common ground

Monday, December 14, 2009

Christmas Doors of Welcome

Merry Christmas!

Come on in.

It's pretty cold out here!

Today I'm joining in the Doors of Welcome

for Christmas.

Please drop by and say Hello to Karen

our wonderful Hostess,

at Some Days are Diamonds.

Our front porch faces south,

but we still have a lot of shade out on the walk.

My husband has a pretty time demanding job,

and the weather is so cold in January here,

that we've never done the "outside lights".

I'd rather have just my two little topiary trees

that twinkle, and not risk having

Christmas lights up until June.

anyone else with that problem?

I always use my "vintage themed decor"...

the park bench seat,

my watering cans tied with plaid ribbon,

and this year a large bucket filled with

the most gorgeous candy cane pointsettias.

Oh, and if you look closely in the door,

you will see the welcoming committee.

This year I had fun with this old metal

and striped fabric shopping basket,

probably from TG&Y or Ben Franklin from the 60's.

An old window is propped up on the bench behind it.

Inside, I have a birch basket hanging on the door

filled with greenery, roses, holly and ivy.

Hope you enjoy the tour of great outside

Christmas Cheer and Welcome!

Debra

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Vintage Christmas Monday

Vintage Christmas Monday is here!

Joan at Anything Goes Here

is hosting a wonderful party.

And we only have one more Monday,

to show off our vintage Christmas items.

Today, I thought I'd share my mantle from downstairs in the family room. The fireplace is exactly like the one upstairs except the brick is natural. The mantle itself is a huge piece of rough wood, The operative word here is HUGE, and sometimes "huge" is hard to decorate. Our basement is pretty large and has two seating areas. This is where my husband and I watch TV and eat dinner together. This area is more "lodge-y" and rustic than upstairs; Pendleton blankets and deer antlers and a lot of vintage memorabilia. I mentioned before that I love to rotate vintage prints and this one I found two years ago at a flea market. It has water stains, but then a lot of my prints are stained and "shabby", but it doesn't bother me. I just love this lithograph print, it's stamped "1897 Jos. Hoover and Son. Philadelphia."

I have a few of my vintage candy tins down here...

with some old deer and a Father Christmas

that my Mom made back in the 80's.

This old photographic print is very unusual. A friend of mine and booth partner, was selling copies of this last year. I had had this old metal oval frame for ages. I found it without a photo, but bought it because of it's interesting shape. A little wallpaper for a background and the print looks right at home. Click on this photo to see it in detail. It's really "strange". I don't know the circumstances of the photo, but there's an odd old man with a long white beard standing with the boys beside the wagon.

Be sure and head over to see Joan, say Hello,

then check out all the other great vintage Christmas items.

Have a wonderful "Vintage Monday"!

Debra

Christmas Tour with the Nester

I'm joining in with The Nester

for the Christmas Tour of Homes

These are just a few photos of our Christmas Tree

in our Living Room.

I do a more traditional religious theme

in the Living Room and Dining Room.

Hydrangea and vintage Shiny Brite ornaments

with vintage silver tinsel garland

decorate this tree with glitter stars.

This year I used cream, browns, gold and silver as a color theme.

This is the mantle with hydrangea and greenery

with twinkle lights.

And this is the Dining Room buffet

with my glitter paper Church and paperwhites.

And the Dining table with a vintage goose decoy

nesting in the large French metal basket.

Hope you enjoyed these few photos,

come back later in the week for more.

Have a wonderful week!

And Christmas Blessings,

Debra

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Meet an Old Friend

I have an old friend that lives in my family room,

He's a quiet unassuming little fellow.

My parents bought him for me when I was just a baby,

as he had been gifted to others years and years before.

I brought him up to the Dining Room where the light is better. I'm so glad my parents didn't repaint him or change him. He was given to me again back in the early 80's. I didn't remember him, but he had been kept safe in the loft of my Dad's garage workshop. I'm so glad that we were reunited all those years ago. He has been a joy to have, and each time I see him I think who might have climbed upon his little sturdy body and ridden off into the world of their imagination.

May you remember lovely images

of your childhood Christmases,

Debra