Thursday, December 30, 2010

Before the New Year

While many have removed all of their decorations, and tucked them away for another year, we are still enjoying ours as we entertain family for the holidays.  Our normal routine is to put all the decor away the day after NewYears.  In keeping with that tradition, I thought I would post a few photos before the grand finale.

The baby ice skates hung off the kitchen fireplace mantel.  When I was five years old, and living in Wisconsin, I wore these skates for my first pair of single blades.  Our entire family of eight skated on creeks and ponds, and a frozen parking lot in town that was reserved every year for the town rink.

My old mantel clock works well in a cupboard-top display with candles and antlers and greens.



And visions of sugar plums danced in their heads (more like beef roast trimmings).

A vintage wicker sleigh keeps company with a little egg basket collection atop my pie safe in the entry hall.

The guest room which is now occupied with my son and daughterinlaw from Indiana, is decorated with pointsettias.





My greatgrandfather's 9' secretary desk adorns the front wall of the guest room.  Inside the drop-down desk, brass desk pieces, a rounded inkblotter, letter opener, stamp dampener, and some of his old horticulture books keep hidden from little hands.



Toby loves to lay by the kitchen fire.

Kitchen mantel with greens, chocolate and candy molds, and berry topiary and wreath hold together with my grandmother's wood candlesticks.
Well, my photos got a little out of order, so this is the guest room bed, made with a down comforter with a white cotton button-on duvet cover.

This spring is curtain season, even though I have had my rods stored in the closet for a year!  I painted this room myself last year, and it was quite a trick with 14 foot ceilings.
Our sunporch table toted a vintage Christmas cloth with a basket of string balls I bought at a sale last summer.

Simplicity was my moto this Christmas.  Using both live and artificial greens, I slipped together several mantel and tabletop arrangements including this simple dining room table piece with white honeycomb candles and pinecones and greens.

A gold candle and berries accent some yellowware on my pewter cabinet.  In a couple of days, it will be another great holiday memory.  I am enjoying every moment of it.  Then come on 2011, I am ready for ya!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas, Still Enjoying

While we await the arrival of our oldest son and family from Indianapolis, we are resting from our own trip home from southern Indiana and Kentucky.  We left home on Christmas Eve to visit our daughter and family in Kentucky, and all of us were snuggled in, when it began to snow.  We enjoyed and lovely evening with dinner and chatter, and before going to bed, 5" of new snow had fallen.  The many tall pines in the woods by their home and road were ladden with the wet snow.  It was just as sassytrash had mentioned, "icing on the cake".  After a nice Christmas morning with our grandson, on to Indiana to see my stepson and family and two children, and ending at my husband's mothers.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Janette Mallory's Giveaway Ended

Janette Mallory is giving away a GORGEOUS pair of candlesticks.  Don't miss out on this giveaway because it ends Sunday, December 5th!  Click the badge on my sidebar and go directly to the offer.  Janette awarded her lovely candlesticks to an entry.