Santa's in the Kitchen

Only 18 more days and Santa will officially arrive!  But if you are a good little girl, Santa comes early and hangs around all month!  Lucky for me, I am a very good girl.  LOL!  Well, most of the time anyway.

Today for Tabletop Tuesday I'm sharing my Christmas kitchen decor and all my Santa's that have arrived to celebrate the season.

This is one of my wind up Santa's, he plays "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".

Because I am a lazy decorator at times, I decided to just add a bow and a candy Christmas pick to my Ivy greenery in the olive oil jar.

I've pulled out one of my baking cookbooks for inspiration.  Now that I am finished with most of the decorating, I hope to make time for some of this.

Maybe the smell of my sonoma pear candle burning will inspire me too.

My side counter is prepared for those cooler temperatures that have finally arrived.

 

I call this one my "Sweater Santa".  He is right at home over here by the crock pot, don't ya think?

In this corner is one of my newest serving plates from Ross, also there's more lazy decorating by adding another Christmas pick to my existing greenery.  The little wire basket holds my colorful linen coasters combined with individual packets of hot chocolate and hot apple cider mix.  Yum!

Mr.Jingles is hosting at the bar..literally, that is the name attached to him.

He is a bottle topper.  I got such a good deal on this guy many, many years ago from a Christmas Around the World party.   I was able to purchase a lot of them for friends and family for the holidays.  His skirt is like a silken fur too, he is very well made.It was so much fun giving him with a bottle of wine! 

A sweet little gingerbread couple is hanging around my oven...run, run as fast as you can!!!

I have put these berries up over my kitchen table for years!  I just love this look.  I've even left them up all through February for Valentines before too.

On the lazy susan are my Fitz and Floyd tumbling Santa's.  My brother in his early 50's always plays with these things every Christmas.  I am surprised they are not broken by now.  LOL!

They are playing by the Christmas tree cookie jar.  It is a Christopher Radko piece my mother bought for me several years ago from Target.

I've used this ceramic sleigh as a napkin holder for ever! 

These adorable little Cardinals are my newest addition.  My BFF gave me this for my birthday this year.  Does she know me well or what? 

Mom gave me this cute little cream and sugar set too.  It's Christopher Radko, also from Target. 

 Have you seen enough yet?  Well, I hope not because I haven't even gotten to my favorite spot yet.

And here it is!  My kitchen side table.

This is where all the excitement and wonder of a child's Christmas resides.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus have arrived to await for "The night before Christmas".

They are Madame Alexander dolls.  Aren't they precious!

My small tree is decked out in candy trim and tiny ornaments too.

Here it is all lit up!  I really need to find a small strand of battery operated lights.  I have looked several places this year but cannot find one.  This wall does not have an outlet so I have to run an extension cord and I really hate that.  I've tried putting this tree somewhere else before but I really love it right here.  Please offer up any suggestions of where to look for those battery operated lights if you know.

I used the same ribbon I have used all over the kitchen for the tree topper.  Cute, cute, cute!

This is one of my favorite miniature ornaments.  It's the little drummer boy.  This was actually a gift to my oldest son for his first Christmas. 

The cookie plate and mug are ready for Christmas eve.

And one of my favorite children's book is out on display too.  I just loved the art work in this particular book so much that it inspired my own painting many years ago.

I took this photo last night, it just seems to glow in this space in the evening!

Today, I want to show you my painting a little closer up.

I was inspired by the decor in the book to create my version of what Santa might look like lingering around our house Christmas eve.  I painted this when we lived at our old house.   

 I modeled the fireplace after our old fireplace. The moulding is accurate and we did have black slate, but it was slabs not cut like stones. I guess this was my dream fireplace too.  LOL!  How do you like that mantle decor? 

Santa certainly was very busy here leaving lots of toys and presents under the tree.

So he sat right down for nice hot cup of cocoa and drawl of his pipe by the fire before he left.  Look, he even crosses his legs just like my husband.  LOL!

Well, I really do appreciate your time and the visit today.  I'm glad you came by.  I also really like having Santa around too, he is such good company.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Mary

The Halls are Decked!

I love Christmas!  I certainly hope you will be able to tell just how much.  I have been a very busy woman getting everything ready for the holidays.  I think I am almost done! I still need to make the new wreath for the front door and few other wreaths I was going to make for the den.  But other then that,  I do believe the I've successfully "Decked the Halls" and am ready to join the party.

The foyers is ready...

And trimmed in berries and plaid.  Look, I think I see a few of my helpers still hanging around!

The dining room is decked out in my usual white, gold and silver.

The new white tulle ribbon I bought this year went a long way.

I will do a feature on this room soon, I just love it!

Be sure and come back for that!  Okay?

You saw my den already, but I just have to show it again.  I moved the chairs I had in front of the TV upstairs, sooo much better!

Behind the couch is a bit more crowded then I prefer but some things get that way this time of year.  I wanted to show you my newest candle holders that I got on sale from Wisteria after our friend Jane over at Blondies Journal told us about them.  I have a wonderful idea on how I really want to use them but for now they will be used as candle holders.  Aren't they fantastic?

