A Little Holiday

Just a quick note to let you know I am taking a little holiday and visiting my cousins. I will be back posting the first week in January.

Happy New Year Friends!

Merry Christmas!

We have a family tradition on Christmas morning, after the Bible is read and before the presents are opened, we all reflect on the past year and share a few things we are thankful for. It is all the more thought provoking to think of all the things we have already, before we open the Christmas gifts.

On my list this year is you dear friends. Thank you so much for all your comments and encouragement!

Rosy and Bright (Upstairs Bedroom)

I had almost forgotten I have a collection of Pink Shiny-Brites! We bought a giant tub of ornaments from an estate sale years ago and whoever it was liked pink! 

A few ornaments in my silver basket and a pink "corsage" on my mirror to add a bit of Christmas cheer. 

Mom found this for me last year, it came in the original package. Isn't it beautiful? I am not sure what is was suppose to decorate, but looks to me like a corsage. It hangs very nicely from my mirror on a suction cup.

It makes me smile every time I see how pink the light shade makes the walls. No need to paint, not with a vintage pink shade!

Another vintage Christmas card I printed from Pinterest and pasted on card stock. Love the cottage!

Poppa Santa Claus (Book Nook)

Time to head upstairs for the tour! First stop, the piano window on the stairs, where we hung more ornaments.

This years theme in the book nook is Vintage Christmas Cards. I guess I am starting a collection! A few were gifts last year, a few from the year before, some I found in an antique store this fall.

And these little cuties are actually Christmas seals. They have old fashioned lick-and-stick on the back. These were used before cellophane tape was widely available to seal packages and cards. 

 My favorite seal. Since the theme seemed to be cards, I thought it would an easy and great way to display them by making the seals into mini cards.

 This card is one of the newest finds. Love the bells!

Mrs. Santa Claus (Apron)

Are you doing a bit of  cookie baking? Here is an apron that will put in the Christmas spirit!

I don't usually go for Santa fabric, but this was so cheerful and vintage looking! (found at JoAnn Fabrics) At first I didn't know what to make with the fabric, but when an apron was suggested I knew that was what it needed to be! (Why didn't I think of that at first?)

 I melded together two 1940's apron patterns. The skirt portion from one book and the bib from another. This one just needed a bib! Besides, how can you not get messy making cookies?

 A little bit of subtle rick-rack to outline the pockets and bib. I tried binding at first it was not so subtle.....

 In January I will share the pattern. I wasn't completely happy with the way this one turned out, a few adjustments and it will be good.

I love the way the skirt curves, adds a bit of pizzazz, doesn't it?

While I was making this apron, this is the song that kept running through my head! "Mrs. Santa Claus" sung by Nat King Cole.

Christmas Time's a Comin' (Mandy's Room)

Before we take a hike upstairs to see what Christmay-ness is up there, there is another room that is decked out this year, the front bedroom downstairs, my sister Mandy's room.

One of her favorite colors is red which lends itself nicely to Christmas decorating.

 When we were getting out the decorations, Mandy had this brilliant idea to display her straw ornament collection. She happened to have an empty frame as we are still working on hanging pictures on her walls.

Do you see the garland across the left wall? That is her knitted advent garland.

 They are the cutest things!

Beaded snowflakes in the windows.

 The ceramic tree we have had since we have been girls. Many a December night we would lay in our beds watching it glow waiting for Christmas to arrive.

 Mandy's snow globe collection.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow (Dining Room)

I was so excited to decorate the dinning room this year! At the end of last year, I had this brilliant idea and couldn't wait to try it.

We always had a hard time figuring out how to incorporate these blue snowflakes my Grandmother made. They are beautiful works of art, but didn't really go with our mostly red and green Christmas decor. That is when I decided they would be great as winter and Christmas wall art. I just took scrap booking paper cut to the size of the picture frame and sewed the snowflakes to the paper(this was the only was I could get them to stay), then taped the paper to the picture frame glass.

The buffet ends up being our "wrapping station" during Christmas. This year we decided to use a basket to contain all the tags and tissue paper.

New this year is also a vintage table cloth! We have been on the hunt for awhile for a table cloth would fit our monster of a table. 

 This one has all our favorite vintage things, Shiny-Brite, bells and candles!

The poinsettia wreath made another appearance this year, I think it is going to be a yearly favorite.

And way back in March, I started this banner using a felted sweater. 

I'll be Home for Christmas (Living Room)

Now for the living room. Here we let the tree be the center piece, but still there are a few other touches of Christmas.

One of our favorite decorations this year is the ornaments in the piano window. They are so pretty! And so hard to get a good picture of.

And what vintage Christmas would be complete without an Elf on the Shelf?

 I finally made Christmas pillow covers for the sofa! I had this project on the list last year, but didn't get to it, so this year it was first on the list. It took me awhile to find the right vintage looking fabric. I love the bunches of hollies, it reminds me of  vintage Christmas cards!