kitchen arrangement
this was made by a friend and given to me last year...i love the fun color combo and weird veggie picks she used
this was made by a friend and given to me last year...i love the fun color combo and weird veggie picks she used
this is our family tree, it is a fiber optic tree that holds so many ornaments because all the branches are the same size, radiating from the center. it is in the sun room this year because we moved the sectional in front of the windows in the family room. i like it better here because the ceiling is lower and the tree fits in better
sam was sitting in the family room and staring at this wall...he pondered 'how would it look with five wreaths up there?'....off to michaels i went....hey, he was practically begging me to make them - ha!
a close up of one of the smaller wreaths in the family room. made with an inexpensive evergreen wreath, a 9 foot glitter berry garland and a few poinsettia picks
this is the large center wreath in the family room - made with an inexpensive evergreen wreath, ornament picks, glitter holly picks and the poinsettias from a 9 ft garland
the fireplace in the family room. the initials are all of ours (bought at archivers). the stockings were made by me (except mine which was crocheted by my grandmother). we use a stocking holder instead of trying to perch them on the stone mantel (they fall over). oversize ornaments and garland on the mantel, dpt 56 houses to the left.
there is a story behind this nativity...when i was in college, my dad and i went to the yankee candle factory in deefield mass. they had a christmas shop. we bought this for my mom...it was super expensive back then but i have no idea who made it or how much it is worth....i just like the unusual nature of the "manger"
after my grandmother followed the pattern for the mary jane shoe stocking i asked for, she started to manipulate the design and produced many, many stockings like this....all of the family got some, these are mine
i made this one last year to match the odd green wall. as you can see, the olive green of the walls would look kind of awful with a traditional green wreath...this one was a painted wreath from michaels. maria and i matched up the color tones to add ornament picks and poinsettias. i really love how it turned out but it is very prickly... it hangs on the wall between the kitchen and the family room
the feather wreath i made one year as gifts for people, i love the airy look of it. the plates on the table are part of a 13 colony set from lenox, a wreath for each of the original 13. i only have 7 so i am hoping to collect the others on ebay one day. the cake plate i painted when i was on a ceramics kick.
my dad and i had so many tiffs over thanksgiving over where to put this thing. i put it together last year just because i liked the way the three colors played off each other and the textures were so different.
so named because all of the ornaments came from the martha kmart collection. so did the beaded garlands and tree skirt. and the star i believe. this year we have golden lights on it. i love the combo of the golds, bronzes and coppers, really subtle. this tree is in the living room which is now the "nutcracker room" ha!
this time of year the living room is filled with nutcrackers - i love them! i prefer the real german ones but i have a variety. in the corner is a golden laurel wreath i made last year from a garland. the bunny on a stick weathervane is actually the symbol for our neighborhood, i picked this one up at target one year after we built the house.
a view from the front door into the family room (see dottie in the corner?). i made the arrangement on the student desk two years ago. that desk belonged to my mother in law, it was her fave chair. when we moved into the house i wanted it to have a prominent place since it was the inheritance from her that allowed us to build our dream house.
a lighted garland with cello wrapped glad containers as candy. the lights play off the cello containers and it looks kind of cool...one of the few "twee" things i have for christmas decor. we used to put this type of decor outside on the bushes in the old house with lollipops and candy canes....yeah, really twee but we had little kids
this is samuel's tree in his room. it is all done in mill creek school colors (red/gold). some of the ornaments have the mill creek hawk symbol. yes, that is a cardinal on the tree... i could not find a hawk ornament.
i always wanted a white tree...sam fought me for years. but when i decided to put a tree int he bedroom the only choices were white or silver because of the wall colors. this one sits in front of a giant three way mirror that used to hang in a school sewing room. it is over a hundred years old and weighs a ton. the mirrors are the old kind and you can see some of the backing showing through.
totally 1960's i know. but last year i found the wreath after the holidays at tj maxx and had to have it (under 10 bucks!) i added the beaded garland and the spangle ornaments i found at old navy for 4.50. glittery, funky and fun....
a simple wreath hangs opposite the one in the dining room. these rockers are kind of special, one belonged to my in laws and the other was the rocker i rocked my babies in
two wintry icicle wreaths with simple silver bows. i am thinking next year i may decorate a bit more on the porch but for now we just have simple white lights in the front bushes and a big lighted wreath hanging on the second floor
so old school crafts! my great aunt bought this for me at a bazaar from a little old lady. i love it! the amount of work that went into it....wow. yes, it is a corny tissue box cover but somehow it just makes me smile
i painted this when i was on a ceramics kick... i was so freaking proud of myself, it was the first thing i ever painted freehand....
i had so much fun painting this stand, i even painted the bottom....ok, i admit it. sam watched the kids while i painted so i dragged it out as long as possible (they were little and i needed the break!)
meant to hold lollipop type ornaments (holes on the branches), i usually just leave it as it. i bought it years ago at the yellow daisy festival, the people are still doing them. along with polymer clay lollipop stick ornaments for all seasons.
picked up the star anise from an asian grocery store. i love the smell so i placed it in a crystal tree plate with some candles....it gives off a yummy licorice scent
the green ornament is a cookie jar from sam's club i got in a white elephant. the big red one is from the same white elephant but it was a solid red candle holder. i repainted it with dimensional paints to match the big one. the tiny red one is a candle from a friend. the gift bag contains a curly leaf poinsettia. i didn't have a good basket to put it in so i improvised.
