More Christmas!

Happy Friday! Hope you have a weekend planned with good things! We are going to finish up all the decorating so that we can put our tree up next weekend. We usually buy a frasier fir and have had good luck with those but as you know a real tree can't be brought in too early or it becomes a bald tree :)

I have really loved seeing everyone's decorating on all the blogs. Good thing I keep a notebook to jot down all the good ideas I see cause I would never remember them. I won't even think of sitting at the computer without my notebook and pen. Even if I don't get to try the idea out this year, I have the notes for next!

So I have this love for mittens....I must confess! The idea of cozy mittens on little hands after playing in the snow! Or hanging them to dry while having a nice hot cocoa!  It all started several years ago when I purchased two strands of clothes-lined mittens and hung them in my big dining area window. I have to get a photo of them as you can only see them in the background of this photo below (and more on this candle in a minute!) They just gave the kitchen a cozy feeling!

I then purchased other mittens that had happy words on them like "merry" and "believe" and added them to the big window.

Last Christmas Walmart had these adorable mitten ornaments for only 98 cents each, so I decided to buy them with the thought  I would do a mitten tree.

 Instead I decided to "hang them to dry" in the foyer where I have my mitten stand and "hats and mittens" box by the front door.

                                          I actually hung those mitten ornaments on a mug tree!

Caitlin set up our manger and she also set up the Gurley candle Christmas choir and assorted others I have. We sit this next to the manger so all can rejoice! Even the reindeer!

Lets see... what else....

I picked up two little red wreaths at the dollar store and a pack of these gold reindeer and decided to glue a reindeer in the center of each wreath. It looks so nice! In person, it is very glittery! Cheap but special!

And last but certainly not least, is this special candle. from the photo all the way up top:

This sweet candle represents something so special. You can see it is pretty old; aluminum leaves and all...

My Dad bought this little candle the first year he and Mom were married (1953) and EVERY Christmas Eve when we all sat at the dining room table to have Christmas Eve dinner (and in Italian families that's a pasta and fish dinner) right before the saying of Grace my Dad would light the candle, say the prayer, wish everyone a merry Christmas and blow the candle out. It was wish of good health and love to everyone. My parents were married 51 happy years! When the little red candle would start to melt down, my Dad would melt  another red one on to it so that the original one from 1953 was still a part of it. Now the candle is mine and one of the most special Christmas items I have! I always loved when he lit that candle on Christmas Eve and looked forward to it. It was placed in front of his place setting at the table.  A simple tradition that really filled my heart. 

Have a great weekend!

Christmas Gingerbread

I put the finishing touches on my gingerbread/candy tree yesterday.It is the traditional tree I do for my foyer. I wish I could show you the lovely colors of it;  Super bright!  Clear in red and white lights. The effect of those two color lights makes the tree look like it is shining with candy canes! I'm going to try and take some good pictures of it without my flash. Sometimes I miss the old days of cameras/film. I could take some magnificent pictures with my Pentax! This is the first of our trees. I haven't set up our main tree in the family room yet--it's a real one and I don't want to rush it for fear the needles will fall. Next up will be our lodge/cabin tree in our basement family room. I also have my Holly Hobbie tree that I keep up all year 'round in my parlor as a tribute to my favorite fictitious gal. Her spirit and what she represents always was so meaningful to me. Her gentle nature and simpleness. I still have my Holly Hobbie Rag doll from 1976. She sits on my bed! SO for now I will introduce our gingerbread/candy tree!

Over the years I have collected quite a bit of gingerbread and candy ornaments and accessories. After Christmas at Walmart I find a ton of good ones! Prices slashed too! 

I have received many as Christmas gifts.

It's fun to be on the hunt for something special.

Everyone who knows me knows I much prefer gifts for my house or decorations than clothes or jewelry! 

I have much more fun in my world of gingerbread!

Santa's Work Shop

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We did! The weather was cold and just perfect for staying in and enjoying all the good food! I began my Christmas decorating yesterday after all the turkeys were packed and stored in the shed once more. I was happy my Thanksgiving collections had expanded this year,  and  I was a little sad to put some of them away but seeing all my Christmas boxes made it all exciting once again!

The first thing I take out is my Santa's Work Shop! This is one of my most special Christmas items as my Dad made it for me, and he is no longer with us. I miss him terribly.  I have shown you the haunted house he made for me and for those of you who are new readers to my blog, here is Santa's Work Shop! My Dad spent hours crafting this; he put so much detail into it as he was a very detail- oriented man! ( an civil engineer by trade but an accomplished painter, photographer, collector, and theater pipe organ enthusiast!) And it is those special details that make the workshop so magical to me!

My Dad made all the furniture and the fireplace. Santa's pipe is on the mantle with his tobacco.

Santa can relax in front of a fire and look at the map so he can plot a good course for Christmas Eve!

He can see who has been good and who has been bad.... some of the letters he has received are on his desk for consideration...

He and the elves have been so busy! I see a sled, a wagon, and some teddy bears...And look at the little pussycat playing with a strand of Christmas lights :) do you see him on the floor next to the wagon? 

