Merry Christmas To My Girlfriends!! - It's officially a tradition!!!!!!

Hello there!  Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season.  Wishing you all the blessings of Christmas and lots of fun with friends and family.

I wanted to share a post that I did last year - because I love my girlfriends (and feel so blessed to have them in my life) - and we're getting ready for our second annual (yes, two years in a row and it's officially a tradition!!) Girlfriends' Christmas Holi-DAY!  We're doing a little variation of last year - breakfast at my house, then a tour of a local home:  Oak Hill Cottage in Mansfield - http://www.oakhillcottage.org/- very historic and it's decorated for the season - can't wait!  Then, it's lunch at Malabar Inn and on to the Possum Run Greenhouse - and, if we're up to it at the end of the day - private shopping at Carrousel Antique Mall in the early evening!  Maybe we'll have to have some pizza delivered! :)  Our group has grown a little from last year...but there's always room for another friend!!

Anyway - here it is - a "re-run" - but still fun, fun, fun - BIG girl fun!!!  (I'll be getting back to my decorating, I mean housework now...)

Kathy

P.S.  There will be pictures...coming soon!!

December 2009:

I love spending time with my girlfriends, so a couple weeks ago, I invited a group over for a Girl's Holi-DAY outing...  I had it all planned out...first we'd have muffins and coffee at my house, and I'd let the girls check out my Christmas decorations, and then we'd hit the road.

The agenda for the rest of the day:

Possum Run Greenhouse in Bellville, Ohio- holiday browsing and shopping

Malabar Farm Restaurant in Perrysville, Ohio - for lunch

The Gleaner  in Ashland, Ohio - antiques and home decor

Here's the sign that greeted all my friends - and a button bouquet that became the "door" prize!

I bagged up potpourri and tagged each one with a vintage New Year's card

(one of the bags had a mark on the bottom...that was the lucky winner!)

Here's the centerpiece on the island - a woodsy/glittery tree topper (aka crown) that I made after seeing something similar in one of my favorite stores...The lower tray held muffins (oops...forgot to get a picture of our goodies), but Terri also brought some wonderfully divine orange coffee cakes, and Carol brought fruit (so, we'd have something "nutritious").  And Starbucks coffee topped it off!

Not all the girls had met  - so we did the classic "Tupperware" intro - go around the room and tell everyone your name and how you know me...that was fun!

This is Nanci and Ginny. 

(Gretchen, I should have gotten a better picture, but Nanci was wearing the necklace she bought from you!  It's beautiful!)

Terri, Tiffany (the youngster!), Ericka and Ellen

Ericka & Ellen - my best friends in Columbus!! :)

And Miss Tiffany had to try on a pair of vintage glasses - she'd look cute in anything!

Tela, Carol, Ellen & Tiffany (hiding behind a button bouquet!)

Ellen looking at one of my projects...

I made everyone pose before we left the house (they really do love me!!)...

(back row - Nanci, Ericka, Ellen, Tiffany, Tela, Carol and Terri (seated)

(front row - Ginny & me)

Before we left, everyone was brave enough to visit my basement...(it was too much fun)

OK...Ericka found some clocks! (time to start shopping!!!)

'

I warned Ginny there was a lot of stuff down here...she thinks she might have me beat though!

Ellen and Terri - finding some junk

Our first stop of the day...Possum Run Greenhouse - all decked out with the most beautiful holiday finery - in all color and themes - a winter wonderland!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!!

Me and Tiffany (my junker-in-training)

 I told her it was a non-paying job, but she didn't care...yep - she'll be a natural at it!!

Tela and Tiffany discussing wedding colors and decorations

(Yep, Tiffany is getting married next year and Tela's the proud mother-in-law-to-be!). 

And of course, when you get a bunch of "Moms" together...we've all got suggestions!

Ericka - just a little excited about finding some tiny trees!

A view from upstairs...this place is huge!

OK - a photo op for me and Terri!

You never know what you'll find...

They had some great antique furniture too!

3-D glasses - so, ya just have to try them on, right, Tiff??

Who is that masked shopper??

Out in the greenhouse...Carol and Tela - looking for some thyme!

The poinsettias were beautiful...and there were so many!

The three amigos!!

It was a beautiful day, and the flowers were loving the sunshine (and so were we).

Check out time...  (and we've worked up an appetite...)

Here's the happiest shopper of all!!

Seated and behaving pretty well (for the moment) - ha ha!!

And a little hello from the other side of the table...

And, at the head of the table (or maybe it was the end...) - me! 

Loving every minute I got to spend with my girlfriends! 

Our waitress stood on a chair to take this picture.

Having an "after lunch" chat with the chef - the food was AMAZING!!

Last "scheduled" stop of the day - The Gleaner in Ashland, Ohio...

This is a wonderful shop with everything from primitive to shabby, and unbelievably decorated for the holidays.  The ladies at The Gleaner are such fabulous decorators - and have great style!

A bedroom setting (in sage green and brown) - a really restful spot (no Carol...you can't take a nap!)

Is this mantle not the most spectacular thing ever???  So pretty in pink!

What a great little house.

OK - you know us girls...anyplace is a great spot for a photo op (it's all my fault - I'm the one dragging the camera everywhere!!)!

This was our first "annual" Girlfriends Holi-DAY Outing - and it's already on the calendar for next year.  It was such a special day that we all got to spend together - with old friends and new friends - it was all BEST friends that day! There was more than enough laughter and smiles to around, and it was so much fun to watch everyone get to know each other and just share in a relaxing day. The hectic pace of the holiday season disappeared for a while, and we just enjoyed our time together.  But, actually, at the end of the day, my friend, Ginny (on the left with the red scarf) - offered to let us shop at a nearby antique mall where she's a vendor - oh my gosh - the day just didn't end - because of course we said yes - ha ha!!  Please...lock us in an antique mall... And, a few of us even found some goodies (right  Ericka??)...

 I'm just so thankful for the friends that the Lord has given me, and wish them all blessings of health and happiness in the coming year.  And, don't worry, we won't wait until next December to get together again...  How about February???

Hope you've enjoyed sharing my day with my friends.  Thanks for visiting my blog, and have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Hugs, Kathy

P.S.  Ellen - I know you're enjoying your crown...! ;)