My Christmas Parlor

I love decorating for Christmas! I'm very slow about it, though.  After 31 years of marriage and keeping a house and 31 years of Christmas decorating, I've gathered quite a few decorations.  So every year it takes me longer to get the job done, but I thoroughly enjoy the process.  With each box of decorations I bring out of the basement, I take out each and every bauble and bulb with excitement, partly because I forget what I have until I see it again!  For the past several years I've been putting up five trees.  The first one I always do is the Parlor/Tea Room/Piano Room tree.  It's my favorite.  And I leave it up until after March, changing some of the decorations for Valentine's and St. Patrick's.

This room is very frilly and  Victorian, so that is how the tree is done.  I use mostly pearls and lace.  Many of the decorations have come from Germany and Austria, where my parents lived for 6 years.  Mom doesn't put up a big tree anymore, so she passed her frilly European  pretties down to me.  

This angel topper came from Germany and Mom gave to me one Christmas years ago.  It hangs in my bedroom when she comes off the tree.

I like to use romantic tea pot and tea cup ornaments.  I've collected these over the years.

This is an antique fainting couch that my sister-in-law had and re-upholstered.  After she did some re-decorating of her house she couldn't use it but felt it would look perfect in my room, which it does, so she gave it to me.  I love it!  So does my little Fergie.  He's asleep curled up on the pillow.

This chair I bought at a local antique store and this darling little footstool I just couldn't pass up from a local boutique furniture store. The counted cross stitch "K" on the back of the chair I made.  The rug came from Europe.  Another hand me down from Mom.  Thank you, Mom!

I have a collection of antique vases and tea cups.  My favorite cups are the little demitasse ones.  A couple of them are Limoges.  The tea set on the little stand was given to me last Christmas by my son and DIL.  They had been to Germany to visit her mother and found this in an antique store.  It's a black rose design. 

My piano has also been handed down to me from my Grandma, to Mom, now to me.  It must be over 60 years old.  I took piano lessons on this piano when I was in elementary school.  We've replaced just about all the key hammers and pads.  It doesn't get used a lot, but I'll never give it up.  

The antique crystal candlesticks were given to me by a good friend last year for my birthday.  

I had made this piano cross stitch several years ago and it was just laying in a closet.  A few years ago I decided to incorporate it into a mini quilt.

I found some music themed border prints that I used.  The total size of this quilt is 17-1/2" square.

I also made this counted cross stitch picture a long time ago and had it matted and framed.

My decorating leans toward the busy side.  I call myself a neat and organized hoarder!  But all these things have meaning and a story and I would have a hard time getting rid of any of it.  

I hope you enjoyed my first Christmas tour.  I'm going to link this post to "Showing Off My Cottage Monday" hosted by Cielo.

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

Also linked to Bavarian Christmas hosted by Simone at http://dobermans-by-the-sea.blogspot.com/2010/11/1st-christmas-linky-party-at-dobermans.html

And linked to The DIY Show Off - Holidays hosted by Roeshel at http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Christmas

I Made It To 100

I got so excited this morning because I made it to 100.  I wasn't even trying.  It just happened.  It wasn't a goal.  Although I have to admit that I do look at the number from time to time just to see.  I told myself it didn't matter because I do it for me, not as a contest.  It's kind of amazing when you think about it, that there would be a 100 out there.  I know some people have a lot more and that really amazes me.
No, I'm talking about $100!

I'm definitely not talking about my age!

I didn't get a certain percent!

I'm talking about YOU!  The wonderful, beautiful, caring friends I have that follow this little blog of mine!  

I started it just because facebook wouldn't give me enough room to write what I wanted to say!  I didn't really think about how many might be interested.  I just had things to say and share.  But I have to admit that seeing that number 100 feels good for some stupid reason. 

And I want to thank Crafty Girl at http://craftylifeandstyle.blogspot.com/ for being the 100th. And thanks to all of you who care to follow along on my journey of life.

