Christmas Greetings!

          I hope that everyone who celebrates Christmas has been having a good season.  I thank you for stopping by and this is the special Christmas collage that I made to wish you a Merry Christmas!  The pictures are of a Christmas decoration, my big poinsettia plant and some of my favourite candlesticks.

Celebrating Advent - Creative Monday Blog Hop

  I was the lucky winner of the E-book 'Celebrate Jesus' by Amy Blevins in a giveaway.  It certainly inspired me to have Advent Candles this year.  I have two items featuring  Nativity scenes that I think are perfect to surround with candles.  The first is a globe that my mom got over 50 years ago. She had two of them but now there is only one and it has been on my bookshelf for many years. It has always been treasured by my twin and me. The second one is a plaque.

            

  Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up all your creative posts.

1. Link up your Crafty, Recipe, DIY, Fashion, Creative writing, Photo, Family Tutorials, Favourite, Helpful, Make-up, Outfit or anything creative posts here...

2. Link as many posts up as you like.

3. Please visit a few posts and leave comments.

4. It would be great if you could grab the Creative Monday button and place it somewhere on your blog.

5. We would love for you to follow some way by GFC,Google+,Facebook, Twitter or Email.
Happy Creative Monday and have a great week.     

I also link up at these PARTIES!

         

                                    

Please visit Miranda at PURELY BY ACCIDENT

Potholders or Kitchen Decorations?!

          Christmas is just a few days away and I have been thinking about what we will be having as part of our Christmas dinner this year.  One thing that I am already sure about is that this Christmas I will be busier than usual in the kitchen. I don't mind at all although it is good when you have an experienced chef preparing the goodies. I will miss that this year.
       I tend to get a burn now and then so this time I will be sure to have my potholders ready. Anyway it will be my old potholders that will save me. I have two Christmas potholders but I think they are just too beautiful to be soiled.  If they make their way into my kitchen it will only be as decorations.

    While I am working on the menu  I will be skipping the baking this year.  However that does not mean that there will be no cake or pudding around. 

   Will you be doing most of the cooking and baking this year?  Have you ever used potholders or other Christmas items as decorations in your kitchen?

Linking with :- What Are You Doing? Wednesday Blog Hop,Whatever Wednesday,Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop,What's It Wednesday,Thursday Two Questions,Thumping Thursday Blog Hop,Thursday Favourite Things, Thursday Thoughts Linky Party, Inspire Us Thursday Linky Party,Friendship Friday,Four Seasons Blog Hop,The Weekend Blog Hop,The Blog Strut Owl Style, Friday Follow Along Blog Hop, Friday Favourites,T.G.I.F. Linky Party, Weekend Wonders,Follow Who? Social Weekend Blog Hop, Lovin' The Readers Blog Hop,Make My Saturday Sweet,Show Off Weekend Blog Party,Freedom Fridays, Let's Be Friends Blog Hop,Weekend Block Party and Super Sunday Sync.    

Let The Candles Glow - Wordless Wednesday Linky

     Welcome to Wordless Wednesday hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up your Wordless and not so Wordless photo posts.

Special thanks to my SPONSOR Miranda from PURELY BY ACCIDENT. Please visit her blog.

Favourite Christmas Designs - Creative Monday Blog Hop

     During the holiday season I love to see items with beautiful Christmas designs. As a matter of fact I use them for decorative purposes only. I can just imagine the joy felt by those talented persons as the patterns unfolded. Below are some of my favourites.

   It is great to see items with the colour red at Christmas so I like this beautiful towel that features a Christmas tree with a star on top.

      Can you imagine a cactus being decorated like a small Christmas tree?  This design is on a white towel.  The lights bring back memories of the good times my twin and I had decorating with  Christmas lights. 

       This design is featured all over a round tablecloth.  It certainly helps to create the Christmas atmosphere. 

  Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up all your creative posts.

1. Link up your Crafty, Recipe, DIY, Fashion, Creative writing, Photo, Family Tutorials, Favourite, Helpful, Make-up, Outfit or anything creative posts here...

2. Link as many posts up as you like.

3. Please visit a few posts and leave comments.

4. It would be great if you could grab the Creative Monday button and place it somewhere on your blog.

5. We would love for you to follow some way by GFC,Google+,Facebook, Twitter or Email.
Happy Creative Monday and have a great week.     

I also link up at these PARTIES!

