Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts

Friday, December 15, 2017

A Christmas Night to Remember

On a mild December evening with an enormous supermoon lighting our way, 
Ron and I took our little dog, Roxy, for a walk in our neighborhood.  
The houses on our street glittered and created a festive holiday feeling. 
As we enjoyed the Christmas lights, we shared our childhood Christmas memories.


Ron and I both remembered the family piling into the car 
to drive to the "ritzy" part of town to view the lights, 
oohing and ahhing as if they were fireworks. 
Compared to the intricate displays today, they probably weren't all that amazing 
but to us, they were magical.

Today we keep our lights pretty simple with a string of twinkly lights on our fence. 


I also remembered the arrival of our Christmas tree every Christmas Eve. 
It was a family tradition to wait until the night before Christmas to decorate our tree. 
Dad would drive down to the corner gas station and buy a tree. 
Then, pushing and pulling it through our front door, we'd set it in its metal holder, 
turning it this way and that until it looked its best or at least straight.


Ron said he remembered how the tree lot smelled. 
Growing up in Oklahoma where there weren't any pine trees, 
he thought the smell of fresh pine was different and wonderful.

He also mentioned those Christmas novelty songs they played on the radio. 
I remember them too especially that Chipmunk song (Alvin!) that they played over and over, 
no doubt driving our poor parents crazy. 


Do you remember those strings of different-colored lights 
when if one light went out, the whole string died?
And carefully placing each individual aluminum icicle on the tree? 
Time consuming but definitely worth it.


After the tree was decorated, Mom would sing Silent Night in her clear deep voice 
and my sister and I would go upstairs to bed while Mom and Dad 
brought our presents out from their hiding places to put under the tree. 
It was hard to go to sleep when we kept hearing noises that sounded like reindeer on our roof.

Here's a picture of me (left) and my sister with Santa in the 1950s
about to give him our wish lists.
I never did get that pony!


Christmas morning we waited impatiently for our grandparents to arrive so we could tear open 
the wrapping paper on our presents. I remember a slinky, play dough, and a battery-operated bear 
that drank a bottle of Pepsi. (I see those in antique stores now!) 
Santa always brought my sister and me matching PJs. 
Ron loved his model airplane kits, Lincoln Logs and little soldiers.


Seems Christmas then was more simple and less stressful than it is today. 
It was about family and tradition and cherished small town memories that we still hold dear.



I'd love to hear about your treasured childhood Christmas memories.
We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

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Friday, December 8, 2017

A French Country Christmas Living Room


In my last post I'd decided not to have a tree this Christmas. Wait! What?
(If you missed that post, you can read it by clicking this link.)
Instead, I thought I'd decorate my living and dining rooms with vintage pieces,
while giving these rooms a little French Country flair.

So, let's start in the foyer. 
Welcome to my French Country Christmas!


This old nativity scene is actually Italian so it has that European feel.
I love the blue and red together.
The angel wreath always hung in my mother's kitchen window when I was growing up
and my sister hand painted the three sheep.


Come on in to the living room.


The mantel is always the focal point in holiday decor.
I love to use lots of candles and a few bottlebrush trees.


Cozy up to the fireplace.
An ironstone pitcher holds a stash of white candles on the console table behind the couch. 


A few baubles on a vintage wire tree and a candle bring sparkle to the living room . . .


and a French market basket, filled with holiday goodies, adds a bit of French soul.


An urn laden with holly, pine cones and antlers is a simple natural touch,
an important element in French Country design. 


Of course, I think everyone should decorate with whatever makes them happy.
But I've decided I'm content with how our house looks this year (without a tree).


So enjoyed hearing all your comments and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

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Friday, November 17, 2017

A Day of Holiday Shopping

Sometimes holiday inspiration can be no further away than your local antique store or market. 
Shop owners are masters of staging and we can always pick up a few creative ideas from them. 


Even if you don't buy anything, the colorful displays are sure to inspire some clever ideas
and get you in the holiday mood. 


We just visited the Old House Vintage Market in Loveland, Colorado 
and saw lots of wonderful holiday goodies.




I may have to include some of these pretties in my letter to Santa.


After a nice lunch, we drove across town to peek in a couple of our favorite antique stores
where we ooh'ed and ahh'ed at their holiday displays. 









With Christmas just around the corner, this fun day was just the ticket 
to get the creative holiday juices flowing. 


It's not too early to start thinking about holiday gifts and decor. 
Have you been naughty or nice this year?

Oh, and Santa dear, I really loved those rooster pillows!

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French Country Cottage

Friday, January 13, 2017

Transitioning from Christmas to Winter Decor

As we put away our holiday decorations for another year, it's easy to transition from Christmas 
to winter decor.  We store our Christmas trees, mangers, Santa hats, and stockings 
but are there some decorations we can leave out and enjoy for a few more months?
Yes, please. 

Outdoors, after the Christmas lights come down, try using some of your garden accessories 
with some left-over greenery in your front porch urns for a fresh wintry look. 


Snowshoes and ice skates slide easily from the holidays into a wintry foyer. 


Table centerpieces are easy to transition. 
Just remove your vintage holiday collectibles and add some pine cones or greenery. 
Antler sheds connect us to the outdoors 
and make us feel like we're in a snowed-in mountain lodge.


I loved adding red satin bows to Ron's silver bells for Christmas this year. 
So much so that I just couldn't pack them away. 
Instead, I took a few out of the windows and mixed them in with my kitchen ironstone.