I just wanted to show you my mantle one more time.  I added my very old paper mache Santa in the middle after unpacking him.  Doesn't he just fit perfectly here?

I finished making my red pillows and pulled out our Christmas throw.

In the kitchen, Santa is everywhere! 

I'll show you more vignettes up close in this room tomorrow.

I've pulled out all my holiday serve ware in here too!

Last but not least I have to give you a look at the foyer upstairs.  I moved the chairs from the dining room that I tried to put in the den up here.  I also have one of my regular den chairs up here for the holidays too.  I feel like it's been musical chairs around here lately.

Here's my newest tree this year, I purchased from the thrift store.  Doesn't it look great!  It's just the perfect size I had been wanting for up here.

It's almost time!  Santa's sleigh is loaded, I hope your ready! 

Thanks for taking the holiday tour today.  I hope you enjoyed your visit.

Come again anytime, I love having visitors!

Merry Christmas!

Mary

More Holiday Thrifts

I am a bad, bad woman sometimes!  I just cannot help it!  Honestly!  Yesterday, while out Christmas shopping I just had to stop by the thrift store.  I promised myself not buy anything that was not related to Christmas.  I figured this was a good way to keep myself in check.  Like, how much really good Christmas stuff could there be in a thrift store.  See, I have sooo many Christmas things already that I have become very choosy about what I buy.  Who knew I would find what I think is more really good stuff!

I left everything sitting on the dining room table in the box until I could work up the courage to confess to my Mr. this morning.  He argued Why? for a bit then sweetly gave up after realizing I hadn't spent much at all and after inspecting my purchases.  I guessed they passed because they get to stay.  Yay!

Yes ladies, I got some more dishes! 

Now tell me the truth, wouldn't you have done a double take when you saw this set.

Then when you saw they were only $4.50 for the set of four dinner and four salads in perfect condition, you would have snatched them up too, right?

I know several of you would have brought them home too.  This will be our family's everyday Holiday dishes.  I cannot wait to serve the next meal on them, after a good hand washing and dishwasher run too.  LOL!  I am so funny that way.  All my thrift dishes get the double treatment before using.  But come on, don't cha just love em!

When I first walked into the thrift store this was the first thing I spied.

At .50 cents each these little poinsettia bowls had to come home.  They are a much prettier red then I was able to photograph.

This adorable Studio 33 spoon rest was a steal at .50 cents also.  I just love the colors on this!  Be sure and check out more thrifty deals at Linda's  Junkin Finds Friday.  Sorry I'm so late to the party! 

 

Just so you know, I did get more real shopping done yesterday too, I'm not done but getting real close.  How about you?  Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?

I have been so busy last week getting all my Christmas decor finished up.  I'm almost done, need to finish up a bit more this weekend.  I can't wait to show you some wonderful changes around here!  It's definitely coming together well.  Finally!  Be sure and visit again to see our home for the holidays.

Thanks for visiting!  Have a great weekend Everyone!

Mary

Handcrafted Ornaments and Such

I have a new blogging friend who has been showing some of her wonderful homemade Christmas decorations.  I myself have often enjoyed doing something creative at Christmas.  I don't always feel the creative urge each year but certainly have lately.   Ever since Danielle,  showed one of her latest creations here, I have been inspired to share a few of mine as well.  So, for Inspiration Friday I thought I would show you a few of my favorite older made Christmas ornaments as well as my latest creations.

This is one of my oldest creations.  In fact it's so old it has lost all it's smell.  I really need to make some new more updated versions of these.  I hot glued a few small cinnamon sticks together, hot glued on some decorative dried flower potpourri, a decorative ribbon and you have a beautiful scented ornament. 

Speaking of scented ornaments, for an easy creation I just added scented potpourri in these clear balls.  How easy is that?  They have long lost their scent too, but a few drops of scented oil and they are good to go a few more years, cause really I have no patience to try and shake all that potpourri back out.

 

This is not really a handmade ornament per say either, but I love updating old ornaments with glitter.  Just add glue in any design and shake the glitter on over a bowl, then hang to dry.  This is such an easy fix to old inherited glass balls that are loosing their color.  After the glitter dries a bit then coat the whole ornament with modge podge.

Here's a few balls I covered entirely with glitter, then modge podged.  Beautiful aren't they!  Stay tuned to see where I use these, every year.

Or you could take a bag of sequins and go to town like I did on these red balls.  This requires a lot of patience.  I just glued them on then coated the whole thing with modge podge.  

These candy ornaments I made using glitter glue paint on styrofoam then wrapped in shrink wrap ( I did not heat the shrink wrap though) and tied on each end with decorative ribbon.

Now back to the tree to show you more of my all time favorites.

I made lots of these candy canes by making my own Christmas craft clay.

This is what I made with the left over clay I had.  I have two of these little Santa hats.

