More Christmas Decor

On quite a few blogs I've read how everyone is 'keeping it simple this year'

Not Me!

I don't have the mantle to decorate any more 'cuz someone put the TV on the wall over the fireplace.

So I used all the other spaces I could find except the dining room table. 

Even I consider that off limits.

All this junk, as Wild Bill calls it, is on the top of the low cabinet in the breakfast room along with the flocked tree.

A few years back, I bought this pillow made from an ugly Christmas sweater. I can't picture wearing it as a sweater, but I think it makes a cute pillow.

Love the smell of this candle in the old fashion hobnob glass container. 

And...there's plenty of red in the kitchen this time of year. I've got a few plans in here for next year. 

I'd like to paint the wall below the seeded glass cabinets a different color -- maybe with black chalkboard paint or a blue-green color.

One of my daughters said it would drive her nuts to have so much stuff on her counters.  

Heck, I'm just getting started!

The Dog Ornaments

At an after-Christmas sale 3 years ago,

 I found 3 ornaments that look just like

a few of the dogs in our family.

 

 

These three dogs were pound puppies,

adopted when they were well over a

year or two old.

Dee's Ornament:

Dee is always up for a party if it

includes food. She was adopted about

7 years ago by middle daughter and

her husband, and Dee loves babies. 

 

 

Over the last 4 years, Dee steadfastly

guarded over two new babies until she

was sure no one was coming to take

them away.

Wrigley's Ornament:

Our youngest daughter adopted Wrigley

about 5 or 6 years ago. Wrigley was a   

malnourished and terrified young dog.

It took years of love before he relaxed,

but he's always been the sweetest dog.

When he knows you, he loves you.

He also loves babies and even knew

his mother was pregnant before she did.

Now Wrigley won't let his pregnant

mama out of his sight -- which she and her

husband find adorable and a little irritating.

Wrigley's new baby is due in May.

Ginger's Ornament:

Ginger has been gone for over

22 years, but I still tear up when

 I think of her or see her picture.

She understood a conversation

- like "go get the kids up" -

and could answer too, by doing things

like shaking her head down for yes, 

and kind of a clearing-the-throat

coughing when she wanted to laugh.

I'm hoping to find two more ornaments

for Einstein and Bailey, the other two

family dogs.

If anyone out there knows who makes

these ornaments, please let me know.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Sharing at the following:

 

http://www.cedarhillfarmhouse.com

 

 



Why Only One?

 

I have a lot of one-of-a-kind ornaments.

 

It's not that I planned it that way...

 

This little angel dates back to the '80s

when the youngest daughter loved

"angel-ers" as she called them.

 

I always (ALWAYS) think I can make

it myself, if I just have one to follow.

 

This doesn't often work out.

 

But that didn't stop me from thinking

early last month that I could use the

moose to make others just like him.

 

So the wooden angel and script and glitter

moose sadly keep themselves company.

 

Next year - for sure - I will use

all the 'one-of-a-kinds' to make

a bunch of others just like them.

 

That angel has been lonely a long time.

 

Next year, for sure.

You can bet on it.

Vintage Chair

Bought this vintage chair for $199 at my favorite
consignment shop over a year and a half ago.

 

Wild Bill hated it, but it was our anniversary
and it was the present I wanted.

 

The slipcovers on it are perfectly good, just out of style.

As you can see...
I'm a "more is more"
type when it comes to Christmas!
 

 

Pottery Barn sold a similar chair for over $500 or $600

a while back. I think my vintage chair is sturdier and

also has a more interesting base made of metal.

And the price was way better!

 

I put it next to the Christmas tree and added the

Christmas bird pillow from PB, bought this year.

 

The throw is from Restoration Hardware...

a gift to me about 10 years ago from one of

our daughters. I'll have it forever.

 

I folded up the $12 vintage bedspread I bought

last month, to show you the chair will look

better when it's slipcovered in white. 

 

 

Christmas is the only time of the year when green

and red show up in our house, so that's

the only time this chair fits in.

 

I think I can get the vintage bedspread made

into slipcovers by next Christmas...

no promises though.

 

I have to learn to sew first.

 

I'm more of a visionary than an actual do-er.

 

And my vision usually exceeds my talent.

You get the picture?

 

 

Sharing this week at:

 

http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/

 

 

 



 

Lights Made From Junk

Saw this lighting piece hanging from a ceiling in a shop down in McKinney Texas last week.

Looks like it was made from pipes and various odd pieces of junk...

 

 

 

I was smitten!

 

What do you think of it?

 

 

Maybe A White Christmas?

 

It's snowing in Texas.

