It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I can't believe how fast Christmas is approaching. I love this time of year and try to decorate each room and deck each hall. I do leave the decorating of Son's room and D#1's room up to them. D#2's bedroom tree is an adorable pink one with silver tinsel and I help her decorate it. I have really never decorated my bedroom, except for a little tree on my dresser. I have always had big plans in the back of my mind, but they were never carried out. So....I thought this would be the perfect year to start decorating my bedroom. I have always wanted a canopy over my bed. We do have a four poster bed but it didn't have a canopy frame. I am not sure why we didn't purchase it when we got the bed, oh well. Now I had a problem. I couldn't find a canopy frame for my bed anywhere. I did find out that my bed was discontinued. So I went back to the drawing board. Could I hang curtains from the ceiling? Or what about some sort of bracket to hang curtain rods from the ceiling? Would a clothesline type string strung from post to post work? I could use clothespins to pin the fabric on the line....ummmm...no. Don't see that idea working. I finally had an epiphany. Use curtain rods. But how would that work? Dear H had the brilliant idea to link them together like Lincoln logs (on the ends). This worked like a charm. Lowe's had the perfect length, color and diameter size. I could even use the bed post finials. It took him about an hour to cut & install then. I found the perfect decorator fabric and it was on sale. It took 16 yards. About 2 1/2 yds for each panel and the rest I use for the tabs (about 1 yd). I didn't make any panels for the headboard. I thought that would have been too much fabric. I added garland, red bows, a wreath and lights to give it a Chrismasy feel. It is so festive. I think that I might change the fabric to a toile for spring and summer and just use the check in the cooler months.

Above: I have an antique red, white and cheddar quilt at the foot of my bed.

Above: Went to the antique store last week and scored these vintage ornaments. The box was full, I had already started adding them to the tree when I remembered that I needed to take a photo. This box of Shiny Brites was only $3!! These three were the "Merry Christmas" balls and the rest were colored balls.

Above: I can just imagine the sweet little old lady that carefully wrapped her ornaments in old dress pattern tissue. Each one was wrapped in it. Waste not want not.....

Above: Don't you just love the vintage graphics!

Above: My other box of Shiny Brites. Also only $3 for a full box!

Above: I love these wooden ornaments. How could I pass up these bag, it was only $1?!

I have put these on my Christmas tree that only has vintage ornaments on it. They are mostly glass and were my Grandmother's. It brings back such memories looking at this tree.

Have a great week and tomorrow I get to go caroling with D#2's school!!! Fun times indeed!!

Holly

Not A Creature Was Stirring.....Except Elfie

The Elfie has been at it again. Here he is in the living room on the fan pull. He did fall and we had to use tongs to pick him up, because as everyone knows, if you touch the Elf he will lose his magic! The next morning we found him hanging with the nutcrackers (in background of picture below).

Above: Hanging around. I haven't been blogging everyday about Elfie. Sometimes he does boring stuff, like hiding on Fridge, peeking out of mixing bowl, conversing with nutcrackers, etc. I didn't think that anyone would want to look at those boring pictures, so I'll blog about his mischievous side.

Above: Elfie loves baby Jesus and the real meaning of Christmas. That particular morning he was found in the manger with baby Jesus. D#2 thought that was the coolest thing Elfie has done.

I have another picture that I wanted to share. It was the mischievous side of Elfie again, but Dear Hubby messed with my camera last night and I can't get that particular picture to download. I will work on that tonight and try to blog about it, if I can get it to download.

Oh yea, we caught a squirrel in our rabbit trap this morning and of course nobody (meaning dear hubby or handy son---but I have to say, I am not sure if handy son would have been so handy....he's the child (teenager) that screamed like a girl when a June bug landed on him two summers ago) was here but me. I had to release this very mad and very, very, angry squirrel. He was even gnashing his teeth at me! All I could think about was that scene in A Christmas Vacation when the squirrel catches a ride on Clark Griswold's back! 

 

 

I finally did get the squirrel out. Thank goodness, no Griswold adventure.

Little side note: The reason that we have a rabbit trap is to catch a rabbit of course! We have one under our deck. I believe that it is a pet that was either released or escaped. He or she is white with black spots, but not very friendly. It stays hidden under the deck and I do worry about it, because of course our outside dog would be a  Jack Russell. They were bred for rabbit hunting.....

Anyway, hope you have a wonderful Thursday,

Holly

Such Wonderful Vintage Treasures....

I have been busy this week, finishing the decorating. I just have a little more before I am officially through. 

Here are my antique treasures. I just noticed that I forgot to include my antique nutmeg grater. It is so tiny and cute! I will post a picture of it soon.

Above: The most expensive thing in the picture was the ironing board. A major score for only $25!!!! The only other all wooden ironing board that I have seen was $45. Most of the vintage ironing boards have thin, wiry legs. Enamelware pot= $6, enamel red & white casserole looking dish= $4, watering can=$14 (another major score for the price & it has a green sprinkler head!), lace bundle $3, iron kitchen decorations= 2.75 each, tiny vintage sweater=$5.

Above: aren't these just adorable. I wish that I would have gotten the coffeepot, also, but that's ok, the teapot is cute! They are a heavy metal. At first I thought they were plaster. Now, I just have to find a place for them.

Above: It looks like a recipe box, but it says Christmas Card List. I have never seen one of these before. Christmas card list box=$6.

Above: My DH (dear hubby), made this sweet little tiered bench. It usually holds my crockery, but I thought that my pretty vintage bowls would look fun here among the spoons and cookie cutters. The bowl on top was my grandmothers on my mom's side. The little yellow bowl (on 2nd shelf in the middle) was another antique treasure find for only $10. These little bowls are so hard to find and soooo cute to decorate with.

Above: This sweet little cabinet was also my grandmothers. We called her "Mama", pronounced like "Maaamaa", drawing out the "a"s. She kept her cereal and cereal bowls in it, so when I visited I used this cabinet almost everyday. It now holds my vintage Fire King Jadeite. Can you see the cute little salt and pepper shakers on the 2nd shelf? It is Rudolph and Santa's sleigh. A wonderful gift from my wonderful sister. The green cookbook that the Jadeite batter bowl sits on is also from her. The vintage mixer on top was also Mama's.

Above: Uh oh! Some has been a joker again.....D#2 was so surprised at this one. She couldn't believe that he made a "flour" angel, instead of a snow angel.

Above: Who stole a cookie from the cookie jar? Look at that face! Messy! He didn't finish the cookie, so he finished it the next night.

Above: The next night.....cookie is almost finished. Face still messy.

Above: Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.......

Have a great night,

Holly