Part I: Virtual Christmas Tour

It's that time of year! You are cordially invited to my virtual Christmas Open House! (Not that you don't know how, but I thought I'd throw out a few decorating pointers as we tour...)

Decorating your home for the holidays can be exhausting... because our house is small and there's not lots of storage, I've stored all the decorations in the attic in marked storage containers. The day before I begin the task at hand, the "hubster" cleans off the carport area, brings out several folding tables, and then hauls all 12 or 14 boxes down the stairs. We set the boxes on the tables and I begin the "sort". I keep all boxes on the carport except THE ribbon box. This keeps the house relatively straight as I progress from room to room.

I know that this will horrify some of you, but I change my decorations yearly. As much as I love some of my things, sometimes it's just nice to play outside the sand pile and do it up differently. I do NOT use every decoration every year. (12-14 boxes? Are you kidding?)

This year, my woodland themed animals wandered into the living room rather than hanging out in the dining room. With that change, came some color changes...even though I am a traditional green and red girl through and through, this year, I used turquoise in the living room area.

My foyer is Annie Sloan duckegg blue, so this color selection blended nicely.

I love birds and through the years I've collected bird ornaments, many, many nests (many) and bottle brush ornaments. I have a special place in my heart for the little owl fellow below. I buy most of my Christmas items AFTER Christmas..love those sales!



Pictured below is just one of many (nests)...
you know the old legend...
If you have a nest in your Christmas tree,
you will have good fortune in the new year.
Well, I'm not superstitious, but it never hurts to
have a few nests in the old tree.

 

I bring in a huge box of ribbon. I have kept every scrap of ribbon I've ever used at Christmas through the years. Speaking of bang for your buck...that's wired ribbon. And at 50-75% off....it's a steal. And yes,

I untie each bow every year, wrap the ribbon and put each type ribbon in a zip loc bag.

I work out of the ribbon box every day that I decorate...did I mention that while my house is small, decorating it is a labor of love and takes as long as the White House to decorate?

I know, I know...when are we going to lose the brass fireplace screen?

Well, let me tell you a little secret, while I love birds, I have a horror of them swooping down my chimney. So the answer is...never.

(Something to do with seeing Hitchcock's The Birds when I was younger.)

My garland is laced with mushroom hummingbirds, blue birds, nests and a butterfly.

The Peter's pottery vase was an anniversary present and holds feathers, seed pods and glittered curly twirly things...the "hubster" is a glitter hater. Can you imagine?

I made and beaded the crazy quilt stockings several years ago.

My sister gave me brush deer...ever one to help me along with the "annual theme".

Also, notice the large containers of Christmas ornaments. Speaking of a thrifty way to decorate!

They add pops of color everywhere. You will see them throughout the house.

So you don't like themes?

Let me explain. Sometimes they are overdone and I don't like that either.

But themed decorating, if it's used correctly, can be a wonderful "jumping off" point when you are having decorator's block.

So don't frown so when I mention the "T" word!

I am not a purist in the purest sense of the word.

This vignette has absolutely nothing to do with woodland animals,

but every woodland needs a gnome with red underwear.

This was my mother's secretary and some years I gussie her up and some years I don't do as much.

This year I just added a chickadee tassel, some greenery, and a checked bow.

The mercury glass heart says "Faith" and I think that's a guiding principle..so Faith it is!

Here we go again...when are we going to let go of the oak entertainment center?

It's too great for storage...again, never.

It houses my redware plate collection, my salt glaze pottery, books and on the top in the middle is the "hubster's" grandmother's dough bowl...no, it stays.

I have a thing for Mackenzie Childs...however, due to champagne taste and a beer budget...this bird box

(on deep sale) is the only thing in the whole catalog I could afford...but look at that detail!

She sits by my chair in the living room..oh, the stories she can tell about the rich and the famous.

More of those ornaments!

Because this is such an involved process, I decided to invite you back tomorrow for the dining room and kitchen tour. I think you've really had quite enough of me tonight..

We will tour and talk about editing tomorrow.

Thanks for coming along...

BTW: pardon the autumn blog header...it was the tour or the header...I went with the tour!

Mod Podged Matchbox Covers

I feel the footsteps of Christmas nipping at my heels! What about you? I get into a dither about this time every year. Even though I've had plenty of time to do something about it, I haven't done the first thing!

 Between knee surgeries this summer I bought an inexpensive embroidery sewing machine. It's the Brother SE-400. It's the teeny tiny baby Brother to all the fabulous machines on the market, but the hubster knows me well...I never met a craft I didn't like...at least, for a while. So to prove that I really want a nicer machine (one with more bells and whistles) he'd only ok the teeny tiny Brother. And I must admit, so far it's been just fine...

I wanted to craft some inexpensive gifts for little "remembrances" at Christmas...and so I teamed up with burlap, Mod Podge, ribbon and vintage jewelry to make covered matchboxes. I have made small ones before, but these are the large boxes which hold 200-250 matches.

Let's cut to the chase and show you how to do this (and don't worry if you don't have a monogram machine, I made some without monograms for you, too! The principles are still the same.)

Gather your supplies:

Matches were very inexpensive for two boxes.

Mod Podge, large boxes of matches, and your fabric for the top and bottom of the box.

I monogrammed my burlap before starting this project but you could easily purchase an applique if you'd like...this will, however, increase your costs considerably. 

You will need assorted ribbon, twine, glue gun, black acrylic paint and vintage jewelry.

Step one: Remove the tray of matches and paint the top AND bottom of the cover with black acrylic paint. Stand on end and let dry. This is to "erase" all the writing that might show through.