         

                                    

Please visit Miranda at PURELY BY ACCIDENT

I Love Christmas Carols

        I have been listening to Christmas carols and reminiscing on all the wonderful times I had listening to a wide variety of carols  with my twin - reggae, calypso, traditional, you name it. We especially enjoyed hearing them when we were busy decorating, baking Christmas puddings and preparing special Christmas meals.  I  smile as I recall that one year we heard Christmas carols on our birthday, November 4 . We had a good laugh. The radio station really started playing Christmas carols early that year.
       In recent years I have  listened to carols on the radio stations but this time I decided to also listen to some CDs that I got but had not yet listened to.  

       The one above features top singers on two CDs singing 42 carols! I wanted to list some of my favourites but so many of them sound great.  I therefore decided to mention a few of the ones that I was hearing for the first time and like a lot -  'The Holly And The Ivy' - Annie Lennox, 'The Little Road To Bethlehem' - Hayley Westenra and 'Christmas In The Country' - Sara Storer with Shane Howard.

       Many of my favourite traditional carols were also on the CDs - 'Joy To The World,' 'Hark, The Herald Angels Sing,' 'The First Noel,''Little Drummer Boy,' 'I Wish You A Merry Christmas,' 'Oh Holy Night' 'Silent Night 'and 'Jingle Bells.'

Have you been listening to Christmas carols?  What are some of your favourite old and new carols?
        
      One of the big advantages of blogging is being able to interact with others from around the world.  I am thrilled to be Top Commenter Contest Winner # 14 on Self Sagacity's Blog. I am truly grateful for this opportunity on your wonderful blog Self Sagacity.

Linking with :- Doing You Well Wednesday,What Are You Doing? Wednesday Blog Hop,Whatever Wednesday,Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop,What's It Wednesday,Thursday Two Questions,Thumping Thursday Blog Hop,Thursday Favourite Things, Thursday Thoughts Linky Party, Inspire Us Thursday Linky Party,Friendship Friday,Four Seasons Blog Hop,The Weekend Blog Hop,The Blog Strut Peacock Style,Friday Follow Along Blog Hop, Friday Favourites,T.G.I.F. Linky Party, Weekend Wonders,Follow Who? Social Weekend Blog Hop, Lovin' The Readers Blog Hop,I Love My Post Blog Hop,Fun Friday Blog Hop,Make My Saturday Sweet,Show Off Weekend Blog Party,Freedom Fridays, Hearts For Home Blog Hop, Let's Be Friends Blog Hop,Weekend Block Party and Super Sunday Sync.           

Christmas Kangaroo - Wordless Wednesday Linky

Gift from my Australian cousin

   Welcome to Wordless Wednesday hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up your Wordless and not so Wordless photo posts.

Special thanks to my SPONSOR Miranda from PURELY BY ACCIDENT. Please visit her blog.

Decoration Found 1 Year Late - Creative Monday Blog Hop

       I spent the weekend looking through my Christmas decorations as I contemplated which ones to use this year. I usually choose those that were favourites of my twin and me. Of course it is always great to add some new ones every year.
        At times I receive decorations from abroad late so I put them down for the next year.  This is one of them and for sure it will be part of my decorations this year.  

     As I held it I was in for a wonderful surprise.  I felt something inside so I turned it around and found a space in the back.  Lo and behold an angel fridge magnet was tucked inside!  I have had a lot of luck with angel items this year - an angel pendant, winner of angel cards and bracelets in a giveaway and now this angel fridge magnet. I doubt I will use it as a fridge magnet. Instead it will be part of my decorated Christmas memory table. Of special significance is that this was among the gifts sent to me by one of my twin sister's former pen pals whose first name is Janine.

  Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up all your creative posts.

1. Link up your Crafty, Recipe, DIY, Fashion, Creative writing, Photo, Family Tutorials, Favourite, Helpful, Make-up, Outfit or anything creative posts here...

2. Link as many posts up as you like.

3. Please visit a few posts and leave comments.

4. It would be great if you could grab the Creative Monday button and place it somewhere on your blog.

5. We would love for you to follow some way by GFC,Google+,Facebook, Twitter or Email.
Happy Creative Monday and have a great week.     

I also link up at these PARTIES!

         

                                    

Please visit Miranda at PURELY BY ACCIDENT

Work At Home Pursuit - Review

         In recent months I have linked up with several persons on LinkedIn.  Among them is Angel Andrews who has a website titled Work At Home Pursuit. This site certainly lives up to its tagline - A Source For Everything Work At Home.  I like the comprehensive coverage of  a wide variety of  work at home opportunities, jobs, posts and resources. 
        When one works at home one often needs someone, something and somewhere that give us that inspiration to keep on keeping on.  Furthermore there are certain realities that one has to take into consideration. I find that this site fulfills these needs therefore I  recommend it. 
       A wealth of knowledge flows from persons who are actually living the work at home life.  If it is your dream to be able to work from home whether full-time or part-time you will find helpful advice and inspiration. 
      When Angel asked me to write a guest post for this site I readily agreed and wrote an article titled Join Me In The Blogging World. 

