Hi there! So miss being in blogland…we are back and so relaxed, our trip was way overdue and just what the doctor ordered. It was wonderful to ring in the new year in sunny, WARM California especially coming home to single digit temperatures here in icy, snowy New York! (will do a post on our trip in the next week)

?It’s so exciting to be writing my very first post of 2014……and what better way to kick things off then with my Christmas magic contest. So happy to be holding it and not letting the magic of this beautiful holiday go quite so fast, I got in some really amazing entries, and all of these have special meaning. I was admittedly totally overwhelmed by the beauty, creativity, sweetness and inspiration behind them. They hailed from Norway to Serbia, California to Maine…these pictures literally span the world which is quite incredible!

?I wish I had a place to tell you a little bit about some of these pictures(many entrants send me emails with the story behind the pictures) like the hands that represent 79 years of marriage or a treasured picture of a young girl at Christmas or treasured ornaments that have been handed down from one generation after another, or the newborn baby that represented years of trying to conceive, or the talented artist who paints gorgeous Christmas scenes when inspired, or a young couples first Christmas tree together, all such beautiful and heartfelt stories……………I thank you for sending them in.You have no idea how much they were enjoyed!

With over 150 entries, it was just too much to include for one post. So as I did with the Blue and white love contest, I have divided this into two parts and will select two winners, one from each round. I have set this up poll style via polldaddy, the ever so reliable awesome site for the best user friendly accurate polls.? Many thanks to all who sent in their wonderful pictures and who?took the time to share and to all of you, the readers and voters for joining in the fun! Get your pens and papers ready………feast your eyes on a little Christmas magic!

The poll is to the left, for some reason blogger was not allowing me to put it in the bottom as I normally do…so for now please find poll to your right *upper corner*

Amazing, don’t you think!!! Since there are sooooooo many and I realize choosing one or even two would be a nearly impossibly task…I have allowed that up to FIVE entries can be selected. Voting is limited to once a day but with being able to vote for five pictures, it allows you a little more flexibility. Just choose whichever best says to you “Christmas magic”. This post will run until Wed. night at which time the second post will run for the same amount of time. Both winners from each round will be announced on Friday morning! Thank you again for stopping in…wishing you a wonderful day and a fabulous start to what I feel is going to be one amazing year. Cheers to 2014!

Remember you can choose up to 5 entries once a day. Thank you for stopping in! So missed being here and will be back when I can snap out of my delirious state and catch up on sleep!