(All images used in this post are royalty free clip art)

Thanksgiving Dream

I had one of those dreams last night.  You know, the kind where you wake up with crusty tears left over in your eyes and a sadness that you have to think about.
I dreamed that I was left homeless along with my mother and father.  Now I have no idea why my husband was not with me and why I was without a home with my mom and dad, but that's what it's like with dreams!  So we are homeless, but we could not find anyone to help us.  We kept asking different people and then asking those same people over and over again, but not only could we not get any help, everyone was so mean to us.  It was so sad and frustrating.
 I forced myself to wake up slowly so that I could remember what my dream was about and ponder what was making me so sad.  I was trying to make sense of it.  I realize now today, more than ever, how thankful I am to have a home, a loving family, and a caring mother and father.  I feel so bad for all of those people in the world, during this season especially, that don't have that. As  I slowly got out of bed, my feelings changed from a lingering sadness to a renewed happiness.  A better sense of what I have in my life.  I'm so glad that I have a husband that provides for me and children and grandchildren that I can kiss and hug and admire their beauty and health.  I feel like I need to make another person's life better if I can.
We had a great Thanksgiving, and that could be what inspired my dream.  I hugged and kissed my beautiful granddaughter, Leanna, all day!

I was surrounded by family.

And we all enjoyed great food!

Look at the wild hair on this little girl!  Because of the way the baby hair is rubbing off, she's now got a mix of  mohawk and  mullet.  She is just the happiest little girl.  And so am I!!

I Am Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is my favorite Holiday next to Christmas.  I love the food, the smell of Thanksgiving food throughout the house, the crackling fire in the fireplace, and a beautiful family to enjoy it with.  I'm thankful for all of this.  I'm thinking of so many that aren't able to have a Thanksgiving like this and it makes me appreciate and realize even more how fortunate I am and I am truly thankful.  It's easy to take for granted all that we have when we really have never experienced not having!
My mother will be here shortly so we can make our stuffing.  This has become a tradition between Mom and me for about the last 10 years.  Ever since we've lived in the same town.  She breaks up the bread into cubes while I cook the celery and onion in butter.  Then I add brown rice, walnuts and apples.  We prepare this while we have a glass or two of wine. Part of the tradition! Our stuffing is the best I've ever had!  I'll be up early to stuff the bird and stick it in the oven. By mid morning those delicious aromas will fill the house.  Thanksgiving dinner is actually a very easy dinner to prepare, it just uses up a lot of pots, pans and dishes.  The clean up is the hard part.
My cousin and his wife and two children are arriving later tonight.  My son, Austin, and his family will be here about noon tomorrow.  It will be a great weekend.  The weather is not sounding good for late tonight and morning, though, so I hope the travel for everyone is safe.
I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Wish I Had Time to Tell You About ------:

Boobs and Bones - that was going to be my blog post for today -  but I didn't get time.  I'll have to save that for another day. I have some things to say on this.

My birthday - it's today and I had a wonderful visit with my Great Aunt (Grandma's sister) and two cousins.  I made a nice birthday lunch with visiting family, Mom and Dad and Hubby.  I was going to show pictures and talk more about my day - but I don't have time now.

My Grandson's Kindergarten Open House - that's tomorrow. Hubby and I are leaving in the morning to be able to get  there.  We don't want to miss his very first school open house.  I'll have to show pictures and tell how it goes as soon as I can.

Christmas Shopping - Mom and I are going to Pittsburgh's Monroeville Mall to start our Christmas shopping on Saturday.  We'll have to leave early because it will take about 2 hours to get there.  Hope I have time to tell about it later.

Christmas Decorating - will start Sunday.  I do a lot of it and if I don't get started it won't get done until after Christmas!  I have to stay on schedule.  I'll post pictures when I get the chance.

Thanksgiving Dinner - has grown in number of family members coming.  I'm very glad about this and I love making Thanksgiving dinner and having family here.  But it takes time, you know, to shop, prepare and cook. I hope I have the time to take pictures!

If I had more time, I'd go into more detail, but I have to go knit to get a sweater finished for my son for Christmas.  I'm running out of time!