Good morning! Well, Christmas is behind us and  it all feels like a blur right now. I must admit I am happy it’s over and plan to take part in some serious and much deserved relaxation….it was our busiest season yet and truly there was no rest for the weary. I am so grateful to my readers and customers, you make what I do a joy to get up for every single day.

Christmas ended up being really wonderful despite a big wind/rain storm the night before which knocked everything out. It was a bit of a comedy for the first part of Christmas day. But there was something kind of nice (once I adjusted to it) about not having the internet, TV, etc….it was all about spending quality family time together and I loved every minute.

We laughed, reflected on past memories and holidays, talked hopefully about 2021 and just enjoyed being a family of five. It frankly, turned out much better than I could have even imagined. Plus having my new “grand pup” was a huge highlight:) OK here we go with this very last Seven on Sunday post of 2020 (major cause for celebration)!

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1 WHITE FLOWERS FOR CHRISTMAS Nothing like white flowers during the holidays to add a touch of magic and elegance. I love white flowers year round as you probably know by now:) I found beautiful tulips at my local market on Christmas eve:) Kept them in a cool spot and those along with my white paper whites and amaryllis came through beautifully! Here are some pictures I captured-

2 DELICIOUS STUFFED MUSHROOMS! These are so good and there is a surprise ingredient, lemon! Yes it adds a little extra tang which makes these super flavorful, and guaranteed to not have any leftovers:) Found over at Two Peas in a Pod, I promise you will devour these.In fact, I may just make them today:) I could easily make a meal out of these….scrumptious!

Click here to read more over at Two Peas in a Pod

Ingredients

• 16 oz white mushrooms (about 24)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup panko
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions-

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms. Finely chop the stems and set the caps aside.
• In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chopped mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat.
• n a medium bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked mushroom mixture.
• Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps and place the mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the mushrooms.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender tops are golden. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

3 INSTAGRAMS OF INTEREST Such beauty celebrating the magic of this season, 2020 be darned! Love these…..

4 A WONDERFUL FEEL GOOD STORY This is astoundingly beautiful. My dad sent it to me and it is impossible to not cry tears of joy watching this beautiful couple and the most unbelievable surge the groom made to his new wife. I could watch this all day long, so worth sharing with the world. What a truly beautiful story!

I was unable to download the video my dad sent which was much clearer (and longer) but found this version on You Tube.

5. OUR FABULOUS NEW ETCHED GLASSES!  We got in a large shipment and the rest of it is due in within the week. Among it were many amazingly beautiful new arrivals!! We have all kinds of incredible things coming in between now and Feb. You are always the first to know, kind of like being an insider:)

In love with the beautiful new etched glassware we just got in on Friday. All preordered glasses will start to ship out on Monday, these will be online later today. Such an elegant and beautiful way to serve a drink!

6 HOW THE ROYALS DO CHRISTMAS! I have a long fascination with the Royals, there is so much to admire about them and my lifelong fascination started with Diana, who to me embodies a real life angel. No one ever like  her, nor will there ever be. Such dignity, class and elegance.  Queen Elizabeth is a close second, what an amazing woman. I fond this so fascinating to read, how the Royals spend Christmas as well as some of  their traditions, etc….click here to read more.

7 SUNDAY’S SURVEY Think its safe to say we are all very much looking forward to turning the page to a new year. Though 2021 at least the first few months will be very difficult with regard to Covid, I think just knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel is a huge boost to our very weary souls. I think it’s going to be a while and I also think masks are going to be stick around longer than any of us could have imagined. When do you think we will actually truly go back to normal? Me, I think mid summer. Curious what your take is?

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Hope you enjoyed my post. I am planning to enjoy some much deserved off time today, doing exactly as I please with zero agenda, most likely fiddling around my house. Don’t think my tree will be coming down for a while, I love the way it looks and it just makes me happy. It’s 2020, the all rules went out the window:) Hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing day, stay safe and wear those masks! Until next time…….

Our “after Christmas” sale is on and in full swing, all gift wrap, ribbons and ornaments are a whopping 50% off! Use code 2020, click here (all subcategories are on the left)