Christmas decorating............

Here it is again, time to decorate for Christmas. I was not going to ever go all out again with my decorating but this year I have a plan. I will do it.
Here is the plan. I am going to put everything away (everyday stuff). When Spring comes and I am ready to put away Christmas I will have sorted everything out. That way next year it should be much simpler to find things. Gerry hauled up all the boxes from storage and nothing is going back (under the stairs) I will have everything next year where I can get my hands on them.
The Entrance. (note that there is now a dresser in there and I have no ornaments for it haha)

Laundry


Right now my house is a total disaster. Every room is a mess. Is anyone else like this. If one room is in chaos I feel like the whole house is. I also found out while packing up some of the dining room just how dusty things are. Everything will have to get washed when I take it back out. No point in doing it now.
I didn't do much in the small bathroom but gave it just a tad of Christmas spirit.

Not a lot in the Kitchen


I have found I have a forest of (fake)trees for outside and in. I'm not sure where they all came from. I can probably keep most of those and maybe decorate them. I can decorate the porch and deck with some of them. I will select the ones for inside and keep the best for that. I think I gave Laura my Angels but kept the red and gold ones. I have Santa's and snowmen but again I don't remember what I kept. This will be fun finding out again what I have, like old friends. At this point in life I have things like a Santa someone made in my quilting class, she has since died so I think of her every year.
Dining room.... well, the sewing machine is still out and once this is finished I can get to sewing yeahhhh. Gabby says she remembers the little kissing bears from when she was little.




I am taking a break because although I only packed 1/2 a room I am already whooped. The first day I could not stop and found myself getting up all evening and poking around.
Living room, this is the room most used, I suppose its the family room. I never know what the rooms are in this house as we have the extra room.







I will seperate the outside stuff and inside stuff and pack it all seperately when the time comes, right now it's all together.
Progess, I found the trees that light and still work for the back. Have two for the house that light (except they didn't light up once I plugged them in). Lights for the deck did work woo hoo.
The front room, I suppose it was once the Parlour.





We did get a sprinkle of snow so that made things look better outside. The squirrels are very hungry and keeping birds away so I have to chase them periodically. Fat little Squirrels, time for a few weeks nap maybe. I will have to go get more bird food at this rate
Well one good thing I found all my photo chips that have been lost forever they were in a tiny drawer in a small chest. I was about to send for more. They are expensive so this has been worth it for that alone. The cats are being wayyyyyy too helpful and if not careful will get packed away in a box till Spring.
The front porch


So now to pack all the very small things. One thing that decided me was how very dusty everything is. Come Spring all this china must be washed. It looks like I still have all my snowmen and Santa's I must have just given Laura the Angels. I have way too many trees, its like a bloody forest in here. Still thats OK. I will use what I need and will know to get rid of the rest. I have 3 green (new) wreaths, they would make great gifts for next year decorated with some of my ornaments and balls.

Since last time I decorated I have added a dresser in the entrance. Glad I didn't pack that stuff away just yet because nothing left to decorate it now. That's Ok though as nothing that is on there will go in my sale. I may just hit the resale shops haha, please no, don't let me do it.
I have had lots more energy, the cold lasted two weeks and the cough meds made me lethargic and tired. I kept falling asleep. Anyway, I was up at 6.30 this morning rather than the 9am it has been the past two weeks. So lets get this done. I have boxes to haul downstairs that will about kill me but it has to be done. Gerry can barely walk when he gets home. I told him it's time to quit. In this cold he just can't do it anymore. The money would be nice but...........not worth it.
Back deck, looks better when it gets dark and the lights show


Just tweeking left to do now. I asked Gabby if she would like to decorate the tree with Cooper he has never done that before. All kids should be able to decorate the Christmas tree. So I sorted my ornaments and chose what I wanted on this tree, there's not room for them all on this tree.I also set aside some tin ornaments to put on another tree. He was so chuffed to do that and enjoyed himself I think.
Gerry quit early, he was just not up to working. So after he rested up he took the empty boxes to the garage and I was able to finish up. I have one box of things left to sort, but its mainly Poinsiettas and holly that I will set around later.
Thanks goodness that's done. Just 3 days that was quicker than I thought...........rather boring post but there ya go

Pumpkins.................

