I went on a special trip to Portland OR, for the Christmas Show at Monticello Antique Marketplace. The store was decked out in Christmas Style. My favorite pic is of the white 'Whitehall Mixture" tin, and all the vintage ornaments used to create  the unique display.

This store is my favorite, and I love the shows that are done for each season. The Christmas and Garden Show are my personal loves, a must see!

DIY - Decorating a Nutcracker

I know someone who purchases Nutcrackers at a thrift store and then puts gems and glitter all over them, and resells them. The result is very special, unique, and stunning.  I found this 20" nutcracker about 3 or 4 years ago. I am finally getting around to adding the gems and glitter to the nutcracker.

Today, I put some gems on...and I will continue for the next several days. It is going to snow, and I will be in my studio working on a few projects.

Merry Christmas Day

To all my friends, and family....I wish for you is to have a blessed day and peaceful, loving thoughts for all you love. 

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light,...
Thru the years we all will be together
if the fates allow...
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough,
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.


This is my main holiday display on the coffee table. The sculpture, Woman with Fawn, is so lovely. It is about 14" tall by 26" long, these were created in 1981, by an Austin Texas man, Mark la Pointe.  This one is in perfect condition, the auction value is much higher than my Goodwill price. I absolutely love it.

I put it on a vintage silver tray, highlighted by the 4" silver crackle balls, greens, and pearl strands. A truly lovely, peaceful and beautiful display. Enjoy...

Hints of the Holiday Decor

I took these photos to give you a little hint of my ideas for holiday decor. A little shiny, sparkly, and nature used together.

A Crafting Idea with a Nativity Set - Part 2

I have been looking for an inexpensive Nativity Set that feels right for my crafting project. I was about to give up, when I found this 5 piece set at the thrift store. The items were all separated on the shelves. I found the Mary and thought, this will work for my idea.  I think that these items that will work very well. I like the finish and will not change it.

This is my inspiration from Pinterest.  I will use this idea loosely as I decorate for Christmas with the found Nativity Set.

Have a Good Christmas!

Everyone has their personal way of celebrating this holiday. I wish is that you have a way to enjoy yourself. I hope that your life is good, even if just for a little while.

No Christmas Tree?

Christmas trees bring out the worst in my husband and I. We disagree about everything....it is a difficult situation for me. At times, I get very angry, and really do not want to deal with the things. There is no joy in the tree for me. I have been personally wishing to stop doing the tree. I am someone who has a huge collection of ornaments dating to the mid 1970's, when I graduated from college. There are 5 totes full of Christmas stuff...and I am going to part with the things that I don't love. I don't love or need a tote that is full of stuffed snowmen...that was a phase from several years ago. I have way too many strings of lights...some of the old ones can go. I am giving away my collection of thrift store holiday theme dishes.

How am I going to decorate? Let's just say that I already have plenty of decor in the tubs...I will make the house look festive! I have one of these! Love it!

Christmas Idea #4

Christmas Idea #3

I like this idea for a wreath. It is unique, and pretty. It is easy to do yourself, and could be reworked for different seasons.

Christmas Idea #2

I took this photo to show the use of blue for Christmas. The concrete planter is painted this color and filled with vintage glass ornaments. Unusual..but striking!

Christmas Idea #1

I took this photo yesterday at a Vintage Christmas Event. This is an easy idea if you happen to have all the elements. To be continued....

Enjoy your Holiday!

May this Christmas Day bring you good tidings, good health, and good things.

An Early Christmas Gathering

An early Christmas this year. My daughter and hubby found out at the last minute that they could make a trip to High Prairie Farm, over the weekend. I got the tree decorated a few hours before their arrival. We had a fun time together. Now they are off to see son-in-law's family. They live about 2 1/2 hours from here...over the Cascade Mountains to central Oregon. I hope that they enjoy the visit. It can be difficult to go to central Oregon during the winter, the mountain passes are often a challenge to travel. No one I know likes to chain-up their tires, and white-knuckle driving...that said, it is raining over the pass right now. Driving today will be OK. 

A little off the subject..but I just wanted to relay this conversation I had at Brave Girls Camp in November. I was talking with someone about driving over the mountain passes to reach Boise. Another gal overheard me talking and said "It's flat over the mountains, right?" I thought where is she from...somewhere where there are no mountains..... Although pretty absurd, I just told her that the passes were curvy, and up and down.

