Rethinking Christmas Decor

When I began decorating for Christmas this year, it was immediately apparent that something had to change.  Brett's health challenges have made it difficult for him to walk or even stand for very long.  In my heart I knew that the decorating would be solely my job.

Being a somewhat sentimental person (particularly at Christmas time), I anticipated a somewhat difficult process.

I think preparing for the party fueled the project.

I began with hiring a few helpers to bring down all the decor that has been stored in overhead garage storage.

When that was done, I asked them if they would like our 9 foot Christmas tree.  They did.  So off it went to a new home.

Strangely, that was a huge relief.

From there I went through every bin with an eye toward what pieces really held meaning or sparked joy (as Marie Kondo would say).

We still have a decorated tree.

It sports our favorite and most meaningful ornaments.

All the others found new homes.

This tree requires no ladders or stepstools to decorate.

It also resides in my favorite reading room.

We've also come to enjoy a beverage in here right after the lights come on most evenings.

In this open floor plan home it is also visible from most other rooms.

It was interesting to see what was kept during this process.

This postcard dated 1934 was something my mom held on to.

Obviously it was special to her when she received it from a little boy at age ten.  I think the Santa in his green suit is charming.

It needed to come out of the box I have been keeping it in and displayed on the bookshelf.  Might not mean much to others, but it warms my heart.

My vintage collection was thinned once again.

Now it is down to the most meaningful pieces.

Old family photos with Santa were given new frames.

I paired them with favorite snowmen collected through the years.

If you were to visit our home, you would most likely not notice

anything different as there is still plenty of Christmas festivity happening.

Behind the scenes things are much more manageable

and the remaining pieces hold memories and meaning.

This just might be the best gift we could give ourselves this Christmas. ;-D

Funny how priorities change as we get older.

❄ Wishing you a peaceful week ❆

Holiday Hospitality

Over the weekend we hosted a holiday party for a group of neighbors.

There were 23 of us in all.

I had intended to snap a few photos throughout the evening, but this is the only one I took.

One neighbor came early and assembled her homemade sangria.

Many oranges and lemons were juiced for this.

It was very tasty as well as festive.

One neighbor brought this darling floral arrangement in the Milk For Santa vase.  

Next to it is one of the waxed amaryllis I mentioned in my previous post.  They arrived the day before Thanksgiving.  This one is just beginning to emerge from the bulb.  There are four of them.  I'm curious to see how they do.  One hasn't started to grow yet.  They are supposed to take 3-5 weeks til bloom time.  They require no care and can be placed anywhere according to the instruction label.  I like that type of gardening, especially at this busy time of year.

Hosting this party forced me to do my Christmas decorating early.

Also forced me to clean the house more thoroughly than normal.

I'm happy to report that the party was a success and now it is so nice to relax and enjoy the clean and decorated house.

Have a wonderful week!!

Almost Valentine's Day

Just a reminder on this day before Valentine's Day.

With the holiday falling on a Friday, I imagine the restaurants will all be filled to capacity.  We went into the city earlier this week for an early celebration.  No big crowds that day.

The restaurant had a lovely patio for dining alfresco.

As it was cold and rainy, we opted for indoor dining.

We both enjoy halibut which isn't always easy to obtain on the east coast.  "Just For The Halibut" caught our eye on the menu and it didn't disappoint.  When the waiter brought it out, at first glance it looked like a dessert.  The halibut was topped with crabmeat and resting on a potato cake with a layer of spinach between layers.  A delicious sun dried tomato sauce was swirled around the bottom.

Yum!

I was able to enjoy it twice as the portion was way more than I could eat in one sitting.  Although I should mention we also had a delicious salad and had to save room to share their famous carrot cake.

Tomorrow we will dine much lighter.

I'm thinking a pot of vegetable soup in the quiet of our own home sounds good.

How do you plan to spend Valentine's Day?

Sending LOVE your way.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Two Bags Full

Today we have been treated to an unseasonably warm February day.

73 degrees fahrenheit currently.

This called for opening the doors and a few windows.

When I opened them this morning I thought it would be for a little airing.  They've been open all day without the house getting too cold or too warm.  Delightful!

The jasmine growing on my trellis had gotten really wild looking.

