Christmas Home Tour 2015

There may have been 18 days left until Christmas when I took these photos,

but there are a few less now!

This year silver and white seemed to be what I leaned toward.

And I love it!

Always must include Grandma's crocheted bell!

 I had a thing for Reindeer this year too

My late Aunt Betty crocheted the tablecloth

I used for the tree skirt this year.

Coming through the entryway I glued

Snowflakes together for a garland.

Thanks Dollar Tree :) 

Viewing from the other side.

I wish I was able to get them higher.

But we all are having some medical issues,

(no climbing ladders)

so maybe next year I'll get them higher and longer.

Entryway Snowman collection

and more.

I wanted to display Mom's old ornaments and

decided to stack some of my family's vintage candy dishes

on a mirrored window I had.

Mom's Mercury garland winds through my "Snow Babies"

Love the Indents and spotted ones.

I picked up this Mercury Glass? candle Holder

at a church rummage sale for a song and it's my new fav!

Icicles hand from the "outside" of

 Jack Frost's Snowflake Café

Every year I buy one of these,

Cypress Indoors European Tree®

 (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana).

I think the branches/needles are pretty.

But each year I kill it :(

Anyone have any luck with them?

Winter Wonderland in the Conservatory

The Heirloom Christmas Stockings I made this year for my Children and Granddaughter. 

Mantel Shelf



Got these ornaments for free at the end of a yard sale,

actually a whole tub full of different kinds.

The lady just wanted to get rid of everything.

I think they are so pretty.

Need to find a better way next year to display them

Need to find the right Santa for the sleigh.



yes, I just realized the sleigh is in front of the Reindeer :?

Hey, at least they made it up!

Mini ornament tree.

Mini's we have received over the years.

S'mores Tree

Christmas Candles

The large Santa was my Mom's

I couldn't wait to have her bring it out every year

Our mischievous Elf photo bombing!

The gold Christmas Tree was also my Mom's

Not again!

Is yours mischievous too?

I recently found not one but two Angels Blowing Kisses!!

I haven't found any for so long,

I was ecstatic to find these at a little shop

while attending the Gustine Olde

Fashioned Christmas Festival. 

 I really needed these, even if they are the same.

I picked up the old plastic Santa and Reindeer

at a barn sale a while back.

Reminds me of my childhood.

My Mr. Christmas Ornament Collection

from my cousin who gives me one each year.

Ceramic Christmas Tree my Sister made

 for me back in the late 80's.

I always use it as a night light in the hall bath.

Wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy,

Very Merry Christmas!!



Clean House and Pets: Can They Coexist?



I have a guest post today!

I am so pleased to present to you Anna Aamone.

She currently runs a small company 

Domestic Cleaners Abbey Wood 
in London, England

and loves to share her experience and tips.

Today she is sharing with us tips on
how to keep our homes clean if we have pets. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Providing excellent cleaning of your property can be a real challenge especially when you have a pet at home. Having a pet at home means that you need to deal with additional cleaning tasks and to devote more time on such activities. It is true that possessing a sparkling clean home when you have at least one pet is almost impossible but there are tricky ways in which you can make your home more comfortable and cozy.

Pet

Pets can make a lot of menaces on the surfaces and you need to check constantly whether the space needs cleaning. Everything depends on the time that you devote on cleaning and on your willingness that you demonstrate when you clean the rooms. Obviously, when you have a pet at home you will have a lot to clean and it is not a secret that many people are reluctant to take a pet, exactly for that reason.

Thanks to this article, you will receive valuable tips that will help you to clean your home perfectly even when you have a pet at home.

Here are several tips from Islington DeluxeCleaners to consider when you deal with the cleaning:

Provide Vacuuming and Mopping On a Regular Basis

It is needless to say that when you have a dog or a cat at home, you will need to provide special cleaning of the carpets and surfaces. Carpets easily accumulate the dirt and for that reason it is better to vacuum them on a regular basis, at least twice a week. As far as the floors are concerned, they will also need additional cleaning. Be prepared to deal with stains and odours from different origin and to try different cleaners.

Teach the Pets Some Basic Habits

It is clear that if you do not teach your cat how to use the toilet, you will inevitably need to provide additional cleaning of the rooms. Dogs, on the other hand are easily taught of some basic habits and do not cause much problems with the cleaning. Of course, in case you want to have your house perfectly cleaned up to the highest standards, you should educate your pet in an appropriate manner. It is not the easiest task but you want to possess ideally cleaned home for a longer time, you need to follow some simple rules.

More pets, More Cleaning

Having more pets at home means that you will need to deal with more cleaning tasks. This means that you had better think carefully before you take more than one pet at home. Take into account the fact that having a pet means to get your house cleaned more often than usual. Discuss this issue with other family members and decide whether you will be able to deal with all the tasks, concerning the pet and to pay attention to maintain your home ideally cleaned at the same time. Do not seek for perfection in cleaning when you have a pet but try to clean the surfaces as often as possible.

These are the most important things to consider when you have a pet at home. Do not forget to clean the rooms and the surfaces on a regular basis, if you really want to have cosy and welcoming home. Having a pet does not mean that you cannot have a clean home, however, you should pay attention to details and to supply yourself with excellent cleaning equipment. Now roll up sleeves and be ready to take up with the complete cleaning of your home. Then spend some quality time with your lovely pet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Thank you so much Anna for sharing

 your wonderful tips with us especially

during this Holiday Season!



Heirloom Christmas Stockings

 I finally managed to actually do a project

 that has been in my head for about 8 years.

I always put my "want to's" on the back burner.

Do you do that too?

Sometimes I even forget all about them.

After all, they come in lowest on the

totem pole when it comes to priorities.

When we cleaned out the farm I found several quilts my Dad had been using in the shop to cover engines, tools.....you know the important things (to him).

These quilts were made by my Grandmother, his Mother,

which he ended up with when

we cleaned out her farm many years ago.

I have no idea what shape they came to him in but it broke my heart to see them being used in such a way. They were filthy and smelly.

I wanted to "do" something with them, but they had to be washed first. The fabric was pretty rotten on most, but they were useless the way they were.

So I washed them on the delicate cycle. One shredded, one came through better than imagined. You know us crafters, we use everything! Even scraps :-)

You can see what I did with those here and here.

But the project I really wanted to accomplish was to make Christmas Stockings for my kids. I had the idea to use the quilt from their paternal Great Grandmother.

My Grandmother did beautiful crochet work. I thought I could use some of her smaller works to cover any bare or stained spots and embellish the front of the stockings. I even ended up using some lace she crocheted for the cuffs.

Thus the stockings would be made from both of their

 talented Great Grandmothers.

I had just enough of the better quilt to make the 4 stockings I needed. But I needed to make one for Izzy.

In my stash I found a small pink rag quilt,

so I used that for hers.

 

I found a stocking template online,

 printed it out and used it as a guide to cut out all the stockings.

Now I don't have a sewing machine, wish I did!

So I just did a blanket stitch all the way around.

I found silver initials at the Walmart for 99 cents,

which I added to the stockings.

I thought the white bells would look cute on the toes,

now I'm not so sure.

What do you think?

Keep them or cut them off?

I just hope they like them and keep them after I'm gone.

Getting nostalgic in my old age ;) 

Update: I've had another Grandbaby!

A little boy this time.

I managed to find more old quilt fabric to make one for Izzy and one for baby Brandon.

Even enough to make one extra!

No more Grandbabies coming this way, 

so I guess it will make it into my shop :)

OWNERS ARRIVE HOME TOO SOON!

enjoy