Cedar Hills Christmas Tour Successful!

Tonight was the big night...the Christmas Tour of our (and 5 other) homes! It was a fundraiser for an organization "Mothers Without Borders" which provides formula to babies in Africa as well as help for Women and children (especially orphans). I was hoping we could raise $1000.00 between all of our homes. We raised $2000.00!!

When our friends reminded us that we had said yes to hosting:), we started hanging garland and making the preparations.

Our pictures don't show it but the garland looked great lighting up the stairway.

We did start putting up all the trees right after Thanksgiving, but with things going on every day since then, we were barely ready finishing miscellaneous details when the first guest arrived! It all turned out so pretty and I can't believe I forgot to take pictures before we shut everything down for the night! Mikelle's Hannah Montana room turned out so cute and our neighbors even let us borrow their pink guitar and stand to place by Miley's life size cut-out by the tree. The tour was a great excuse to decorate all of our bedrooms with trees we have and just haven't put up in past years. Now we can just sit back, finish our Christmas cards, and then take the rest of the month off:)

More excuses to get even more Costco garland and a few trips to Taipan!

It was all for a good cause right?

More pics...only of the kitchen and entry

(as everyone had gone to bed before I remembered I hadn't taken pics)!

The table centerpiece reminded me of all the Christmas Eve's we spent as kids at Uncle Preston's and Aunt Linnea's home. They always made their home so inviting, festive, warm and cozy. I think that feeling sticks with you and you want to pass it on to your kids as well.

Each home on the tour had its own personality. We were house #3 with the "traditional" decor (specializing in red and gold:). We definitely were not short on those 2 colors!

Erika was house #1, a tribute to Charles Dickens/A Christmas Carol. She even had her boy dressed in a tux by a large hanging latern out front to greet you (speaking in complete character and with the proper accent). Girls at the door welcomed you and offered hot wassail (recipe to come:) Last night when we previewed each other's homes, they were just finishing hanging all of the vinyl sayings from the book (A Christmas Carol) around their home on the walls.

It was SO cute!!

Jane (house #2) always does an amazing job at whatever she sets out to do! Her home (Woodland Christmas theme) was rich and elegant with that Sundance feel of warmth and charm. She always goes beyond the surface for meaning and depth in all she does. She had things like frankenscence sp? and myrh displayed in her beautiful living room. Her tree and grand piano were spectacular! She served yummy pumpkin and also gingerbread cookies! (Will also need to get recipe)! She went to great lengths to prepare for this! She tore down wall paper in her kitchen and six coats of paint later...it looked great!

After our home was Kim's. She was a "Visions of Sugar Plums" theme. It was so fun to see her tree (one of which had huge candy ornaments) complete with oversized peppermint stick tree toppers. Her dining room looked like a complete tribute to dreams of all things "sugar and spice and everything nice." She has been preparing for weeks and we could tell. Santa was present at her home for a photo op that she would email to the guests. I believe she had a pianist and floutist sp? (flute player) as well. It was all wonderful!

A few homes away was #5 (Karen's). She has collected Nativity sets from all over the world (from travel and being missionaries etc.) and had about 170 displayed. Each one has a story and she was able to tell us a few when we visited last night. Her favorite one of all is a set made for her and her husband out of paper by elders who were inspired by her to "get in the Christmas spirit!" It was a great reminder of "the reason for the season!!"

Denise had all the pressure of being the final house #6! A driver (complete with a train conductor-type hat) drives you up to their estate in the golf cart since parking was limited. You can see the entire valley from her home and listen to the man-made "lake" and waterfall from her front porch. She coordinated youth from her ward to be hostesses at her home (complete with matching aprons). She has also been working since before Thanksgiving to prepare each room with her beautiful and detailed touches! (A pretty big job when it's 10,000 sq feet:) As one guest put it, "it was just perfect...not overdone, not underdone!" She and her home looked like a million bucks! She did a fantastic job helping to coordinate the effort of everyone. She also made donation boxes (to match each home) and also supplied us with luminaries so guests would know they were at the right home. She thinks of everything and follows through with perfection! Way to go Denise and everyone! We were honored to be a part of this! Things like this home show always make me crazy and stressed initially but I love the end result that you accomplished something worthwhile as well as gained and strengthened friendships through the experience.

So enough said...except for Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!