Winding Down

Our Christmas went by too quickly...lots of good food, lots of laughs, lots of talk of the year that has passed. The couple of days after Christmas always seem kind of sad to me. It's just the realization that time is passing so fast for all of us (and it doesn't help that I have a birthday this week) but then January is here, and it seems like everything is new. James Taylor has a song that says it best, "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time". I do enjoy it, I am just seeing it pass before me faster than I thought possible!

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Enjoy the remaining days of 2007 and know that you all have my wish for a Happy & Healthy 2008...

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Talk to you next year!

To All

Christmas… that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance --a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

Augusta E. Rundel

Last Minute Decorating Hint

**BE SURE TO TURN OFF THE PLAYLIST OVER ON THE RIGHT**

What a week we've had...all of the Holiday Home Tours have just worn me out! It sure looks like most of you are ready for family and friends, but I have someone I'd like for you to meet...

Grab a cuppa something good, and a cookie or a muffin or a piece of candy, and spend a couple of minutes (literally) with my new friend, Jolene. She has a last minute decorating tip and it may be just what you need to put your Holiday Home over the top!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

The Rest Of The Peek

As we move on....our Living Room tree is all done in red & silver this year and it looks wonderful! This is the overwhelming favorite on this tree.

How pretty is this Dee Foust angel? She is standing on top of those very cool boxes covered in vintage-y sheet music and accented with silver glitter. I really got caught up in the whole vintage music thing this year...



Look at this sweet face! I just love her wings...

Here's a cake stand with glittery pillar candles (the glitter doesn't look too sparkly here) and some of my vintage ornaments. See that itty bitty angel? He's been with us a long time...

This heart is made of the thinnest glass and is almost translucent. This one is my newest addition! Just by luck, the music underneath says "we wish you a Merry Christmas".

These silver bowls are thrifting finds that are some kind of awards. They are engraved and are from the 1930's thru the 1950's.

This bunch is on top of the piano.

A very old reindeer sitting among the white bottle brush trees.

Our living room mantle. Yes, we have a fireplace. It's a Florida fireplace. Electric logs.

This is a handmade Santa, kind of on the prim side and I love it! He stands on the hearth and in the basket at his feet is a Santa book from 2004 and he is featured in there.

These old skates are in a coal bucket and this sits on the other side of the hearth.

Another one of a kind Santa. He holds a little bear in one arm and a small lighted tree in the other.

One of my favorite pieces, this Santa is hand painted on board.

This is Matthew and he has a collar of bells. He sits with his buddies under the tree.

These girls love to share the red chair and their pillow says something we should all remember...

So...there you have it. I have been having such a great time seeing and learning about the differences in everyone's decorating style. And, I've seen some stuff I plan to try next year! Thanks for stopping in....

Just A Peek

It's been so cool to just get lost in everyone's beautiful decorations and amazing creativity! We usually go all out, but there have been some difficult times this year and it has really just taken the wind out of our sails. However, there are 5 grandkids and sons and daughters that count on us to make Merry and we are on a roll! Just thought I'd give you a quick tour around our trees and please accept my apologies in advance for the quality of some of these. I tried to get some shots of the tree without the flash and they are kind of fuzzy. So, in no particular order, here we go...

Wow...the tree is so pretty....

This is one of my favorite handmade angels. Can you see that her wings are really the hearts from an antique snow mat?

It ain't Christmas 'round here without a sock monkey!

My littlest primitive snowman...

Made by The Daughter in pre-school....

Zat leetle Santa is teesing me....he ees annoying me....I weel sneak up on heem....

Watch out, Santa Man...I am Woody, zee fastest kitteh in all of Flor-ee-da....

Ha Ha leetle white haired man...I got you!

TaDa!!! That's all for now...we will move into the living room later!

Arlington At Christmas

I had no idea this was done.

I thought you might want to see.

These wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

Morrill Worcester initially brought 4,000 surplus wreaths from the holiday decoration company he owns to adorn gravesites at Arlington in 1992. Every year since then he has set aside several thousand wreaths especially for that purpose, driving to Arlington in December with a trailer full of decorations and dozens of volunteers to distribute them throughout the cemetery. As Mr. Worcester told an Air Force reporter in 2005:

We couldn't do anything in this country if it wasn't for the people who gave their lives to protect us. It's a great honor to be able to come here and pay our respects. That first year, there were just a few of us, and it took us five or six hours to get them placed. This year, we had extra help and got done in about an hour.

The lights, the glittery ornaments, the fancy cookies...all part of a holiday most cannot wait to celebrate. But while you are out shopping for your special ones, enjoying something warm in front of your fire or getting together with friends and neighbors, let's not forget the ones that make all of this possible. Please share this post with those that are meaningful to you...there were lots of people taking virtual Holiday Home Tours this week...ask them to stop by here, too.

The JOY Gift Bag

I love to make stuff. If I had the time and the space, I would seriously try to make a living just making stuff. When we had our shop a few years back, that was one of the best things. But, since I try to live in the real world most of the time, I usually have to limit making stuff to holidays, birthdays and celebrations like that. So...since it is holiday time, I spent some time this morning putting together a gift bag for the uber cool Jennifer that cuts my hair. Here's how it happened....

I must say that I think I remember seeing something like this somewhere (how informative of me) so if anyone has made this and thinks I have tried to copy them, please set me straight! All I will say now is thanks for the idea...it's a great one! Here's how we roll....

First, make a copy of some vintage sheet music. I chose "Joy To The World".


Run the copy back through the printer adding the word JOY or whatever fits the occasion. Then trim, tear or burn the edges and attach to the bag with spray adhesive.

I used a couple pieces of my Virginia holly and tied them with vintage baker's twine. You can use a ribbon, but I just like this simple look.

Wrapping the twine around the branches a few times, I added one of my thrifting finds, an old mercury ball ornament.

What are we getting the bag ready for? Absolutely THE BEST candle...ever. Outsmells (is that a word?) Yankee, McCall's, Cheerful Giver, Root...it is the best, long lasting candle and the scents are incredible. This one is Hot Maple Toddy...

Add some tissue to the bottom of the bag for cushioning and to keep the candle from moving side to side....

Add some filler...these pieces have been cut from an old 1930's dictionary.....

And I just crinkle them up!

Put the candle in and there you have it....

A gift bag that can have another life by holding a poinsettia plant throughout the rest of the season!

It all worked out...Jen loved the bag and the candle and my hair looks terrific!