Snow, snow and more snow makes for pretty outside decor

It has been several years since our part of Michigan has actually had snow for Christmas.
Oh, we would get a tad bit, but not much at all.
I think this year is changing that.
We got NINE inches a few days ago.

What better time than to snap a few photos around the ole' homestead.
There are pine cones in the olive  basket above...underneath the snow. :)

In lieu of no job and being careful spending money , we trimmed our evergreen trees and
I added a bundle to my bench on the front porch.

I have always loved this little lantern that my daughter gave me several years ago.
Make note of this photo when you see another one later in the post with much more snow
on it. 

Wreaths with berries, pine cones from our own trees, a pretty lady statue, live greenery and an
old picnic basket...

perfect for Christmas.

I even dressed up our outside light with fake pine greenery and a red ribbon.

I didn't purchase one thing this year to decorate. Just pulled from my stash.

My little window house even says
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Much more snow in this pic...eh? :)

A favorite sled with skates, greenery and ribbon

There are also pine cones in this clay pot...so funny. I hope to get pictures that actually
show the cones before the winter is over.

I was in the process of decorating my back porch so this stuff is not totally where I want
it , but oh well.

I hope you enjoyed your mini tour of my outside winter decor.

I pray that each one of you have a wonderful holiday season and that you will be blessed
many times over!!

Come along with me to the Dickens Festival in Holly, Michigan

Over Thanksgiving weekend while we were visiting our daughter and her family, I was thrilled to
 attend the Dickens Festival in Holly, Michigan. We didn't take the time to go to any of the plays,
but I was happy just to be there and walk the streets for the atmosphere if nothing else.

Holly is a beautiful little town, especially when it is all decked out for the holidays.

Carolers serenading us with beautiful music. 

You could take a ride in a horse and carriage if you so desired. With hubby just losing his job,
we opted not to , but it was fun watching.

There was even a free wine tasting for all who wanted to partake.

I LOVED this storefront, but somehow I never made it into this store!!
I can't believe it.
I told hubby I must have walked past it three times. Next year...

We did go into this beautiful antique store. I just love old buildings, don't you?

The famous and historic Holly Hotel. My daughter took her daughter and me here a few years ago
in the summer for a proper tea. It was very nice, but they served liver pate which neither one of us
could eat! ha! 

St. Dominic's choir was found strolling around town singing and it was beautiful! It was so nice to leave
the hustle and bustle of the season behind us and just relax in this beautiful atmosphere.

I found a link online that tells about this choir. If you are interested
you can click here.  They are trained and directed by the Dominican sisters of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We even happened to see a wedding party that was strolling down the street! What a perfect place
for a Holiday Wedding!

This Santa greeted us right inside the antique store doorway.

Our oldest granddaughter Allysha...she was sick by the time we left to go home.  I felt
so bad for her. She had a terrible headache and quite a fever by the time we got back
and it came on fast.

This was actually a photo of  the rest of our family just entering the festival , but we will
pretend that we are leaving since I am at the end of the post. lol.

I highly recommend this wonderful town if you are ever in the area.

There is a store there called Pigeon in the Parlour that I love!!

I will add those pictures soon.

Happy holidays and God bless us everyone!!

{P.S. my daughter decided that this really wasn't the place for three little boys so she left before
we did and our oldest granddaughter stayed behind and rode back with us}

Just a note: I am having an online garage sale a couple posts previous to this one and I just added
two Jeanne D Arc scarves. They are gorgeous!!

Star light...star bright...

...first star I see tonight...
 

...I wish I may...I wish I might...

...have the wish I wish tonight.

wishing love, laughter and warm fuzzies for each one of you.

It is colddddddd here in Michigan and kinda icky out there so no better time
than the present to make some cranberry stars.

I ran across these vintage star molds the other day while digging in a drawer
and I decided I was going to try out what I intended to do a long time ago.
I had a bag of cranberries left over {don't know what they were left over from ,
but we will call them leftover. lol. } in my refrigerator so no time like the present.

 I want to do this for the holidays next year. I would add greenery at the top
of them where the twine hanger fastens on. You could also do this for Valentines
Day, but use heart molds! How fun would that be?? There is only one thing you
really need  to make these and that is COLD WEATHER...FREEZING weather!
ha! You can't do this where it is warm all year round. I guess there are some
perks to freezing half the winter after all. :)

Are you ready...

...for the holidays? For all the hustle and bustle, happy people, cranky people, the extra lbs. packed on from all the holiday goodies, finding that perfect gift, busy stores with people bumping and jostling, that white stuff that falls from the sky snow? Are you ready??

I am not. Seems like the older I get the faster it seems to arrive each year.  Since we have simplified our gift giving it is not nearly as stressful as in years past, but I am still not ready. We are having Christmas with our children and grandchildren at Thanksgiving so I guess I better get ready huh? It is only 16 days away!



I need to start wrapping gifts for the grands and just get in the Christmas mood. Maybe some fa-la-la music would help?



Yes, the celebrating  is just around the corner...reminds me of an old game ...
ready or not...here I come it comes!

I had to show you some of my recent finds. Aren't these the neatest old suitcases ever...AND they are WHITE! :)

Haven't figured out yet which room they will end up in , but for now they are just sitting on the floor in the dining room.

One has a blue lining and one has RED! Not so fond of red, but at least it is inside. ha!

This is a must have for all of us who love to create. Guess where I found it?? No ...not Hobby Lobby, or Michaels or any other craft store. TJ Maxx!! Can you believe it? It was only $1.99 for this large size. I am just tellin' ya so you can check out your TJ Maxx stores if you so desire.

I purchased three of these old white chippy shutters a few weeks ago and am thinking I need to go and get the other three that I left behind. I am going to do great things with these just you wait and see. lol


My blogger jumbled my photos again so they are not in the right order , but such is the life of a blogger lady. {hee hee} I found the white glittery pinecone garlands at Michaels. The candle is Cranberry Fig, again from TJ Maxx and it smells wonderful! Joining Kathleen again over at Faded Charm for White Wednesday this week.

Last time...

...that you will see a glimpse of my Christmas tree this year.

I love seeing it peeking through this mirror.

We have another Christmas celebration this weekend

so I maybe MIA for a few days. I will be back next

week with some new finds for my booth...I hope.

I pray your new year will be as blessed for all of you

as much as you have blessed my life this past year.

I never thought the blogging world would be so

wonderful!!

Here's to a new year with amazing new ideas and

wonderful new creations!