Tis the Season...

Are you ready? 

this is exactly how I was feeling...

then throw in a little of this...

and none of this...

  I just couldn't get into it.  

I finally decided to get a grip and take Rudolph's reins into my own hands and smarten up... this is my favourite time of year.  What am I thinking... I'm letting it slowly slip away.  

I finally figured out what I really needed was to embrace the season, not the stress.   It was time to stop and smell the poinsettia's ... not so pretty...

I put half of my tree up it keeps shrinking every year.  I then embellished my house with half of the decorations too.   I am really liking the less is more theory the older I am getting.  Less to take down too.

Now, time for the shopping... I let my fingers do the walking and did it all on line... what a fabulous feature that is.  You can bargain shop and never leave your chair.

yes, it is a wonderful time of year, afterall...

and I now have time to watch all my favourite black and white Christmas movies and relish every minute of them as I enjoy the scrumptous sweets I "had" hiding in the freezer for Christmas Eve guests.   Hmmmm... can you buy sweets on line? 

I'm so ready now... bring it on... I am so excited... shhh, I know one present under the tree from the big guy... it involves spray painting... and I have just the room to try it on. 

I am off  for 11 straight days and I can't wait... expect to see a few changes around my house...

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for visiting and making this such a memorable year... and to

wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a safe and blessed New Year...

Hugs, Deb

now where did I buy those coconut squares????

xo

Santa came to my house...

Merry Christmas to all... just a short post... thought I would share some of the cute pics we got Christmas Eve... Mr. D. is the one in the red suit...

(I found the suit a few weeks ago at my favourite thrift store in town for $15.00 complete)...

Santa, while you are here....

little Miss Mya in her party dress...

playing with her new activity mat Santa brought her...

What part of Princess don't you understand Santa... 

my sweet little grand-niece...

my favourite Christmas present from my GF... don't you just love this plaque...

it was hung in about 20 seconds after I opened it...

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday...

Hugs, Deb

Thrift Store Decorating... New Finds 12-10-10

I am really excited about Christmas this year, yet I can't seem to get the mojo to do mega decorating.  Is it me or is it the older I get the less stuff I want to put out.  I put the tree up 2 weeks ago and I didn't even decorate that to the max.  Oh no, have I been watching that hoarding show a little too much... you think?

Just a few visuals for you all...

Mr. D. bought me these little frames for my tree this year... oh things were so hopeful at that time (2008)...

my dear girlfriend bought me the angel wing when my Mom first got sick... that's my Step-Dad keeping an eye on Mom and my daughter... I love these little memories.

The tree 

mamiejanes blogged about these the other day so I just had to make a set... I had some diamond dust and red sparkles already in the workshop, all I had to do was buy the numbers from the dollar store... I just love them.

these are all thrift store finds this year...

I am liking the homemade decorations, they are right at home in my house...

found this guy today for .49 cents

found this snowman last year and I still love him...

Mr. D. bought this for Mya... isn't she sweet?

I love old bobbin lights and this was really unique... 2.99

it is now my washroom night light.

Yes Laura it really is true... now we have another one...

found this cute little elf today for .49 cents...

little wooden sign... .99 cents

another purchase today... mercury glass... 99 cents

I couldn't resist him, look at that cute face... 1.99

Rose do you recognize this?...

oh I hope you didn't pitch the rest of these... they are so pretty on the tree...

I added a little more sparkle, I just love these. 

my girlfriend gave me these little brass shoes... 

 the snowman is handpainted on goal

Christmas just isn't Christmas without Ginger Bread Men...

 and a little present just for me... I found one of these purses at the same thrift store about 5 years ago and used it until it fell apart... I couldn't believe my eyes when I found this one for 3.99

I tried to find another one on Ebay but couldn't touch it for less than 50.00 used, they usually run around 85.00 new.

it has the built in wallet which I love and a nice long strap to wear across your chest. 

It is the best shopping purse.

and another present for me... you know I just can't pass up a salt glaze pottery piece...

hmmmm... looks like someone is gettin a bit anxious to open gifts....

the culprit... he has decided that he likes nesting under the tree and opening the gifts... half are missing bows and a few of them are looking a little tattered...

I just couldn't close without a Mya fix... she is still doing great... all snuggled up in a blanket my girlfriend knit her... you just want to crawl in there with her. 

Poppy is so afraid she is going to break... but loving every minute spent with her.

Well until the next time...  

Hugs...

Less Is More Christmas Tree

This year I promised myself that I wasn't going to get all stressed out over decorating... so my motto this year is "Less is More"... okay I have had a few clitches along the way with Faceless Charlie...but that is another comedy of errors...

For years we did all the traditional things like freezing our butts off cutting a fresh one... spent 8 - 10 hours just putting the lights on...I put a light on every single branch and wrapped them from the trunk out... I wanted sparkle big time... after the 2,000th light BF was getting a little tired of  untangling and making sure they worked while emulating Scrooge the whole time.

After Christmas he came across this 9 foot beauty with 1800 lights already attached and being Italian it was an offer he couldn't refuse... he was doing the BIG happy dance...this tree is so gorgeous and so real looking... he was sure I wouldn't object.

Now we  only had one slight problem my ceilings are only 8'... let's see if I amputate part of it's belly I think I can certainly make it fit... oops another problem the girth is as wide as it is tall...  in order to get this baby in my room I have to remove half of my furniture.

This year I decided to go with a smaller tree because I don't have one empty spot to put all that furniture... great idea until I priced those fake pathetic things that you have to sell your first grandchild to own... now I am paying more for less... somehow this got twisted around.

After I plugged the light bulb in my head...  I decided if I could give it a tummy tuck...why couldn't I give it a butt lift while I was at it... ah ha.. now that is more like the Less is More I was aiming for and I don't have to attach an I.O.U to my first grandchild to get it... it still could use a litte tweeking but that may or may not happen... I am not a theme person... each one of the ornaments is special to me... when we travel I buy a new ornament and if I don't absolutely love it, it isn't on my tree.

my 2 piece tree...

I found about a dozen of these mercury birds a few years ago at a garage sale for $1.50... I did the happy dance all the way home... the little ballerina was from a trip to Nova Scotia to visit family and my little cousin was taking ballerina lessons at the time... so this was to remember you Leah...

I just couldn't resist this Santa face...

I found this ladder and elves in Mississippi at a year round Christmas tree store about 25 years ago when they weren't even thought of over here...

A couple of treasures from our travels... oh the trip down memory lane.

My Favourite X-Mas Things...

Santa's Watching...

are you being naughty or nice...

he's keeping a list... (haha I just noticed I spelled Naughty wrong)

 

and checking it twice...

 

Andrew is naughty... Patricia is nice...

 

sleigh bells ring are you listening...

 

you better watch out...

 

the bells are hung...

 

the countdown is on...

 

T'was the night before Christmas... it is busy all through the house...

the lights are strung...

presents are wrapped...

the birds are perched...

special ornaments’ hung with care...

mirrors a(c)dorned...

stockings are hung...

the elves are aflutter...

Santa is watching them too...

may all your days be merry and bright... may all your Christmas' be white...

and hope you don't get a piece of coal in your stocking...

Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas one and all...