Welcome...

to Day 1 of the Home for the Holidays blog hop!

Presenting today's complimentary holiday-themed pattern...

"Happy Holidays....starring St. Nick"

A quick little punch needle project for a 6" star-shaped Santa. Rusty jingle bells and chenille trim adds additional detail and texture to the piece. I chose to mount my St. Nick on an antique sewing machine oil can purchased on eBay. Piece could also be made into a tree ornament by adding a Christmas tree hook to the top of the hat. How about reducing the pattern down for a sweet lapel pin or enlarged for an accent throw pillow? Just adjust the size of the jingle bells accordingly. Have fun with it and remember we love pictures of finishes!!

you can find the pattern here.

(Remember when printing to set at 100%. Most printer defaults are set at "shrink to fit". You want to select 100% in your print preview. The pattern will print on two 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of paper.)

I collect Santa dolls so it only seemed fitting to share a Santa pattern with you. I received my first Santa in 1988 from my husband, a corn husk Santa. He picked it up on his way home from his first job interview after graduating from college. Upon entering our humbling little student housing apartment, he gave me the Santa and told me his good news...news of being hired. Really no words needed to be said, the twinkle in his eye, dimples in his cheeks & a little corn husk doll in his hands said it all...

My Santa collection has grown over the years, many made myself, some purchased and some received as gifts. The little corn husk Santa still sits on the piano each year...it has a special spot in my heart.

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When our children were young, freshly baked Christmas cookies were placed on a plate for Santa, along with carrots for Rudolph, the night before Christmas. The kids would both write Santa a note, explaining to him that they had been good little children (there may have been a white lie or two), before heading to bed. Sadly, kids have a way of growing up and some of these Christmas traditions are just warm fuzzy memories of days past. With the addition of grandson Beckham to our family, things have come full circle. We will once again put out a plate of cookies for Santa and maybe a carrot or two for Rudolph...I can hardly wait, as Santa will be sliding down our chimney once again, filling stockings of good boys & girls.

Christmas cookie baking day is an annual event in my kitchen. It is just a one day event. It is a big day of baking...a marathon baking day, you might say. The house on this day will be filled with the sounds of my favorite Christmas songs, the aroma of cookies baking & a Christmas candle or two burning, and myself dusted from head to toe in flour, colored sugar & frosting. I'll bake Spritz cookies for Erin, Peanut Butter cookies with Hershey Kisses for Matthew, Mrs. Ulrich's Sour Cream Cut Outs for Dave and Raspberry Almond Short Bread Thumb Prints for myself. Today I am sharing with you my personal favorite cookie, enjoy!

"Raspberry Almond Short Bread Thumb Prints"

Click here for a printable version of recipe card.

(Two tips to pass along when making these. Rather then using my thumb for the indention, I use a spent cork from a wine bottle ...makes the cutest, best little holes for the jam. Another trick is to fill a small sandwich zip lock bag with the jam. Zip bag shut and cut a small piece off of the corner of the bag. Jam now squeezes out into holes with no mess. I use the same bag method for applying the glaze.)

We'll be spending Christmas with our kids and their families at our home. We'll feast on the traditional supper of grilled beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. Dessert is always Red Velvet Cake...a tradition started by my Mother. After supper Dave will build a fire. We'll sit around the warmth & crackling noise of the fire, and unwrap gifts and enjoy the presence of each other. A few days later we'll go to the farm for Christmas...my Mom & Dads. We'll all meet at our favorite shopping destination and shop for our adopted family. We'll double up in teams of two's and shop for our particular family member. We then head back to the farm and take turns wrapping our gifts in the center of the living room on a small card table. The gifts are then placed into a big sack, simulating Santa's bag, and delivered to the family in time for their Christmas. We'll then enjoy a meal of Mom's homemade chili, various appetizers, ginger reindeer cut-out cookies and Red Velvet cake once again. Christmas doesn't seem complete until that has happened. There really is something to be said about the phrase..."Home for the Holidays".

Wishing you all a blessed & joyous holiday season! Also it is at this time I'd like to say "Thank You" to all my followers & customers. Your comments and patronage are sincerely appreciated...our customers are the best and we enjoy serving you!

Please join the Granola Girl for day 2 of the blog hop.

Kind Regards,

Brenda