I love the shape of Pumpkins. I do not and have never celebrated Halloween but I love Harvest time and Autumn decorations. I began to "collect" Pumpkins one year when I visited Bier Gallery. I began by buying some of the "froggie" sculptures. One happened to be on a Pumpkin. I bought him plus a plain one to stand together.
I just love my froggies.

Anyway, not long after that we stopped at the Glass blowers in East Jordan. I was collecting glass balls at that time but saw a pumpkin one Autumn and could not resist. So this was my first.

The next year we took Tristen to see him work and I got another

Anyway, I think it's the shape and in these glass ones, it's how he forms the vines. We intended taking the boys this weekend but Tristen was sick so it was just Cooper this time. I had seen the Facebook page and saw a green Pumpkin I liked and so that was a good opportunity to get a 3rd one to make a set. I asked for a Ladybug to put on it and the man kindly did that for me.


I may like this green one best of all. Last time we went to Bier Gallery I got another froggie on a pumpkin, although this one is more like a gourd, I still count him in my Pumpkin collection.

I do put Pumpkins outside for Autumn decoration but we don't do carved ones. No devil associations here thank you.
I do love this one that I found a long time ago for Harvest Festival.

I decorate with flowers and gourds and love how pretty it can look. This next one is a patchwork Pumpkin

I want to make some knitted ones but I keep the ones I have inside all year around and don't want to get into another season of decorating the house inside. I have seen some great ideas for others too that are fabric and maybe some day I will get those done.


Cooper brought a real pumpkin home from school but they know we don't carve them so it sits on the porch. Today it had a leaf attached and look pretty cute I thought. The real one will eventually get eaten by Squirrels and Crows so will not go to waste. I will put it on the garden once it snows.

My friend Nancy made the little house, so I set it out with the pumpkins

It will soon be time to decorate for Winter and Christmas, but for now it's all nice and bright for this beautiful season.

Craft shows....................

Today there was a craft show just down the road from us. I wanted to go out to Gallagher's Farm to get some apples and bread. They have that awesome Pizza bread. I figured I would make spaghetti tonight and maybe some meatballs. Then tomorrow maybe Chili.... so I bought two pizza breads and a multi grain one so that if we polish off the pizza bread tonight we have that as backup. As I already ate some, well.....

It was raining and it turned to snow.......yes snow.'



While we were out I asked Gerry if we could stop at the craft show at the church. I knew Gerry probably would not want to go, but, he said he would wait in the car. Cooper and I went in. Boy that church is huge, has the school there so it's like a rabbit warren. We wound our way through the maize.
I bought a couple of angels because I thought I would like to make some myself. They look easy enough and would make nice gifts.


We looked around all the different rooms and I held onto Cooper so he didn't get lost.


I didn't want to really buy anything but I thought if I saw a night light I would claim it. Didn't find any. We did see some really cool stuff though. The picture above is something I would like to try. I saw a class last year when we were out and about and it looks easy enough. When the painting is done you put the small lights on the back and punch through to the front. It's a nice effect and I want one for outside on the porch. I have the canvas now so I really hope I get it done.


Craft shows are a great place to buy hand made gifts for Christmas. Not so expensive either.
I loved these beautiful little critters.

I resisted though. I too often buy things for no reason. Just because they are cute

I saw Petoskey stones and blue stones made into jewelry. Some that I really would have liked but I resisted.



I was wondering how successful people are at selling. I thought about giving it a try next year. I could do that. It's not that stressful really and I would not have to do a lot. I will ask Edna if she would like to go in with me haha..............I didn't see a lot of things like what I do so maybe I could do something unique. There are a lot of the same things. Something to think about I suppose, it does look like a lot of work for what? I mean really how much would we make?. Edna could do a lot of sewing and I can paint and do other things. I guess we will see next year. At this point I am sure not doing much other than my books.

