Friday, December 23, 2011

Happy Christmas Eve Eve! (and a few more pics!)

Well the big day is almost here!...I'm always sad to see this most festive season end...I think the thing I love most is the music...and Christmas music just isn't the same even the day after, why is that? LOL...Christmas in my house is very different from most...basically, I am the only one in my very small family who celebrates...hubs and I do not exchange gifts, I gave up on getting him to do it several years ago...I have always gotten our boys things for Christmas but I'm afraid they seem to be following in their dad's footsteps...I haven't even been able to get them to watch the movie "A Christmas Carol" with me anymore...we always used to do that every Christmas Eve when they were little...I have always baked pumpkin bread on Christmas Eve so that we can enjoy it on Christmas morning but it is pretty much just another day in our house...when the boys were little it was so much fun watching them open their gifts...but now the things they want don't really fit under the tree like car parts and such, LOL...so even though there are no gifts to be opened and no festivities to speak of, I still enjoy the holiday season very very much!...of course the decorating is so much fun and this year I can't seem to stop! LOL...I have been wanting an Arnett's Santa for quite some time and this year I was fortunate enough to acquire two!...one I put by my Pottery Barn tree with the brown paper packages tied up with string :)
...these Santas are so nice, I can see why everyone loves them so much!...this one I put in my antique dry sink along with some jars I purchased from Kelly at Small Town Primitives, and a decorated crock, cutting board, and tin from Elaine at Cats Paw Primitives on ebay:...and my new tin sconces have arrived!...hubs installed them for me:
...what do you think of them?...I'm offering the candlelight version of them on my website
...I also wanted to show you a little pinkeep/cupboard pillow I just finished up for myself...made from a pattern by Wendy at Pineberry Lane...I stitched it onto a piece of army blanket:
...also, last time I posted pictures, I forgot to show you this that I made earlier this year...I started it before last Christmas but did not have time to finish it until after the first of this year...it's from a Thy Needle and Thread pattern:
...and I'm saving the best for last!...just look at this fabulous painting, I think this might be the most special gift I've ever received!...it's a Colonial gentleman painted by my sweet friend Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm...she painted it just for me and it was such a surprise to receive this treasure in the mail!...thank you again my friend!...I shall treasure this for the rest of my days!!
...ok that is going to do it this time around...next post will be my kitchen pics for real this time! LOL...Merry Christmas to all!!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

~ Christmas Decorating ~ part 2

Well this has been a fairly rough week...a few days ago our oldest son's apartment was broken into...they smashed through a window to get in and they took his Playstation, all of his controllers, all of his games, even rented ones that I'm sure he's going to be liable for...along with a watch, and other small belongings...they dumped his dirty clothes onto the floor to put everything in the laundry bag he uses to transport his clothes to be laundered in then left through the door which they left open...then a couple of nights ago while driving to get a pizza, youngest son was hit from behind and his car sustained quite a bit of damage...thankfully he was not hurt!...so we have had a good strong dose of reality these last few days and it bites!

Onto more pleasant thoughts...I am calling my Christmas decorating done for this year and wanted to share with you a few more pictures...

this doll was made by Betty of Squarenails, I have had her for a few years now and bring her out this time of year:the ditty bags hanging on the cupboard door were made by Marilyn of Thistlebrooms Primitives:got a new ceiling fan for the living/family room...the finish is called Aged Iron and even though ceiling fans are not prim, at least the finish on this one fits in better LOL:I was really hoping that my new tin sconces would be here by now...this is what they will look like only electrified:they will replace these sconces and this is my mantle dressed for Christmas:
make-do chair area all decorated...the chair was made by Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm...the little tree and the wool garland are from my shoppe...the stocking is from Carol and Karen of The Bean House Store and there are a couple Jackie Schmidt dolls hanging on the rack:breakfast nook is looking festive with the Seven Snowballs table square reversed to its red side for Christmas:this is on one of the end tables...just about everything is from my shoppe:other end table...in the bowl are the wax jingle bells that I sell:now look at my special Christmas snowman...isn't he lovely?...he was handmade and gifted to me by my dear friend Karen of Olde Cottage Primitives:I also wanted to share with you a purchase I recently made...it's this sweet little holly hooked mat made by Stephanie of Old Colony Primitives:
...I like to have something to set my jar candles on to make sure the heat doesn't damage the table and have begun a collection of little hooked rug mats!...I purchased another one a month or so ago from Stephanie that has a kitty on it which I'm saving for after Christmas decorating...I'll show you that one at another time, it's sooo cute!...when I received my hooked mat from Stephanie, she included this precious Christmas pinkeep with a heart on it as a gift!...I was so tickled!...I've placed it in the bowl with the pinkeep I made:and speaking of Old Colony Primitives, I wanted to show you this totally awesome fowl rack that Art made:...I have wanted an antique one for quite some time and was waiting for the right one to come along but when I saw this one I had to have it!...it looks so old don't you think?...he even used old iron hooks!...I've always loved the way Linda (Behind My Red Door) has a candle rod hung slanted on her's so now I have done the same thing...this fowl rack is in a wall grouping in my newly redecorated kitchen:...the lovely checkerboard was made, a year or so ago, by Kath of The Olde Weeping Cedar...so there now you have a sneek peek of the kitchen! LOL...my next blog post will have the kitchen pics :)

That's going to do it for this time...enjoy the weekend and have fun shopping!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

~ Christmas Decorating ~ part 1

Happy December 1st!...it's really here!...I am not done yet with my Christmas decorating but wanted to share with you what I've accomplished thus far...

