Our Christmas Clutter

Welcome to our home once again decked out for Christmas!
I was so behind this year. My big 'theme decor plan' never did quite materialize beyond the idea stage!
So I just pulled the decoration totes out and begin pulling things out.
Course trees had to be set up. We are using 2 smaller trees set up on tables instead of the bigger trees. Still a job to add all the ornies and such. They do take up less room though and no moving of furniture around too much. In a smaller house you some times have to rethink things.


 This is the living room tree. I adore taking all the special ornaments out and remembering who gave them to us or where we bought them on a special trip. My DH, sweet Mama and family loved to give me Christmas items on my Nov birthday. So lots of sweet memories.

 
 Tree is tucked in the corner by chimney and dining room doorway.
Can be seen from outside when outer door is open.

 
 Also seen from in the kitchen! Puts out a lovely warm glow.
We use both white and color lights.


 http://ansewon.blogspot.com/
 The other tree is a white one I put in dining room.
It is loaded with candy and toy type ornaments, nutcrackers ,candy canes, etc. So cute!
It looks wonderful even when not lite up!

 
 I also put the vintage deer on it from my sweet MIL Nellie and from Aunt Dot.
We use DH's fav bubble lights on this one too. A fun tree for the kid in all of us!
 
 I tucked this wire tree into a corner loaded with homemade swap ornies.
Sitting on the wool snowman runner.


In the living room are two other smaller trees. This one we call the bird tree. It begin with 2 antique birds from my great Aunt Mary and we added to it. Mama and I used to look for just the right ones.


The other small tree sits here. On it is very old ornaments from Germany they came down to me from my Great Grandparents. The cute music box Christmas teapot there was a BD gift from Mama. The cat's stockings hang on the plate rack.


Chimney corner with a Christmas quilt top hanging and the nativity my daughter bought me.
She was so proud earning money at her first job to be able to shop for gifts that year. It may not be the most expensive set but it is priceless to me.




Sofa area all decked out with quilts and greenery.
Grand dog's stocking hangs there.



A sweet angel looks out for the tree in living room.
She is on guard 24/7 so nothing drops off or gets knocked off and broken!

 

 Snowman Nutcracker is counting down the days!
Yes this pic was taken a few days ago we are now 7 days till Christmas!

 The dining room and kitchen look all warm and cozy cluttered up with fun stuff too!
It really is the one time of the year it is OK to pile it on!
Will try to post more pics in another post.
We have been baking and candy making so very messy!

 2012 has sure been a struggle year for me in so many ways, physical , emotional and mentally!
I am determined to push forward and enjoy this special season with sweet family and good friends.
People make the memories!
So do not let a chance go by to tell someone you care about how much you love them!
One of my favorite Christmas songs is I'll Be Home For Christmas.
We can be together with those we love in our hearts and minds even if we are many many miles apart or even with those in heaven!
In this crazy world we live in knowing who and what are most important to us will help get us through. 

Transitioning...

 ..from Fall to Christmas around here! Slowly . Course the warm weather we are having is not helping the Winter mood at all!

 Ye Olde Santas are just waiting round for where they will spend the holiday!These cool dudes are from my pal Mandy of Bittersweetfolkart. She has some wonderful prim things up for sale plus she sells patterns as well.

Have to go around house looking in drawers, closets and cupboards for new decorations I have bought through the year! Pulled out tins for goodies. I need a few more so off I will go to Dollar Tree soon.
Yes that s still a Fall table! Will change over to Christmas soon!

Will have DH pull all the tubs this weekend and the mess will begin!!! Yes indeed I do make a mess doing our Christmas decorating. I only do the inside DH does the outside. Course he has his down to a 1. 2. 3. science...the engineer coming out in him!

Not sure how much sewing will get done before Chritmas but do hope to do a wee bit.
We(really DH);-)  do have to get our baking and candy making  done so we can ship out the boxes to arrive before Christmas week.

