Vintage Christmas Monday

This is the last Vintage Christmas Monday for 2009.

Our Hostess Joan from Anything Goes Here

has given us a wonderful opportunity to share our

Vintage Christmas treasures.

Be sure to go over and see the rest of the

Vintage Christmas Monday participants.

These are my vintage Nativity sets.

I know many of you have these,

but I still enjoy seeing them all.

I found it at a flea market several years ago.

This one is in the sunroom and was my mother's-in-law.

This was the first year of Fontanini

probably around 1984.

This snow globe nativity isn't old,

but while I'm showing the others,

I thought I would share this one that

my husband bought me several years ago.

Little vintage white reindeer ornaments

in the sunroom...so darn cute!

And this is one of my husband's "ornaments". Before you get all upset, it was taken at his traditional yearly deer camp with his family. There are so many deer in Missouri that if they are not harvested many starve, or because of numbers are killed on highways or cause accidents. We donate the venison to food programs. I do not enjoy the idea, but it is part of the "male bonding time" of the family. It's wearing a vintage jingle bell wreath. New ones are made like this, but this one is old.

This is another one of my many

vintage Christmas candy tins.

Besides boxes of Shiny Brites and old Christmas lights

I've about exhausted my stash of vintage Christmas.

This has been so much fun!

I'll have to be collecting more for next year.

Have a great Christmas Week, Everyone!

Debra

The Magic of Paperwhites

A few years ago I discovered the beauty and magic of paperwhites. To me they epitomize the grace, tranquility, and delicacy, that says "Christmas".

Three years ago I started gathering vintage sugar bowls and creamers, pots and kitchen bowls, humble mismatched cups and vases; containers of every kind. I planted paperwhites and sold them at the store and gave them away to family and friends. I enjoyed it so much, they were great gifts, so this year I did the same.

These next two photos are of last year in my space at Leola's.

Milk glass and pottery and ironstone cups.

An old bread pan with checked ribbon, a little more primitive.

I think I had around thirty containers full.

This year I planted twelve bulbs in a green

transferware vegetable bowl for the Dining Room.

Christmas coffee mugs with a paperwhite bulb

I had four of these matching mugs,

 they went as small gifts.

I tied them with plaid ribbon

 and attached a "mitten" ornament and tag.

Old Staffordshire blue transferware soup tureen,

 missing it's lid, found for just a few dollars.

A little over a week ago...

And today.

Shabby china sugar bowl.

And old McCoy cream planter in the kitchen.

Paperwhite Narcissus are really easy to grow. Just find a container that doesn't drain, because they need to stay moist at all time. Place some pea gravel in the bottom, with about 2 inches of potting soil mix, then nestle the bulb, root down in the soil. Water and keep in a bright spot. You will be amazed at how fast they grow. Paperwhites bulbs don't keep well, so I just discard them after bloom time. Buy several bulbs and plant at alternating times. You can have them all winter long!

Are you finished with all your shopping?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Debra

The "Gift" of Giving

Christmas is known as a time of giving of gifts and receiving them.

 Today I was the recipient of two such precious gifts

from two equally precious ladies.

This fall, Jill from Gypsy Brocante hostess-"ed"

a weekly party, "Vintage Black Friday".

It was a dream party for me,

 because I have a lot of black in my world of decor.

And thanks to her darling son,

 I was the name he drew out of the hat!

She graciously awarded me a gift certificate

 to her wonderful site and etsy store

This is what I so happily chose!

I had to show the "after" photo first!

It came in a box with the sweetest

 pink floral fabric and ribboned bow.

Is it not just  "the best"?!!!
Can't wait to wear it!

And Donna of Brynwood Needleworks had the most fun game for us to play. She listed 10 facts that were to be about her life and we were supposed to pick the one that was false.
Well, let me tell you, this girl has lead one "crazy life". I loved hearing all about how she answered all the questions. And of course she was snickering because she made them just as wild and crazy as she could. Read about it here.

