Decorating New Spaces for Christmas

Yes it has been awhile but I am posting now. It may be awhile again but who knows. I am at our Laughlin house so that I can take part with my sisters in weekend vending at the Mohave Trading Post. That has been fun, and sales are okay. Could they be better? Of course, but I am satisfied with how it is going.

Back to today. This was my first chance to putter in my own new house and get it looking like Christmas. It pleases me to have the tree up, the lights on and the ornaments placed with care. The tree holds a mix of my own handmade, some of Jim's laser cut ornaments, and commercial ones from years ago and our travels.

Since we don't give gifts anymore, I put some stuffed animals and tins under the tree. Those things fill the space very nicely. This is the only thing I have stuffed animals for, never anywhere else at any other time. For under the tree, they please me.

I put out for the first time in many years a large garland that we bought to go on the mantle in our Utah home. I just haven't a good place for it, but I do now. It fits very well across a console table in my dining area of the great room. I think it looks good there along with my favorite lamp and a nativity scene.

Back with more again soon.

Take care and stay cozy!

Holiday Struggles

I have those that are gone and those I have lost contact with on my mind. The holidays always bring these feelings out in me. Enjoying what I have while missing so much is very difficult. Maybe it is the Hallmark Christmas movie curse. If that is not a thing, I am claiming its creation now. All those shows of conflicts solved, families mended and sealed with a kiss at the end, and all done in 2 hours are the stuff of fairy tales. That doesn't make me want the fairy tale for myself any less. 

This is a downer day. It is what it is.

Maybe I should spend time imagining I am in this quiet snowy forest for awhile and get myself recentered.

Back with more again soon. 

Take care and stay cozy! 

Decorating Downstairs

Yesterday we put up a Christmas tree for the first time in a few years. In other years we have been traveling, and I didn't think we were home enough to bother. This year is different. I told Jim I wanted to be home in December and he agreed. This tree is a prelit one so set up is easy. Because it is a slimmer tree, I didn't need a lot of ornaments. I have about 4 large storage boxes filled with dividers in layers to hold ornaments. For this tree I just used one box and I like the way it turned out. Each year I get a tree scented candle because I have to have the Christmas tree smell too. The candle is sitting on a table runner that Jim bought years ago. 

Next you can see my new Christmas quilt on the back of the couch. The colors look really nice on my green couch. This quilt is one that I found in Pennsylvania when we were there earlier this year. It looks even nicer there than I hoped it would and I may just keep it out through the winter such as it is here in the Valley of the Sun.

We have 2 eating areas in this house. They are not really what I would call dining rooms. What you see below is maybe what would be a breakfast nook in the kitchen. It is a sunny place at the front of the house. Anyway, the red and white stuffed fabric tree is one I made decades ago and gave to my mother. In clearing her house, I took back the things I had made and given her over the years, and this was one of those things. The runner is is sitting on came from Guatemala. When we took our Panama Canal cruise, we took a tour of a coffee farm in Guatemala. There were local crafters set up to sell their goods and the weaving caught my eye, so I got this red and green runner for a Christmas time table decoration.

I do have one more decoration planned for the front window of the house but I am waiting for supplies to finish the project. I'll share that here when I get it done, if it comes together like I hope it will.

Back with more again soon. 

Take care and stay cozy! 

Trees and trees and trees

From Etsy today and the shop Poppy Go Round. The set of 3 trees and the gourd snowman are sold separately.

I really like the shaping of the trees. I could see them used all year in a cabin or lodge decorating scheme. Couldn't you?

Wordless Wednesday-Handmade on My Tree

Useful Trees

I am having a lot of fun looking for my tree themed items for this month. I may keep this up in the coming year. What do you think about monthly themes as a reader and/or a blogger?

Today the trees are in the form of salt and pepper shakers and come from the shop  Blue Sky Pottery on Zibbet. As of this post the shop has a version of these in blue as well as a tree decorated platter. What are you waiting for? Go check it out. I don't mind if you leave me.