Raggedy Anne dolls and candy sticks for the stockings! Some amazing toys are made with those tools on the work bench! My Dad made all that too! I just decorated with the dollhouse miniatures. I try to add something every year.

Lots of toys and gifts to wrap!

A special work shop that, to me, signifies the start of the Christmas season as much as seeing Santa in the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade!

I sure love my Daddy!

Wishing Everyone A Happy Thanksgiving!

May you all be blessed with a Thanksgiving day you'll never forget!

Halloween Ain't Over Just Yet!

Just when you think you saw the last of the Halloween decorations or crafts.....how about this:

Isn't it fabulous? And it lights up! It is actually a candy display showcasing Reeses, Kit Kat and Snickers from CVS Drug Store! My friend Mary spotted it the end of September when the store started putting out its Halloween candy and she inquired about it. They put her name on it for pick up after Halloween. Then, she drove to the next CVS and put my name on the one in that store! How's that for friendship? :)

We were hoping they would keep their word and not throw them out before we got there Nov. 1st to pick them up! After all, they have to make space for incoming merchandise. They were ready and waiting!

The crafting possibilities are endless! It's like a big Halloween house! I'm thinking I would do each cubby hole a different theme. One would be a witch's general store selling potions, brooms, witch's hats, etc. The other could be a witch's kitchen with a cauldron.....I'm still thinking! I'm going to need a year to make this happen! It'll be great winter project. There are 12 cubbies! I'm gonna need some suggestions, girls!

It is so well made and detailed. I love their artwork and the traditional look of the house and roof and even the inclusion of a widow's walk on top of the roof!

Thank you Mary! You are my Halloween buddy! and thank you CVS for keeping your promise!

More Thanksgiving Decor & a Turkey Craft

Good Morning!  Just a few Thanksgiving decorations to show you. I've been trying to expand my collection of Thanksgiving decor. I have a good amount but I really love Thanksgiving for what it represents and for the whole coziness of the holiday! I love when it is COLD on turkey day so we can just settle in with some good food and enjoy each other.

I wanted to share with you an adorable craft Caitlin made. It's so cute and I have shared it with several friends who are using it for their students to make in either Sunday school or the regular classroom. Super easy!

One of my friends actually made ten of them and affixed place cards for her Thanksgiving table! All you do is buy plastic spoons (at a party supply), glue the spoon to a large button (as the base) and use hot glue to do this. Use silk leaves and/or doilies for the feathers (though you can improvise; you are ALL crafty!) and glue those on to the back of the spoon. Out of construction paper cut the beak and the gobble gobble thing that hangs under his beak (don't know what's that called) and glue on eyes! You can put a bow tie on him like Caitlin did or anything else! Isn't he sweet? I love him! Caitlin made him about three years ago and each year I try to remember that I want to post him and the instructions--finally I remembered!

Back to the decorations....

Mr. & Mrs. Pilgrim from AC Moore a few years back. Always take their place of honor in the foyer.

The only Thanksgiving Gurley candles I own and treasure!

Most of my other pictures came out to dark but this is a good example of what's going on here!

Happy Friday!

Goody Bag!

Yesterday we got our first snow of the season. Just a small amount but it sure made everything so pretty! Our temps are arctic cold here today --27 degreees! Puts you in the Christmas spirit! The photos of snow are early on; by lunchtime our lawns had a light covering. Here is the shed and of course the playhouse/chicken coop all covered in white!

Some day this shed  above will be my own little store, Maggie's Lil' Fixins..... I  can dream a little :)

So, I was looking for something in my big closet that holds all my house decor and this is a very large walk in closet on my second floor and I was digging around looking and looking and suddenly I saw a large Christmas bag that I had completely forgotten about! I pulled it out and what a surprise! A bunch of Christmas buys from after Christmas last year! I immediately brought it down and found inside some great stuff that I purchased for next to nothing last January from Family Dollar! Don't you love when you find something you forgot you had? It was like Christmas all over again!

Here's what I found in my goody bag:

Ornaments in gold and red purchased for 75 cents, 2 boxes of lighted garland for 1.00 each box, green and red bead garland for 25 cents!

A cupcake stand for 80 cents!

Snowman box & small lighted tree topper!

Dangle leg snowman and Santa candy holders for a whopping 50 cents each!!!!!

10 cents each!

adorable wreath made of jingle bells for $2! The most expensive item of them all!!!!

I was so shocked I forgot about this bag and so glad I found it! I'll have some fun with these items. If you have Family Dollar by you (it's a chain store) check them out for all the holidays and AFTER the holidays! You might make your own goody bag for the following year!

A few more goodies to show you:  My husband has a customer who knows I love chickens and roosters and decorate my kitchen with them ( I actually just typed the word "chicken" instead of "kitchen" and had to correct it--I'm chicken obsessed.....) and when she was consulting with my husband for some work she needs  done, she sent him home with this beauty:

How sweet of her! As my husband said "just what you need....."

Have a great day! And stay warm!