It has been bugging me every time I walk by it.

The beautiful weather acted as a magnetic force pulling me out the door. 😎

Technically I am working my job from home today.

During a slow moment this morning I snuck out with my pruners and a garbage bag.  Here a snip, there a snip.

This isn't the easiest thing to prune as I can't reach the top and the ground slopes toward the 4 ft. drop off so getting on a step stool is out of the question at my age.

I took my light weight rake and pulled down as much as I could from the top, then got on my tip toes and snipped some more.

I spent the day going from my desk to the trellis and after a few hours ended up with two bags full of clippings from the jasmine.

Also managed to finish my day's office work.

While I was out there I checked in on a few of my herb plants.

The oregano is showing signs of new growth  and, while the chives are looking a bit bedraggled, they are also showing some new growth.  There were a few weeds popping up in there.  They are now relocated to the garbage bag.

The pansies that were covered in ice in my last post have begun putting out a few new flowers.  I gave them a weak dose of fertilizer to help them along.

Our high temperature tomorrow will be 20 degrees lower than today.

Looking at the weather forecast for next week I see two days featuring snowflakes.  That could all change by then so for today I am just enjoying this delightful day breathing in the fresh air and tending my little garden with thoughts of the pretty flowers that will soon begin blooming.

⚘⚘⚘

A Good Weekend For Reading

Frosted Pansies

Well, our highly anticipated snow event resulted in a bit of snow followed by a bit of sleet leaving a frosty coating on everything in it's path.

Tiny icicles hung from the gutters.

Not enough to build a snowman with, but pretty nonetheless.

It was a good weekend for reading.

I finished this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

After remarking to Brett recently that I needed a book that I just couldn't put down, this one crossed my path. (note the words above the title).

Having never read this author, I decided to take a chance.

I didn't realize until I got home that the book was written in 1978.

Apparently it was hard for me to put down as I finished it in a day.

It definitely took some unexpected twists.

This one, set in Australia, was next up.

It is starting off on a mysterious note.

Sometimes when I finish a book I like to wait a few days to process the one I just read.  I planned to do that last night, but before I knew it I started this one.

Last year I signed up for a reading challenge on GoodReads.

I fell short of my goal by ten books.

I set the same goal for this year and now feel I am off to a good start.

"Reading One Book Is Like Eating One Potato Chip"

~Diane Duane

At The Start Of A New Year

As the new year has unfolded, I have been taking my time putting the Christmas decorations away and restoring order to each room in the house.  It's nice to have the time to do this at a leisurely pace.

The charcuterie board above was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law.  On New Year's Eve I made a pot of vegetable soup to go along with the delicious cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and salami.

Yesterday I was texting back and forth with my brother as they live in Los Angeles very close to the wildfires.  He said they haven't been told to evacuate, but have a go bag in the car in case that becomes necessary.  It is horrifying to see the videos coming out of that area of California.  I can't even imagine how that must be for the people living through it and my heart goes out to them.

We have snow in our weekend weather forecast.

It's been years since we've seen any so I'm secretly hoping to see a pretty snowfall.

I'll keep you posted on that.

❄❅❆⛄❆❅❄

My Happy Holiday Home Tour

Hello and Welcome to my happy home

all dressed up for the holidays.

Last night when I was taking these pictures, a gentle rain was falling.

Our holiday lights combined with those of our neighbors made the gloomy evening much brighter and cheerier.

Welcome in.

Feel free to hang your coat.

I've got my hat & scarf parked here with high hopes that we will see at least one snowfall this winter.  Fingers crossed.

Could I interest you in a cup of hot chocolate?

The foyer table is dressed up for the holiday season.

It will come as no surprise that shades of blue feature prominently throughout my home.

Across from the foyer table is the living room.

The tree in here features my parents collection of ornaments.

This is where I start my day with the tree lights on, a warm cup of coffee and often a cozy Christmas book to peruse.

Just past the living room is the large island that is kind of a central point in the house.  In the fall I purchased this large wooden tray and enjoyed decorating it with pumpkins and gourds.

Here it is all spiffed up for Christmas.

In the background you can see the kitchen.

You've seen it before, but I'll take you in to see a few little vignettes.

