White Wednesday ~ My Primitive side

Welcome to White Wednesday hosted by my friend Kathleen at Faded Charm. I'm a little late today. Gee I thought I was going to have so much time after Christmas to blog more. haha!!!

The room the 2nd Christmas tree is in is our living room. When you have a family room and a living room it is often the living room that never gets used as much. I guess just for show.

I have to admit it is not the room that I would show off most of the year. Often it ends up with boxes and things I don't quite know what to do with yet. This time of year I finally get some time to organize and clean up.

It's a room that gets plenty of light with 4 full windows down to the floor. Sheers that were my Mothers are the only thing on the windows. I usually have long strips off white muslin that I wrap around the rods....but this winter season I decided to remove them.

I really love this room and in the Winter will sit here and drink our morning coffee.....but lately we've been on a tea kick. We have an old piano in the room so George does spend time in here playing the piano. I like the piano for decorating.

We all have our own talents I guess!

I'll show you that in a later post!

I decorate the tree mostly with neutrals adding copper and brown and lots of feathers. Makes for a primitive woodsy look. I guess I never get tired of it......it's been this way for years now. You know how much I love change and it's not like me to keep anything the same for long.

For now I'm just showing you the mostly white ones but nothing on this tree is really blaringly white.

This two tiered wire basket sits on our coffee table and is always fun to change around every year.

I used to have a few of these little windows and thought they'd be fun to make something interesting with them but I haven't been able to find the rest of them.

Problem with having such a large storage area above the shop.

Yes.... part of my New Years Resolution of reorganizing my storage area.

This cute little skate was given to me by a friend that bought it from Paula back when she sold at a local Church fair. I love it. She would do so well there....people would wipe her out in record time. I unfortunately never got to see it but if you've seen her house you can imagine how wonderful her booth was.

"A la Paula" as I like to call it!

Enjoy your New Year celebrations. Whether you bring in the New Year with good friends or you stay at home with your loved one with a good bottle of champagne remember to be thankful for all that you have.

I am so thankful for so many things in my life and especially for my husband, family, friends, my kitties and this year my wonderful and supportive blogging friends.

I hope to get to know you even better in 2010 and meet new bloggers too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

go make it the best year of your life!

Hugs and Kisses!

Carole

My Blue Christmas

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day. Ours was just the perfect quiet day just the two of us at home. I finally got to decorate the tree that we put up on Christmas Eve.

Down to the wire this year.

We always have 2 trees. I knew early on that I was going to decorate the one in the family room in turquoise, silver and white instead of the usual silver and white.
Luckily I had some vintage glass ornaments in blue and turquoise……even some blue santas that I got from Cody Foster a few years ago. He does a whole vintage look that comes in all these candy colors….so fun and different! I don’t like all of it but I do like some of the pastels….and especially the sea blue colors. The family room has soft green painted walls. It never occured to me before that I should decorate the tree in a blue color scheme. The couch is even shades of green and grey.

I do want to change the color of the walls in that room. It’s been this color way too long. Maybe 12 yrs. or so.....I think it's overdo. Not an easy room to paint….walls are too high. I know I should not be complaining. If I had low ceilings I’d be complaining it was too closed in:)))

Well, for now I'm pretty happy with the theme change of the Christmas tree.

I redid the whole mantel....even added some vintage napkins layed across the whole front. I really should have ironed them first but hey I am on Christmas day finally doing this....I'm burning daylight fast here.

Had to keep moving!!!

This Santa's eyes are a little shifty but hey he's BLUE

and I think he looks great on the mantel.

Bought these pipecleaner Santa's at a thrift store this year... 3 of them actually....goofy but cute!

Ok...not sure why I wanted to show you this picture.....maybe to prove to you that I have a sense of humor, don't take myself too seriously, or that I have no fashion sense????

The real reason is that I have hated (hate is such an ugly word....disliked) this hat since we were sent it by a Christmas tree supplier. My husband has never worn it in all these years yet there it was sitting on a shelf..... forever!!!!! I finally tried throwing it out this year. Yes I threw it out!!! and my husband retrieved it. He says he likes it but he never wore it this year either.

So on Christmas day I wore it.........all day! It actually gave us a good laugh and I think it's going to be a Maynard tradition from now on.

You can't really tell from this picture but the red is much more neon then it shows.

It's really gaudy!!!

I look like Wilson from the show "Home Improvement" in this picture.....avec camera and sans stockade fence!!!:)))

Ok enough of me.....back to the decorations!

Smaller version of the bigger Santa.

This is one of my favorite ornaments bought at my friend Ginny's a long time ago. He looks like a clown to me but I suppose he's really suppose to be a snowman. You decide?

Christoper Radko ornament I bought for George a long time ago. We were suppose to buy one for each other every year.....but that fizzled out a few years into that idea. They no longer are in business. I forget now what he's doing but I do remember reading that he would never get back into the Christmas ornament business again.

Ok well I still have tons of decorating to do. I told you I decorate my house after Christmas.....strange I know.

Still have one more tree to finish and I'll show you that one unless you're getting tired of Christmas things and really can't take anymore.

I could save them til next year..........

WW and the First Snow Storm of the Season

Sunday morning looking out our bathroom windows this is what I saw.......a blanket of white over the land. Seeing the snow over the window sill made it look a little surreal. We rarely get this much snow in Southern New England and never this early. Predictions were for 12" but ended up with 2 feet.

The cardinal in the branches really showed up against the stark whiteness in the trees.

The snow was light so the shoveling was easy but there was just so much of it. We only shoveled out one tire track and the end of the driveway. I started feeling guilty that I was outside taking pictures while George was doing all the shoveling....so in the end I did my share.

Notice the hole in the arborvitae ......from our resident deer. I little peak a boo hole.

They have to eat too and it grows back every year anyways.

A good sign the mailbox is still there.

There was such a stillness in the air and no cars even went by while we were out. So quiet and peaceful.....

just us and the snow........

and the shovel of course.

On the way to work we went by the Pink Sleigh. It's a fabulous Christmas shop that's been there since the 60's. I remember going there for the first time when I was probably 7 yrs old. It was magical and there was nothing else like it anywhere. My friend Adrienne once worked there and tells me of a time when they would be so busy they would have to get traffic cops to keep the crowds flowing in and out.
The owners would shop all over the world for unusual items from Germany and other parts of Europe.

The place is still a wonderful destination place and a must stop if you're in the Westbrook area. They close after Christmas and reopen in the summer.

One of my favorite barns that we drive by everyday. Now with houses built behind it but the bramble that grew around it is all gone and you can actually see it.

The trees looked so different then the way I'd photographed the day before......well I guess that's obvious. I'd kept thinking if only I could see a little snow on them they'd look perfect!!!

What's that saying? be careful what you wish for! :))))

There's Charlotte little paws on the door window begging for me to let her out.

And there's Romy begging to let him in!

Most of the cats were pretty undaunted by the whole thing except for Jelly who wouldn't stop meowing as he walked back and forth on the paths........like saying "what have you done to this place????? clean it up". I think he suffers from claustrophobia and having that much snow all around made him makes him feel too closed in. Poor kitty!

It took people awhile to get back to their routine and most spent there time shoveling out and staying home.

Today and yesterday the sun came out. It was still cold but it did melt the snow somewhat.

Well at least we'll have our

WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!

It's been awhile since I can remember the last one.

Don't forget to visit Kathleen at Faded Charm for more white goodness and other participants.

Sorry I'm a little late in posting today!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!!!

Love you all!

Carole