Dear Santa: Day Five

 

It's the final day of my 10th annual Christmas Open House and I've saved a very special Santa for last. This is Patriotic Santa from Leisure Arts Christmas Remembered Book Eight: Down Santa Claus Lane. He's been on the to-stitch list forever, and here he is in all his patriotic glory! I stitched him with the recommed DMC on 32 count Blue Moon linen. I omitted the flag border and just sprinkled stars everywhere instead, using a smyrna cross.

I really love him, but y'all. The backstitching. Oh my stars. I guess you get what you work for, because he's pretty gorgeous, but man was that tedious!

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Winding down from a very successful Cookie Drop-In, the houseful of troops has quieted down and we're settling in for a respite from the busyness. 

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Two more must-share cookie recipes to round out the week's festivities. These Peppermint Meltaways are a very pretty addition to a Christmas cookie tray. I use Andes Peppermint Crunch candies for the topping, as I don't like the texture of crushed candy canes. 

And last but not least, this year I had a special request for Snickerdoodles, and this recipe is absolutely fantastic. They were devoured.

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Well, we've done it again. Ten years of Christmas joy: stitching, food, coziness. Thank you so much for being here to share this with me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the kind comments and well wishes. This is so much more fun, and the work is so much more worth it, knowing there are so many of you who look forward to and enjoy this tradition. I'll keep doing it as long as I can manage. Some years will be big and splashy, some more simple, much like celebrating Christmas each year varies. And just so you know, I have a list of ideas that currently has seven or eight themes on it. Lord willing, we've got many more years of fun ahead of us!

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas, y'all!