Still a small bit of shopping to do. Over all not a super stressful time.
As I have gotten older I seem to stress less anyway. I found out that if I do not tell of all my plans no one else will ever know what I DID NOT GET DONE! hahaha!

Today I am spending time with my pal Alice!
So looking forward to a sweet fun day!

Thanks so much for all the sweet emails and condolances on Uncle Ollie's passing!
Hugs!

Saying Goodbye

Uncle Ollie passed away Nov 21, 2012 in Raleigh, NC.
Today is his service of remembrance and burial in the family cemetery here in Virgina.
He was 90 years old. He and Aunt Dot were to celebrate 70 years together in January!
Uncle Ollie lived a good and long life. He and Aunt Dot farmed raising, corn, peanuts and hogs here on the family farm. When he retired he became bored so went to work at a local family owned supermarket bagging groceries and loading them in your car!
He was active in his church. He taught Sunday school, sang in choir, was church treasurer and served as deacon for 50 yrs for which he was given Deacon Emeritus.


Today we will all share some wonderful memories of your life.
Yes even the funny ones you would tell on yourself!
 Know you are in the Angel Choir.
Goodbye Uncle Ollie.

Happy Thanksgiving

My wish for us all!!!!
Hugs,
Lola

VOTE

We went and voted early. Polls opened at 6AM was already a line!
Moving along well ...so far no problems with machines!
I always feel my Granny Hancock is looking on when I vote! She won the right for me to do so and I treasure it!
We should all feel so honored to be able to go vote.
So many others in this world are not as fortunate to be free to do so!
I do not care who you vote for or what party just go exercise your right to do so!
GO VOTE!!

Happy Birthday to me!

 Today is the day of my birth but we celebrated with family Sunday!

This is my wonderful BD cake. Boston Cream Pie , made for me by my sweet DH! Delish!

 He also made bread to go with our soup buffet meal!

 

 We have Beef Veggie, Ham and Bean and Chicken Corn Chowder! YUM! Was a cold cloudy day so hot soup really hit the spot!

 Here is my sweet family crew! Two nephews, sweet niece D, Sis-in -law, DH and son! Me is middle in green!
 DIL took the pic so I could be in it!;-)
We had a fun time eating and visiting together!

  Pretty flowers and some wonderful cards!

Some of my wonderful presents! Talented niece D made the  lovely cross stitch bird! Have to frame it and put in living room!

 She also made sure I had a wee bit of Winter for my birthday as well!!!

 These flowers I picked from Aunt Dot's by the old chicken house. Mums she thought were gone did make a small comeback. It was like she was here with us!

 Went simply with pretty Fall paper plates and napkins! Fast clean up!

 Did not take a pic with everyone around table! We really need to be more diligent about taken PEOPLE pics! HaHa!! Will make sure I take the camra when we go visit then forget to take pics! My mind is going!!!;-)

Was a happy day spent with family and that is the true gift!
We did miss other sweet members of our family who could not be here with me!
Have had a lot of sweet phone calls though!

I miss my sweet Mama and Mother-in- law on these special days to celebrate. I sent up my love to them today on angel wings to heaven! Hope they know how much I love them and still miss them.


Well today is yet another cold one! Gee! Want my warmer days back to enjoy Fall! Not ready for Winter!
Do have sunshine though! So that is good!
I got to get in gear soon on the few Christmas gifts I plan to make! Goodness did this year blow by or what!!!!

Erin of My Patchwork Life has an effort going on to collect blocks to make quilts for Sandy victims.
Please pop over to check it out! We all want to help and it is hard sometimes to find ways in which we can give besides giving money to Red Cross. We have done that as well. Just hard to see folks suffering and wish you could do more so pop on over and help if you can!

All wicks trimmed....