For the candy canes I just rolled out the dough to make long strips like you did in kindergarten to make snakes.  I know you remember how to do that!  I used red food coloring for one batch then left the other natural.  After rolling out two snakes, then twist them together and shape into a candy can and let them dry on wax paper.  BE sure to coat with poly after they are done!  I used modge podge, not recommended for the long run, but I was being cheap at the time. 

Here's the recipe for Christmas Craft Clay

2 cups flour

2 cups salt

2 cups water

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons cooking oil

liquid or paste food coloring

1. In a large saucepan mix together two cups flour, two cups salt, two cups water, two tablespoons cream of tartar and two tablespoons cooking oil.

2. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly for one or two minutes.  The mixture will start to clump immediately.  Keep stirring and remove from the heat when it reaches a dough-like consistency.  If it gets too dry, add some more water and/or a drop of oil.

3. Let the mixture cool until it can be handled.  Knead it well until it's smooth (add more water if necessary or reheat if it's too sticky)

4. Divide dough into separate plastic bags.  Add food coloring and knead it well inside the bag to get an even color.

5. Use the dough and cookie cutter to make homemade ornaments, figurines, door plaques, candle holders, kitchen magnets, etc.  After cutting and making a hole with a skewer or pencil tip, let the pieces dry completely with polyurethane to protect.

( Be sure to store extra dough in airtight container or it will dry out.)

Lately my creative ornaments have been more on the painted side.

Here's a few I had left over from last year!

I made several of these last year.  I had both Carolina and Clemson balls that I made.  I guess you can tell I have more Carolina friends then Clemson friends because this is all I have left.  I actually ran out of the Carolina ones.  All of these got a decorative bow too, not pictured here!

I also made a few of these to give away too!  Here's the one I kept for our tree! 

This one I painted right before Thanksgiving this year.  I am not done with this ornament yet.  It still needs a few more things to pretty it up a bit more.  Maybe some moss inside the ornament, and  a nice pretty bow.  What do you think?

It is always so enjoyable to unpack ornaments you have created and brings back such great memories.  I hope this gives you a few ideas, or inspires you to create your own ornaments too.

Thanks for visiting today!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Mary

J is for JOY!!!

Good Morning Miss Jenny!  How are you today?  Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?  I surely did!  It was quite different over at cousin Mary's this year but we had a great time anyway.  Mam?  What do I mean different?  Well, different cause we had a very busy hectic day and a lot less people to celebrate with then usual.  Yes mam, I do realize that does not sound very enjoyable to you.  But, I  ain't,not lying, it was quite an enjoyable day regardless.  We have so much to be thankful for!  Yes mam, I do remember ain't ain't a word.  Haaha!

Why yes, I am feeling quite lively today.  Why?  Cause of the Holidays of course!  What?  Yes mam, I am ternin my homework in, you just hold your horsies ok?  Ooops!  NO Mam, I did not mean to be sassy.   I am getting around to my homework, ya see?  Our letter was J wasn't it?   That's right!  I'm sorry some folks don't get it, or feel it, but the holidays came and reminded me of  "JOY"!!!  That's my J word for Alphabet Thursday Miss Jenny!  JOY!

I know it's hard to believe you can have JOY when so many crappy...yes mam, I meant "unfortunate" (that's a fancy schmancy word) things are going on around you.   But it's true, ya can ya know!  Like my wise old cousin Mary explained to me sometimes you got to just look for it!  So, that's just what I did, I went looking for it and here's what I found.

Look, cousin Mary put out her Christmas books again this year...have you ever read these?

I know you've read these!   She ain't got no little ones around right now, but cousin Mary ain't about to let go of these, cause they bring her lot's of joy!

Then I really got on a roll, and I found JOY on a plate in the kitchen.

I also found JOY on this pillow in her dining room.

I really got excited when I first spotted the J on this here plate because...

Look at that!  It says... JOY!!!

Then cousin Mary asked what I was doing taking pictures all over her house and squealing like a Lil piggy.  After I told her about my homework, she said, that's easy, let me show you some "joy".  She said, let's start over here at the Christmas tree in the dining room.

Hey!  I didn't see that one cousin Mary!  I see it, it says JOY alright!

Then she started squealing like a piggy and said here's another one!

And look here's another one!  I was looking at these real hard cause I wasn't seeing no JOY, do you?  Then she said, lets go look at the Christmas tree in the den.

She said this is one of her very favorite old ornaments from when she was a child.  She said that when she was a little girl she went to a church that made these and they were called Chrismons.  I told cousin Mary it's really pretty and all, but I still don't see no JOY.  She sighed heavily and said, follow me back to the dining room then.

Cousin Mary took my camera and said, "Here, don't you eva forget this girl, here's your JOY!"  Then she focused and snapped that camera right on the baby Jesus.  She said, you been too busy looking for joy that you almost missed the obvious, didn't you?  OH!  I get it!  She had me there!

Then cousin Mary gave me a big old hug and started humming a little tune that sounded something like this.  Well, she tried too anyway.  LOL!   

I sure am thankful for my family and friends and all those things around me that remind me of the reason for the season.  I hope all of you find JOY this season too!

"Little Missy"