Perspective

Images: Restoration Hardware and digital-photography.com

Time is ticking on, into the New Year.  What perspective will you take into 2011?

 Have been doing a lot of undecorating today.

Here is hoping your Christmas had a lot of this in it.  

Sherry

Unto Us a Child is Born

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Handel's Messiah

What Santa Looks Like

Thomas Nast, the original illustrator of A Visit From St. Nicholas, was the person responsible for the way we see Santa today.  When Nast was a boy he stayed up every Christmas Eve trying to catch Santa in the act.  He never saw Santa, always falling asleep before he arrived.  After waiting for Santa for many Christmases he decided to leave Santa a note asking him for a photo of how he looked.  Nast never received a picture of Santa but he did dream about what he looked like.  When Nast grew up he drew pictures of the Santa we know today and shaped our image of the modern day Santa forever.

 Image corbisimages.com

A postcard from my vintage collection postmarked 1910.

For fun with your little ones NORAD tracks Santa's route continuously on Christmas Eve.

Check it out  http://www.noradsanta.org/.

Sherry

Hot Chocolate Station

 

If snow is in your forecast for Christmas, your plans may also include sledding with the kiddos over Christmas break.  Here I have set up a hot chocolate station for a break when the sledding gets too cold.

  I have a tea cozy made of wool over my teapot.

I was going to do a Christmas table with this Christmas pattern of British Castles by Johnson Brothers but, I saw these dishes on many tables this month so I decided to do this instead.

The food on my table includes:

Nonnie's Biscotti

Land O' Lakes individual flavored hot chocolates

Ashby's Christmas Spice tea (it is cranberry orange flavored)

Spearmint sticks

Strawberry sticks

Cinnamon sticks

Marshmallows

I will link to:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Visit these site for many more tablescapes and food ideas.

Countdown & treats

{3 more days!!!}

{The Better Homes & Gardens team made the adorable glittered construction paper chain garland over the chalkboard for us & I love it!!  It's one of those things I'd planned on making more of but didn't.  Glad we saved it.}

Yesterday our babysitter. Lizzie, surprised us with a box full of homemade cookies.  Her mother is a friend of ours and teaches at the high school with Dave -and has brought cookies in for the family before from Lizzie- which mysteriously never seem to make it home. 

So this time Lizzie brought 'em home to mama.  ahhhhhh yessss...  I was all alone when she dropped them off and got to work on them immediately:

But, unlike my husband, I didn't eat them all and saved some for my family. 

(I tried... there were too many.)

I also have a neighbor who is one of those people who seems to do it all.  (Melissa, if you're reading, this proves my point because -somehow- you even  have time to pop in here!!)  She & her daughter Claire dropped off some pumpkin bread the other week and I didn't get a picture of it because it was gobbled up too quickly but it looked like this and it was Heaven:

{photo from allrecipes.com}

I'm always so touched (and thrilled to be the recipient!) when people bake for the holidays and share it with others.  It's just one of those fun things that I try to do every year but don't always get to.  (like this year...  although there's still time??  maybe tomorrow??  There's always Tollhouse break'n bake.)  

Do you have any special pre-holiday tradtions?

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

So Close!!

Sorry for the lack of posts - as you probably know, work's always nutty right before the holidays!  I just wanted to drop in with a little recap of what we've been up to.

{our front door}

This year we got a bit further as far as outside Christmas decorating goes than last...  We got lights up outside, but Christian wasn't happy with them because they're not the "pretty" colored lights. 

{image via mrlimodenver.com}

I feel his pain... I remember thinking that way back when.  I could possibly be swayed to the colorful side...  There's something wonderful about terrible Christmas decorations.  It's definitely got to be better than the dying leyland cypresses I strung up with pretty white lights...  It's a process.  (We planted them too close to our house so the roof overhang kept rain from getting them.. ehhhhhhh.)  Maybe next year we can have alive shrubs strung with lights.   I'm also kind of craving the big vintage colored lights my grandparents have on their house. 

We got a second tree this year for our family room.  It's artificial but I'm really into it because it's flocked:

I'll attempt to take better pics later!  Dave & I camped out in the family room this weekend because I love being near the tree so much.  I wish I had one in our bedroom too.

And, whenever we can squeeze it in, we've been playing Christmas music & dancing:

{I have really big hands}

In my area it's 97.1 that plays nonstop Christmas music.  love it.  I think they probably stay in business just because of their month of Christmas music. 

Delilah anyone???

Ornaments From Thrift Store Frames

I found these great frames at the thrift store and they had potential.   I had in mind that they would make nice Christmas ornaments with family photos.  I bought them marked down at half the price shown.

They were in need of a good cleaning.

They were very nice but, the finish wouldn't enhance my Christmas tree at all.  I decided to spray paint them gold.

I repainted them and printed up some of my favorite family photos from the computer to put in them.

They really made great ornaments!  They were $1.25 a piece and I was really pleased how they turned out.   
I will join these thrifty ladies, go and visit them.

2nd Time Around  at A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Twice Owned Tuesday  at House of Grace
Before and After Party at Savvy Southern Style

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  at Coastal Charm

Junkin Finds at A La Carte

Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville

Frugalicious Friday  at Finding Fabulous