Merry Christmas!

 

 From our home to yours, Rick and I wish you a Merry Christmas and beautiful holiday.

And from Lizzie, too!

Rick's trio several years ago -- they haven't played since January and my Christmas selections are limited from Christmas day many moons ago. But I hope you'll enjoy.

Stay safe, be well and to you and your families, Happy Holidays.

Decking the Halls, Three More Rooms

The Christmas music is blaring as I go between computer and kitchen! Lizzie will be your guide!

You've seen the living room. Check out "Christmas" in the family room, kitchen and office.

My family room is one of the main reasons I chose this house. The pine walls remind me of the cottage and while the fireplace isn't currently functional, it still adds a warm feeling to the room. It's one reason why my mantel is a bottlebrush forest -- it just seems to fit here!

This tree I call the "Mom" tree, because it has ornaments that either she collected or made or things I know she would choose if she was doing that tree herself. My dad made the gingerbread tree topper, back in our days of having a contest to wrap a gift in the most original way!

Lizzie's feeding station is at the window, where she can watch the birds, so of course she needed a cat tree!

And beside that on the window seat, a selection of faux greens with little lights within to brighten things up at night.

Opposite the fireplace is the little dry sink I found for a ridiculous price at a garage sale one year. It matches some of my other Hitchcock furniture and makes me smile! On the top is a swag made at Southern Exposure with one of my favorite Santas and a tree that has some of my felties.

 I wish I had hanging tags on the rest of the felties! Or a few I'd sent away this Christmas.

Here's another look at my feltie friends.

Here's that Super Santa. Isn't he rustic and fun? This room feels like my "up north" room.

 The family room bumps up to the very tiny kitchen. Rick just rehung my rack above the sink. The silver bells at the top come from a friend who has sent one each year for decades. 

And the creamer and sugar was a hostess gift for a Cork Poppers party once. I had to stick in a few of my many bottlebrush trees here!

It's fun doing holiday vignettes! 

On the other side of the room is the baking rack safe and the shelf-that-should-be-hung-but-sits-atop-the-microwave. Hey, real life.

A few of my Santas have found their homes on the rack above the micro. 

There's a small hot cocoa/tea/sweets spot. (I replenish the M&Ms often!)

The face on this fellow reminds me of one of my friends!

And my friend Kate's bird calendar is flanked by more tiny trees.

  More of my favorite holiday friends are on the baking rack.

I was thrilled the day I found the teapot for my Spode Christmas dishes!

And this fellow was a craft show find about 30 years ago.

 

Ready for baking!

 

Finally, a quick look at my little office. Again, very bad lighting!

  Another Vintage by Crystal figure, under glass!

Two small trees are in this room. The small blue one was a steal at Home Goods.

This has been around a little longer!

Your guide, Lizzie, is hunkered down by her bowl, waiting to be served.

Till next time, Be Merry.

Christmas Reimagined

I recently heard a political diatribe claiming that some political leaders were trying to cancel Christmas. And it ticked me off because Christmas isn't something you cancel. It can't be canceled -- for those who celebrate the holiday, it is there every year in December. It's not crossed off the calendar because of weather or tragedy or pandemic. It is Christmas. It is there. We may not be able to gather as usual and celebrations may change, but not Christmas.

One of the first Christmas cards I received was from my artist friend, Jane. On the back of the card she had created, she wrote, "Christmas isn't canceled. It is re-imagined."

Exactly. 

It seems I have read or heard two different takes on the holidays. One is: "No one is coming to my house. I'm not going to decorate or bake much, I'm really cutting back."

The other is: "We Need a Little Christmas, right this very minute!" to borrow some song lyrics from "Mame." 

That's my philosophy and the reason why there's always time for another tree, another treat, the Christmas dishes, something special. 

That, and the fact that if this were to be my last Christmas on Earth, I desperately need lights and color this year, along with giving and music, sparkles everywhere! 

Re-imagining Family Gatherings:  We didn't plan to celebrate Christmas without the Toddlers and company, or without good friends but this year it's a must. So we are trying to reimagine ways that we can still celebrate. Maybe on Facetime, like so many of you. Maybe with a short gathering outside while (if) they are enroute elsewhere.  Maybe we'll wait a month or two till virus rates ease up in our state and have a belated Christmas. (After it became difficult for my dad to travel and my Cleveland cousins had families too large to travel north, we would meet halfway in Toledo sometime in February, get a big room and celebrate. It's the people. Not the day.)

