'The Night Before Christmas' Giveaway Contest

It's Christmas giveaway time!

I have a beautiful hardback 1997 reprint of this (c)1949 edition of

The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Leonard Weisgard.

 

In my vast collection of Night Before Christmas books, I already own a

Leonard Weisgard version, so when I spotted one just like mine I picked it up,

knowing that one of you might enjoy it as well!

(I absolutely LOVE this story and have quite a collection by a variety of different artists)

 

 

As you can see, Baby really likes this story!

 

This copy is filled with bright, colorful illustrations!

A tole tray on the mantel, stockings hung by the chimney with care, and pine boughs in a creamy white pitcher - my kid of decorating! And who doesn't love a house where the kitty is curled up by the fire and the family dog is allowed to get comfy on the furniture (in this case an awesome red wing chair!).

Doesn't the kitty from the book look just like our sweet Tiger?

I wouldn't mind having the wallpaper from the children's room in my own house,

and those carved beds look like they could have come straight out of a fairytale!

 

And while the children were nestled all snug in their beds, just look who landed on their roof!

If you'd like a chance to win this book, just leave a comment on this post before midnight on Monday, 12/10/12. On Tuesday, I'll personally notify the winner as well as announce who won here on my blog. If you don't have a blog, please leave your email address so I can contact you!

 

I'm joining Claudia's Favorite Thing Saturday this week over at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. Be sure to visit her lovely blog to see what everyone is sharing this week!

See you on Tuesday! Good luck and have a great weekend, everyone!

 

Donna

The White Stuff = Hunkering Down... and a Big Thank You

Well, although the blizzard arrived and it's still snowing, blowing, and drifting...
(click any photos to enlarge)

...it could have been a LOT worse! The first thing I did this morning (after taking this photo) was to push the snow off the top of the bird feeder and fill it with lots of seed for our feathered friends!


Remember the welcome bunny I showed you in yesterday's post, taken after our December 22nd mini-snowfall?

Here he is this morning! The bunny and poinsettias are hardly recognizable under the blanket of white!
The following photos were taken from about the same vantage point as the photos in yesterday's blogpost, but there's a lot more snow today!

I haven't ventured outside yet this morning, so this photo was taken with me hanging out the dining room window, but it's the back garden gate and arbor that you saw yesterday. I can still make out the gate's "heart" in the center of the wreath... I love this old gate!


In yesterday's photo, the whole picket fence in front of the shed was showing. Now just the tippety top of the pickets are peekng through the snow! Oh, and the birdbath that is attached to the deck railing on the left? I highly recommend a heated birdbath to anyone who lives in a New England-like climate. The birds LOVE it! As you can see, the snow has melted into the middle of it, and the birds and squirrels use this all winter long, when all other sources of water are frozen solid. The mourning doves also use it as a steam bath. Flocks of them like to gather around it and warm themselves... too cute!

And right before Christmas I made one last dash to the Post Office, and just look at the beautiful surprise that was waiting for me!! (I was so anxious to open it when I got home that I forgot to take photos of how beautifully it was wrapped!)

My beautiful friend Claudia, from Mockingbird Hill Cottage, sent me one of her handmade fabric hearts, made with two coordinating red and cream fabrics! I LOVE it! It is just so beautiful, Claudia, thank you! And look at how classy her Moo Minicards are! Add to that the handwritten note stamped with the bird and mhc... It was all so very special, and such a sweet surprise!!! You know what else it was?....................................Baby-proof!!!!

There's nothing like hunkering down when a blizzard is wreaking havoc outside your home, and who knows better how to hunker down than a kitty?


Sleeping Beauty was the perfect backdrop to show off my beautiful new heart!

Baby and I thank you, Claudia! And to anyone living through c-o-l-d winter weather, I'm wishing you cozy winter days!................ Donna

To Susan who asked about where to purchase heated bird baths... I purchased mine years ago at a local Wild Birds Unlimited (or similar) bird store. If you can't find a heated bird bath locally, there's a wide variety on-line to choose from:

If you don't have an outlet to plug in a heated bird bath, here are some that are solar powered:

http://www.google.com/#q=solar+heated+bird+bath&hl=en&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=SDcZTcGvEIP7lwePjoW_Cw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CD8QrQQwAA&biw=1348&bih=699&fp=c5de9f7a219740fb

Here are some you can purchase on-line from Wild Birds Unlimited:

http://www.shopwbu.com/products/category/567.0.1.1.42047.0.0.0.0

And here are some from CSNStores.com:

http://www.csnstores.com/asp/keyword.asp?keyword=heated+birdbath&command=dosearch&matchtype=3&keywordvalue=heated+birdbath

And just some in general from a Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=heated+bird+baths&hl=en&sa=G&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=3DgZTcL2JsSBlAet9ezTCw&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CFIQrQQwAg