Showing posts with label mantel décor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mantel décor. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays....



"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays
 'Cause no matter how far away you roam
 When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze
 For the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home…"


Perry Como first sang that classic song in 1954, and although it was before I was born (a little bit!), I love that era and try to capture the magic of it with my vintage Christmas decorating.


Welcome to my home where I love to create vignettes for Christmas out of my vintage treasures....







Walk through my narrow hallway into the parlor.....



In keeping with the style and decor of the Parlor, I have done a totally new look on the mantel. I found the large paned window at a yard sale this summer for $5 and did not know what I was going to do with it....


I had the wreath and angel candlesticks from years ago and I found the JOY sign at Aldi's. It lights up at night. I also put fairy lights behind the window.


A trio of trees light up my vintage table....



I first set my 1980's nativity up like this last year and this year added the fairy lights inside the cloche....



This side table is one of my favorite vignettes for it's vintage appeal....



Next into the dining room, where I have decorated the most. I love the freshly painted walls after living 20 years with busy wallpaper. I tried to keep it simple but it was a blank canvas!!






The pretty tree ornament was made by Stephanie from Rose Petal Blessings.







I just made this cute aqua sign. I saw the simple tutorial on Kimberley's Seaside Ave. blog. I had everything I needed and it was done in no time. My daughter is hinting to me to make her one!




The kitchen is very simple. I usually do a vintage tree with deer vignette on top of the fridge but since we are buying ourselves a new black stainless refrigerator for Christmas, I am holding off. It arrives next week!!



I love this cute gnome, a gift from my husband. I may have to start a collection....





I have had the Santa, reindeer and tree for over 25 years. They are hand cut tin made by a local tinsmith.


And finally to the living room, with the star of the decorating....THE TREE! Can you tell I am excited?!  If you were following me last year you may remember my handmade door tree that I reluctantly put up in lieu of a real tree because of a pair of 5 month old kittens. It was cute but I really wanted a real tree again. So far so good with the kitties, who are now a year and 5 months old.

I hung lemon slices from the bottom branches to deter naughtiness and it seems to be working. Kitties don't like citrus!





I was able to once again put all my ornaments out that I have had since I was a child plus my kids ornaments from when they were children, and a few new ones mixed in. The garland is Fun Fur yarn and I love the old fashioned look it gives the tree.

The fresh fir smell of the tree is intoxicating!

Cyrus and Sprite, you better behave throughout the holidays!!

My granddaughter Cassidy painted the cute hand tree and the Santa is hand painted by a local artist.


I found this vintage ceramic tree at a church youth bazaar and bought it with the intention of selling it. It is missing it's star on top so until I find one, I will just have to decorate with it! (oh, darn!) The tree skirt is vintage made of  felt with sequins and is currently for sale in my Etsy shop.




Believe it or not I still have a few more places to finish decorating, and a few more kinds of cookies to bake.

Now that I have two booths (post about that in the future!) and an Etsy shop, it may not all get done!

I am enjoying what I have done so far and it is definitely enough!


Are you done decorating yet?


AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these fun blog parties:




Friday, December 4, 2015

A Simpler Christmas....and my Decorating Dilemma Solved!

We were so excited to adopt our two kitties in September. We never thought about having to worry about the Christmas tree in December. My last kitty never bothered the tree or any of my decorations.

And then there was Cyrus. To catch up on my Christmas decorating dilemma, you can click here.

So to solve this dilemma I decided to go with a wall tree as seen in my last post. Except my tree would go on my double pocket doors instead of a wall in the living room.


 
I bought some Command hooks and just started sticking them to the door. I have had the garland from when we first moved into this house 19 years ago (I save stuff!) so I just shaped it in a tree pattern.

Some red bulbs and my hand made paper tree topper and done! I didn't do any lights because of the cord hanging down for playful kitty eyes to see.

Lots of room underneath to put the gifts
 

 
I found the small vintage ornaments at the public market. They add just the right touch.
 
The simpler tree inspired me to go simpler everywhere else I usually decorate in the house for Christmas. You may not think some of it is simpler, but for me, it is!! I have so many decorations, but this year only a quarter of them will be used.

I have at least four nativity sets that I love to display and this vintage one is my favorite. When I saw
how Lori  at Dining Delight displayed hers, I fell in love and had to try it.

 
I just happened to find the glass cloche at JoAnn's on sale. I set it all up on a red cake plate with a
small light to shine through.
  


My parlor mantel changes every year and it is usually done up with a huge wreath, stockings hung from the mantel, and a yule log in front of the fire plate. Not going to work this year.



 
I found the vintage picture at an estate sale on my street this summer. It is a woven tapestry framed in a gorgeous vintage frame. It makes me think of "over the river and to the woods to Grandmother's house we go"! I knew it would go great with the vintage ceramic set of trees, carolers and a horse and sleigh I found last year at my favorite thrift store.

 
 
 
On the opposite side of the room are my wing chairs and antique table with the window seat behind it. I usually really embellish this area but again, not this year. I am taking a huge chance with just the three trees on my table! The one on the left is a thrifted safety pin beaded tree.
 

 
Just some hand made star pillows from my sister on the window seat.
 
 
In the dining room I always decorate the top of my cupboards. I have been collecting vintage deer so it is a woodland theme again this year.
 

 
The table centerpiece gets changed up every year. I was inspired to use my fabulous snowmen made by my artist friend Michelle. The little trees were made by Donna at Distressed Donna Down Home. I had to have them!
 
 
 
This is where the aqua tree I made of vintage, rusty metal parts a few months ago is....for now. I keep changing my mind on where things will stay every time I walk through the house. Do you do that?!
 
That blue thing to the left near the baseboard is a kitty toy!

 
Or maybe it looks better here?
 
 

 My husband and I both had to sacrifice putting up our own tree this year.....his is a super hero tree and mine is a snowman tree. He found a solution for his....

 
Just a simple centerpiece on the kitchen island with a few other things here and there and the kitchen is decorated.
 
 
The ornament is just one of the many treasures I received from Pam in an ornament exchange I joined. She made this one.
 
 
This is one of the other things in the kitchen and it covers three categories....thrifted, vintage and kitschy! I had to have him.
 

The snowman plate is from an Estate sale. The woman sold something her grandchild made her!! I bought it for $1!
 


 
If you are still with me, I have one more thing to show you. Every year I make a few things for gifts.

 
Totally forgetting that I bought a stocking last year at an after Christmas sale (I have too much stuff to keep track of!), I bought this one at a sale recently to decorate for my daughter and her husband. I still hang stockings on the hall banister for my  husband, son, daughters and their husbands, and my grandchildren, and fill them every year. I never did like the one I had for my oldest daughter Candice and her husband Matt. They live in a cottage in the woods and their house is decorated in woodland colors. This stocking is just their style (even though it will be hanging in my house!).
 
 
I printed out some cutouts online of trees and a deer and cut them out of felt. I added some snowflakes and snowballs. 
 
 
 
Done!
 
With this post too!
 
AnnMarie xoxo

 
 
 
P.S. The edit version does not show all the misaligned sentences for me to fix. Drives me crazy trying to fix them....I've tried everything I know. Anyone have any suggestions?
 
 
 
I am linking up with these great blog parties: