Christmas at Home.....the Wrap Up

I marvel at the home decor bloggers.

By the weekend after Thanksgiving, their homes are completely decorated for the holidays and they have everything photographed and written about to post through early December.

They wrap their packages in unique and beautiful ways and often have 5 or 10 different kinds of cookies baked. Please don't hear this as whining, I truly do marvel at their level of organization and skill. We were pretty on top of things here at 9010 this year. With both of us working on it, we had all of the decorations up before the kids came on December 13. I don't know what happened after that except to say that we had a good many social commitments which we really enjoyed and there were Christmas movies, football and hockey games and concerts to watch on television or see live.

I guess what I am saying is this...we really had fun this year during the holidays!

Our Christmas decorations will not come down until after January 7th this year (which will actually be early for us!) We are having friends for lunch on the 7th and they have a little guy, so I wanted to have everything still intact when they come.

Last year, after Christmas, as I was packing things away, I pared down my decorations. I gave some of my Santas and Snowmen to friends in the interest of downsizing. I think I will do it again this year t keeping only those things that I can't bear to part with.

I usually decorate in the dining room with silver and white and I didn't even unpack that bin this year. I chose to stick to kind of a red and white scheme for all of the rooms....except the entryway.

On a small chest, I always display my lighted glitter house that I bought a bunch of years ago from Pottery barn after Christmas. The roof tarnishes more each year which adds to it's charm, I think.

The little boy and girl and Santa are new this year. Bethany Lowe figures I found at Marshalls.

Above the chest is a P. Buckley Moss poster that I've had for 30 years or longer.

A winter buggy ride in Amish country in Pennsylvania

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Also standing guard in the entryway is a vintage child's chair on which sits

Fern Woodsbeary, a Boyds Bear from my collection.See all of her woodland friends peeking out from pockets and sleeves?

On into the family room, you can see that the tree is decorated in a Swedish style...

Straw horses and stars, Santa and shiny apples, and of course the tomte. They are the Swedish elves who can be very mischievous. We don't have an elf on the shelf here but we do have one tomte who hides every day and you have to find him.

Charlie and Miles had a good time every morning hunting for the tomte! (You know I love Ikea!!)

The Santa collection was on the mantel and in the bookcases. No matter what I do, the lighting is never right for picture taking so bear with me here.

The Russian Santas

The Swedish display with Dalla horse and St. Lucia figure

The rest are either handmade or hand-painted or older ones in my collection

The checkerboard Santa is a gourd..

And of course, I am that crazy person who turns all of the books around to show only white pages (except for the Christmas books) during the holidays.

I wrote about why I do this in a post last year. you can see the before and after pictures HERE

There are really a lot fewer Santas and snowmen this year1

Of course, the most important part of our Christmas decor is the manger

with my dear, old Hummel figures...some glued together...all of them cherished.

The baby Jesus asleep in the hay of a barn made by my Father over 34 years ago.

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This year, I found this wonderful "chalkboard look" plaque at Marshalls and it worked perfectly, hung above the display.

A gift from my sweet friend, Mary Ellen...a Patience Brewster angel.

You have seen all of our decorated rooms. I hope you have enjoyed the tour!

All is calm....

xoxo

Joyce

Christmas at Home...Marjolein Bastin and The Skaters

Did that post title catch your eye?

It's about collections or fragments of collections.

There are certain things that we love to collect, or at least pin their images on Pinterest.

Sometimes they remind us of childhood times, or things we wish we could do or beautiful interpretations of nature. 

As you've learned, for me, one of those collections is trucks, 

especially trucks  (or cars) with trees atop them. (A childhood memory I suspect)

Another love of mine is Marjolein Bastin. For over 20 years I have collected bits and pieces of Ms Bastin's work. Her drawings and figures of flowers and birds and animals found in nature have always filled me with awe. 

It started with greeting cards and calendars and then went to plates, coffee mugs and Christmas ornaments.Hallmark stopped offering annual ornaments 2 years ago and while I don't have every one, I have a lovely grouping on my kitchen window sill.

Her attention to detail is wonderful!

One year, I even happened to find a limited edition lamp on eBay.

It's in my kitchen on a small chest by the deck sliders...

love to see the bunny and chipmunks on the base. 

Even one of my snowmen in the dining room is a Marjolein music box.

Another small collection I have has to do with figures depicting ice skating. My family, and friends who know me well, know that I have an ice skating fantasy which I will not go into here (my dear husband even preached a Christmas Eve sermon about it).It's enough that my family snickers at me without bringing all of my blog friends in on it, too.

Anyway, I haven't skated since I was a teenager growing up in the Chicago area where there is lots of ice to be found in the Winter, but I love the "thought" of skating.

This was a Marjolein ornament one year and it is my favorite! It features a squirrel, a cardinal and a pair of skates draped on the back of a chair.

Last year I was lucky to find this Mary Engelbreit skater on a great sale after Christmas. She is perfect on our kitchen table and goes perfectly with the little Swedish mug holding my Truvia.

My skaters on the mirror "ice" are new this year..all glittery and frosty..perfect for the trees and little candle-lit house.

Finally, a little girl, drifting off to dreamland, after a day swishing around on the ice. She sits in the glow of light from a glass block made by my friend Janet. 

I've shown you the dining room and the kitchen so there is only the entry and family room to share...next time. I think I'll go and listen to a little Mannheim Steamroller and skate!

xoxo

Joyce

Can't forget the suede cardinals hanging from the kitchen chandelier!

Christmas at Home...the Dining Room

Christmas was very different for the Gleasons this year.

David was very present at home which was really nice.

For the first time in 3 years, we wrote and sent Christmas cards. 

(for those awaiting a handmade card...I have until January 6th remember)

We Both decorated this year and even did a bit of entertaining. Our sweet neighbors, who always take in our mail when we travel, came for dinner. We wanted them to come on a work night for them (both teachers), so they could enjoy a meal without having to cook. We had lots of fun with them and their 2 little ones. Gleason Family Meatloaf and the Pioneer Woman's Mac & Cheese were served.
The placemats are over 20 years old...they are coated, heavy paper, and are holding up well with careful handling. The mitten flatware holders are from the $1 aisle at Joann's this year.

Before the decorations  come down (after the 6th of course) I thought I would share pictures of our home. Some things are the same but many are different.

In the dining room this year, I decorated with snowmen and snow-related items instead of my usual silver and white.

Last year, after Christmas, I sorted through my Santa Claus and Snowman collections and pared down, giving many to friends,  and I think I'll repeat that again this year. We really are trying to downsize. For now, I enjoyed seeing the snowmen smiling all around us while we ate in the dining room.

On December 13, my tree trimmers came!

We set up the small, pre-lit, table top tree and a basket of felt ornaments. The boys very carefully hung all of the ornaments by their yarn or thin thread loops. They did a great job!

Note: The fat bird ornaments are from Crate & Barrel but all of the other felt ornaments were made by my niece, Wendi, of Enchanted Forest Crafts...her Etsy shoppe is here.

She is super talented and makes all of her felt creations and quilts entirely by hand. She hasn't made the stars and holly ornaments for a while, maybe I could talk her into including them again. She does fashion beautiful birds and woodland creatures, (see the cardinal) all in felt.

Here is the completed tree...

and the design team...

Thanks guys! I have not touched or moved anything.

There are a few more things to show you from the dining room but I'll do that later..

For now, have an enjoyable Friday!

We are going to the movies to see Saving Mr. Banks.

Till next time...

xoxo

Joyce