Christmas Love

I think if it were entirely up to me,
I wouldn't have a Christmas tree.
But then... there are my Monday Night ladies.
Many of them are single and don't decorate at all, so I've found myself motivated the past few years to put up the tree for their enjoyment.

It goes in the living room ~ which is only used when they come over.  My husband and I spend our evenings in a small TV room, and there's no place for a tree.  I put a touch or two of Christmas in every room, and that seems to be enough for us.

Because my living room is the place where all extra pieces of  furniture go to retire (meaning it's crowded)

the space allocated for the tree isn't big.

  I move a chair out and the tree in.

  Sorry - it's fake.  But really cute!

 

It's a 5 ft. tree

 Prelit, pre-snowed, pre-pineconed ~ very California

My tree-decorating style is unique, to say the least

It's equal parts branches, twigs, and ornaments

Actually, this year, not so many ornaments

 It starts out in an urn to give it height

Then I add beads

  Some years red, some years gold

Next come the leaves, twigs, and flowers

that I gathered over the years

from the sale table

I have odds and ends and not many of one kind

I tuck the stems deep into the tree

 

a little glitter does a girl good

It makes for a wild silhouette before I tame it!

Next I add ornaments

  Big ones first, then little ones

and starry light jackets

 

the requisite bird nests

 

(we're almost finished)

I've looked a long time for an antique star topper

but haven't found one yet I love

And she's done!

  Maybe over done in some opinions...ah well.

Other decorations are loaded on the mantle in the living room

(surprise ~ not an inch of space is left)

 A trumpeting Angel

Poinsettias in a vintage teapot.

I like sparkle, can you tell

And around the room,

a bowl full of ornaments

a Hummel trio

an ice skater

a candle molded from a cutglass vase

another Angel

Teddy

He learned a new trick for you

Frosty

Ms. Mouse

And finally a tea tray with a red glass pitcher added

to make the season bright

I'm ready for company!

Whether our houses are grand or cozy

where love abides, it's home

Christmas blessings to all

Susy

 

I'm joining Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Tuesday's Treasures

Vintage Inspiration Friday 

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Doodle

Doodle [do-dull]
To rearrange your stuff.

Well, that's my definition anyway.

 I moved yet another piece of furniture into my bathroom the other day, and it's more crowded than ever.  But personally I love it.  I'd put a big ol' mother-in-law-tongue in the bathtub for a soak, and liked the look of it against the white porcelain so much I decided to move a plant stand in for it.

I tucked it in as close to the tub as possible and installed the plant.  It immediately sprawled out.

 

That left a blank spot on the table next to the sink where the plant used to be, so I replaced a small lamp with a bigger one.  Moving the plant stand in from the dining room left a flower arrangement without a home, so I moved more stuff around. Etc.  I doodled.

I celebrated later that evening by soaking in a bubble bath, admiring my plant.  

It doesn't take much to make me happy.

Counting My Blessings,

 Susy

 Splish Splash with me over to Vintage Inspiration Friday
and Show and Tell Friday

  

Please Stay

  "November comes,

and November goes,
With the last red berries, and the first white snows.
With night coming early, and dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket,

and frost by the gate.
The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
     ~ Elizabeth Coatsworth

Fall is my favorite season.  I relish the colors, the crisp mornings, wearing jeans and cardigans, and dinners from the oven.   But it seems to get cut short.  No sooner have I covered up the patio furniture and closed the kitchen windows - than people are talking about decorating for Christmas.  

For me, that happens the day after Thanksgiving.  This may be a subliminal nod to my retail days and "black Friday", when the holiday season 'officially' begins.  (Although we usually started putting our trees up in late September.)

At home, I decorate with fall colors year round, and at Christmas I just add more red.  That's it.  Although I've lived in a beach community all my life, instead of shells and sea glass, I have twigs, flora, wildlife and earthtoned-pottery in every room.  Here are a few samplings from around the homestead.

The breakfast room table ~

although we never eat breakfast there (:

Snowberry Roseville

Lilies and Freesia cachepots and a

Hudson-Weller lamp in the living room

A Pinecone Trio 

The twig- handled basket is one of the pieces broken

(and glued back together) in a mantel mishap

Wildlife in the den curio cabinet;

 a hand-painted cider set with a bird on a branch (of course)

(see more from this cabinet here ) 

and a hefty acorn pitcher with squirrel handle

accompanied by a sweet little deer family 

And in the bedroom...

more squirrel!

and an old lake print

and more pottery ~  I think this is the Zephyr Lily pattern,

with a sentimental little brown bear candle

 And finally,
this  print hangs over the mantle in the bedroom

 

its a forest scene,
with a buck walking into the light, looking back

It reminds me of my husband; strong and sturdy, brave and rugged

 

Whenever I study it, this song always comes to mind

"When It's All Been Said and Done"

Click here if you'd like to listen

 

 Wishing you a spectacular November ~ every bit of it. 

Counting My Blessings,

Susy

I'm joining Vintage Inspiration Friday

Show and Tell Friday 

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