Zoom events are one way of reimagining Christmas. And we're getting pretty good at those. I have a wonderful group of friends who met last week online to share their upcoming Christmas plans and toast the season. You've probably done that, too.

We have friends whose family holiday celebration always includes a traditional Polish soup recipe -- a must have! And a hearty bourbon punch. This year they are making the soup and leaving it at the doorsteps of those who would be at the gathering. Then they'll zoom as they all share soup. They are also leaving behind a kit for their traditional "bourbon punch," so that tradition can continue.

Re-imagine giving: Not having parties to plan means that maybe we have a little more time to reimagine some of the things we might like to do at the holidays. Give baked goods to a neighbor you've never shared with before, or a Secret Santa surprise to someone -- even a stranger. 

With a couple of friends, we are taking a break from presents this year and instead planning a long call or a Zoom. In all honesty, I would much rather have the gift of time, someday a long lunch out or extra nice dinner out instead of presents. "Stuff" I have. Time together is precious.

Make a gift to your community, through donations to a food bank drive or another charity. Or, hang ornaments at an arboretum or a walking route, a gift of beauty to fellow walkers.

Re-imagining Christmas Eve Church: If you are missing the services at church on Christmas Eve, plan a quiet time at home where you can read your favorite passages and sing or listen to carols. Share the readings with each other. Share your Christmas prayers. Remember -- it isn't the pew in which your body sits that makes worship happen; it's the place where your heart sits.

Re-Imagining the Parties: For 20 years, we've celebrated holidays with our friends Mark and Jan using our Christmas song theme. This year it will either be by Zoom or in their barn with air blowing through. Neither of us are shopping but we'll find a way to incorporate our song theme -- maybe with food, maybe with trivia, but with fun. And hopefully in person. Apart but together.

My physically vulnerable cousin and her husband built a Covid room in her basement, subdividing it with tightly drawn, floor-to-ceiling clear plastic sheets so that as winter drew near, they could be inside with their kids and grandchild (who have their own entrance), even if separated by a "wall." They will be able to "see" each other in a safe way -- and stay warm, too. Is it eating at the same table or gathering closer together? No, she can't hold her beloved toddler. But they can "touch hands" on the plastic, he can come close to show her things, without concern. Reimagined.

Re-imagining the Decor: Although I'm not sure anyone else could tell, I've reimagined some of my decorating. Given that this hasn't been my best holiday health-wise, getting trees up was an effort. Most had their lights on already, so that was easy. But time is running out and I didn't have "the right" decorations on one of the trees. 

But I had an overload of decorations on the big one. So, I pulled some of the red ones and on they went to the (formerly) "White tree." It's festive, cheery and different. And I put the tree in a different spot, too. You see, I can adapt!

Another tree, the Snowman tree, hadn't been up for four or five years. Hello, Snowfolk! You might even stay after Christmas!

The Wall Tree with the Shiny Brites and Christopher Radko ornaments didn't make it this year either. So that Radkos got a new spot to sparkle!

Re-imagining the tree: Rick opted to not get a big tree this year, since we wouldn't be seeing the kids and also because the Y lot, which we support each year, was closed and we didn't want to go to Home Depot or Lowes for a tree. I had trees in the basement to spare. And now he has a mini-forest with almost all of the ornaments from his big tree (and all of the favorites!)

(And yes, there is a Christmas tree shortage in America -- people are buying them early and they are getting harder to come by. And not just here in the U.S. but in Canada, too.)

Don't think for a minute I don't know how hard it is to see family traditions that may go back decades take a break. Or how hard it will be for many of us not to celebrate with family and friends. I do. Not seeing the Toddlers will be a bit heart wrenching and it will be sad to not sit in a candlelit church on Christmas Eve as a choir proceeds down the aisle to the strains of "O Come All Year Faithful." I can only imagine the anguish of those who can't visit parents or family members in care facilities.

