MORE DECORATIONS - DON'T YOU JUST LOVE CHRISTMAS????

Bows and candles in the window boxes

Bows on my collection of watering cans.

A ceramic candy train I painted one year. The three cars are the candy dishes Our son always checks for M&Ms - and if there aren't any he grumbles a little until I go and get some, just like when he was a kid (he's 40 now) :-)

Our house overflows with fun and decorations during the holidays - I love to decorate any little corner I can find. We put lights up outdoors - wreaths along fences (when we have a fence) - wreaths on the inside and the outside of the front door - wreaths at the windows - bows on anything that doesn't move, and on some things that do.

My tole painted Santa - with a bundle of sticks. He is the one that started all the fun of collecting Santas.
I use holly dishes - made by Lefton in the 60s and 70s for lots of holiday entertaining - and for christmas eve with the family. We have picked them up at thrift stores and yard sales (one time Don got service for four, for about 12.00 total - what a bargain!) - and lately I've gotten a few fill-in pieces on ebay. This past month I bid on, and won, four more dinner size plates and the seller put in one more set as a bonus - so now we have enough dinner size plates in holly for everyone in the family. I have solid red and solid green depression glass pieces that go with the holly.


One of my favorite pieces - a small pitcher and plate. Ben loves to get these out along with some cups and make a tea party for us. He is a very careful little boy and has never broken anything. He knows where they are stored in the pantry and can get them himself.

Setting up the tea party on the coffee table

Pouring "tea" into a bowl

Now it goes back into the pitcher. The dish towel protects the coffee table - which has a leather top - since Ben doesn't always have perfect aim.

Do you notice anything "interesting" about the three photos of Ben?

These little guys may be our favorite holiday decoration.

When our kids were in grade school in Kansas we rented a farm out in the country, while Don was going to college. We didn't farm, just rented it and then rented out the pastures for horses. Anyway - at Christmas time one cold Kansas night the three kids came downstairs all bundled up in hats, scarves, mittens, coats and boots. They were whispering among themselves and ran out the back door.

Soon we heard their little voices singing Christmas Carols - as they walked around and around our house. We were far from town and there was no way anyone else would be coming out to sing carols for us - so they wanted to. As they came around to the back door after a few times around the house we opened the door and listened to them sing one more song and then invited them all inside for hot chocolate and cookies (that I had hurriedly prepared when we saw what they were doing).

They came inside, took off their winter gear and talked to us like we were strangers - "thank you sir and m'am for inviting us in on this blustery night" "Thank you for your kindness and warm drink and cookies" "Might we sing one more song for you?" - it was just the cutest thing ( We are sure the oldest one told the two youngest ones what to say).

Later the next year I was going to ceramic classes and found three little chubby carollers to paint - two girls and one boy - and I painted them with our kids' color of hair and the same clothes they were wearing that night. We still put those figurines out each year.

And what is christmas without a christmas wedding. Our son and now daughter-in-law were married in West Virginia (her home) in December 2005. We flew back for the wedding and had the best time. They got married in a log cabin church (really old, authentic one) and spent the first night of their honeymoon in the log cabin next door - then flew to Hawaii and escaped the snow that was coming down the night they got married. Everything was wonderful - the reception hall was decorated with 14 christmas trees in silver and blue, with twinkly white lights. The church was decorated in the same colors and the wedding was fabulous. We all got dressed in the log cabin next to the little old church - and when our son was dressed in his tux with blue vest he came out - smiling so big and said "I look so good tonight, anyone would marry me" - it was so darling - he was as excited as a little kid.

Inside the church

The first dance - they are a lovely couple!

Happy Memories!!