Thank you all so much, for participating in our "What do you LOVE about your holiday home?" party!!
Wow, it was quite the tour of homes. I loved getting a peek into the creative and colorful as well as the traditional and charming decor that you all shared.
I am blown away by the beauty and the response for the get together!
I’ll continue to link as many people who want to join until Christmas. So keep checking back, and take your time looking through a few particpant’s homes here and there for a taste of holiday cheer throughout the season!
I’ll announce my drawing winners tomorrow- for today I have a special announcement.
As Beth and I were hanging out and making things yesterday ( I made this banner), we decided to host a swap!
I LOVE blog swaps!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!!
So, what would be more fitting than hosting one that is full of Valentine LOVE?
Yes, I know it is really early, to be thinking about, it isn’t even Christmas yet! Am I as bad as Wal-Mart, having the next holiday out on display before this one is even over??
There’s no hurry, sign up is until Jan. 2, 200EIGHT.
We were just too excited about our idea to wait till later to tell you about it.
These photos are a hint of what is to come.
The swap involves you making photo copies of a decorated dessert recipe and Beth and I making 
covers for them and assembling the cook books.
So, yesterday, we made up a few sample covers to show you.
These first two are mine. All will have a rose theme, but no two will be alike.
All will be made with lots of vintagey goodness to go along with your yummy recipes.
Here is one that Beth made.
How pretty is that???
We will ask that along with your copies (color on card stock) of your treats, you send in a rose themed decorated tag, (one original) that we will tie onto another swapper’s cook book after we add the cover and assemble it.
And look at this one from Beth! I am looking forward to getting one of her covers, that is for sure.
I will be in DC setting up my part time apartment there after the holidays, so please RSVP to Beth at her blog, Gathering Dust.
She and I will be sharing hostessing duties, and you are lucky about that, because she is very organized and I am not. She’ll make sure that the books all get the right amount of pages and get mailed to the right addresses. And are on time.
So, please contact the detail oriented one of our group to sign up.
And speaking of details, here is what she wrote up for us- the Swap Rules are:
Karla & Beth’s Roses and Sweet Treat
Cook Book Recipe Swap
Put your favorite sweet treat recipe on a 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of paper turned vertically, and decorate the page. (5 ½” x 8 ½” is half a regular sheet of paper.)
Make as many copies as there are swap participants- we’ll let you know the number when the sign ups are complete.
Also make a tag (approx 2” x 4”) decorated in some way with roses.
Send to Karla and Beth. They will assemble the recipes into a “Sweet Treats” Cookbook. Each cookbook will have a unique cover, handmade by Karla or Beth, and a tag decorated by another swap player.
The Details
Recipe Card– 5 ¼” x 8” with the recipe vertical. The books will be bound on the top, so leave at least a 1” margin for binding. The copies should be well made, in color and on card stock.
Sign Up Date- Sign up by emailing Beth, using the email link on the upper left side of her blog. The deadline is Jan 2. We’ll limit the number of players to 40.
On Jan 3, we’ll send a confirmation email to all participants letting them know how many copies to make. (To save on copy costs, you can print 2 per page, and cut the paper in half before sending to us.)
Receive by Date – We’ll need to RECEIVE your copies by January 20th so we have time to make the covers and assemble them.
Cost- The cost for a padded envelope, mailing and materials is $5. Please include the $5 with your copies and tag.
What You’ll Get
A Sweet Treat Recipe Book with a one of a kind handmade rose themed cover created by Karla or Beth, decorated with a tag from another player. We’ll mail the books by Feb 7, so you’ll have them in time to make sweet treats for Valentine’s Day.
Can you imagine how cool the individual pages will be from all those great artistic crafters out there in blog land?????? I can’t wait to see what you all send in for this!
Here is the button for the swap:
PS- thanks for your interest, we are full now! And we have GREAT players!! thanks to all of them, can’t wait to see what they make!
Hello Karla,
I love your idea! I’ve already signed up. I
can’t wait so much fun. Merry Christmas and thank you for hosting such a wonderful party!
