Christmas Keepsakes

One of my favorite decorating projects, not only for Christmas, but for every season, is the Welsh dresser, which is the focal point in our breakfast area. It doesn't seem that long ago when I was decorating it for Spring ...

Then came Summer ...

And Fall ...

And now, here it is all dressed up for Christmas with some of my favorite Christmas keepsakes ...

Apple candles and Avery's little Lefton Christmas plate ...

Christmas Owl hiding amongst the holly vines ...

We bought this little Santa's workshop when our children were little, and, even though it's gotten a little battered through the years and has been glued several times, it is still one of our most treasured Christmas decorations.

Another very old and much loved decoration is this set of brass Angel Chimes ...

Lighting them has become one of our granddaughter Avery's favorite Christmas traditions ...

Christmas Candy Centerpiece on the breakfast table (another one of Avery's favorite decorations) ...

And Joey, Avery's "Elf on a Shelf," enjoying the decorations from his perch high on the chandelier ...

The two little squirrels you see on the dresser are Ralph and Cindy, named in honor of our son Benjamin's imaginary-friend-robots when he was little ...

Best wishes to you for a week filled with your favorite Christmas Keepsakes, sweet memories of Christmases Past, and lots of wonderful memories-in-the-making.

Christmas Lagniappe ...

After I posted this, I went out to blow some leaves off our patio (in 20-degree weather), and was delighted to see this rose blooming on my arbor ...

To think that that little rose could "weather" the cold and bloom one more time, was a "How Great Thou Art" moment, and I wanted to share it with you ...

'Twas the Week Before Christmas

Just a few more days to go, and it will be Christmas Day.  The day we've all been making lists for ... and decorating for ... and cooking for ... and shopping for ... and little ones not-so-patiently waiting for.  Our houses are all warm and cozy, and even more welcoming with the soft glow of Christmas candles and colored lights casting flickering shadows on the walls.   I've finished my decorating and shopping and will be moving on to my list-making mode this week, as I gather recipes for our favorite Christmas candies, snacks, and goodies, along with all the traditional dishes we make for our Christmas Dinner, which we have at noon on Christmas Day.   This past weekend I took a few pictures of some of my decorating efforts.  They're mostly of our breakfast area which adjoins the kitchen, our main gathering place during the holidays.      I love having the tree in the breakfast area so I can enjoy it while I work in the kitchen. The old Welsh dresser is the focal point of the room, and I love decorating it for the different seasons. I think Christmas is my favorite season, because I can display some of our children's beloved keepsakes and decorations from Christmases Past.  Every time I look at them, they make me smile ...   Like the little angel chimes my husband and I bought for one of our first Christmases ... And the Santa's Workshop we bought when our children were babies ... A new addition to the dresser this year is this tiny, but oh, so beautiful poinsettia that was calling my name when I was in Kroger's one day last week.  There was no way I could leave it there ... The little chandelier elf came back this year, and is carefully clutching a candy cane he must have helped himself to during the night (I thought I heard scampering!)  ... Just look at that sweet little face ... he looks so pleased with himself. Our granddaughter Avery Grace's Santa Claus collection is growing ... And one of the Santas is watching over the festivities from the dining room, since there was no more room in the breakfast area ... The "candy jar centerpiece" on the breakfast table is, of course, our grandchildren's favorite decoration. You can just see the "visions of sugarplums dancing through their heads" ... and the elf's! This cardinal watches over his nest hidden amongst the branches of the mantel garland in the living room. Don't you just love Christmas candles! I've saved my favorite Christmas keepsake for last.  It is the nativity set I bought several years ago and, although it is rather plain compared to some of the more elaborate and expensive sets, I wouldn't trade it for anything.    I hope to capture more pictures this week, and hope you are enjoying your preparations for Christmas, whatever they may be.  I'm sure mine will involve making lots of lists and "checking them twice."

Decorating Traditions

When it comes to decorating for Christmas, I use a lot of the accessories I've collected through the years which have special meaning to me and my family. Some of the decorations have been passed down from generation to generation, and I love unpacking them and recalling memories of Christmases Past. Being a traditionalist, I tend to create similar vignettes year to year, sometimes adding new accessories to the old. Some may think that's boring, but I love family traditions that have evolved through the years and it makes me happy to decorate my mantel the same way I did it last year ... or to set up our Nativity set the same way. So, in sharing my Christmas decor this year, I'm probably going to repeat some of my posts from last year, like yesterday's Christmas Candy Centerpiece. But I also have some new things to share, one of which I can't wait to show you later this week. Today, I'd like to share one of my favorite Christmas accessories -- our Nativity set. It's not a fancy or expensive set ... in fact, it's rather plain ... but we've had it a long time and I love it. I especially like it displayed under the French cross which hangs in our dining room ... I can't wait for our granddaughter Avery to see the Nativity this weekend. She loved it last year, and it's a wonderful way to remind her of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I'm enjoying everyone's Christmas decorating ideas, and will post more of mine later this week. Until then ... Happy decorating, Y'all!

A Traditional Christmas Mantel ...

Fireplaces and mantels are usually the main focal point of a room and are always fun to decorate. Like most of us, I change my mantel decor according to the seasons and I'd like to share my Christmas mantel with you. But first, I'd like to show you my summer and fall mantels. [You can click on the pictures to enlarge them]

When I found this picture of my summer mantel, I was kind of surprised by how simple and plain it was. I'm not sure that I like it and will definitely add more to it next summer. Perhaps some birds and different planters for the ivy (which is much larger now) ...

My fall mantel was more elaborate, featuring my collection of stained gourds and a garland of fall berries ...

And here is the way it looks now, decorated for Christmas ...

I've had the gold doves for many years and they're showing their age, but I don't know of anything I'd rather use for the centerpiece ...

The holly is very old, too, and every year I think about replacing it, but can never find anything I like better. I did add the two birds on stands this year, and I bought the candlesticks at a flea market back during the summer ...

For Christmas, I fill the copper coal hod with three rustic metal bells and some faded greenery ...

The little rocking chair on the left was our son's when he was a baby (he's 34 now!) ... and still has the hammer marks he made with his little Fisher-Price hammer. I wouldn't take anything for it!

The Christmas books in the rocker belonged to our son and daughter when they were little, and now we read them to our little granddaughter Avery Grace.

My next post will feature our Nativity Set, and I hope you will come back to visit.

Sincerely,