Front Porch for Autumn.....................

It was another hot day, in the upper 70s and because it rained it was also humid. Bleh!!!!! I went outside to do a few things but it was too yucky for me, my hair is wet and itches now. I dug up a Hosta that was in the way of the path to the veggie garden. I then stepped in the hole and fell over, scraped my knee and hit my ribs and hand but I am OK. Just getting clumsy in my old age. I feel it now, the age that is. I am not as steady as I once was and I suppose a lot of that is due to my vision. Ah well. I also got the front porch changed around.'


We do not celebrate Halloween but I do love Fall decor.

We were going to redo the front porch this year but that did not happen. We decided to pay as we go rather than run up a large bill again. I just paid off my Pay Pal and do not want it up there again. So, the porch is not too pretty right now. Still this does brighten things up.

I really like that wreath..........I have one out back as well. Also one under the trellis.

I like the Pumpkins, celebrate Harvest Festival and remember times gone by. Do you like my Crow?
Fake Mums instead of real ones. Saves some money there, we are poor folks now.

The mail mans table

I did buy some pretty Mum's for Alex though and went out today to tidy up for her birthday. She would have been 29 thats hard to believe

So another year goes by missing her but she will stay forever young and beautiful in our memories. She would like that.

Bier Gallery new purchase..............

When we did our trip to Charlevoix yesterday we stopped at the Bier Gallery. I had read on Facebook that they had new Froggies in. Well really they didn't have more actual new designs. I had to look hard to find one of the collection that I didn't have but I did find one that fits in. I also got to visit the studio where the lady was making new ones. She is making more of the Maple leaf Froggies but is also doing an Oak leaf one and I don't have one of those yet, something for next year maybe. I should ask on Facebook when they will be ready.
This is my new one.

He is on a gourd rather than a Pumpkin. I do not do Halloween but I do collect Pumpkins. I have some glass ones that I got out at the glass blowers at East Jordan. If its nice next time Tristen comes over maybe we can take a ride out there. He likes to see the Glass Blower at work.
These are my Pumpkins from Beir.

They have a blue collection but I stick with the neutral tones

I think my very first froggie was this little tooth pick holder

Then I believe I got Froggie in the chair.....he sits near the TV

He looks dusty but I can't get that off unless I wash him and I never remember.
This guy is sitting by the front door

I think my favourite is this one I have on the wall and will get one of the Oak leaves as soon as I can. I think that will complete my collection unless she comes up with something new.

I have bought a few other things over the years, these silly cats and the rat in the trap sit together on a box.


I have so many small things sitting around. I had wanted a lamp but it was several hundred dollars. My Aunt once said well you could get one big thing for what you pay for all the small things. I know but.........I love the small things too. The Mushroom I bought over the road at the other gallery sits with my Pumpkins now

The Morel mushroom sits with my others, the ones made of Petoskey stones and the Froggie on the Morals.

Besides, if I break one I can replace it, if its that expensive I would not be able to. One time I was out there I did spent about 180 dollars on this doll who resides on my wall.......along with a Fairy on another wall but it's rare that I put out even that much in one go.

Once upon a time, after my kids left home I mistakenly thought I could have nice things again. Well I did not take into account Grandkids or pets. I learned my lesson. I also changed my decorating theme, so now I keep it to things I know I will always love. Things from Nature mainly. So many small things all over the house. I like hand crafted from people I meet like my Wild Flowers and carved Sumac. Those people retired now so no more from them. Also the Grumm Gallery is gone when Norman died. His stuff now is very expensive and hard to find. I have some nice ones though. I saw one of his things when I was in Beir and I bet it wont be there next time otherwise I may have to get it. A little bird sitting on a branch of green leaves.
Maybe next month if we go north???? Oh no I must be good.