I had such a good time visiting everyones home
and having them over for tea, Thanks again Pinkie Denise
What great ideas you have! First time to drop by your blog. Came here from several others in your house party. What a beautiful fun booklet you will have. I will have to check out previous posts. It looks like you are creative and fun!
What a fantastic idea! Count me in.
Have a great weekend.
Blessings,
Sandy 🙂
What pretty little cards and tag. Love all the pretty ribbon and the fabrics are so lovely and vintage. A pleasure browsing here.
Happy holidays!
I haven’t ever participated in a swap and can’t wait, it sounds like fun!
Wow – great idea – and all the work that you and Beth are willing to do! You gals are the best. I’m going to Beth’s to sign up now.
Karla
I joined at Beth’s blog site but I wanted to let you know that I thanked you on my blog today for the nice Holiday party that you posted. I am excited about this swap, sounds like fun. 🙂 Bren
Hi Karla’s Cottage . I would like to join your Holiday Party. i just linked it all up !!! Stop by and see and please link me to your site too !!! Thanks. Merry Christmas !!!
http://garboodles.typepad.com/
Thanks for the Holiday Home party, you must have broken some kind of blogging record for comments and links! How are you fingers and shoulders from all that computer work. Happy Holidays to you and family. Rachael:)
Karla,
Thank you so much for hosting the great Holiday House Tour. I had such a wonderful time looking at everyone’s decorations.
Merry Christmas!
Liz
Karla what fun wish I could join in that one but hopefully the next one 🙂 Can’t wait to see everyone’s gorgeous creations!
mary
I wanted to thank you for hosting the Christmas open house. I know that it must have been so much work on your part, and it was a lot of fun! I saw so many beautiful homes and met some lovely new friends, too.
The sweet treats and roses swap is a delightful idea!
xoxo, Andrea
are you serious???? You gals are going to make all the covers????????? SIGN ME UP! I havn’t had very good experiences lately in the swap department, but this is a for sure deal. Count me in!
I’ve love seeing all the beautiful holiday homes, including yours Karla, and this swap sounds like a really wonderful idea.
I’m off to Beth’s to sign up!
I signed up at Beths’. I think this is a great idea and will be fun! Thanks so much for hosting the Holiday Home party. I had a lot of fun and saw some gorgeous houses. Now if I can only convince my boys and my hubby that next year I need to do it all different with pink and aqua and white.
Thanks for the clarification for goofy me! I’d love to join. Thanks for the opportunity.
Miss Sandy
What a fantastic idea. I can hardly wait to start. I have already sent an e-mail to Beth. What fun
Karen
Bluemuf
Hi Karla, I would also like to thank you for hosting the Chistmas party. What fun I’ve had and I’m still out visiting. We all really appreciate all the work to did to make this one run smoothly. The displays and all the decoration are so lovely and it was a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the holiday.
Hugs Karen
how fabulous are you miss karla, and you too miss beth!
this is a darling idea!
love it!
Im In!
jessi Nagy
I’m going right over to Beth’s to sign up for your Sweet Treats and Roses swap! You already know which recipe I will use! I love the cover you made with the hand painted roses & the perfect little hearts.
Hi Karla
What a great Idea you have for Valentines swap.. and thank you for the wonderful Holiday Home party. I love looking at all the beautiful pictures everyone had on the theme..including yours too. I dont celebrate Xmas but I do collect the baubles for decoration. Thanks again & Have a great weekend!
Great swap idea…hope I signed up in time!
My daughter and I have been looking for a fudge recipe can’t wait to try yours, looks easy and yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Still enjoying your Christmas party…I go to a few homes each day so I can really take in all fun and loveliness.
Samantha
PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE LET ME BE IN THE VALENTINE SWAP….I WOULD REALLY DO A WONDERFUL JOB AND WOULD LOVE TO TAKE PART IN THIS…I WAS JUST TOLD ABOUT THIS BLOG AND I AM IN LOVE WITH IT ALLLLLLLLLL…I WILL CRY DESPERATLY IF I CANNOT PLAY!!! HUGS JEAN IN OHIO