Merry Christmas From Our Home To Yours!

...beverage dispenser used in a different way...

...vintage peacocks from my mother...

...a few of my grandmother's ornaments...

...a couple of my favorite books...

...a new ornament from a friend...

...hot cocoa station...



...my latest acquisitions...



...my grandmother's little jello mold...

...and one of her cookie cutters...

...one of her glass Christmas ornaments...

...and a special nativity set.

Merry Christmas!

I'm joining Marty for her Table Top Tuesday. Be sure to drop by for loads of inspiration!

Quick Clean~Up!

I thought I'd share a really quick "clean~ up" project. I was setting a table for our family {on a black tablecloth} and put out the stemware. Yuk! The bottoms of the glasses were a mess! These glasses are from the dollar store, but have become workhorses. 

There was a residue or something that was not coming off with a regular soap and water bath.

So I tried toothpaste. Yep, regular old toothpaste with an old toothbrush. It was paste {not gel}. I think the cheaper the better...it is probably a bit more abrasive.

After a bit of brushing, the bottoms were so much better, fit for a black tablecloth!

So, if you have glasses that need a bit of attention, try this trick!

I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for her Metamorphosis Monday. Be sure to drop by for a visit!

Ho, Ho, Ho...

Had a few minutes today to put up a few holiday ornaments...

and a couple quick crafts...

Bavarian China

The table I'm sharing today is from my mother's Thanksgiving table.

She's been decorating tables for as long and I remember.

She has quite a collection for each season and fall is one of her favorites.

 We've always had special dinners in the dining room with her china, the china my father bought her while he was stationed in Germany during the Korean War.

This china is one of her most prized possessions.

Isn't it lovely?

 Her silver is Prelude and part of her wedding registry.

I like the way she used different shades of chargers for her table.

The napkin rings were unique...a wonderful contrast to the dainty china.

We had a delicious meal and wonderful time with her and other family members.

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving as well.

I'm linking with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for her Tablescape Thursday. Drop by for a visit, won't you?

Hummels

I've always had an appreciation for Hummels. My mother has collected them for years and has accumulated quite a few.

While visiting for Thankgsgiving, I took a few pictures to share with you today.

My mother ordered these ornaments from the Hummel club.

This Umbrells Boy is one of my favorites.

As you can see, he's much larger than the ornaments.

I gave my mother this little guy in honor of my second son.

My sister and I gave her this cutie for Mother's Day this year.

We thought it looked like us a few years ago!

And finally, I wanted to share these two Hummel pillows.

These were made by my sister, given to my mother. Aren't they gorgeous? I wish I had her patience to complete such pretty pieces.



I'm joining Tam at The Gypsy's Corner for her Three or More Tuesday. Be sure to visit for amazing collections!

One for the birds!

Our weather here in southeast Texas has been gorgeous the past few days. And with all this wonderful weather, the birds outside have been really hungry. We fill our feeders at least once a day and the birds just chirp for more!

While browsing through blogs, I found this "recipe" at Under The Table and Dreaming and decided to make a birdseed wreath. Stephanie Lynn gives a great tutorial!

I used a Tupperware Jello mold and gelatin...super easy!

It turned out so cute!

Do you think the birds will appreciate all the details?

Perhaps not, but I sure do!

Bad timing, I know...

I teach elementary school and had the entire week off for Thanksgiving. With all this extra time, I decided that I could tackle something in my home that was driving me C R A Z Y...the wallpaper in my kitchen. About two years ago we decided to have our lovely wallpaper hung by a "professional"...ha...It was fine for a while but then this started happening:



and this:

Ugh...it was making me nuts! I tried to fix it, but as soon as I did, another seam would come apart. At this point, my husband and I decided that enough was enough...that wallpaper was coming off and this was the week to tackle this project. Besides, it wouldn't take too long, right? Maybe a couple of days?

Hm...beginning stage on Saturday {a week ago}:

The green paper is really some type of vinyl, I think. It was coming off fairly easy. However, underneath is the paper that was supposedly glued...it was taking a bit longer to remove. ugh...tick, tock...

Then there were presents to begin making, shopping and cooking to be done, and traveling for Thanksgiving. What in the world was I thinking?!...tick, tock

My husband and I worked all day today {Saturday - one week later} and finally that paper is all off. After a bit of sanding and patching, we're ready for the next step.

I'm back at work Monday with a full calendar. However, in the next day or so we're planning to paint with Kilz and then spray on texture. Finally, we'll paint. Why do things take longer than expected? Poor planning on my part? probably.

Anyway, I love these looks...clean and relaxed.

                               traditional kitchen design by new york architect Denise DeCoster Architect

                                                traditional kitchen design by other metros interior designer Alix J. Bragg

                                            traditional kitchen design by chicago interior designer Emily Mackie Norris

We hope to finish completely in a couple of weeks...hm...just in time for Christmas. I hope to knock out a little each day after work...at least a bit of decorating for Christmas and such...

As far as the kitchen, I'm keeping my dark cabinets and tile floor. I'd love to get new counters but that's not in the budget at this time. My next issue is whether or not to add something to the windows. I have 2 inch blinds that I want to keep. I'm so used to my toppers that the windows seem bare without anything. I'm thinking of basic panels, the same as in the adjoining den, but it seems that curtains are "out" these days. Oh, what to do...what to do? Or better yet, what do you have in your kitchen windows? Are they bare or do you have some type of curtains? I'd love to know!