MY HOME AT CHRISTMAS TIME...

First, I want to show you the "traveling painting" that I just finished contributing to and am going to send off today.  Carrie Joy Byrnes had the great idea to do this and a group of us jumped at the chance to be a part.  The artists that are contributing are:  Maria, De Leon, Joji Todd, Charlotte Phillips, Cathy Gillette, Elaina Allen-Valeando, Lisa Scherer, Leslie Rubio, Joan Rudolf, Carrie Joy Byrnes, and me.  Carrie transferred an image of an old photo onto a panel, and we each are painting 7 squares.  Carrie will then put the painting up for sale and the proceeds will go to the Veteran's Leadership Council-Cares.  Their mission is to reduce the number of homeless veterans in North Carolina.

I just LOVE decorating for the Christmas holidays.  I love the colors, the lights, and the memories of each decoration I decorate with. This big armoir in our foyer I got from craigslist...I just love it.

I love my Fontanini creche.  The problem is...only one wise man.  Every year I think I am going to search online for the other two, and just haven't actually either won the auction on ebay or something.  I decided to prop my "Fall On Your Knees" painting in back of it.

This is looking the other direction in the foyer.  That church pew was purchased off of craigslist too.  We got it from a grange hall about an hour away.  Picture it on top of our car...husband holding it with one hand out the window while driving...in the coldest part of January.  Picture his hand by the time we got home.  Of course, it was tied to the roof, but just to know that it wasn't moving he held onto it.  Less than $100 and such a find!  Can't remember offhand the length....long though.  I think between 10-15 feet.

Here's my "Magic of Winter" propped with white and silvery decor.

That vintage red plaid hat box I recently picked up at a thrift store...love it!  On the mantle is the little cardboard village set I grew up with.  They make replicas today (which I also have---love little houses) but vintage, and memories are worth so much more!

I put icicle ornaments along the mantle too, and just love the icy feel they give the village.

I have this house up all year, but decorate it with the wreath, tree, snow, skis, etc. for the holiday.

Our centerpiece scene on our table is a winter wonderland.  I used white snowy themed ornaments along with silvery trees (from the $1 store) to decorate it.  I used little house ornaments (replicas of my mantle ones) too.  I also used the "snow" that I used in my "Winter" painting...and glittery snowflakes from the $1 store mixed in.  The big "snowballs" were ornaments too...from World Market last year.  I just took off the hangers.

My chalkboard changes shape for the holiday to highlight my village.  It's a mixture of Dicken's Village and New England Village.

Here's an alcove in our entry with my "Winter" propped against the wall.  I used those snowflakes on her cloak.  More houses...

Merry Christmas!