A New Dawn, Another Vignette

Awake at 5:30 this morning...dawn-thirty-getting my husband off to a breakfast meeting...I peeked out my kitchen window, looking to see if "Blossem", our resident opossum had eaten the grapes I put out for her every night (she had). The birds were happily eating their birdseed. I tried lovely bird feeders, but between the squirrels ("Fat Fat"), the racoons (what else but "Rocky") and "Blossem", I've given up. Now, there is a cast-iron griddle, and they've managed to knock a chunk out of that...

I can't remember if I posted this closeup (probably did) of the wreath I made, using my friend, Juannell's, generous gift of pine cones. But then, I can't remember an hour ago these days.

My mother-in-law is coming to visit in a few weeks, and I always like to have a little something new in her guest bedroom, so I dug out a white tablecloth topper, and set up a little vignette for her. Last time she was here, I didn't have anything to put there except a small, round metal table. I think she'll be pleased. Yes, that's one of the Belsnickles (I looked it up in the dictionary, it's not in there). Then, I "Googled" it, and my computer went insane, and I had to run a virus scan, so this is today's spelling, and I'm sticking to it.

Yes, Virginia, I know there's only one Santa, but I love these Santa's, riding bears, chasing a fish on a stick. If you double click on the image, you can see the details. I put them out every year; I even save the cornstarch or powdered sugar, and reuse it. When it comes to these things, I'm frugal, other things, not so much.

My bottle-brush trees are a bit dented here-and-there, but I love them. There used to be a little girl with the boy, but she went missing..now, he has a reindeer... I usually have my large angel here, but she's guarding the Christmas tree, and hiding the outlet, which is what this vignette is doing, as well. (I hate outlets, but they are a necessary evil).

I went out to my woods, and found a wonderful, live oak branch with the best lichen in the world on it. I then stole a rock from my husband's fire pit, as it had the perfect hole in it in which to stick the branch (our rocks are very interesting, and we have tons of them, in fact, everytime it rains, we get a new crop). I hot glued some crystal bead trim (I have tons) to the branches, and stuck some (got them at the Goodwill) Christmas ornaments on the tree. Put the tree on a mirror, sprinkled it with good-ol' cornstarch, put the Belsnickels on it, and now, they are gracing my kitchen. I put a mirror behind it to photograph them as sadly, the control panel to all the lighting in the kitchen is behind them (I hate control panels...builders put them in the worst spots sometimes), so I had to remove the mirror from behind them after I shot the pictures. I guess the obsessive-compulsive part of me will just have to live with it.

It was still dark outside when I shot this, and I hate using a flash, so I brought in a lamp to kick up the lighting....actually, it created some pretty interesting shadows, nes pas?

I love these deer. I bought them at Gallery Z last year on clearance. They were the topper for my tree last year, but decided to do birds this year, so they are gracing my mantle. The candles are wonderful. I get them at the local supermarket for (drumroll) $1.48 - they used to be $1.08, but they raised the price. There's a large Hispanic population here, and there is a huge selection of these tall, novina votives...some have Mary on them, some are quite colorful, but I prefer just plain white. I must have about thirty of them now. I used to burn them all at the same time, but we had to open the windows, as they were sucking all the oxygen out of the room. My guests were feeling faint!

It's turned quite cold these last few days; in fact, we are going to have our first freeze tonight, and I had a fire in the fireplace last night...which I had photographed it...it was all so cozy.

Finally, daybreak....You can see that wae have stained concrete floors, which I love in the Summer, but are very cold in the winter...thank goodness for area rugs (and floorcloths).

This is my silly, little tinsel tree, with it's colored lights...I put it in the foyer this year...

For a few, glorious moments we had a bit of sunshine...now, it's gone, and I'm tired...I think I need a nap, but I have shoe sachets to mail, as I didn't leave the house yesterday, and I want to go to my wonderful, little town of Salado, where I saw a Nativity Scene that was very pretty (and inexpensive - hope it's still there)...I am determined to get Baby Jesus in the house somewhere...this is all supposed to be about him, isn't it?

Okay, Pull Yourself Together - Stop Laughing...Stop It!!!

I am still bustling about...one shouldn't wear black velvet pajama bottems, and black top, when one is working with A. Glitter and 2. Corn Starch (corn starch is our friend...I use it as snow for some of my vigenettes). These are Belscnikels (sp)...okay, this is the laughing part...I went to my tool bar, and I went to "update toolbar", and it says the Spellcheck is on...don't count on it. I have no clue. Once I get the house decorated, I am calling in the Computer Geek Squad..lots of issues...I have no clue. Until then, put up with me, please. Back to the Belscnickels. These are some I put out last year. I have been collecting them over the years and love them. I did Google about the, and some guy in the Appaliachian Mountains (I do have a dictionary right next to me) gives them a bad rap. Says they dressed in rags, and threw candy on the floor, so the poor, little kids would have to go diving for it. I have decided I don't like this one....But then, Kris Kringle supposedly was Turkish, and would throw coins over the walls of harems in order to help women escape...who knows?