I also know that for some, this Christmas will be without family members because they have left this Earth, leaving an indelible imprint of holidays past and present. Their lives need to be celebrated for I do believe that in one way or another, they are still at your table.

Others are dealing with illness and caregiving, whether home or in the hospital. I think daily of blog friend Lynne, whose husband was in a terrible car accident a week ago, who was hanging on to life by a thread (and is now slowly improving, though the road will be long). There are others, too. It's a tough, tough year.

 

But that is this year. My Christmas wish is that in reimagining Christmas in 2020, we will have Christmases for many years to come, revisiting the people and traditions we so love.

Be merry.

Be bright.

Decking the Halls 2020

The halls are finally decked! Welcome to my happy Christmas house!

I thought (for about 30 seconds) about phasing back this year for many reasons, mostly medical. Then I said, aloud, to myself: "What are you thinking? If this was to be your last Christmas on Earth, would you have wanted to spend it in a house where you didn't do the thing you loved?" 

Coming into the hall we meet the greeting angel and the arrangement I made through the virtual Southern Exposure. I've never had a tree in the hall before. It was time to reimagine my decorating!

This tree usually has all silver, white and glass decorations. That box didn't come up. I toyed with the idea of leaving it with just the lights.

Then I realized that I had a bunch of decorations that didn't fit on the big tree so I pulled the red ones and voila!

 

This is the living room. My house is very small -- right now it looks more like a Christmas store than a living room!

And here's another view. That poor red chair cover has been a favorite of Lizzie's! Hence enough throws on it to prevent more scratching! 

The pillow was made by my friend Suzanne years ago. It's one of my favorites.

 

The small white tree with red balls next to the chair was a Southern Exposure project and one of my all-time favorites.

 The photo above was before I moved it. Here it sits now.

Santa gets his due in a flocked white wreath (bought at a ridiculously low price on sale a few years ago and enhanced with some red and white). 

Above, on the bookcase, is yet another swag with one of my favorite Santas.

The Woodland Tree stays up long after Christmas to give light during the winter. Its ornaments are wintry -- snowflakes, birds, snow people. 

 

It's one of my favorites.

And here is the happy tree, now decorated!  

Some of these are my felties and some gifts, others purchased. Pretty much everything on this tree is cloth or felt, either stitched or needle felted. It's a "safe" tree for little ones of enthusiastic pets. 

This is my "Happy Tree." I just get happy looking at it. (The mouse above was purchased; the French-style bear below is one of my felties.)

Heading toward the dining part of the room, some garland, lights and a favorite wreath. (The little white tree used to be there before I moved it!)

I love the cottage feel of grapevine wreaths and rustic things.

I hadn't brought up the snowman tree for a few years because I didn't have outlets in the right places! This year I decided to take some art off the wall and bring it back. This one will stay up a little longer, too!

Atop the china cabinet a few cheery things. I showed these in more detail here.

And in the hutch, behind the doors, a few of the Santas from my collection. 

For a very long time I would try to get a Santa when I traveled, along with a tree ornament. This fellow was purchased in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1994.

This one, in Arizona.

And this was a craft show find. I adore him!

All together now!

And one quick look up! Because I didn't put up the small wall tree with the Radko ornaments, I decided they needed to have a new spot! 

The chandelier was a perfect spot!

The creche my friend Jacqie gave me last year moved from the bedroom to the living room. I like it here -- a perfect spot.

The faces on these china figures are so very sweet.

And finally, the big tree. It looks pretty much as it does every year, crammed with ornaments that tell my life story.

There are ornaments made in grade school, memories of our travels together, photos of family and dear friends. 

I'm lucky to have some that were on my parents' and grandparents trees.

Many gifts are on the tree, like this sweet ornament made by Laura from Decor to Adore with vintage hangers.

I've had the winter wonderland ball as long as I can remember. It is first on the tree...

...along with some glass ornaments and a Victoria from England (and yes, Rick has Albert. And yes, that was a turkey on the top of the tree. 

I'll share the family room and kitchen in another post. But today I will leave you in the bedroom with dad's tree -- a tree with things he would have loved...

...like ornaments related to fishing.

And we'll say farewell with the unofficial queen of the household. 

Meowy Christmas.

Happy Christmas!