A grouping of white candles in silver candlesticks
reflects a warm wintry feel in an old dining room mirror. 


The display on the console table didn't change at all after Christmas.
I think the white palette still works well with my ironstone and other white accessories
and I think it looks more wintry than Christmassy.
Besides, it was so pretty, I just couldn't dismantle it.


So, if you love your holiday decor like I do, take a second look around 
and see how you can mix it up to enjoy in the winter months ahead.

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Friday, December 16, 2016

Merry Christmas my Friends!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!


Taking some time off to be with family and friends. 
We wish you a peaceful and magical holiday. 

Pat, Ron and Roxy
2016

Friday, December 2, 2016

A French Country Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at the foot of the Rockies!


I had such fun decorating the house this year for Christmas and didn't spend a fortune.
I like using the things that have been passed down over the years
and those things I already have but can be used in a new way.

Like this vintage candelabra.
It usually sits in the front living room window facing the street
but this year I decided to add a little Christmas spirit to the kitchen.
It really makes the kitchen feel festive.


In the farmhouse sunroom, silver bells bejeweled with red satin ribbons 
line the windowsills and the top of the seed bin. 
A family tradition, Ron's mother gave him a new bell every Christmas and he now has about 40!


A metal Christmas tree adorned with Shiny Brite bulbs sits atop the farm table. 
When I was unpacking the bulbs, one fell onto the tiled floor and shattered. Mwaaa!


The foyer halltree has a cheery look with Santa hats . . .


. . .  and a French market basket filled with stuffed toys.


Draping a couple of thick scarves on the halltree hooks adds texture and warmth to the entry. 
I love this scarf from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. 
The Stanley was made famous in the movie "The Shining."


In the living room, we decided to put our little tree in the front window.
It's simply decorated with white twinkly lights and silver bulbs that I've had for years.


An old toy horse on wheels is hitched under the tree with more bears.


The mantel always takes on a new look each year. 
This year I placed my red-berried wreath on the mantel instead of on the front door. 
Surrounded by vintage books and holiday decorations,
it looks warm and cozy with a battery candle nestled inside it.


The dining room mantel is spiffed up with stockings and red accents. 


A simple centerpiece lies on the dining table with a linen runner and an old ironstone tureen.
I couldn't resist adding a few deer sheds. 


So, from our house to yours, a very Merry Christmas . . .


and a Happy New Year!

***




A Holiday Conversation with Susan Hays

December 2, 2016

I'm so pleased to feature a special holiday conversation with Susan Hays, the creator of the beautiful blog: "Our French Oasis." Susan lives in a small French village with her husband,
five children, two dogs, two cats and lots of chickens.


How is Christmas in France different than the UK?
The biggest difference is in France the main meal, usually with seafood and/or oysters as an appetiser, is on Christmas Eve, continuing until well after midnight, whereas in the UK the main meal is on Christmas Day and centres around our traditional turkey. Christmas in France tends to be relatively quiet, at least it is here in the Charente Maritime. It is centered far more around family. New Year is the time to party!


How do you decorate (inside and out) for Christmas?
I absolutely love decorating for Christmas and am itching to get started! However, we never begin until after the 1st of December as is far more traditional in France. Our village and town lights will be turned on the first Friday in December and that's when things start to get festive. We start with some twinkling white lights outside around the front entrance and along the driveway gates. Every year, I make a big natural wreath which we hang on the front door. With the cooler winter weather it lasts happily until the beginning of January and is a great welcome for friends and family. Inside we decorate all the rooms we use. I love getting the children involved as much as possible. It gets everyone in a great frame of mind and it becomes very much a family affair.


What is your holiday decorating style?
We tend to be fairly traditional. There is something quite magical about bringing out the same decorations year in year out, things go in the same place and the mantel in the sitting room is always the first to be decorated, a long evergreen garland dotted with small white lights. We always go and choose the tree en famille. It's never a simple job, getting seven people to agree on which tree to choose. We all decorate it with Christmas music playing, a glass of champagne for the adults and sparkling apple juice for the children. We have ornaments that the children have had since they were babies, they each have their own special ones.


Do you have any advice on how to decorate your home in an authentic French Country style?
There are so many different takes on French Country Style and each person has their own personal favourite. For me, it is all about comfort and atmosphere. My home should be a place where friends and guests want to linger a while, where they feel at ease. I like a fairly simple colour scheme with rich textured cushions and fairly bold pieces of traditional furniture. In addition, for me, there should be plenty of candles and a couple of vintage chandeliers, with rugs on the floor and fresh flowers. Plus I have to admit I have a love of French Louis XIV style antique chairs; I love their shape and style!


What is the favorite part of your house?
The favourite part of my house has to be the kitchen. It is very much the heart of our home and is dominated by a large walnut table which we had made for us several years ago. We handpicked the wood in a yacht builder's yard! I always have a vase of flowers in the middle, even in the depths of winter, there is always something I can pick from the garden if I am a little inventive! We also have a collection of antique silver candlesticks and they too live on the table. We light them every evening for our family supper, even if it's a simple bowl of soup and a crusty baguette, candles set the scene and make every meal special. We have a highly efficient wood burning stove in the corner and in the winter it is permanently alight. It's always warm and cozy and welcoming. In the summer the French doors are opened wide to the terrace and it becomes an extension of the room.


Thanks so much Susan! You can read more about Susan's life in France on her blog at ourfrenchoasis.com

Happy Holidays from our house to yours!

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