Christmas Blues

I wanted to share more inexpensive decorating that I did

in my office this week.  Just another "touch of

Christmas" ~ barely noticeable and only $2.

The large hutch in my office is part of the furniture I collected for

a lake house we almost bought.  It was one of the things I couldn't

bare to part with and now holds many of my beach-theme items

and decorating books.



I bought the white snowflakes at Dollar Tree ~ all 6 for $1

and the blue snowflakes were half-off at JoAnn's and

came to $1 for all 3.

I hung them with invisible thread that I taped onto the backside of

the hutch head board.

They look as if they are floating in space and give the hutch a

subtle transformation of snowy sparkle and softness.

I'm linking with Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

Christmas Mantel

I always love changing things around on my mantel, but never 

more than at Christmas time.  I never liked the wreath that

I've hung over the mantel the last five years and wasn't sure what I

was going to do to replace it.  Then I remembered my Grandmother's antique mirror that I hadn't hung in years.  I got it out, hung it up and it was perfect.

 

Next, I needed something for the middle of the mantel with some

height.  I was thinking some type of candleholders and found these

three at Goodwill for $1.49 each and red candles from

Dollar Tree for $1 each.  This is my idea of affordable decorating.

 

The mantel is balanced by a small lamp on one end and 

an antique looking clock on the other. 

~

My garland is an inexpensive artificial garland, but I spruced it up by adding clusters of red berries, sprigs of glittery red fern, and artificial pomegranates. The pomegranates I purchased this week at Pier One on clearance for only $.68 each.  I found them online and the website tells you which area stores still have

them in stock.  I wanted to use them for Christmas decorating in various areas of my home, so it took me visiting 3 stores to collect the 27 that I bought, but at that price, it was another inexpensive way to decorate.  After attaching everything to the garland, I sprayed small areas with clear "Tacky Spray" and sprinkled artificial snow on it before it dried.

 

 

I change out all the lamp shades in my living room at Christmas to red which gives the room an instant transformation and Christmas look.  I usually leave them on until Valentine's Day to give the room a punch of color through the dreary days

of winter.  I saw this idea at our Saks Fifth Avenue store last year.  I was amazed how simple their Christmas decor was, but all their table lamps had red lamp shades, giving the entire store a very classy look and Christmas glow.

 

 

The last touch is to add the stockings waiting to be filled with surprises.

 

I'm linking with

 Cottage Instincts for "Make it 4 Monday"

~

The House in the Roses for "Show off Your Cottage Monday"

~

Between Naps on the Porch for "Deck the Halls"

~

Dittle Dattle for "Amaze Me Monday"

~

Centsational Girl for "Holiday Home Craft Party"

 

French Hen Farm Barn Sale

Yesterday I met with a group of Ohio bloggers and we attended the

Barn Sale at French Hen Farm.  

It was a perfect winter day with gray cloudy skies and a sprinkling of snow throughout the day.

We got there early, but so did everyone else and once inside you could hardly move.  These pictures were taken after the crowd had cleared a little.

 

There were numerous beautiful chandeliers hanging in the barn ~ some for sale and some not.  I have never seen such a lovely collection of chandeliers in one place before.

 

 

There was the kitchen section with all kinds of baked goods, kitchen utensils and old tins.

 

I personally took home a nice assortment of rusty antique kitchen

baking tins all priced between $1 ~ $3.

 

 Everywhere you looked, there were old and beautiful things

to behold.

 

 

There was lots of glitter . . .

 

 

jewelry . . .

 

and sock monkeys.

 

 There was an endless supply of unique, vintage, 

and beautiful items all waiting to be taken home ~ and

many of them were.

 

And the outside was just as pretty as the inside.

 

I'm linking with

 The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

~

Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

 

 

 

 

 

Versatile Vintage

I'm sharing my very versatile vintage tray that is fast becoming

one of my favorite finds.  Every season I am finding new uses for it and today it is making an appearance as my bedroom
"touch of Christmas".

 

I filled it with an olive~ green glittered tree candle, moss,

evergreen cuttings, pink berries, white Christmas bulbs,

and the last half~frozen pink roses left on my bushes.

 

It sits on my vanity coupled with several other treasured items 

and a picture of my daughter.

 

 

I love to walk into a room and find Christmas smiling at

me, even if it is in a very small and simple way.

 ~

Linking with

Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, 

 Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for the

Christmas Vignette Party, and 

Liz at Rose Vignettes for Fresh Cut Friday.

 

 

   

Christmas Through the Years

My tablescape today is again with my old faithful

Phaltzgraff dishes ~ only this time ~ they are my Christmas

dishes that I have had for over 25 years.  Once again, they

were purchased as seconds at the Phaltzgraff outlet in Lancaster, PA.

 

I'm sure you've all seen them before.  They are the old

"Heritage" pattern that were sold from 1981 ~ 2006.

I have service for 10, but to change them up, this year

I added red salad plates to give them a little punch of color.

 

The glasses I've had as long as the dishes.

 

But the napkins and napkin holders are new this year ~

recently purchased from Goodwill.

 

The centerpiece I made last Christmas and is a simple

wreath with red berry picks and pine cones added in for color 

and texture.  It surrounds a glass globe with a red candle

set amidst artificial decorative snow.

  

Having had these dishes for 25 years, I had grown a little tired of them

and hadn't even bothered to get them out the last few years.  

But I'm amazed at the difference the red napkins,

salad plates, and red candle centerpiece made to brighten

the table and make it look festive and suddenly new again.

 

Now I just need to invite someone over for dinner.

~

Dinner plates & soup bowls ~ Phaltzgraff "Heritage" pattern

Red salad plates ~ Sears "Whole Home" dishes

Glasses ~ purchased many years ago

Napkins & napkin rings ~ Goodwill  

~

I'm linking with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for

Table Top Tuesday and with

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for 

Tablescape Thursday. 

 

 

 

 

 

My Office Blues

I was reading a post the other day called

"A Touch of Christmas in Every Room" over at

The Inspired Room and it

inspired me to add a touch of Christmas to my office.

I had an old Christmas tree made out of blue, white, and silver

bulbs stuck into a styrofoam cone that never quite looked right.

I decided to pull them out and put them in this lovely glass pedestal 

bowl that I got at Goodwill.  

 

I added some white seashells to the mixture

since my office has a beach theme (another idea

from The Inspired Room).  

I set it on my desk beside my lifeguard lamp where I

can see it easily while working at my computer.

 

  

Here is Miss Biddy keeping me company and taking a 

little nap while I do my homework.

Just a subtle touch of Christmas ~ but it makes me 

smile every time I look at it.

I wish all Christmas decorating was this easy.

 

I'm linking with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

 

A Goodwill Makeover

I purchased this tree at Goodwill a month ago with the

idea that it would make a nice Christmas tree for my kitchen.

 

I found some glitzy gold and bronze stems to give it a 

little bit of bling.  I thought I'd do something a little

more sparkly for a change.

 

The first thing I put in the tree was the gold fern cut into smaller pieces.

 

Then I added the bronze fern pieces.

 

I removed the large pine cones, but left the smaller ones.

Then I  added in the glittery pine cones and acorns. 

 

After attaching the pine cones and acorns, I added

the small red berries on gold stems.

 

 

All done and ready for it's place in my kitchen.

  

 

Linking with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch

for "Metamorphosis Monday", 

with Cindy at Cottage Instincts for "Make it 4 Monday",

and with Carrie at Dittle Dattle for " Amaze Me Monday".