My Big Poinsettia - Wordless Wednesday Linky

   Welcome to Wordless Wednesday hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up your Wordless and not so Wordless photo posts.

Special thanks to my SPONSOR Miranda from PURELY BY ACCIDENT. Please visit her blog.

Christmas Draws Near - Creative Monday Blog Hop

     
      Can you believe that we are actually in the month of December?!  The days are moving so quickly. Before we know it Christmas will be here. My twin and I enjoyed decorating our home at Christmas and also taking pictures beside the decorations.  I decided that I would  make a Christmas collage of some of these pictures and use it for my header during this month. 
      Christmas decorations certainly help to lift one's spirit and I am glad that I have been able to decorate our home after the loss of my twin and again after my brother Sutcliffe died during the Christmas season of 2011. There was a time when I felt that decorating was a thing of the past for me.  
      I look forward to decorating a special memory table for my departed loved ones again this year.  I am usually a bit late with the decorating but for sure it will be done. How is your decorating coming along?

  Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up all your creative posts.

1. Link up your Crafty, Recipe, DIY, Fashion, Creative writing, Photo, Family Tutorials, Favourite, Helpful, Make-up, Outfit or anything creative posts here...

2. Link as many posts up as you like.

3. Please visit a few posts and leave comments.

4. It would be great if you could grab the Creative Monday button and place it somewhere on your blog.

5. We would love for you to follow some way by GFC,Google+,Facebook, Twitter or Email.
Happy Creative Monday and have a great week.     

I also link up at these PARTIES!

         

                                    

Please visit Miranda at PURELY BY ACCIDENT

A Time For Gratitude

    Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates this holiday.  I think it is always good to give thanks. It is not a holiday in my homeland, Jamaica, but I take time out to give thanks for my relatives and friends, the wonderful persons I have met online, the strides I have made in my writing and blogging this year, the strength and courage I have had in facing health challenges and the departed loved ones who have left me with with special memories.  In that mode I share one of my favourite quotations- "Gratitude is the best attitude."
                

   What are you most thankful for this year?  How are you celebrating Thanksgiving 2013?                       
Linking with :- Thursday Two Questions,Thumping Thursday Blog Hop,Thursday Favourite Things,Thursday Thoughts Linky Party, Inspire Us Thursday Linky Party,Friendship Friday,Four Seasons Blog Hop,The Weekend Blog Hop,Sincerely Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party,The Blog Strut Peacock Style,Friday Follow Along Blog Hop, Friday Favourites,T.G.I.F. Linky Party, Weekend Wonders,Follow Who? Social Weekend Blog Hop, Lovin' The Readers Blog Hop,I Love My Post Blog Hop,Fun Friday Blog Hop,Make My Saturday Sweet,Show Off Weekend Blog Party,Freedom Fridays, Hearts For Home Blog Hop,Weekends Are Fun, Let's Be Friends Blog Hop,Weekend Block Party and Super Sunday Sync.                                               

Garden Revival - Wordless Wednesday Linky

Flowers blooming and new earth in my garden

   Welcome to Wordless Wednesday hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up your Wordless and not so Wordless photo posts.

Special thanks to my SPONSOR Miranda from PURELY BY ACCIDENT. Please visit her blog.

Favourite Animal Figurines - Creative Monday Blog Hop

   My twin and I loved buying figurines and found it difficult to pass many when we were out Christmas shopping. Of course it is no secret that we have a huge bird figurine collection. With the holiday season fast approaching I need to muster the energy to take all the birds out of my display unit and rearrange them. If I do get to do that I will be sure to post it here.  In the meantime I will share some  favourite animal figurines that we have used to decorate our home over the years. 

  Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy H-J's Thoughts where you can link up all your creative posts.

1. Link up your Crafty, Recipe, DIY, Fashion, Creative writing, Photo, Family Tutorials, Favourite, Helpful, Make-up, Outfit or anything creative posts here...

2. Link as many posts up as you like.

3. Please visit a few posts and leave comments.

4. It would be great if you could grab the Creative Monday button and place it somewhere on your blog.

5. We would love for you to follow some way by GFC,Google+,Facebook, Twitter or Email.
Happy Creative Monday and have a great week.     

I also link up at these PARTIES!

         

                                    

Please visit Miranda at PURELY BY ACCIDENT