 ..and lamps were ready to go! We had done as much storm prep as we could.
Thank goodness we did not lose power with Sandy!
Storm is still affecting our weather long after land fall in NJ. We  still have rain today and some wind.
Temps down to 43F! We have had lots of rain and wind. A lot of flooded areas.  More damage along the shore of Virginia Beach also Hampton areas.
Just grateful as could have been so much worse for us too.
My heart goes out to all those north of us dealing with so much lose.
We have family and friends west of us dealing with snow and blizzard conditions!
This storm will be remembered for many years to come!

 I made a bit of a mess today! Yes an orange mess!

 Making these cuties for DH to take to work tomorrow! Candy cookies hats! Saw on Pinterest.
Simple enough. Cookies, candy and icing. All packed up ready to go with some fun napkins!

I did cut up some shirts but that is all that happened in the sewing room!!!

Good mail day...

Yesterday was a good mail day round here for sure!

 First I wanted to share where I hung the finished Inspired Pumkin Quilt. It is over sofa. Next quilt up will be a Christmas one. After the holidays an antique quilt will go back up in that spot.

 Now on to the mail! First came my wonderful giveaway win from Prairie Grove Peddler!

 I pulled this lovely bundle of fat qts out!

 Fall yumminess! Yes that is my new word! Head on over to Cheryl blog she has another giveaway going on!

Next package was my batting bolt! Now to find where it will reside in my small creating space!!!!

Don't ya just love wonderful mail days !

Under the old bed springs...

...was found this quilt! It is not a super pretty one or even elegantly made. It is just a WELL USED QUILT! When the old beds were being taken down at Aunt Dot's this was on one bed under the horsehair mattress on old springs . These beds had been in same place since Aunt Dot, 93yrs old, was a wee gal! She never moved them from where her Mother had them.

This is the only one that I got to keep, others were taken by time I got there.

 All done by hand though. Made to be used. The hexie flowers made up of old fabrics that seem to cover several years. Some look like late 1800's others on into 1900's up through 1920's.

 All hand sewn onto old muslin sacks. The 'batting' is real cotton. It is all bunched up thick in areas.

 A close up of some of the hexies.

 Back is made up of 4 muslin sack sections. Can see the thin areas with sun coming through.

 When folded up it is a goodly size hunk of quilt!

 Here you see the ties, where fabric was joined and rust from the springs.

Pretty blues. More browns too and some dark reds. There are only four flower hexies rest are mixed  up design. Thinking maybe made by different people.

We have decided for now it will rest on DH's Great Granny Peden's low rocking chair. A true treasure to us even if not museum quality!

Went to Raleigh...

 Raleigh,NC that is on Saturday. Was a quick trip down to see Aunt Dot and Uncle Ollie. Weather was horrid. Rain and nasty all day. Trip back was just as bad.
DH's cousin took us to a shop I wanted to go to called Lone Star Mercantile.

1501 N. Main

(At the light across from Applebees)

Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
(919) 557-0202
Hours: Tues-Sat 10a-6p, Sun 1p-5p, closed Monday

 The pic of the cute house they are in did not turn out! A lot of my pics did not turnout!
Anyway it is a wonderful country primitive shop. Loads of  wools, Jo Morton, Barbara Brackman, Judy Rothermel , just loads of Civil War fabrics. Patterns, books and loads of neat things for the home. They have just moved here so getting settled in. We did not have much time so could not take as long as I wished to look at everything! We plan to do another trip down early Dec so hope to be able to visit again.

 Everyone was so nice, friendly and helpful. Just like kindred spirits!

 This is just a bit of  the patterns and books.

 Upstairs are classrooms and they have quilts displayed for those.

  Inside the wool room. Loved this one!

 This is my basket fella. More wool there in the background.

 I already have this pattern . Niece is planning to help me get the stitching done.

 I have this one on my list too! Just need to do it!

 My purchases for the day. Few more things but they are gifts so can not share here.

There is a quilt in the new issue of Primitive Quilts these will be used for.
All in all enjoyed the short visit and look forward to going again.
Check out Lisa's blog and the online shop blog as well.