Hooked on Downton Abbey

Whew!! I just finished watching the Season 3 finale of Downton Abbey. I actually watched the entire three seasons this past month!

I know, I know I am a little behind the rest of the world. I never started watching the show from the beginning but kept hearing about it. I tried getting it from the library but all they had was Season 3 and that was a mistake trying to jump in there!

My friend Irene lent me her thumb drive with season one and two on it and I watched it all, wondering what all the anger was about on how it ended. After all, Mary and Matthew were finally getting married!

Then I saw an interview on Good Morning America and how Matthew's character was killed off in the finale. I didn't even know that I hadn't watched the finale!

There is nothing like a good, clean soap opera. And one that is so well done. It is like reading a good book where you get involved in the characters lives and get to know them, even if they talk funny and use words like "daft".

So I am hooked and waiting for January 5th when the new season starts. It follows another good, clean soap opera on Sunday nights that I have watched from the beginning....Once Upon a Time. 

Sorry, guys (to my husband and son), I have the TV Sunday nights from 8 -10 p.m.!  I won't be doing any Etsy promoting or selling or blog hopping or listing new vintage finds in those two hours. I also won't be doing the Downton workout just yet either!

 

If you haven't jumped on board the Downton Abbey train yet, you still have 10 days to catch up on all three seasons before the new season begins! Also you might want to brush up on your ability to follow and understand the English accent of the early 1900's!

 

In the northeast we need SOMETHING to get involved in over the long winter ahead!

 

AnnMarie :)

 

I am linking up with these great blog parties this week!

 

Marvelous Mondays

Inspiration Monday

Chain Linky CLIMB

Amaze Me Monday

 

 

A Mantel for Christmas

I am so excited to be linking up with Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for her 3rd Annual Christmas Mantel Party.

I am so happy to have a home with a mantel and I love to decorate it with the seasons. Every Christmas I do something a little different and this year I wanted a more rustic, woodland, vintage-y mantel even though the room is a Victorian Parlor!

The color on the walls is Cranberry Cocktail and mixes well with muted reds and of course white. The idea for a woodland mantel came about when I saw the all white pine cone wreath on one of the many blogs I visit each week. I had to make it this year for my woodland mantel. I just happened to have the rusty metal snowflake garland to put around it.

I had a lot of the items from years past and then found some new treasures to make it all come together. My snowflake ribbon was a great find at a great country store in a nearby town. The JOY banner was lovingly handmade by an Etsy seller, as was the wonderful muslin tree on the end. The Yule Log was bought at a local church bazaar, made by their youth group.

 

 

My metal reindeer, iridescent garland and glass candle holder go on the mantel every year no matter the theme. The pine cone candleholders add just the right touch. The "snow" is a piece of quilt batting cut to size and scalloped on the outer edge.

 

The parlor is not a large room but it is right in the middle of a long, narrow house so we walk through it to get to every other room. The mantel is the focal point of the room and Christmas is my favorite time to decorate it.

 

 

Hmmm......what should my theme be next year?

AnnMarie xoxo



The links for some of  the great items on my mantel can be found in this post.

I am linking up with:

3rd Annual Christmas Mantel Party

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree.....

 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How are thy leaves so verdant!
Not only in the summertime,
But even in winter is thy prime.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How are thy leaves so verdant!



 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure dost thou bring me!

For ev’ry year the Christmas tree,

Brings to us all both joy and glee.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure dost thou bring me!

 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!
Not only green when summer's here
But in the coldest time of year.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!

 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How sturdy God hath made thee!
Thou bidds't us all place faithfully
Our trust in God, unchangingly!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How sturdy God hath made thee!





 O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!
Each bough doth hold its tiny light,
That makes each toy to sparkle bright.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!

Have a blessed Sunday!
AnnMarie xoxo


I am linking up with these fine blog hop parties!

Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Sweet & Savoury Sunday
Seasonal Sundays
My Favorite Posts Show-Off Weekend Blog Party
Holiday Cottage Vintage Style
Make It Pretty Monday
Inspiration Monday
Amaze Me Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
The Most Fabulous Link Up "Jol"
Talking Tuesday Over the Fence
Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party
What's It Wednesday Link Party
Thursday Favorite Things


Treasure Hunt Thursday
Open House Party
Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Let's Connect
Flashback Friday

Let the Decorating Begin!

It's Five on Friday time!

This is a fun blog party to link up to every Friday. The hosts are Darci, April, Christina and Natasha. Just write 5 things on your mind today and post at the party! Then go read what others have been doing all week on their Five on Friday posts!

1.What has been on my mind this week and I am sure most of us in the blog world is decorating for Christmas! I finally started and finished this week, except for one tiny detail....the tree! We went to get it last Saturday and it took us all of 15 minutes from start to finish. My husband doesn't want to cut our own anymore so we go to a nice tree farm nearby that have really nice pre-cut trees. The second one we looked at was ours. It has been up since then and we are still waiting for the branches to relax a little. It is a Frasier fir and smells heavenly.

2.You can still see the blue underside of the branches, so while I am waiting for it to fall a little I decided to try and make the tree topper I saw on Priscillas blog. Mine came out a little big after three trys but I put it up there anyways to live with it and see how I like it....I figured I had at least a week!We are decorating the tree tomorrow and I still haven't decided. Is it too big?

3. I have been baking this week whenever I could. The gingerbread is chilling in the fridge as I write this. I usually start in November and bake the whole month and freeze them so I don't have anything to do in December but enjoy the festivities. Well, with my Etsy shop and blogging weekly I fell a little behind. I usually make about 12 different kinds of cookies plus assorted chocolate bark and candies. I do have a good start on it though....see?

My freezer is a little frozen over....a project my husband

and I are working on!

 

4. As of today I think the decorating is done. I have so many boxes of things collected over the years to decorate with but this year I really wanted to have a more vintage look so I have been collecting new things to decorate with. Here is a sneak peak of what I have been up to.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Between packaging orders, running to the post office, managing my shop, decorating, cleaning, and baking, my storage area in the basement has gotten out of hand. I actually took some time to straighten and somewhat organize it....yes, this is a lot better than it was! With 400+ items in my shop I am running out of room to store them all. Of course I have no plans to stop picking and thrifting for vintage stuff to help fix the problem! Can you visit my shop and take some of these things off my hands...please? :-)

 

 

Happy decorating and baking!

 

AnnMarie

I am linking up with these great blog hops:
Five on Friday
Be Inspired
Pink Saturday
diy Sunday Showcase