So you can guess that I picked

the one thing that wasn't "Donna".

This is a wonderful needle book or "cozy"that she made. And wow, do I need this! I'm challenged in the sewing department, so this is perfect to help me keep track of my little needles and pins. Look close at the darling acorn, her logo!

And today I want to share about the true

 spirit of Christmas giving.

Deb at "Faded Ladies" and her co-blogger Rose

 have a wonderful place to visit and be inspired.

Today, Deb shared a Christmas memory

from her past that you simply must read.

It will bless you more than you can imagine!

Find the link here.

1Week to Go!

Blessings,

Debra

Ring Ring... Hello?... Trash it's for you!

GOOD GRIEF, Charley Brown!!!

Am I the only one here with enough Hudzpuh

to show up in her REAL Jammies?

(I better get some extra points for this!)

Now I have cup full of HOT Dr. Pepper,
not luke warm, but steamin'!

I'm expecting some Fritos, Bean Dip
and some Pepperoni Pizza!


The Trash Queen is having one fabuloso
Slumber Party
and we're all invited!

So everyone get your furry slippers on and run over to

Debbie's place for her big blow-out of a PAR-TAY!

Check it all out right HERE!

She has 100,000 hits, and you know
at least 300 of them are mine!

She's everyone's favorite Trash Diva

so let's help her celebrate!

OK Everyone, quit hiding the toilet paper!!!

Sanctuary

It's a long story about how we found the house we live in now. It was right after my heart bypass surgery six years ago. We knew we were going to be moving. (anyone else get these gut feelings?) And we had been looking at houses for a year. We were waiting for God's perfect timing but I was worn out with it. Then the heart attacks happened and at the most "unlikely" time in my life I was faced with a monumental move.

I couldn't lift boxes. Had been in the hospital for a week with pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart pericardium. Generally speaking I was like, "God, you have to be kidding!" But no, He wasn't. Everything happened, and my husband and  I felt like we were on a "ride". It was going to happen no matter what.

Our Living Room really is just called "the Sanctuary", because it is a place that you can really feel the Presence of God. I try to keep it a place to come and rest and read. Because of that, whatever I do in here needs to be glorifying to Him. Lee left me a wonderful compliment on my last post. And it is true, He is honored in this place.

This clock and chair were an anniversary gift

from my husband right before we moved.

This is an old armoire that we had stripped and I refinished. We bought it the third year of our marriage. It's like a Chinese puzzle box, It breaks down into about 10 pieces. It holds a small television and a CD player and stereo. I love to listen to music in here, and because it is central to the house you can hear it in every room.

The above photo is a more true idea of the color of the walls. In some photos they look gold, but they are a custom khaki color, my favorite, by Benjamin Moore.

I love this pair of jacquard sofas. They are so comfortable you could sit there for hours. The shape and layout of this room calls for symmetry and balance. It has windows on three sides with an entrance to the sunroom and kitchen.

Photos of the girls and their weddings.

As you can see, I like to "layer" things,

To me it adds depth, richness, and personality.

This Christmas I did something totally different. I used browns, creams, silver and gold. The faux hydrangeas are found in several places here, and in the Entry and Dining Room.

I had decorated everything when I found this vintage "foil" portrait of Jesus. It truly was a "gift" this year, as it personified exactly what I was doing.

Below is our 2009 Christmas Card.

Our Christmas tree in the daylight...

And at night.

I put it in my black goat cart to give it more height.

Bar area where I keep a lot of my vintage silver.

View to the Entry

Metal Crucifix that I found this last summer

 at the flea market.

Back to the Entry. The Dining Room is on the left.

I've had several people ask to show

complete views of the rooms.

(Anne, the vacuum shot is coming.)

Sometimes I forget that I concentrate mostly on vignettes. Hope you enjoyed the visit to my house, I'd love to have you all here in person!

I still have a few more areas

to share downstairs.

Hope you are having a wonderful week

in preparation for Christmas Day.

Blessings from my home to yours,

Debra