If using light fabric, you may want to use Gesso or white acrylic paint.

After the paint has dried, cover the top with Mod Podge and attach a fabric piece that has been cut to fit the top. You may have to trim the piece a little after the MP has dried.

Press down on the fabric so that it adheres well. Do the same for the other side of the cover.

After the underside of the top fabric has dried, I Mod Podged the topside...but I did skip the monogram.

Now this was a quandary.

 I wasn't sure I wanted to MP the top, so I made this box for myself as a trial run.

Turns out that I like it better without MP'ing the whole thing.

While the MP was drying (which took a while with the burlap),

I assembled a bow and picked out my vintage earring. I removed the clasp.

I wrapped some ribbon around the entire cover.

 (You may want to remind your recipients to strike the match away from the ribbon or they may have one hot mess.)

 Burlap is still drying. :(

Then I attached the bow and clasp with hot glue to the front of the box.

You may notice that the burlap looks a little wonky.

I re-stretched it and neatened it up a bit.

Also don't forget to trim the sides of the burlap so that they fit the box evenly.

I trimmed AFTER this picture....I know, I know.

I followed the same steps with this fabric covered box except

I did NOT Mod Podge the top of this fabric, but I DID MP around all the edges to cut down on fraying.

The same for this burlap...it was easier to MP just around the edges.

I do so love this earring!

Here's the whole happy little matchbox family!

The other four boxes are now residing at Dwellings, my little shop on highway 49 south just outside of Florence, MS...if you are in the area, please, drop by!

Happy Veterans' Day to all who have served our country.
This includes my father, Robert H. Alexander, who was a Naval Aviator and my father in law, John R. McInnis, Jr.  who served in the Army and lost his life in the Korean conflict.

God Bless the USA (please),

Touching Base

My poor neglected blog! So much going on that I can't get it all done! I have been getting ready for the holiday season at Dwellings,( the little shop my son, daughter in law and I own.) Still recovering from knee surgeries and I have been very limited in what I can do, but I am trying to think positively and charge onward!

I really wanted to touch base with you and say hello and let you in on a new website that you may or may not have used...www.houzz.com. It's a collection of thousands of designs, by room, for you to just sit and drool over! You know how much I LOVE Pinterest and I'll always enjoy it, but this is a new avenue to peruse.

Also, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but for my friends who might lose power in the next few days, I'd like to remind you to "solar up" your solar lights from outdoors and bring them inside during the night if you need additional power. The next morning, put them back outside (if it's not raining) and power them again.
Great tip that I gleaned from somewhere...so many tips, so little mind left.

Election day is less than 200 hours away, please, do NOT forget to vote!

My MaMa

October 13, 2007.

 It's been five years ago, 1,825 days since my mother left this earth and entered her heavenly home.

(The picture above was NOT taken in 2010, that's the date I took a  picture of the picture to use for something.)

I remember that real picture day so very long ago.

 I was in the wedding of a dear friend of our family.

That net dress was so sticky, but I didn't mind.

I thought I looked just lovely.

It was a Christmas wedding...

everyone was in white and

 I carried a silver glittered basket full

of red poinsettias.

I can still see it in my mind's eye.

At the reception, Mother held my basket so I could eat cake and drink punch.

My mother was so pretty.

 I was always very proud of her when she'd come to my class parties.

She was slim, young and always smelled good.

She was fiercely protective of her family.

As I grew older, married and moved away, I got busy with life.

Our lives both had their ups and downs.

 But we never lost touch.

She never forgot a special occasion, never held it against me if I did and

 loved me with all her heart.

I have written before that her beginnings were humble...she was adopted from the Jackson Children's Village by my grandparents when she was several months old.

She told me she remembered finding out that she was adopted when she was in the third grade. 

Some children laughed at her and called her names because of it. 

 How she put her head on her arm on the brick wall of the school building and sobbed.

Her beginnings colored her life, but in a good way.

She was thrifty, smart, kind and very creative.

She didn't seek the limelight, but was content to be wife and mother.

She taught her three children to be watchful of the needs of others,

to anticipate when somebody was in dire straits.

 She wanted us to be Christians, to be kind and to live life with joy.

She wanted us to excel, but didn't love us less when we didn't.

October 13th, such a sad day for me and my family.

I know that she's better off...but I'm not.

I can hardly wait to see her again.

To hug her and tell her how much I've missed her.

Thank you for all you taught us...and for all you did for others.

I love you, Mama.

Baby Oh Baby!

After receiving permission from my PT to branch out a little,

I decided to make a foray to Hobby Lobby for some Christmas ornaments.

That little trek did me in for the rest of the day and most of this one. 

I spent this day just lounging around and crocheting.

Above is the day's turn out.

Baby caps are my latest obsession.

I am trying to figure my sizes....

there's lots of difference in a baby's little head and that of a toddler. 

This is the smallest...about a 14-15" circumference.

(I had forgotten how fun pom poms are to make!)

The bigger the better!!

Fun little cap with a multi-colored band and flower topper.
I need a model...this picture doesn't actually do the little cap justice!

The "hubster's" favorite...a baby maroon and white...as in Mississippi State colors.

Go, Bulldogs! 

A Christmas cap...soft white, bright green, red and hot pink.

Tri-colored flower with green pom pom center!

I didn't use baby yarn...which I think is so soft and wonderful for little ones...

but with a toss in the dryer on no heat and with one dryer sheet, they soften up considerably.

I am not sure how many stitches I've crocheted since June 8, but it must be up in the millions.

(And despite what you've heard, I AM trying to stay cheerful during this trial...but "it ain't easy".)

Can NOT wait to be up and out again,