It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

First Post of the Day

For some reason, this year I am getting my holiday decorations up quickly and much more easily than I usually do. Why? No idea. But I am enjoying feeling well enough to be hauling tubs downstairs and making my home look Christmassy.

I always begin the day after Thanksgiving with the front porch. It's not a lot, but it is enough to make me feel the holiday spirit.

My red mini me Short and Sweet arrived and after shooting some pics, I decided to leave all the candy stripers out, at least for a while.

My sisters were also decorating their homes. When I saw Jenny's tree, I knew I had found our new tree. I loved how her collection of antique ornaments could be seen so well from this giant ornament tree. And, that they were far less likely to slide off a flimsy branch and break.

So I ordered my own. It arrived yesterday and it was quick and easy for me to assemble.

This one has lights but that's today's project.

I sure wish I could also copy Leslie's outdoor gate decor, too.

Her farm is so pretty in the snow.

The greenery is on the player piano and my mother's nativity will go on top when Lisa comes over. (We always do that together.) The ornaments will go on my new ornament tree after I get the lights on it.

A painting that my mom did as her father's Christmas gift dated 1944, another nativity, a pink candy cane box that Sarah made me years ago (note to self: replenish those candy canes!), a mini ceramic tree made by my mother, and my favorite childhood ornament, the "pink ornament" as it is called. Oh, and I have turned the pillars between the dining and living rooms into giant candy canes.

Chrismas mugs made by my mom, a Christmas train from Lisa, and two snow people that Cambria made us last Christmas. Nearly everything I put out in our home has sentimental significance.

I made this tablecloth when the kids were little. Its colors are fading, but it still gets put out. A mini ornament tree is on the table with the ornaments from my childhood that my kids surprised me with last Mother's Day.

The dining room piano's decor. I always open the hymnal to Christmas songs this time of year. Right now my favorite is up - O, Come All Ye Faithful.

My dad made the ornament tree for me early in our marriage and is considered a family heirloom. (He loved Christmas!) The German nativity was something Craig bought the family years ago - another family heirloom.

The nutcrackers are also a gift from Dad, the Swedish Yule goat is a gift from Emily that she brought back from her year in Sweden (she is half Swedish/half Canadian), a wooden reindeer from Jessica, and two nativities from my mother.

I still have things to put out, but like I said, it is going quickly and easily. 

Finally, our neighborhood rock fairy posted a sneak peak of his or her holiday rocks. These will be hidden around our neighborhood as gifts to the lucky finders.

Aren't they pretty? I hope I find one but honestly, I already have three so unless it's placed on my mailbox or park bench and obviously meant for me, I will probably leave it for someone else to have.

I plan to write a second post this morning with today's Yuletide Challenge pictures, but I've got Nash and Mama coming for the day and need to run to the vet and then to Meijer. If it's not up by noon Eastern time, I'll bump it to tomorrow.

Stay 'tooned!

Almost Done

The jokes and memes have begun flying among our family members - having a big family gathering is fun but it's also quite an undertaking and my kids like to poke fun at that.  (Craig and I are right in there with them!)

Here is a screenshot from a tongue in cheek video Hawkeye Sarah just sent the family that was taken inside her kitchen pantry. In it, Sarah said, 

"Just over here preparing for the Isenbarger Christmas."

You can't see it all, but there are 20 cans of frosting and 24 boxes of candy canes. She laughed at the end of the video, and I honestly don't think she's bringing all that here, but... She works with the teens at her church and I suspect she's putting together an activity of some sort. (Although it's very possible she might bring what is left over.)

Our tree isn't up yet (tomorrow's project) nor is my mother's Nativity but we will be ready decor-wise when those are completed. (Oops, forgot about hanging the stockings.)

Not the best picture due to the late afternoon lighting, but I finished the staircase greenery. Honestly, that's one of my most favorite decorations. It really makes our home look festive.

I'm done sorting out the ornaments that we will put onto the tree. We have tubs and tubs of ornaments, but I am putting out those that I know are the most meaningful to our family.

