Christmas Time is Here! (Photos Ahoy!)

I've divided this post into two parts. These are new items (or in one case, a major refurb).

The first photo isn't really new, but I don't remember posting a photo of it last year. It's my Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tree, Rankin-Bass version, of course. The topper is simply a collection of red baubles to emulate Rudolph's nose.



This is the little display of statuary (and cards) on the secretary next to Schuyler's cage. I had thought to put the little feather tree here, but it would have been covered with discarded feathers and seed shucks. This collection is much easier to keep clean! As you see, I kept Skye in the company of birds: the Jim Shore angel has birds, the Santa tin has a birdhouse and birds, and there is an English robin perched on the bell.



Since we have a larger "night table" in there now, I decided to spruce up the guest room with a little Christmas display. "Rodney the reindeer" looks just right in this cool wire sleigh from Hobby Lobby with a peppermint stocking filled with peppermint decorations, all set next to a peppermint-bauble and candy-cane decorated mini-tree.



This is most of the gingerbread display in the kitchen.



I was in a Hallmark store last year and they had these cute little cow statuettes on sale. They're called "Mary's Moo Moos." Several were in a Christmas motif and I fell in love with this little fireplace with Papa Bull and his little calf. I didn't see a matching Mama Cow, but thought this cow and her quilt looked as if she went with the setup. She had a John Deere logo in the middle of the quilt which I covered with a printed quilt-block.

I had no idea where to put them until I realized there was a nice little space on the tier table.



Here's something old with a new look. I made this ceppo years ago to hold our miniatures tree. Since in the old house the Christmas tree was upstairs in the living room-cum-library and we were always down in the den with Bandit, the computers and the television, it was a handy decoration for downstairs. However, the first year I made it I was too late to paint it, and every year I procrastinated till it never did get painted. This year I decided I had the time (and the ability, since nothing was on top of the ceppo box—LOL). I found this heavenly, silvery blue for most of it, and painted the bottom shelf white scattered with different types of glitters to look like snow and the middle shelf with dirt and grass to look like a field in Bethlehem. (There are railroad diorama trees in the background.)

The blue delft-type angels on top are from the other Christmas shop in Gatlinburg, just a few blocks down from the Incredible Christmas Place, and the chickadees flanking from Hallmark. The "Peace" in the rear is from Michaels, embellished with the little wooden decorations from A.C. Moore.



I gathered these copper items from various venues (Big Lots, Michaels, and one branch from the Incredible Christmas Store) and put them in a little red basin from Michaels.



I found the little copper-topped bottle-brush trees with the Lemax Christmas village things. Not sure where the goofy deer came from (Gatlinburg, I think), but they seemed to be made for each other. :-)



This is James' airplane tree. About half of these are Hallmark ornaments (not sure if you can see Snoopy in his "flying ace" outfit also on the tree) and the rest are models James has built. The tree is not only silver, but made of a holographic material. The garland I bought because it was red and green like the directional lights on the wings of aircraft (the gold I had to live with). The star used to be on the library tree, but seems a good match.

This photo doesn't do it justice. It's much cuter.



A "Chris Moose" sits upon the new bench in the foyer. Don't you just love the box? I found it at Garden Ridge. Very late 40s-1950s type design on the box.



Anyway, here's the china cabinet, Mark II. :-) The Santa collection is back and a bit larger. Like the "Peace" to the rear of the ceppo, the "Falala" next to the charming little sheep is from Michaels, embellished with more little wooden decorations from A.C. Moore. On the opposite side is a sheep ornament from the Christmas store in Helen, GA; his sign says "Merry Christmas."



The little tree in the middle, purchased from a vendor at a Blue Ribbon Affair, is probably my favorite decoration this year. It came out like a little jewel. I was trying for a late 1800s, maybe to 1910 look, and Michaels had the perfect tiny ornaments. I picked the blue and white bead garland to offset all the red on the tree itself. I think the perfect little rocking horse came from Hobby Lobby, and then I tried for period-looking gifts of white paper tied with red string (really cherry-colored embroidery floss) on the opposite side.