A "Home" for the Holidays

It's our first year in our new home...A "Home" for the Holidays!  

I haven't even finished putting up the regular decor and down it came to put up a little Holiday Cheer.  I've been busy painting, putting in new floors, shelves, pictures, curtains and lots and lots of clocks  (some might say I have an obsession, but that's for another day)!   I have only put up a few of my Christmas treasures this year, hard to pick what to use and what to put away for another year.  So I chose to put out some pieces that represent those most important to me...my family.  Pieces that came from these very special people, they don't match each other, they aren't the same color scheme, some are old, some are new.  But what they have in common is LOVE, and that's what makes a house a home! 

I didn't put up a big tree this year.  Being in a smaller townhome for 5 years, I gave my BIG tree (which I loved to pieces) to my daughter and her family... this is them at Thanksgiving.

I love them to pieces too!!

So I put up 3 smaller trees in a big basket and used some more of my left over Toile fabric for the base of the tree.  I haven't seen my ornaments in over 5 years...it was a little like seeing old friends!  See my cute snowman magazine holder on the floor...another great piece my father made me, it is a birdhouse and has spanish moss in the bird holes, above the sweet little perches!  I used to put up an entire porcelain village that my dad would stare at for hours on end.  It ran the length of our fireplace, which ran the length of the living room and would take me days to set up.  This year I chose to put up a few pieces and under the tree I put the Stone Gate and some bottle brush trees.

Many years ago my Mother got me into Gallery Glass, you could either do it directly onto windows (I did EVERY window in that house) as modules (like window clings) or directly onto specialty plastics, which came in pieces you painted and then glued together with what looks like the soldering of stained glass.  We purchased these pieces for a village.  There is a Church, an Old Mill, a Toy Store and a Bakery.  Now that my Mother has passed these are even more a treasure of mine and I had to put them out in the new house.

My birdhouse tree table is a very special table to me in that my Father made me a set of trees (they are a set of 3) that are wrapped with grapevine from our backyard at the time and fairy lights and are topped with a beautiful gold wood star (my Mom did all the painting on them).  I have put red cardinals on the table as they were my Father's favorite birds.  This is the anniversary of my Father's passing... it is hard to believe it has been 5 years.

My sofa table is also very special as my Father also made me this table, he LOVED to put heart cut-outs on everything he did.  I took some muslin and tore into a strip and tied around the basket holding a candle.  Underneath I have placed some velvet boxes from my sweet MIL and pine cones and some of my bottle brush trees...still tweaking and I will be until I take it down.  Am I the only one that does that???  I bet not!  The sled holds my winter dressed teddy bears from my Sister, she is a MASTER knitter.  And the fireplace holds some of my snowman collection along with some wood trees my Father also cut for me years ago.

And the last photo I'll leave you with this evening is the top of my Living Room Amoire.  The Cherub is a Flameless candle that my Sister gave me after our Mother passed away, a rose from her Memorial Service sits in her lap.  I used to have quite the Angel collection, passing most of it along to others now.  It is again a special piece to me now.  The picture is the last photo taken with My Mom and Dad and 2 Sisters.  The poinsettia is one I purchased from my youngest Grandaughter...selling them to raise funds to go to New York after the New Year with her Color Guard unit in High School, they are going to be on Good Morning America (Go Hailey)!  I painted the pot with crackle medium, tied on a muslin strip and a pin I made with a doily, some special buttons and bling.  Everything looks better in bling!

We look forward to many happy holidays and everyday moments, and together making many loving memories through the years, here in our new home! 

Holiday Hugs,

                      Pendra