Sanctuary

It's a long story about how we found the house we live in now. It was right after my heart bypass surgery six years ago. We knew we were going to be moving. (anyone else get these gut feelings?) And we had been looking at houses for a year. We were waiting for God's perfect timing but I was worn out with it. Then the heart attacks happened and at the most "unlikely" time in my life I was faced with a monumental move.

I couldn't lift boxes. Had been in the hospital for a week with pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart pericardium. Generally speaking I was like, "God, you have to be kidding!" But no, He wasn't. Everything happened, and my husband and  I felt like we were on a "ride". It was going to happen no matter what.

Our Living Room really is just called "the Sanctuary", because it is a place that you can really feel the Presence of God. I try to keep it a place to come and rest and read. Because of that, whatever I do in here needs to be glorifying to Him. Lee left me a wonderful compliment on my last post. And it is true, He is honored in this place.

This clock and chair were an anniversary gift

from my husband right before we moved.

This is an old armoire that we had stripped and I refinished. We bought it the third year of our marriage. It's like a Chinese puzzle box, It breaks down into about 10 pieces. It holds a small television and a CD player and stereo. I love to listen to music in here, and because it is central to the house you can hear it in every room.

The above photo is a more true idea of the color of the walls. In some photos they look gold, but they are a custom khaki color, my favorite, by Benjamin Moore.

I love this pair of jacquard sofas. They are so comfortable you could sit there for hours. The shape and layout of this room calls for symmetry and balance. It has windows on three sides with an entrance to the sunroom and kitchen.

Photos of the girls and their weddings.

As you can see, I like to "layer" things,

To me it adds depth, richness, and personality.

This Christmas I did something totally different. I used browns, creams, silver and gold. The faux hydrangeas are found in several places here, and in the Entry and Dining Room.

I had decorated everything when I found this vintage "foil" portrait of Jesus. It truly was a "gift" this year, as it personified exactly what I was doing.

Below is our 2009 Christmas Card.

Our Christmas tree in the daylight...

And at night.

I put it in my black goat cart to give it more height.

Bar area where I keep a lot of my vintage silver.

View to the Entry

Metal Crucifix that I found this last summer

 at the flea market.

Back to the Entry. The Dining Room is on the left.

I've had several people ask to show

complete views of the rooms.

(Anne, the vacuum shot is coming.)

Sometimes I forget that I concentrate mostly on vignettes. Hope you enjoyed the visit to my house, I'd love to have you all here in person!

I still have a few more areas

to share downstairs.

Hope you are having a wonderful week

in preparation for Christmas Day.

Blessings from my home to yours,

Debra

White Wednesday, Christmas Gift Books

A few years ago I found my first old

Christmas "Gift Book".

Their petite size and precious graphics of Christmas

caused me to begin a search for them.

These are from the 1880's until 1913.

Sweet inscriptions of love and devotion;

friendships and relationships,

most dated "Christmas Eve".

They are displayed on my Italianate

black desk in the Living Room.

This is the oldest from 1888, in pristine condition.

Entitled "A Bugle Song and Other Poems".

"Kept for the Master's Use". Love the title.

Here is a daytime shot of our tree in the Living Room.

Next post I'll show the rest of the Living Room.

Please go by and see Kathleen at

 Faded Charm

and the rest of the

 White Wednesday participants.

I'm sure there is plenty of gorgeous

White Christmas to be enjoyed!

Have a Wonderful White Wednesday!

Debra

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

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