I took the styrofoam circles and carved a spiral in it with a table knife.
Then I burnished the edges with the rounded end of my table knife to make a better indent in the foam.
Then I burnished around the outside perimeter of the styrofoam circle. It's looking more like a lollipop isn't it?
The tree was loaded down with candy themed treats. I loved those larger than life signs. I still can't believe I found them at the dollar store. I'm so glad I could envision them on my tree & picked up several of them. When I went back, they were all sold out.
We also made some gingerbread boys & girls. The girls had fun helping me decorate them.
This is the first year we light up the top of the house with the lights. We even bit the bullet and bought all LED icicle lights. We made sure to buy them in Warm and not Cool (we made that mistake one year in the town house & we didn't like the "blue" hue the gave off). The outside was all in icicle & snowflakes. Very charming.
Although, the Christmas Banner was on the front door for this picture, at some point I changed it out for a Snowman stocking that the girls used to use.
As per our family tradition, the girls get to open 1 gift on Christmas Eve. They're on to me, and know what to expect....a new set of jammies & some little surprise or two tucked inside. This year it was comfy socks and really trendy "unmentionables" which they giggle & say "Moommmmmmmm!"
Santa really filled our stockings this year!
Cookie tore into her gifts & loved pulling things out of her stocking. Just like a toddler, she didn't get it last year, but she sure did this year! She had her very own "Ugly Christmas Sweater", rawhide candy-cane, fleece jacket & new squeaker chew toy.
Abby displaying a few goodies from her stocking (and yes, she got a toothbrush with all those sweet treats). Catherine & one of her favorite treats of all times...Cotton Candy!
This year their "big gift" was a flat 19" tv/each, besides receiving tons of other fun things & cool clothes. Catherine got the BAMA jersey she wanted so badly. Which she proudly wore to school & for the big game where BAMA beat LSU for the BCS Championship.
We also celebrated Catherine's 12th Birthday this month. At the end of a very long day (school, activities, dinner out - her choice this year was Friendly's) we made it home in time to open a few gifts before going to bed.
She finally got her iPod touch that she's been wanting forever...or 3 years! She was thrilled, which you can see by the first picture here:
