Patty And Lynnie's Christmas/Chanukah Brunch!!!!

Every year, for a long time now, My best friend from childhood, Patty and I, have celebrated our two holidays together, Christmas (hers) and Chanukah (mine)...And by celebrating I mean simply getting into the most materialistic form of the holidays with food and gifts! It's a fun way to wrap up the year and enjoy our friendship together. This year she came to my house and I made fresh spinach, grilled onions, & cheese omelets; toast and orange marmalade, and we drank hot apple cider.

Also on the table are other gifts received in the past from Patty: the Lenox Happy Chanukah music box and the ceramic menorah. As well as the little butter spreader with the ceramic stars of David as it's handle.and later (after opening our gifts) we had these wonderful raspberry almond tarts from our favorite bakery here in town. Here you see them laid out on a Chanukah platter that Patty gave me in one of our celebrations in years past. And we drank apple cinnamon tea! After eating we moved on to the fun part of opening gifts! Patty loved the "Annie Coe" necklace I bought her from Annie's ETSY. She also loved the card Annie made that came with the pendant. She seemed to really like this little plate I found of Christmas Memories

Here she is opening one of the fabric/paper boxes I made

to hold a snow globe for her collection. This one is of an old fashioned

dressed family singing Christmas Carols.

It's also a music box so it plays Christmas music too.

Patty is always my biggest fan of my art! She has a whole wall in her home devoted to it.

So this year I gave her the framed encaustic piece I made especially for her

in Judy Wise's workshop at Art and Soul in October this year. Needless to say she loves it!!!

;-)

And this snow globe, music box is a humorous one of two little pigs sitting at an ice cream parlor

pigging out on ice cream, something Patty and I love to do together!

The joke was not lost on her at all.

And wait till you see what she gave me that compliments this gift!

Patty always wraps her gifts to me in pretty Chanukah papers and ribbons!

So thoughtful.

Thank you Patty for your thoughtfulness and generosity!

I had found a little book at the thrift store (brand new) of classic Christmas stories,

which was one of her gifts from me. And Patty gave me this adorable little book of

Chanukah stories, facts, and recipes. So sweet!

As was the bag of chocolate coins that were attached to the book!!!

Patty gave me and DH a Harry and David's box of assorted Christmas cookies;

and I gave her husband a box of his favorite oatmeal cookies!

See the gift card that says FENTONS! That's to our awesome local ice cream parlor

and the amount floored me. But Patty said we were going to have a very busy

summer there this coming year. Well, we'll be celebrating both our seventieth birthdays

so I guess we will need the card for that!!!!

Patty also gave me subscriptions to TWO of my favorite Stampington Magazines:

Somerset SEW and Somerset Workshop!!!

and

a gift card to Joanne's for my sewing needs for the coming year!

And if that wasn't all more than enough

she also gave me this absolutely beautiful sterling silver friendship bracelet

that in engraved with the words:

"Friends" "Forever" "Today" Tomorrow" "Always"

It's very narrow and delicate

and I feel very beautifully dressed and blessed

wearing it!

Thanks again Patty

for our life time

of

friendship

and all you add to my life

!

I love & appreciate you so much. xoxo