It is Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

This pic is cute as a button...it is not my little trailer. Prairie Flower is parked inside a large shop building, so it will not be outside as decoration.  The idea to light and decorate a sweet vintage trailer is very fun indeed. There is going to be a little snow this week. It is earlier than normal for the Pacific Northwest USA. The first snow is often late in December.  A neighbor has opened their Noble Fir Tree Farm for sale of trees for only $10...what a deal. We will be there to get a tree pretty soon.

Christmas Tree Cutting

Today was the day to get a Christmas Tree. Hubby and I went out in snowy conditions. Our neighbor has several acres of Christmas trees growing right next to us. We do a little trading for a tree(s) the last 5 years or so. We were home with a nice tree in only 1/2 hour. It is now dripping dry in the shop...maybe we will bring it inside tomorrow. I have several tubs of decorations inside, ready to unpack. I plan to dispose of unwanted things this year, I have already disposed of 2 boxes. It is about time.

We used to go out into the Willamette National Forest, to get trees with a $5 permit. It was a time and gas wasting struggle to find my hubby's perfect tree. I would get him to take someone else along, so I could stay home.

1956 - Tale of Two Sisters at Christmas

The year is 1956, the place is Spokane Washington. Both of these little girls really believe in Santa Claus. A formal photo is a very rare thing for this family. We were almost 5 and 6 years old. I have no idea why the little brother (2) is not in this photo. My mother loved this photo, it was her favorite photo of us together. My curly red hair is escaping from my hat.

Sis wanted this photo scanned. She is going to use it for her Christmas cards this year. I am not sure the color that I like best. What do you think?

The Way to Christmas Spirit

I am back from two Christmas Shows, such fun! The delightful decorations and ideas abound. I have a bunch of new ideas now...and am so excited to start my decorating.  Here are some very tempting pictures from Molly Mo's show on Dec 1.

The outdoor decorations are fun, using a vintage pedestal sink with loads of fresh greens. The vintage cast iron grate is painted white and filled with fresh greens and old deer antlers. Hum...hubby would definitely like this..and he has plenty of antlers to use.

The indoor decorations are pastel, white, and sparkle everywhere. Vintage glass ornaments abound, and pretty little white trees atop glass candlesticks. Christmas fortune cookies...too. Old family Christmas photos tucked into tiny frames to hang from the tree.

I have to tell you that my family had one of those hideous silver aluminum trees when I was growing up. Now these ugly things sell for $125. Ugh! 

O Christmas Tree

We cut our tree just next door, at the neighbors Christmas tree farm. I have been waiting to bring it inside...so it stays fresh longer. Today was the day to bring it in, and decorate.  I really must organize my things better...so I don't need to go thru 6 plastic storage boxes to find what I want. Well, I didn't find the white lights...so I put multi-colored ones on the tree...and put the ornaments on the tree. Then I found the white ones at the bottom of a box...but I didn't change them. I resolved to spend the time necessary to organize my Christmas things.  I found a round Christmas theme tablecloth at the thrift store, and I am going to change it into a tree skirt...an easy project. I will cut out the center and up one side, and then use some bias tape to finish the raw edges. This project is not difficult for an experienced seamstress.

Monticello at Christmas Time

The shop was decked out beautifully. The ideas were great, and I completely enjoyed the trip. I like to change things around every year. It is more interesting to me to do things differently, to use creativity and imagination. I am going to use crystal candle sticks, vases, vintage silver bowls, white poinsettias, glitter, faux snow, pearl stands, and vintage silver ornaments.  I have these things on hand. The color theme is white, silver, and red. I have some vintage white ice skates to throw into the design...ribbons, glass ice drops and vintage glassware.

So many craft ideas....so little time to do it all.

There are so many Christmas craft ideas that I like, and I just can't do all of them. Today, I am having a fun, messy time, and glittering everything for Christmas.  I am making those cute bottle brush trees, altering several thrift store ornaments, and getting the spirit going. See my November 19th post for the bottle brush trees. I nearly have all my shopping done. I feel that I am accomplishing things that I have been planning for a while. Tomorrow is Christmas tree cutting day. We are fortunate to have good friends who have several acres of noble fir Christmas trees, and they let us pick our own.