Fun Friday!

 

My high school friend, Diane, and I spent this past Friday in historic downtown Fredericksburg, VA.  The first thing we saw when we parked our car on the street was this lovely face in one of the shop windows.



 

Every shop window was decorated beautifully for the holidays.  This ladybug bathtub was one of my favorites.

 

 

 

This was a sidewalk art display.

 

 

Fredericksburg has lots of historical sites and old buildings.  The brick building is a bed and breakfast.

 

 

This animated scene of a candy factory was in the window of a kitchen shop.

 

 

Our last stop was this beautiful tea room for tea and chocolate pie before we started the 45 minute trip back to my house.  It was a perfect day with a treasured friend!

My Favorite Christmas Decorations

Fourteen years ago my friend and I found these adorable carolers in a gift shop in Elkins, WV.  The original set of three consisted of  flat boards with heads with painted faces on the top end.

Using one of the original carolers as a pattern over the years, I have added to the collection.  I'm always on the lookout for cute clothes for them.  The little girl on the front row is one of my latest additions.  Her dress and accessories all came from the Goodwill.  She's my favorite and I think her name is "Lucy".   I guess I should get busy and give the others names.  The little guy with the mustache on the left looks just like a guidance counselor I worked with several years ago.  HeHe!

Christmas Decorations

I don't know what's going on with me this year!  I never decorate before Thanksgiving and only put up half of what I did several years ago. However, this year I have been excited about the holidays and everyday I do some decorating.

 

 

 

These are a few of my Snowtown houses arranged in a small village on my mantel.  These houses are made by Kurt Adler and some were sold at Lowes years ago.  The series is now retired.

 

 

This tiny tree is decorated with Hallmark miniature ornaments.  Hallmark stopped making the miniature line last year so I think they will definitely increase in value quickly.

 

Tod and Vera

These two are thinking their holiday has passed (Halloween) and they are not interested in Chirstmas decorating.

 

Next week precious Arabelle comes for a visit and I'm so excited and a little nervous too. 

 

 

 

 

 



Mikasa and Corgis

From 1996 - 2001, Mikasa manufactured cappuccino mugs and dessert plates with Santa and a red and white corgi at his feet.  About 8 years ago (after I got my first corgi) I started searching for these cute dishes and the only place I found them was on Ebay and Replacements.  Replacements is always too expensive for me but I've been able to get six sets from Ebay.  I go to lots of yard and estate sales, however, I've never found this pattern. I'd sure be excited to find a few!

I love using these during the holidays!

Hallmark Nostalgia Houses

2011 Arts and Crafts Bungalow - 28th in this series

I have been collecting Hallmark Nostalgia House ornaments for 25 years or more. In the last few years, I have displayed them as a little village in a  corner cabinet in my breakfast room. 

If you click on the picture, you can see the details on each ornament.

Perfect Christmas Day!

I can't think of anything that makes me happier than spending time with my family!  Yesterday we had a wonderful dinner together. One of my daughters made cornbread and a yummy dessert from her Pampered Chef recipes.  My other daughter made stuffing with crab meat and a sweet potato casserole.  A friend made roast asparagus with pine nuts.  I  fixed the turkey breast and gravy.  Everything was delicious!

We opened gifts after eating.  Of course, the corgi girls were excited and all over the boxes and wrapping paper.  They love my granddaughters and get so excited when they come to visit!

It started snowing around 5:00.  By early evening everything was glistening with snow flakes.  A perfect ending to a perfect Christmas day!

Merry Christmas!

Remember my daughter's cat, Owen, in the lobster costume for Halloween?  Well, here he is with Santa!  He's such a clown.

This is Miss Kitty (my other daughter rescued her from the Wal Mart garden shop) and Buddy under the Christmas tree.  I suppose they're waiting for Santa.

Cowboy and Priya, our corgi friends from Massachusetts, sent us this cute pic yesterday.  Their smiles are priceless!

I hope everyone has a joyous day with family and friends!  Many blessings to you and your furchildren.

Botanical Gardens

 I had lunch with a friend at the Botanical Gardens yesterday and wanted to share some of my pictures with you.

The glass sculpture is part of a special display going on at the garden.

The large flowers in the background are glass.

The houses below are part of the working train display.  The train runs through a village of houses made from natural materials and small live flowers. 

click on pictures to enlarge

Christmas Neck Tie Purse

In earlier posts, I showed you two purses that my friend in North Carolina made out of neck ties.  She recently  made this one for me out of ties that I sent her. 



Pocket on back of purse.

I have enjoyed using this purses so much in the last few weeks.  

Santa and Friends Dessert Set

click to enlarge

Several years ago Mikasa made a dessert set of four plates and mugs called "French Countryside". As you can see, Santa has an adorable red and white corgi chewing on a rawhide at his feet.  These dishes are very hard to find and don't stay on Ebay very long.  I have managed to get a set of four plates and four mugs over the years. 

Christmas Cookie Molds

Brown Bag Cookie Molds were first produced by Lucy Natkiel in her basement workshop in 1983.  Over 300 different ceramic molds were made before they were all retired in 2005.  Today they are highly collectible.

These haven't been used but I may try them out during the holidays!

Yesterday I finished reading the book, Finding Thalhimers.  It is written by Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt who is an ancestor of the family who owned a local department store chain for decades.  It was a fantastic book and I'd highly recommend if you ever shopped there!

Successful Open House

Our open house and jewelry show was very successful and it was great to spend time with my neice.  Lots of friends and neighbors stopped by and I think everyone enjoyed the day.

Saturday night I took my two beautiful granddaughters to see the Nutcracker.  They are 11 and 13 and every minute that they have to spend with me, I am so grateful for.  They are very busy with their own friends and activities now.

We had our first snow last night and it was beautiful coming down.  Even at my age, I still get so excited about the first snowfall.  This morning the ground is barely covered but the trees look beautiful.  I hope to get some pictures before it's melted by the morning sun.

My Christmas Ornament Wreath

My daughter made this ornament wreath for me using the coat hanger method I posted about a few weeks back.  I was so excited when I saw it, the colors are just beautiful and I love the textures of the balls.  She said it took about 45 minutes to make it and about 100 balls.  The silver caps on the balls were on tight so she didn't have to glue each one of them.  I really wanted to hang something different over my mantle this year and this wreath is perfect!