to you and yours .

Roosterhead Designs said...

Dear friend this is a beautiful post~ I enjoyed the photo's of gifts both coming and going! among you and your new friends : ) Such lovely gestures by all. Thank you for the scripture, inspiring thoughts you shared, and for always pointing us to the reason we truly celebrate this holi-day; the birth of our Savior!
God bless you and you family Debbie~ Love & hugs, karen o

Chris Lally said...

What a wonderful post, Debbie! Your hard working daughter's thoughtful exchange has blessed everyone in so many ways.
So sorry that you needed to travel for the memorial service, but glad you had a safe trip and a very warm welcome upon your return.
Merry Christmas to you and your family! Trusting you will enjoy God's favor this coming year :)

Nora @ Teacup Tales said...

First of all condolences on the passing of your father in law. It is difficult to sustain a loss during the holidays.
What a small world that you know Adria! She sent me such a thoughtful card upon receiving my package. The snowman connection is quite fun!
The ornament exchange was a sweet way to begin the season-new connections and giving.
Have a Merry Christmas with your family!

Linda Walker said...

Oh Debbie, how wonderful! I somehow missed this ornament exchange. You sent and received such lovely, thoughtful gifts! How sweet of Stephanie to organize another swap. If she does this again next year, I would love to participate! Xx

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