Monday, December 29, 2014

~ Happy New Year!

 
Will there be a long, or short, list of resolutions for you this year? I think the new year will be another good one to just re-focus a bit. The year in review was a productive one for getting  many things done around the house which had to be done. It's always like that when you live in an older house. Like us, they need a bit more upkeep with the passing years, but we're worth it, we think.

This is a close up of that pretty MacKenzie Child's harlequin star that brings out the black and white motif for Christmas decorating, and now for New Year's as well. The shiny silver with the black is a perfect complement to the Mercury glass.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Monday, December 22, 2014

~ Tis' the Sunday Before Christmas ... White Christmas Decorating

The Decorated House :: White Christmas - White Angel with Mercury Glass and Silver
 
Tis' the Sunday before Christmas and all through the house ......
there are still many things to do, but thank goodness no sight of a mouse!

The white angel is sitting on a side table in the living room with lots of Mercury glass 
and silver ornaments along with the pretty Mercury glass Christmas trees. They reflect
light so beautifully. A few fresh greens, pinecones, candles and a vintage silver 
bowl with ornaments and it was simple and lovely.

I'm getting ready to do a little baking! And since it looks like rain for the next 2 days
that makes it the perfect time to do that. Can you smell the cookies? 
You know there will be chocolate chip, and some gingerbread too
for Sweet Daughter and Cody Puppy.

I hope your week ahead is stress free and full of good cheer!

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Friday, December 19, 2014

~ Christmas - Counting the Days

The Decorated House : Christmas White with Black and Lime Green Accents

It becomes a bit of a countdown this time of year, finding the last gifts, wrapping presents, planning meals or trips. Maybe you research charities for a lovely end of the year gift where it is needed.
Whenever I see lots of presents all wrapped up, it makes me think of what a great time of the year it is to remember some of the best charities who depend on us to help them do their work. 

Please consider checking Charity Navigator to see how a particular charity spends the money that is donated. You can check to see how the CEO of the organization is paid and if they are paying a good portion of the donations to professional fundraiser companies. Both are red flags that may make you give you money to a more worthy charity.  Sometimes it might surprise you to see exactly where your money goes. Just because a group calls themselves a charity doesn't mean that they really are doing much charity work at all.

Most people who do the research will also tell you to look in your own home town, maybe first. The cancer centers, or centers for women and children in your area may have more need than the ones you see on TV all the time and may well make better use of your money and gifts. There are homeless shelters, pet rescue groups, charities that take care of those in need everyday, right where we live.

The Decorated House : Christmas Mantel : White with Mercury Glass and Silver

I still had a couple of details shots of the mantel to share with you. You know the Mercury glass crown is an old favorite of mine. I will let you all know if I ever see any again.

I am really enjoying the old antiqued gold frame again this year. Funny how you get tired of something and then sometime later it appeals to you again. Unfortunately, that makes me think what a good idea it is to save things! Which of course can make you into a  pack-rat. I'm working on that.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Monday, December 15, 2014

~ Oh ... Christmas Tree ~ The Decorated House 2014


The Decorated House :: White and Silver Christmas Tree with Black Accents

For the last few years I've wondered if I can do without the big Christmas tree. You know, maybe a small one on a table so something like that. I've watch how the Christmas tree trimming story played out with the older women in my neighborhood as their kids grew up, or even the grandkids grew up .... and maybe even some moved away. I think by the time I met them only one still had a larger, real Christmas tree that her daughter used to pull in the house on Christmas eve.  Another lady would still put a small artificial tree on a table in her front window and red bows on her outdoor lights, even though she lived alone.  I miss her, and that silly little tree and the red bows.

The Decorated House :: Christmas White and Silver with Black and Green Accents

For this year, there is still a big tree in the living room. Right where it has been for the last 30 years. I like to think my little family would miss seeing one there, but I'll most likely rethink the whole thing once the needles start falling, or I am wrangling the lights off the tree. Sometimes I forget to just let that be a part of the fun as well. 

But I never forget to enjoy the dance of the lights in the evening when all is quiet after a long or busy day. Somehow it brings you back to a peaceful moment and makes it seem worth the work it takes to put it all together. 

The Decorated House - White Christmas with Black and Silver

I hope your Christmas Season is going well and that you are creating beauty and joy all around you. 
~ See Y'All Soon ~

Sunday, December 14, 2014

~ The Decorated House - Christmas 2014



The Decorated House ~ Christmas Mantel 2014

It's that holly jolly time of the year again when you most likely get bitten by a bug ... the Humbug or more hopefully the Christmas Merry Bug! And yes, there seems to be some in between states of mind as well. Or you might flip from one to the other one day to the next. That's OK, just try to take a little time to breath in the beauty of the season and shake off the stress that sometimes comes with it.

Black and white at Christmas? It might seem like an odd color combo for Christmas decorating. But we have been using it for a while, and I still love it! I think it started for us several years ago when we got a Bambi, Radko ornament set with Flower and Thumper being the cutest of the lot. Flower of course is black and white/silver so that one has been displayed the most over the years. But it was the star that came later that really moved the color scheme to black and white.
 
Then a couple of years after Flower came to Christmas,  I found a pretty MacKenzie Childs star to add to the decorating mix. A few more, including one more star, came along in the next few Christmases. After a couple of tree crashes that destroyed a lot of the overpriced ornaments, I vowed not to get anymore. Out of all those glass ornaments, the stars are the only ones on the tree every year and I still love them!  The amount of lime green varies a bit year to year sometime a little more and sometimes a little less.  Still the Christmas decorating for me is white and silver with touches of black and remains my favorite combination with a touch of lime green.

The Decorated House ~ Christmas Tree and Mantel - White and Silver with Black Accents
Amazing to me, the presents are getting wrapped a bit early this year! Between procrastinating and trying to hide the gifts from my daughter, over the years I always seemed to be playing catch in on Christmas Eve, often everyone was in bed. This year I have a very good start on the packages which are going to be wrapped in white and silver, with black and lime green accents.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

~ Christmas Mantel 2014 - The Decorated House - White and Silver

The Decorated House ~ Christmas Mantel 2014 - White and Silver

How is your Christmas decoration coming along? Here is a quick peek at the mantel this year, and I'll post some more pictures when they are downloaded and ready.  I hope you are enjoying this part of Christmas ....  decorating, visiting and sharing your own.

After doing the mantel I remembered telling myself not to use fresh greens because it is such a mess to clean up afterwards. It was too late by then of course.  In this case I don't mind using the faux because I keep it and use it for many years,  and the snow capped greens on the mantel ledge are faux with some real added here and there. But around the frame, real look best right now.

I took fresh greens and wired them together to form a garland around the frame of the Madonna picture. It's such a beautiful painting isn't it? I printed it out on antique paper from the late 1800's which gives it a wonderful aged look.  Although I used the same picture last year, I changed the frame to add some aged gold to decorating this year. 

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Monday, December 1, 2014

~ White Christmas Time

THE DECORATED HOUSE : White Christmas Decorating

It was Christmas tree shopping time this weekend for us,  and this year's tree is awaiting its adornments. The next couple of days will be happily spent listening to Christmas music and deciding what do this year. My guess it will still be the same neutrals of lots of white with silver and Mercury glass with a dash of color. Time to get the boxes in and see what surprises I'll find that I completely forgot about having stored away.  Hope your week is going wonderfully, too!

If you would like to see how the finish was created on this 
vintage frame with the Madonna, click HERE.

~ See Y'All Soon ~