A few trees ~

 

A few of my trees.

Everything Santa.

Kugels ~ both vintage/antique and new.  Kugel ornaments are heavy, German-made antique glass Christmas decorations from the mid-1800's to early 1900's, known for their thick glass, deep colors (red, blue, silver), internal silvering (mercury glass), and unique brass caps, often in shapes beyond simple spheres like grapes or pinecones, representing the the original heavy, ornate Christmas baubles before modern thin-walled bulbs.

My one and only antique feather tree.  Vintage cardboard houses and celluloid reindeer.

The BIG tree.

Everything patriotic.

Sweet little wall box with a Schooner plate.

A couple days ago I wanted to have a "play date" with friends.  Unfortunately no one could go play, so I played alone 😁.  I did come home with this little vintage cotton batting Santa and the vintage SC blocks.

With cash given to me by DSO, this Santa came home with me.  He was called Union Suit Santa and is a creation by Wisconsin artist Michelle.  You can find her here.

I am sad to see the Christmas season ending.  It has been my busiest but most stress free holiday ever.  Soon it will be crunch time, boxing everything up, hauling it to the attic, and putting out all the normal decor.  Then getting ready to head to rug camp in Florida with hooker buddy Sue in mid January.  When the trees are all put away and the hundreds of white lights are gone, the house seems so dreary for a few days until I get used to normal once again.

Thanks so much for following along on my blog journey for another year!!!
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Then & Now ~

 

Ernestine eight years ago at Christmas ~ the year DSO adopted her.  Look at that black face!

And now at age 13 1/2.  That grey face melts my heart.

Poor girl is showing her age ~ arthritis and hip dysplasia 😭.  Even for a furkid, growing old is not for sissies.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Peace, health and happiness!

Remember the reason 

for the season.

xoxo

Lauren

Santa obsessed ~

To say I am Santa obsessed is definitely an understatement.  Here are more of my Santas (but not nearly all of them!).

Vintage Santas in the downstairs bath.

How funny.  I have two different Santas that say Yugoslavia 1910, but according to Google, Yugoslavia first came into existence as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on December 1, 1918.  It officially adopted the name Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929.

Living room bucket bench.

I show this every year.  The Russian St. Nicholas my mom made.  I absolutely love him.

My "Chris" tree.  Everything but the tree is from my friend Chris.

A Marketplace find.

Salt glaze Santas.

My favorite blow mold Santa.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Attic finds ~

 

It is officially winter ~ and albeit slowly ~ the minutes of daylight will be increasing.  Where I live in the Eastern Time Zone, sunset is currently 5:02 pm.

Today I will share a few of my attic finds.  Things I came across in the attic when I was up there cleaning/purging in the spring.

I believe I already showed St. Nick, made by the talented Rhonda, who got tucked away in a box and not put with the Christmas items.  I was so happy to finally have him back under the tree.

In the same box was Santa whose coat is an old quilt.

A snowman gourd purchased many years ago at a craft show that I had completely forgotten about.

And last but not least . . . I have mentioned many times that my mom did beautiful ceramics back in the day.

Another snowman.

Little Santa that had not been antiqued.  I didn't do the best job antiquing him but wanted to display him nonetheless.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

I saved the best for last.  I don't know why the Little Drummer Boy had been tucked away for so many years.  My mom was so proud of this piece and I am thrilled to have him.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'd better go check my list!!!  Lots of piddly stuff on it that I need to accomplish today.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Santa Claus is coming to town!

 

A few of my Santas!  Believe me, there are many more.

(Most of the pictures are washed out because the sun is actually shining in northern Ohio!)

In the kitchen.

The little tree only has ornaments made from the old figural light bulbs.

An old slaw cutter with hard plastic Santas.  Little sampler I stitched.

In the dining room.

Great cubby made from an old crate, filled with part of my treenware collection.

Vintage Santas.

Vintage chenille Santas.

Atop the jelly cupboard, one of my first antique cupboard purchases decades ago.

Top of pie safe.

My favorite Santa purchase this year.  He is hand carved.  Friend Laura suggested the feather tree sprig and putz sheep in his hands.  Perfect!  (Laura also made the gold pipe cleaner tree.)  And two recently purchased vintage putz sheep.

Sweet little hanging cupboard (not old) purchased 30+ years ago, filled with vintage cotton batting batting Santas and bottle brush trees.  All Santas are vintage except for one.

My new to me antique cupboard purchased this summer.

The bottom two shelves are filled with mostly vintage pieces.

And lastly another wall box with a chocolate mold that I'm sure is not old, but don't remember where or when I bought it . . . sigh.  My mind is gone.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Snow folk ~

 

Since we are less than a week away from Christmas, I thought I'd better show some of my Christmas "stuff".  Year to year my decorating is very similar, but some things are changed around a bit and there are a few new additions 😁

Today I will start with my snow folk!

These are in the living room at the base of the stair.

Hanging above the snowmen shown above.

A vintage snowman snow globe.

Can you tell I like wall boxes?

A Kelly Belfast rug won years ago.

Snow folk tree in the upstairs bath.

Hooked and constructed in a class many years ago.

And my only blow mold Snowman.

On the little landing leading to the basement.  

Hanging on my drapery stretcher.

What a busy time of year.  Thankful that I started decorating early because I have been gone so much lately I would be crazy-stressed by now had I not.  About the only things left to do are grocery shop (one of my least favorite tasks!) and polish the silver.  I only use it at Christmas so it needs a bit of cleaning.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren