The cookie exchange to end all cookie exchanges!

Behold the table where we enjoy breakfast, and the wall adorned with white ironstone and mother/daughter Christmas aprons.  The favor had a name tag (a cookie award ribbon) and was a mason jar full of salt.  It was explained by Sandy, reading words from Ezekiel which reminded us that we are all called to be the salt of the earth

First we make breakfast.  Sandy of The Pink Cupboard, which used to be in what is now The Prairie Street Brewhouse, organizes the whole day, from breakfast to lunch to exchange.  We each bring a few ingredients and are assigned to various stations to put together a dish for breakfast or lunch. We had fruit, an egg casserole, and choice of quiche. 
The tree is in a corner of the breakfast room.  Check out the  window decor and the presents and the tree itself.




















After breakfast we make one of Sandy's family cookie recipes, rolled round cutouts with jelly filling, little fruit tarts with crimped edges.  When we finish, we have our exchange.  I thought I took a photo of all the cookies, but must not have saved it.  The cookies are wonderful, from aqua (Tiffany style) tree cut-outs to ginger cookies to rolled pecan balls, to peanut butter/chocolate fudge etc. 21 varieties in all. 

Sandy posted cookie exchange photos, and I was able to copy it. YAY!

Then we had lunch - ham and wild rice cream soup accompanied by crusty bread and fruit.  Dessert was an individual apple pie. I took the pie home for later.  It was delicious.




In the living room is this old cupboard  topped with grocery signs and Watt apple pottery interspersed with Santa and trees and plaids.  Notice how the colors are carried through in the signs, the cupboard, and the pottery.













The tree to the left is in the front window of the living room.  It is all in pastels.  There were at least 7 trees maybe more, and each one has a different theme.  My phone photos don't begin to do them justice.

There is another tree in the porch, all with vintage ornaments and Sandy's collection of celluloid Santas and Santa mugs.  Another shot I apparently didn't save was an old lit Santa, sleigh, and reindeer often seen on rooftops.  Sandy hung it from the ceiling.  It looked fantastic.

This was the entry way scene, white tree, white bottle brush trees, white glittered cardboard houses, Sandy's sheep collection, little girl ballet shoes, white gloves, and more.

You get the idea.  What can I say, except that I love being a part of this group, and being awed by the setting, and enjoying all the other activities planned by such a creative group of girl friends.  Thank you, Sandy. We love you.