...olde ladderback that sits next to the entertainment center...I stitched the wee pinkeep with elements from a Stacy Nash pattern and the Primitive Bell Ornies are sold in my shoppe...I sell them in the ornaments category but they look cute in a bowl with greenery too!
About a month and a half ago or so I got a "new" table for the entryway, it replaces the little chippy white table that I had here for a very long time......here it is dressed for Christmas:
my primitive olde pie safe:
a closer look...the lovely chalkware santa was made by Maureen of Buckbrush Farm:...standing in the foyer you will also be looking into the dining room...I have decorated my foyer table with a few festive bits:
...and here is what I've placed on the dining room table...the Mock Mice Teeth II table runner is sold in my shoppe...I love the festive color!...the candlesticks were made by Don & Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm:
...another pinkeep that I stitched from a Stacy Nash pattern:
...another olde ladderback...this one sits on the fireplace hearth, it is the chair that I usually have filled with dolls!
...here is the little dough box table that hubs made a few months back...a Sweet Surrender placemat in Brick/Black is just the right textile for this little space...other color choices are available as well...the gingers and candy canes were made by Barbara of Turkey Hollow:
...on the cabinet that hubs made a couple of years ago, I've got a couple things the same as last year and a couple things different:
...the light that hangs above is new, made by a tinsmith here in Virginia:...the candlestick is one made by Don & Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm:
...the primitive reindeer was made by Maureen of Buckbrush Farm:
...my coffee table bowl looks very much like last year filled with all sorts of goodies made by all sorts of fabulous artists!
...the olde wash stand:...brown paper packages tied up with string are just a few of my favorite things!
...the sign above the blanket crane reads, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas It's the best time of the year!"...I think that must by my all time favorite Christmas song:...I only change out this area of the black stepback and I've placed a 24 inch Primitive Pine Tree in a favorite olde basket and filled an olde wooden bowl with Williamsburg Christmas early style potpourri that is sold in my shoppe:...a closer look at the shelf above...I got these chalkware santas last year, they were also made by Maureen of Buckbrush Farm and the sweet little Merry Christmas dish is a piece of American made Redware available in my shoppe:Ok that's going to do it for Christmas Decorating part 1...I hope you enjoyed my pics...I thoroughly enjoy looking at all of yours!!

Until next time...

Saturday, November 26, 2011

~ a quickie ~

Just a real quick post today...I'm still not quite ready to call my kitchen redecorating done so those pics are still yet to come...but last year when I posted my Christmas decorating pics, many folks inquired about the tree you see in the header picture of my blog so I wanted those folks to know that I have stocked that tree in my shoppe!...it is the 24 inch Primitive Pine Tree...it's so cute and looks wonderful plopped into an olde bucket or crock or simply left on its own...I also carry some sweet Treenware pieces, all MADE IN THE USA, that this tree fits perfectly in too!
It's Small Business Saturday but we should all patronize the small businesses before the big box stores EVERYDAY!!!...and buy AMERICAN MADE at any given chance!!...have fun shopping!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

~ An Autumn Saturday Afternoon ~

Wow it's been over a month since my last blog post!...time sure does fly!!...how's this fine Autumn Saturday afternoon treating you?...ever since we returned from our weekend in New England, I've been inspired to try and add more primitive touches to our home. I really wanted to paint all the woodwork a dark color but have come to the conclusion that it's just not possible in this house because all of the windows are white vinyl and that would just look weird I'm thinking soooo...I will work on changing the things that I can! First project was the lighting in the family room...I have ordered some sconces that I'm waiting on to arrive and when hubs has them installed I will post pictures! Then I've moved to the kitchen...boy it is really hard to prim that place up with the white appliances, formica countertops, and vinyl floor, but I'm trying! I ordered a bunch of signs and gameboards and appliance cupboards for the coffee maker and toaster...as soon as those arrive I should have quite a few pics to share!! For now though you will have to settle for some foliage pics that I took a couple of weeks ago. I went on a drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway all by myself and it was actually kinda nice! LOL...hubs was going to go with me but a job popped up that he had to go do. Pictures do not do this place justice I tell ya:

This is at one of the many overlooks:

It's such a nice road to travel:

The colors are really popping all around here at home finally too!...what a lovely time of year Autumn is!

Have a great weekend!