christmas decorations and cookie baking

More baking is going around here tonight.  Another standard for the Christmas boxes:  chocolate shortbread.  Or equivalently known around here as tallbreads.  I snitched a few and had them with the pumpkin ice cream I made.  Really yummy.  The ice cream has a tendency to melt into the consistency of pudding or whipped cream cheese.  A little bit fills the tummy.

I wanted greens this year but my Beloved did not wish a cut tree.  I could not find a live tree the size I wished.  We were at Lowe's and they let me take some of the bottom branches they had cut off from Christmas trees.  No charge.

I cut the branches apart and put them in mason jars in the dining room 

and kitchen.

Then candles were added.

There was one more thing added.

My Beloved added roses.  I actually think the rose bush attacked him (again) but they added more beauty to the simplicity I wished.  I really am enjoying how this turned out.  The smell is divine.