This wooden tray was found at the thrift shop.

I added a bit of vintage whimsy and tucked it into the corner where it brings back memories of childhood Christmases.

While doing the dishes, this is the view.

Christmas cards seem to dwindle more each year.

I do appreciate those that I still receive and enjoy seeing them and being reminded of the special people who sent them.

Just past the kitchen is the dining table and hutch.

Everything on the table was thrifted, including the table runner which looked brand new and couldn't be more perfect for the color scheme I was working with.

Finally we make it to the family room.

Christmas music is playing and the fire is lit.

The presents are wrapped and soon it will be time to gather together and make new memories.

Thank you for visiting today.

As you leave through the garage door, my whimsical snow couple and I would like to wish you

A Very Merry Christmas

and

All Good Things in The New Year!

Happy To Be Home

A beautiful day in sunny Florida.

Judging by this picture one might get the idea that we enjoyed a tropical vacation.

The main reason for our trip was to move my mother-in-law into assisted living from the apartment she has been in since 2014.

We drove down on Thanksgiving day.

Not knowing what would be open, and in an effort to save time, we packed lunch and ate at a rest stop.

Turkey Jerky, sweet potato chips, homemade pumpkin muffin and clementines were my attempt at making this somewhat unusual Thanksgiving still seem festive.

The traffic was light as we had hoped.

We arrived at our first destination in time to celebrate with our son and his family.  Thankfully we were able to visit with them for a few more days.

Jaxson loved going on walks with his grandparents and showing us the best views in his neighborhood.  Grandma wanted a picture by the pretty poinsettias.

When grandpa was ready for a rest, Jaxson found a palm frond and used it as a fan.

😄

Soon it was time to head further south and begin our work.

We spent 6 days going through my mother-in-law's belongings.

She is in a much smaller place now so everything had to be dealt with in short order.  Like so many from her generation. she was a saver.  I was amazed to come across her high school scrap book filled with crumbling corsages. Boxes and boxes and boxes of photos made me glad that we now store them on our devices for the most part.  We brought back what we could fit in the car to be distributed to various family members.  We lost count of trips to the donation center.

Once the jobs were done, we enjoyed a celebratory dinner and visited her in her new home.

In her room with her daughter and yours truly.

Our last day we visited during "happy hour".

Mother & son enjoyed the Christmas carols being played on the piano and a nice conversation.

Somewhat teary goodbyes are always hard.

At 95 years old she is in remarkable health.

Prior to her move she had a few falls and it became clear that she couldn't live alone anymore.  Convincing her of that was interesting (to say the least).  After an adjustment period she is now doing very well in her new home.

We are now back home and Christmas seems to be coming way too fast.  The smartest thing I've done in a while is ...

putting up my trees and all Christmas decorations prior to leaving.

After a very busy few weeks and a long drive home it was so nice to walk into our home all lit up for the holidays.

Merry Christmas to me :).

This afternoon is my eye injection appointment and then I'm off the computer for a few days.  Can't wait to have a minute to sit and catch up on blog reading.

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetie Pie

Happy Valentine's Day to You, Sweetie Pie!

Sending my vintage Valentine greeting and a virtual slice of cherry pie to you today.

Awhile ago I gave my toy stove and other vintage kitchen items a new home.  Right inside my pantry.  When you open the door there is a little space before the shelving begins.  I think it is meant for tall things like brooms.  One night when I was having trouble getting to sleep I formulated an idea...

The next morning I got up and gave the broom a new home in the garage.  I emptied out a tall, narrow bookcase I had.  It fit into that space perfectly with room to still access the light switch.

Now when I turn on the light my treasured vintage collection greets me.

When I moved to this house, this collection didn't look quite right in my more modern kitchen.  Now I can still see and enjoy it in my secret hiding spot.  The stove still makes it's way to the counter at Christmastime.  

Another night when sleep was slow to come I formulated a new home for my cookbooks.  Until that point they were housed in various cupboards where the weight on some of the shelves was concerning.  What can I say, I love to browse through cookbooks.  Sometimes I even use them for their intended purpose.  Ha!!

Tonight, for example, I will be cooking and baking a special dinner for my Valentine.

Wishing you a day filled with love and a special treat or two.