With Visions Of Sugar Plums

I have always admired the beautiful pictures of bedrooms decorated for Christmas. Pretty lights give a warm glow with blankets and pillows that beckon you to crawl up in them with a warm cup of cocoa and a good book.... ahhh. Wouldn't that guarantee visions of sugar plums? Most years I am lucky to get my living room and kitchen done before Christmas! As a home decor blogger I am always half a track behind the rest of the pack. (That means I stink at it.) But, hope springs eternal and this year the Christmas bug got me a little earlier than usual so I started there.

It all started with a neighbor who was cleaning out her stash of goodies. I snagged a very heavy mirror that had the perfect amount of patina from her discarded stuff. Believe it or not Mister helped me rummage through her castaways (garbage) and we got a few goodies. It was only October but I knew this little mirror was going to be making it inside my home. At the time I stored it away in my work space above the garage.

Fast forward to now. I hung it above the bed and placed a wreath on it.

A repurposed pair of shutters landed behind the bedside tables.

A small tree purchased from a thrift store was a perfect addition. It is slim and tall enough to fill the corner. This is a small room so proportion is everything.

And because I am playing with my editing...

My favorite flannel sheets are on the bed. Seriously, these are the best I have found. The pockets are deep and the flannel does not pill. These are three years old! I love crawling into them at the end of the day.

I've been putting the lights on in the evening so that when I walk into the room at night that warm glow welcomes me. For these photos I had to go grab the cocoa, though.  And, a book. I love this one from Ruth Chou Simons. I just love her artwork.

And I lit one of my favorite soy candles. They don't bother my asthma.

When it's time for bed I take a few minutes to just lay still, looking at the lights and I let my mind remember what it was like to be a child full of anticipation the night before Christmas.

And then, the Lord graciously turns my thoughts to Him. How much more should I be looking with hope and wonder at the day when I get to stand in His presence, filled with all the gifts promised in His word! After all, that is why there is a Christmas. The birth of God the Son in the form of a baby;, the Christ of Christmas, who offers God's best gifts to those who will believe.

Praying this is where your thoughts are turned as you prepare for your Christmas celebrations.

This was put to music in 2010. I will try to upload it to Facebook if I can figure it out. Thanks for spending time with me and happy celebrating!


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Autumn 2018

One of my grandmothers had a formal living room filled with furniture that you sat upright on, where tea was served and polite conversation was had. Her living room/sitting room was filled with treasures that had been collected from their travels around the world. My grandfather was a fighter pilot in the Air Force and his work took them to Europe, Asia and all around the United States and they had accumulated an eclectic collection.

More familiar guests often bypassed the formal room for the casual den where you slouched a bit on the sofa or put your feet up, put you glass down on the table (without a coaster) and laughed out loud. Today we call these spaces family rooms. It is where the tv is, where games are played and life is lived . Many homes have the two separate spaces still today but not in our house. Our house was built in the 1820's and we do have an "extra" room that we are still trying to figure out what to do with (more on that at another time) but only one living room. It is wonky shaped and poses challenges. One of those challenges is how to decorate the space but still live in it daily. 

I had a hard time with the hutch top this fall. I decorated it twice. After living with this for about two weeks I just didn't like it. 

I took everything away and started over.

I reused floral arrangements from the past two years.

I have a small dresser in the living room. It was handed down to us by friends years ago when my third child was born. The top had a fingernail polish spill and the poor thing was just beat up. A coat of paint, a wood applique, some new knobs and a coat of paint has given it a new life. I holds craft and decor items and adds light to the this corner of the room. 

I topped the dresser with a tray I picked up last year at a The Pro.found Vintage Market. This year I put the lamp inside the tray, layered in pumpkins, nosegays, pinecones and a hand printed sign I received at a church function last year.

I nestled old photos of my mom, husband and grandparents into the fall decor. I think they serve to direct my thoughts toward family and home as we settle into autumn and prepare for the holidays.

And, here is a little look at the kitchen coffee area.

I found this cute pie tin in a junk store and I think it goes perfectly with the crock I found recently. Both are Massachusetts companies. Table Talk Pies is still in operation but Johnson Made Preserves is not. It was bought out by the King Arthur Flour (another Massachusetts company) in the 1970's.

These were the only two "new" things this year. I just reused what I had from last year and the year before. Move things around, use what you have, shop your stuff...you hear me say these things over and over again.

I am already looking forward to decorating for Christmas and if you know me at all you'll understand that is wow moment as I am usually late for every season! I have even been shopping for Christmas already...that's Wow to the 2nd power!

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