My Christmas tree is up, as is my wreath. They look suspiously like last years, as my husband requested I do a reinactment there. My mother-in-law was supposed to come for Christmas last year, but had injured her back, so she didn't get to see how I did last year's tree. I did switch out the toppers, and used some pine cones my friend, Juannell gave me on the wreath. Now, I am in full bore...

It is noon, and I'm a mess...I have glitter on my face, and I have splotches of white all over me...I have decided to put on a coat (it's cold today), slap my hat on my "bedhead" and dare to go to the supermarket. Of course, this will be the day that when I walk through the door, sirens and bells will go off, announcing that I am the 1,000,000 customer, and here's the newspaper guy and the television camera person..just my luck.

More later.

Ladies (and Gents), Start Your Engines!

These shoes, and the bracelet are all I want for Christmas, Santa...really...I've been very good (okay, I haven't been good, but may I have them anyway?)..They are from Vivre, and on-line, totally out of my financial grasp catalog...wow! It's the day after Thanksgiving, and I know that many of us have already started unraveling Christmas lights, and are rummaging through the totes in the garage (okay, that would be me), "fixen" to "Deck the Heck out of the Halls". In fact, my husband looked like one of those poor, tired ponies, that walk round-and-round with a large child on it's back..looking tired and haggard...but, he had volunteered yesterday to help me wrap our trees in the front with lights..Big mistake on his part, but they turned out lovely.

These are some photos of holidays past...I try to make things fresh every year, but I've fallen in love with this wreath I did last year, and other than replacing some burnt-out lights, I don't want to change it...It's so lovely, that it will remain the same.

After I had glazed the niche over her stove, my client asked me to decorate her kitchen for Christmas. I got the sleighs at good ol' Hobby Lobby, and the rest I pieced together from what she had, and what I had...

You may have heard of "Hertz Rent a Car"; well, this is my angel ("Jessica's Rent an Angel") , and I can't part with her...she did preside over the party she had, and then, I brought her home, where she is as we speak, guarding my kitchen.

Don't worry, this isn't one of my mantles, nor one of my designs...This poor creature presides over the bar in the Driscol Hotel, in Austin, Texas. Poor thing....The legend is Driscol won the hotel in a poker game back in the 1800's. I don't like dead animal heads, but you sure see alot of them hanging about in Texas.

This was our tree (blurry, of course) from last year, and again, I am pleased with it, and probably will add some ornaments that I plan on making (remember the angels - gold-leafed)?

I woke up this morning, trying to figure out how to make the corner work, since I did the window treatments, added the chair and side table...I moved the chair to the other side of our ugly tv, and the side table to the end of the sofa. The new lamp is in the dining room. We have a giant ficus, that we have to roll inside around this time of year, so it get's lit up in the dining room.

This was two years ago, when we had our first Christmas in our new home. I always put our tree in this urn...(which served me well in my garden in Wisconsin), which makes a five-foot tree an eight-foot tree, and keeps cats from knocking off ornaments, and occasionally, climbing into the tree...plus, I just like it. I put a large, plastic bag in the urn, put a large stew pot (which my husband then searches for in the kitchen in vain) in, add lots of water, pop in the tree, and "viola", no crawling around under the tree on my belly, trying to straigten it!

This is another wreath I made, and will always pull out of storage...it resides in the dining room, even as I write this. I did go to a wonderful, little town on Wed. called Salado, and bought three, beautiful silk and velvet pointsettias for $1.00 each!!! I will make another wreath today.

My poor bottle brush trees are a bit worse for wear, and I've glued the white elk's horns back on several times, but they are also a tradition...I have a lovely cake stand, and I use powdered sugar for the snow...if you don't have powdered sugar around, try cornstarch..they both work.

The day after Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times; I get to "play"....I can't wait to see what ya'll out there in blogger world do to decorate your homes.......

I know I throw those Texas phrases and words around; like "fixen" and ya'll (I was actually brought up in Oklahoma and Kansas), and as my friend, Juannell, who is a Texas gal through-and-through sent me a wonderful "Grits" - "Girls Raised in Texas" thingy, reminded me...you can't move to Texas, and become a "Texas Gal"..in fact, it says, "Just because a cat has kittens and moves them to the oven, that don't make them biscuits"! So true, and so funny, but I still am going to talk like that! (You should have heard me when I lived in Boston)...