23 More Days...

Until Christmas!  

Are you counting?  I am!

I'm having so much fun decorating, planning a little tea for my quilting and hooking friends and just enjoying the season.  I have a few new Christmas decorating photos to show you and some with changes that I've made to what I had already done.

So come on along!

Here are some close up photos of some of our ornaments.  The punched tin star tree topper I won at the Shaker Woods Festival in Columbiana, Ohio several years ago.  

Most of the ornaments are hand crafted and were either purchased or gifted to me when I was travel teaching.

Pictured below is one of the new seasonal arrangements that I made yesterday from fresh greenery that was found on our property and in the woods beyond the cleared land.  This one is in a salt glazed crock and is sitting on the sideboard in our kitchen.

The Santas that you see on the ledge of the pine step back cupboard I made several years ago from vintage glass Coke bottles.  I designed, sculpted and hand painted each one and they are all unique, depicting different themes.

They are Mr. Painted Quilt's favorites.

The second fresh greenery arrangement is in a basket that now rests on a chair in the main floor bathroom.  Both arrangements are made from cedar, fir and fresh holly. 

Here it is again but from a different angle.

Now you guys don't miss a trick, do ya!

After my last post several of you asked about my vintage poinsettia quilt that I wrote about here.  Well it is now on our bed, just in time for the Holiday Season.

It's been folded up in my quilt cupboard since last Christmas.  On the next sunny day I'll hang it out on the clothesline and the fold marks will disappear.  

A few more Christmas memories can be found on the side table in our bedroom.  I designed and painted the Santa back in 1993.  Yikes!  Where has the time gone?

The little gathering on our stove top now sports a few different things including a reproduction vintage fly screen which I found in a local shop just last week.

And while all this was happening, I made an apple pie and a roast is simmering away in the slow cooker for tonight's dinner.  

Frankie and Ollie were chilling yesterday morning just prior to his visit to the doggie day spa.

And here's a much cleaner and spiffier Ollie this morning.  Boy did he need it!  

And last but not least, a little reminder that this Friday, December7th, is the First Friday of the month of December and I have a special design that I created just for you all to make and enjoy.  I think that this one might be my most favorite First Friday Freebie to date.  

Can you tell that I'm excited?