Snowman Ornament Workshop Party!

I love the women in my Bible Study Group and wanted to do something extra
special to bless their hearts so my Christmas gift to them was a craft night...
a Snowman Ornament Workshop/Christmas Party... and we had so much fun!
The only sadness was that two of them were sick and another had a family
event to attend... Connie, Deb & Frances... you were missed for sure!

I served a finger-food dinner that started off with this wonderful
Snowman Cheeseball!  Isn't he adorable? He was a huge hit and I sent
everyone home with the recipe.... you can find it here.


Next came shrimp served around the rim of parfait glasses filled with
cocktail sauce which I forgot to take a picture of... along with...


salmon pate filled cucumbers decorated with chives
and a touch of red pepper and...


cherry tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella balls, adorned with a basil leaf
and sprinkled with garlic salt... yum!! 
This is what you call ARTFUL cooking... my favorite kind!

Then came crafting! Those funny looking grey balls are the snowman heads...
they are made from a paper mache pulp and take quite a while to dry so,
since we only had the evening, I made them beforehand.

But they had so much layering the paints, adding the eyes...


adding rouge to their cheeks...


and especially adding the glitter... the sparkle that brings them to life!


Then came the hat-making... but again... got so caught up in the making...
I forgot all about taking pictures of the process...


but the joy on Brenda's face... and on her snowman's face... says it all!


each one a different personality...


just like their makers... Dottie, Joan, and Brenda...
each woman tickled pink with her own handmade Christmas creation!


We ended the evening with a light dessert of raspberry jello topped with
light whipping cream and Christmas sprinkles... and an ornament exchange.
It was a wonderful time of love, laughter, and creativity!

This is one of the greatest joys of Christmas... giving oneself away...
time, talents and/or treasures... for the blessing of others...
simply in celebration of the greatest Gift we've been given...
the love of Jesus who was born into this world to give Himself away...
for you... and for me... ultimately on the tree.

Father God, thank You for Jesus... who is the Reason for the Season. Help us
this year as we give ourselves... our time, talents and/or treasures... with a
right heart... out of love and not obligation... to bless and not impress...
and if we're struggling with that Lord, remind us of why we celebrate
Christmas and the glory of the Greatest Gift of all! Amen.