I play Bunco once a month with a group of friends. The majority of the group are Florida Gator fans. There is only one Florida State Seminole in the group. We had our Bunco group Christmas party last night. Along with the festivies we alway have an ornament exchange. The one Seminole got her revenge last night with this very creative ornament that was at the top of her gift bag. You had to open this before you got your real ornament. She went to the laundry mat and bought a small box of tide. Then she covered a toilet tissue roll with crimson ribbon and glued it to the top of the tide box. She then added the year. She said she wanted to put the score and add some tissue coming out of the roll for crying, but she was afraid to push it that far. So her very creative ornament brought back terrible memories......Roll Tide!

I thought I was the only artist in the group. I guess I was wrong. Speaking of art, I am the only one who makes her ornament every year. If you know anything about Bunco, you know that it is a dice game.....so I used dice for the pompom on Santa's hat and on the hanger. He is a jolly old fellow. I think won the pot last night!

Here is the first Bunco ornament I made. It was my exchange ornament last year. I had not made a picture of it. Lucky for me the hostess last night had last years ornament. It is entitled, Let the Fat Man Roll. You can't see it very well, but he is holding a gold dice in his hand.


We all had a great time last night. There was lots of good food, good friends, and many happy memories made. Oh yes, other than the trashy tide ornament a lot of beautiful ornaments were exchanged.

Lemon Cheese Yule Logs

Christmas is a time for wonderful memories. It is a time for love and hope. A time for family and a time for baking cookies. Christmas cookie making is a traditon in our family. I did it with my mother, my daughter and my grandchildren. We started long before Christmas and spent many happy hours in the kitchen making those delicious morsels to share with our friends. We tried many different kinds and always baked old favorites, but Lemon Cheese Yule Logs were my children's favorite and the only one that was good enough to serve to Santa on Christmas Eve.It was the one that always had the place of honor at many a Christmas Tea Party. It was Dollies favorite , too. She would share those cookies with the little girl who loved her. The one who loved her so much she kept her for fifty-five years. Then she shared them with the dolls of daughters and granddaughters.

Lemon Cheese Yule Logs graced many a table at festive parties at home. They went to school for Christmas parties and filled many Christmas tins and cookie trays.

The sound of laughter would always fill the kitchen at cookie baking time. Friends would come over and share in the fun. The smell of dozens and dozens of cookies baking filled the house with a wonderful aroma that could not be matched. Copper cookie cutters made wonderful shapes to be iced and decorated with silver balls and sprinkles galore.

Cookie baking is fun anytime you do it, but it is special at Christmas. During the year you will bake a batch of cookies, but at Christmas cookies overflow the buffet, the countertops and the diningroom table. Loved ones and friends come together to share in the fun. They are there for the joy of baking, but most of all to create memories that will last a life time. They are there for a tradition that will be pasted from one generation to they next. They are there for the enticing smell of cookies in the oven and the taste of that first warm cookie as it comes from the stove. Most of all they are there for the love they share with the other bakers and the love of cookies.

We now share Santa's Favorite Cookie and our favorite Christmas Cookie with you...please take this recipe and start a tradition with your children. Add it to your list....I hope it becomes your favorite cookie. too.

Santa's Favorite Cookie - Lemon Cheese Yule Logs

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 3 ounce Cream Cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 6 ounce package semisweet chocolate morsels

Decorator Candies

Combine sugar, butter: and cream cheese: cream until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, beating well. Stir in flour, pecans, salt, and lemon rind. Mix well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Shape dough by tablespoons into w-inch logs by rolling between palms of hands. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets, and bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.

Melt chocolate morsels in a small saucepan over low heat or in a small bowl in the microwave. Dip one end of each log in melted chocolate, and sprinkle with decorator candiesl Let stand on wire racks until chocolate sets. Store between layers or waxed paperin an air-tight container. Cookies may be frozen. Makes about 7 dozen.

ADO Ornament Swap

How lucky can a girl be? I received this wonderful ornament for Leslei Ann Young in the ADO Ornament Swap. Isn't she typical of every woman at Christmas...playing Santa Claus, running from here to there trying to take care of everything that should have been done yesterday, or the day before, but there were twelve other things that came up inbetween....decorating the house, presents to buy, and cookies to bake. I just love her Santa suit and the zany expression on her face. She will have a place of honor on my tree for years to come. This was a fun swap...I'm ready to do another one.

Fresh Baked Bread

Remember when you were a kid and the lunchroom ladies baked fresh bread everyday? You could smell it all over the school. I liked mine with butter and a big dollop of peanut butter. My art room is in the same building as the lunchroom. In fact, the children eat right outside my door. So I get to smell fresh baked bread every day. It smelled and looked so good today, I couldn't resist taking a picture. See that corner where there are two missing...they sure were good with peanut butter this morning.

Michaels Photo Entry - Miz Luci

I have entered my snow lady "Miz Luci" in the Michael's Handmade Holidays Contest. Please follow this link and go and vote for her. Just click on how many snowmen you would like for her to receive under her picture. The more votes she gets, the better my chances of winning. You can see "Miz Luci" in my post from two day ago. All you talented artists who read this blog should enter. too. What can it hurt? Hope you'll help me out. Thanks so much!

Michaels Photo Entry - Miz Luci

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PFATT GIVEAWAY

This just one of the wonderful prizes at the PFATT Giveaway. There are thirteen more that you have a chance to win. So hop on over to the PFATT sister's blog http://pfatt.blogspot.com and sign up to win.

Miz Luci

Miz Luci is ready for holiday cheer. She is an original ornament made for the ADO Ornament Swap and is on her way to her new home today. Made of polymer clay, Miz Lucie has tacks for her eyes and mouth and is dressed in the latest fashion colors. Her scarf is hand tied from eyelash yarns. Her fluffy feather hat will keep her warm through the long winter days to come. Miz Lucie is leaving sunny Florida and traveling to California. Let’s hope she doesn’t melt along the way.