'Wigged Out Cookie Exchange'

I have been hosting a cookie exchange for 13 years now!!  This is my tradition that lets me know the holiday season has begun.  This year we had a theme - 'Wigged Out Cookie Exchange'.

It begins with the invitation -

I was so excited to see how everyone was going to look.  Here is our group photo -

Pretty good group, don't you think?  I just had to pose with everyone --

The food was yummy.  We had pulled pork sliders, cole slaw, deviled eggs, cheesy potatoes, salami rollups, and much more --

I gave everyone a little handmade gift -

Just look at all the cookies!!!  I made Gingersnaps this year.  We each were able to take home one from each group (except our own) -

I have talked about my great girlfriends - the YaYa's.  Here we are with our wigs -

Lucy has not been very sociable lately.  I am tracing it back to being woken very early for some gals coming to the Royal Wedding back in April.  She has not been courteous to visitors since then.  She made the tree skirt her domain during the cookie exchange and anyone who walked past her she kept an eye on and made a little growl and sometimes would swipe at their feet.  Even with me.  She was perfectly fine when we were all just sitting and eating - that's when I took this photo.  I think she was defending her home -- and was she ever tired and was so glad when we were eating so she could nap --

I am linking up to Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive 365's Holiday Traditions Linky Party.  Please click here to get plenty of Christmas ideas.