Holiday season can be so much fun, with parties and games, holiday music and gatherings with friends. We had a silent auction at our recent MINI club holiday weekend, along playing fun racing games with these little pull-back cars. The napkins were given to me by a friend, and we put them on the bar for everyone to enjoy rather than the plain white ones.
Our theme was British Invasion Christmas, and My Sweet Babboo took his Tardis for photo ops. I put British flags in the greenery. I didn’t get a photo of the centerpieces I made, but they were silver star sprays with British flags and small party favor bags tied with silver ribbons with the little pull back cars along with candy.
The Silent Auction table was 60 feet long and full of things to bid on.
I put out my quilted table runners and toppers, and paired them with bottles of wine and cocktail napkins donated by a few friends.
I had two runners this size, so I put two bottles of wine with each one. On one, I added a pair of lead crystal wine glasses with gold rims found at a thrift store.
The MINI embroidered towel and hot pad was paired with a Milk Street Cookbook, a pack of holiday cocktail napkins and two bottles of wine.
The placemats were paired with one bottle of wine and a fun little wine hanger. It says ‘This wine pairs well with good friends and laughter”.
I am delighted to report that the five bid lots I made with the help of friends made a total of $230, donated to Manna Food Bank. On the way home, we passed two rock faces frozen with ice.
The weather was not all that cold, but these were in the shade so still frozen from the past few nights of freezing temperatures. Neat aren’t they?
Back home, the birds have been entertaining. They are chowing down on the suet cakes that My Sweet Babboo puts out for them. This chickadee can’t stuff his beak fast enough.
A goldfinch in winter drab shares the bounty with a titmouse.
A female hairy woodpecker was coming by to peck at the suet then flying off, and coming right back. I thought it was a bit unusual for her and I soon realized what was going on.
The bluebirds have been using the house fairly regularly.
On this day, the woodpecker had other ideas. She was flying over to claim the house while the bluebirds were out! You can see her inside the house, while a bluebird looks down from above and another one observes from a tree branch on the lower left of the photo. I apologize for the blurriness, I didn’t have the camera set properly for wildlife.
The bluebird was baffled by the takeover. One kept looking in the opening from above, not really sure what to do.
Eventually, the bluebirds claimed the home again. Who knows who will raise a family in it come spring? I hope one of them does.
On Friday, I was in the mood to bake. I decided to make some of my Fantasy Cookies, recipe linked. I found these fun containers at the dollar store to store them in.
I plan to make some of my Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies along with some Cranberry Eggnog Biscotti to go with these. So, I’ll be baking spirits bright this week, along with stamping my Christmas cards and gift wrapping a box for My Sweet Babboo. What are your plans this week?
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From My Carolina Home 
Carole, the auction sounds like a lot of fun and for a good cause. The cardinals are very active around here. They offer beautiful color for the gray wintry days. Wishing you a lovely week!
The mini event sounds fun! Glad the auction brought in some money for the charity. I always love seeing your bird photos. The bluebirds and woodpecker vying for the birdhouse were a fun sight! And now you’re making me want to bake, too!
Fun Christmas update, Carole! That ice stone wall is a sight to see! And I love seeing all your birds. We had a pileated woodpecker on our suet yesterday!
You sure know how to celebrate! The auction items were lovely and a wonderful earned gift for the food bank! I baked on Friday too and made chocolate chip cookies and these delicious ginger molasses cookies that a neighbor shared with us last year. I also baked banana nut bread and plated all three items on plates to give as gifts to neighbors. I even got them all delivered that afternoon. Then Saturday I made caramel corn for a select few. It’s highly addictive though and best to get it out of the house as soon as possible! I’m set to mail some gifts tomorrow and then sit back and enjoy the holiday 🙂 Hoping yours are warm and Merry! Thank you for all the fun and inspiration throughout the year!
Love the British Invasion theme, especially the Tardis! I recently saw a pattern for Dr. Who’s scarf, popular around this time of year. Nice donation for the food bank – the winners really scored, your quilted goods were beautiful.
Sunday chat is always interesting. Do you think the Woodpecker will have laid an egg for the Bluebirds to hatch? How many Bluebird Houses do you have up? I must get some bird houses as they are so fun to watch.
Those icy walls make you feel cold just seeing them. Lucky the roads weren’t icy too! In my neck of the woods we are starting to feel the temperatures rising dramatically but as I write it is raining after a fabulously clear and hot day yesterday.
What fun you have with your Car Club buddies and your offerings for the auction were well worth a bid!
Your Fantasy Cookies are already on my list of goodies and not just at Christmas time either. Will try your Biscotti as well.
Wishing you both a very happy Christmas 🎄
Mary :))
I’m so glad the Auction went well — I love the items you donated and they were very successful! Your baking sounds good. I’m doing that today — three cookies down; biscotti, fudge, nuts to go, and if I have time a cranberry or lemon bread. We’re dong Christmas a week from tomorrow and kid sitting leading into that so I have to be uber-productive this week. Nothing is wrapped and while I alerted mailing recipients I wasn’t mailing out till Twelfth Night (if lucky) there is still a lot to wrap for Rick and the kids. Oh, a few cards left to make, too. All fun, all good, all exhausting. We had kidlets last night and overnight which was good — but boy, it’s tiring! Still, wouldn’t trade it!
Blueberries! WOW Who (you) would have thought of that! The bird pics always fascinate me! My family still lives in PA. and the icey ridge is not something I miss in Flatland! aka Chicago. Thanks so much. Happy Holiday!
Well done with those items for the auction! I think there is a housing shortage in your bird land!
Congrats with the silent auction. It is good that others support a worthwhile cause.
LOVE your Christmas letter with recipes – what a nice gift to your readers. Many thanks, and Merry Christmas to you and yours.