Like this set of Rudolph ornaments. Only they were not ornaments - they were zipper pulls!

My kids love Rudolph and during our lean years I couldn't afford beautifully made Rudolph ornaments even in the Christmas section of Kmart. But, I sure could afford this set of Rudolph rubber zipper pulls and convert them into ornaments! 

Even better, they were unbreakable due to the rubber (which has made them last over the years) and there are 12 of them - two per child! Win-win for the Isenbarger clan!

I've also sorted out the stockings into family groups. My mom made the knitted ones and I made the fabric ones. I wanted to be sure we had enough for all who are spending Christmas with us this year.

Good thing I checked - I am four short and so I have some fabric sitting on the sewing table waiting for me to turn them into stockings before Christmas Eve.

I had an epiphany while going through Grandma Honeywell's ornaments. They are around 100 years old and were used during my mother's childhood.

Grandma always vented her cherry pies with this design and I do the same. But I never knew where that particular pattern came from, and neither did my mother but we used it because Grandma did.

While I looked at those old beauties in their boxes, thinking I'd choose one to go on this year's tree, I spied this pair:

Oh, my goodness. I think I just discovered where Grandma got her pattern.

My heart turned to mush and I got a little teary. Gently I tucked those two ornaments safely back into their box. Maybe next year I'll put one of them on the tree, but not this year. 

Speaking of ornaments that are old and precious, my childhood favorite is currently out and hanging in a safe corner. I'll take it down when our family begins arriving but we will enjoy it in the meantime.

My sister Leslie sent me a photo from one of our childhood Christmases, and look what I spied!

There it is, about 60 years ago in the 1960s hanging on our tree! It truly is a treasure. (How about those mid century modern drapes??)

It's about time for the December Give Away. Give me another day or two and I will post it, probably on Thursday, and it will run through Sunday evening like usual. I think you will like this month's prize.

Stay 'tooned!

Christmas Horse of the Day

Neva, a 2022 Holiday Web Special. I like that midnight blue contrasted with the white and silver, and the snowmen peeking out.  

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 9

The Trotting Morgan Stallion in a pretty blue roan.

I'm procrastinating making a scene because I have to lift the calendar box over the scene each day to open a window, and it's very easy to knock pieces over when I do. And as more pieces are out, the easier it is for me to tip them over when I set a new piece into the scene. But I'll get it started later today or tomorrow.

Sick & the Last of the Decor

I have caught a bug of some sort so today I am posting a blog entry that was scheduled for later this week. And then I am going back to bed.

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Finally - the house is decorated and ready for Christmas. In years past, we have had a second tree up on the overlook, an artificial tree we trimmed with unbreakable ornaments that the grands could play under (and the adults would not worry about.)

This Christmas we brought that tree downstairs and put our most cherished ornaments on it. (I actually have a small tub labeled "Essential Ornaments.")

The dining room posts have been candy caned - Craig especially loves those and the banister swag. (Which I just realized I did not take a photo of yet.)

My mother painted this nativity for us, giving us one or two pieces every Christmas, all dated and signed underneath, until we had the entire set. Needless to say, it is one of my treasures. 

I moved the mini tree into the dining room and then set the Santa mugs (also made by my mom) around it.

Lisa's train is still on the dining room buffet with the addition of two Rudolphs a woodworking friend made us this year.

Not our tree, but my son-in-love Todd sent me a photo of the gingerbread star I'd made him. He'd hung it and snapped this pic for me. (Thank you, Todd. That meant a lot.)

Like I said, I am posting this post before I had intended to and so the photo of the bannister swag is missing. I'll try to get that taken when I am feeling better, so stay 'tooned.

Hopefully I will be feeling up to writing soon; the posts on Breyer's scales are in progress but not ready to post yet. It's been interesting to research and compare them, and I will share what I've learned soon.

Stay 'tooned!

December 10 Advent Calendar Reveal

An english saddle and either a saddle stand or a step stool.

Judging how big it is compared to the stablehand, I'd say it's a saddle stand.