 

I mean really snowing!

 

Wild Bill wrapped his little lemon and

orange trees with lights and covered

them with large plastic bags.

 

 

We still have our solar shades on

the windows to block the sunshine!

 

 

 

 Here's the road and a few

neighborhood houses under a

beautiful blanket of snow...

 

Snow doesn't usually last more than

a few hours before the sun melts it,

but we're enjoying it while it's here.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Joining the party at:

http://www.commonground-do.com

 



Simple Decorating: Lights In A Jar

Here's a quick and easy way to add a little sparkle to a dark corner of your home.

 

I had some old twinkle lights with no

where to use them.

 

Our flocked tree is pre-lite, and we

use net lights in our bushes outside.

 

 

So...I bunched up the lights and put

them in an old lantern-like jar.

 

Talent right?

 

I should add that the top of

the jar is wide open, so any heat

generated by the lights escapes

through the top of the jar.

 

I'm still on my quest to clean out

closets and the garage, so these

items were going to be donated

unless I found a use for them.

 

Use it up

Wear it out

Make it do

or

You do without

 

 

Love the easy stuff.

 

 

Sharing this week at:

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

 

 



 

What I'm Working On Wednesday

Here's some vintage stuff I bought
recently and other treasures I'm work-
ing on from my "Fixin' To Do" list:

 

I bought this old bedspread at an estate

sale a couple weekends ago. A lot of
material for $12!

I bought it to make slipcovers,

so I was surprised after I washed

and dried it several times to find

it's in perfect condition.

 

I'm still going to cut it up, but a

stain would've made it easier!

The gray turkey is finally going

white. One more coat, then

dark wax on, dark wax off...

While I had the Swiss Coffee

paint out, my old bench got

a few coats too.

 

I'm giving myself 3 more days

to finish it or get rid of it.

 

No more storing unfinished

projects in hidey-holes...

I promised myself this when I

started purging all my boxes

and closets!

 

The yellow-y looking paint is

Annie Sloan's in Old White. I much

prefer the Swiss Coffee by Behr.

 

I bought this vintage strainer at

the same estate sale as the old

bedspread.

You should see Wild Bill's face

when I verbally admire the dings

and dents on this!

I love the gray-blue color. I'm going

to hang it on the kitchen cabinets.

While purging closets recently, I

found a "first Christmas" picture of

Lily (our 4-year-old grandchild).

My favorite picture of her cousin

Ben is this old "Fall at the Farm"

picture of him with his two

adoring parents.

 

Ben's now a "grown up" of

three and a half, and a big

brother to Olivia (8 months),

but this is still my favorite

picture of him.

 

Here's my favorite picture of

our older daughter's two sons,

Jack and Tucker, taken in 2008

during Thanksgiving vacation.

 

That year, Tucker climbed up the

bench and knocked off all the

pillows to reach the hats hanging

on the wall and some vintage

cowboy boots. We found him

all decked out.

He sure was cute!

 

Better go find those frames...

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Chalkboard Project Done

I had an old homemade chalkboard

that needed a little something...

 

I had a little spice rack that needed

to be used or be gone.

 

We put them together.

 

 When I saw "we" I mean Wild Bill

did it for me.

 

Sure, I could've done it myself.

But the man needed a job to do.

Anyway, I was busy staring at
these paint sample cards.

The left one is Gray Squirrel
by Martha Stewart.
The other is Behr's Macchiato.

I did the hard work of unscrewing
the wall switch a little so I could
slip the paint samples behind it.

 

So much easier than painting large

patches of paint samples on the wall and

leaving them there for 6 to 12 months!
(progress around here does tend to be slow)

 I'm making sure the paint colors
look OK with the kitchen cabinets.

I'm now convinced I don't want to

paint the cabinets -- but everything

else in the house is fair game!

 

Anyways...back to the chalkboard.

So glad to finally have a project done!

 

 

Joining the following parties this week:

 

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com

 

 

 

 





Plaid Throw And Christmas Pillow

 

I liked the PB pumpkin pillow so much,

I bought the PB Christmas Bird one.

 It's OK.
Not great, just OK.

The red pillows are old PB ones,
and I bought the red plaid throw
at a garage sale for $5.

 

The throw appeared brand new, but I still

washed and dried it 3 or 4 times on hot

before using it.

Seemed like the room needed a little more
red. So I added some red plaid ribbon to
the coffee area in the corner of the room.

When I get the Christmas tree and other
decorations up there will be more red.

Definitely needs more red...
and lights!

It might seem early to decorate for
Christmas already, but if I don't get an
early start, I'll end up finishing on
Christmas Eve.